Baby V.'s Anatomy it is the new Grey's Anatomy

Today I am 19 weeks and growing bigger each day. I had to actually start wearing my Bella Band this week with a few of my pants. A Bella Band is something that is like a tube top but you wear it around your waist so your regular pants can be unbuttoned without anyone knowing. Best invention out there - so far.

We had our "anatomy" ultrasound today where they measure all the limbs, check the heart valves and measure the head, look at all the organs to make sure baby is growing right on schedule. They showed the heart pumping in and out and even had red and blue color on the screen. All looked "perfect" said our doctor.

Baby Profile

Baby Spine - twisting and turning around

Nick and I had to shut our eyes and turn away while they were doing some measurements that might have let us see what gender our little one is. I told Nick it is like Christmas presents...you want to know, but the surprise is so fun!

Baby was very active today so it got a little harder for the ultrasound tech as our appointment went on...I guess baby was done being on the big screen.

love,

Amy, Nick and Baby V.

The life you want to live...

Today will be my first entry for Baby V and boy, it will be a doozy! I’m here to warn you that your life will not always be peaches and cream like your dear Aunt Lindsay. You will be welcomed by great grandparents, young and fun aunts and uncles like Eric, Caitlin and Erin and many other great family members and friends. None of them live the high life like your dear Aunt Lindsay.

You see, Lindsay has always led a good life. She was born three years after your daddy and was essentially raised by yours truly. Your dad taught Lindsay the finer things in life like Notre Dame Football, Peanut M&M’s, Saved by the Bell, love of college mascots, etc. These are all things that you will surely come to love as much as your dad does!

Aunt Lindsay has always lived under a shining star. For example, she once received a personal tour of Touchdown Jesus from Father Hesburgh at Notre Dame. Recently, Lindsay was able to view great playoff baseball at Fenway Park at face value. Such joys are rare to the average human being, but your Dear Aunt Lindsay makes them seem like commonplace.

Baby, you will learn people like Lindsay are not the norm, in more ways than one. Your dad recommends you mooch off her like he does, as often as possible with the hope you can live a life one half as grand as your Dear Aunt Lindsay.

Your dad,

Nick

Don't drink the water...

Below are a couple of pictures of my co-workers and me. We are all pregnant at the same time and hopefully can fill in the gaps during maternity leaves. We all are due within about 6 months of each other so our department will have a built in daycare when all the babies arrive. In a department of 12 people, 3 pregnant women can be interesting each day:)

One other interesting fact is we all graduated from Wartburg between 2000 and 2003. Be Orange I guess...better start saving if our babies want to go to Wartburg like their mommies:)

I am due Mar. 27, Erin (middle) is due Jan. 17 and Corey (right) delivered a baby boy, Logan on Oct. 2.

Side view...this is just a couple of weeks before Corey had her baby.

More baby pictures

We had our 16 week appointment today. I am almost 17 weeks so we are seeing some pretty good definition in the features. We had to tell the ultrasound tech to stay away from anything the would indicate boy or girl. I get nervous something will accidentally show up.

Baby V. wasn't very active until the very end when we think they had the hiccups. It woke up and was stretching all over the place and almost jumping a little. The ultrasound tech was wonderful and took her time and really let us take our time. She kept saying how cute the little feet were and showed us everything, except probably what most people want to know - boy or girl.

It is weighing in at around 4-5 ounces and is 4 inches head to rump and legs 2 more inches. Getting bigger each day!

Heart rate at 155

Profile with whole body

Chin on chest - resting like mommy:)

Nick and I love going to see the baby because it gets more and more real each day. Now that I feel good, I sometimes forget Baby V. is growing away in my tummy. I am sure once my belly grows more I will notice a lot more.

love,

Amy, Nick and Baby V.

Funny picture

So Nick and I had to run to the mall and had one stop to make. Right outside the store was an expecting mothers parking spot. So we figured this was made just for us. So as we got out, I posed with the sign and really stuck out my belly just in case people were wondering why we were parking there. I look so odd trying to stick out my belly.

For the most part you wouldn't be able to tell I was pregnant. The longer I can stay in my clothes the better.

Everything else with baby is going very well. Baby is stealing my energy after 9 p.m. but I can handle it. Sometimes I get little energy bursts and other times I feel I could sleep for days!

16 weeks this weekend. It is going quick and I know it will just got faster, until the day I want to deliver and baby doesn't cooperate.

Take care,

Amy

Almost 15 weeks!

We had another appointment today and got to see little peanut again. If the nurses and doctors weren't so busy I think I could have an ultrasound everyday to see the little one. I walk right by their office each day so it wouldn't be out of the way for me:)

The heartbeat is at 143 now, down from 188 two weeks ago. I guess that is perfectly normal. So here goes the speculation on what Baby V. is, a boy or girl. The ultrasound tech did ask if we wanted to try to see, but we didn't even want to be tempted.

Baby V. was very active this morning. Right when the monitor came up baby waved and then looked like it was rock climbing with one hand going up at a time. Nick said they were calling for the football saying they were open. Either way I think we will have an athlete on our hands.

It is so much fun to see how much baby is growing. We have the full measuring ultrasound in about a month so stay tuned to see how big this baby is going to be!

One side note...Happy Birthday to my mom today and congrats (almost) to Corey and Pat. Corey is a co-worker of mine and is in labor as I type this. They are having a little boy and naming him Logan. Another co-worker, Erin is due in January. We could start a daycare in our department with all the babies!

Amy