Sunday, July 29, 2007

12 Weeks and Counting!


12 Weeks today...and the last week of our first trimester! We feel so blessed to be coming up on our 2nd trimester and so thankful that we have had such a healthy pregnancy so far. What an amazing feeling to know that our baby is healthy, growing at a rapid pace and has a strong healthy beating heart. Much of the worry we've had so far is starting to fade as we finish our 1st trimester and become more & more excited each day!!

The Bump is almost two inches now, about the size of a lime, and we are no longer in the embryo stage. The kidneys are working at this point and the nerve cells and neurological pathways are forming. The eyes and ears are in their final positions on the head and The Bump is starting to look more human every day!

Saturday, July 28, 2007

11 Weeks and Counting!







Hello! So much has happened this week...where do I start?! Matt and I had our second prenatal appointment with Dr. Spoon Monday, July 23rd. We weren't really sure what to expect since this is our first rodeo :) We were pleased to learn that we would be getting all of the results of the tests they previously did, and everything looked perfect. It is so awesome to get each test back with a good result because there are so many things we worry about constantly with the baby, that it takes just a little weight off our shoulders when we can take some of that worry away. Dr. Spoon then asked us if we wanted to see our baby? Of course we do!! I was so excited that we were going to be able to do another ultrasound! He found the baby immediately and every time I see it, I'm amazed. I don't feel much in my belly right now except some pressure every now and then, so when Dr. Spoon held the ultrasound device still on my stomach and we saw the baby moving around wiggling its arms and stomach on its own, it was a feeling I can't put into words. I'm sure all of you Mothers & Fathers know exactly the feeling I'm talking about. The same type of feeling you can't explain when Dr. Spoon turned on the sound and we heard a strong and fast heartbeat. Up until now, we have only been able to see the heartbeat. The loud whoosh of the heartbeat brought tears to my eyes. Dr. Spoon looked at us both proudly and said "Guys, that's your baby, your child" :) Such an amazing feeling.
The baby is growing rapidly, the ultrasound pictures you see here show the spinal cord (pic 1), the fingers and toes (pic 2) and the teeth buds, face, and baby sucking its thumb (pic 3). The baby is about the size of a golf ball right now (1.5 inches or so). The fingers and toes have separated so that is why you can see them so distinctly. The baby's skin is still transparent but all of the blood vessels are working and pumping blood through its tiny 1 ounce body.

We hope you enjoy these pictures as much as we do (you can click on each picture to enlarge it)...two more weeks and we will be on to the 2nd trimester already! How time flies when you're having the time of your life!! Love you all!

Monday, July 23, 2007

10 Weeks in Texas!

Hey y'all! Sorry we've been lagging on updating this week, we have been both so busy after returning from our trip to Texas. We had an amazing & relaxing time spending time with Matt's Dad, Gary, his wife Wendy and Matt's little brother, Daulton, who kept Matt busy! We jumped on the four wheelers and went pond fishing, which was a first for The Bump and myself, and I had a great time.
For the remainder of the trip we enjoyed some home cooking and quality time with Matt's grandparents down in San Augustine!
It was fabulous.
I'm feeling great and we'll keep you all updated!

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

9 Weeks and Counting!

Goodbye All-Day Sickness!! So, the wives tales say that if you're having a boy, you'll have no morning sickness and if you're having a girl, it will suck the beauty right out of you and you'll be sick all the time. I'm not quite sure what category that puts me in because after a straight two weeks of praying to the porcelain God, my all-day sickness disappeared!! Literally, I woke up last Thursday and felt amazing! I could have run a marathon...okay so that's pushing it a bit...but I really did feel wonderful and I've had so much energy! I now can enter my workplace without the usual, "Wow, you're not feeling that well today are you?" I noticed myself applying makeup like a MAC makeup artist to cover up the greenish glow on my face for that two weeks!

All is fabulous with The Bump and a lot has happened in it's little life this week! Since June 25th, The Bump has grown from a mere 1.06 cm to nearly an inch. And low and behold the embryonic "tail" is completely gone! Hallelujah! (Forgive me, but every time I read about the tail, images of the movie "Shallow Hal" flash in my mind. For those of you who have seen the movie, you know exactly what part I'm talking about!) The eyelids have formed and fused shut and will not open until 27 weeks and by this week's end, the inner workings of the ears will be complete. We've got the belly headphones ready with a little Jack Johnson, some Xtina and maybe even a play-by-play of Texas kicking some USC booty Natl Championship game!! All of the major joints-shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees & ankles-are working and The Bump is fully able to move its limbs.

It's vacation time for the Channel household and Matt and I will be leaving for Texas tomorrow morning to introduce The Bump to the rest of the family and of course, delight The Bump with it's first taste of Matt's favorite, the BBQ House!!