14 weeks 4 days!! about 179 days to go!

So... I had my first ultrasound / sonogram today!!! Everything went well. Baby is doing well... everything is proportional to what is should be at this time. Good heartbeat... 160 bpm! :) umm... what else did I hear? I think that's it for now... unless I remember more. Oh yeah... they gave me a due date of August 26th. Not sure how they figure that all out... when I first found out they said August 22nd... so anytime around there! :) I'm officially in my second trimester!! Wahoo!! Sonogram 1: these 3D pictures were taken at about 9:15 am Sonogram 2: isn't the thumb so very cute? Too early to tell sex which is fine since as most know we're waiting for a surprise!! The lady doing the sonogram thought the butt was cute!... What butt? :) Sonogram 3: another one :) The wee one was pretty active... Sonogram 4: She was trying to show me the facial features but from the angle I was laying it was hard to see.... Sonogram 5: Can really see the spine in this one! Sonogram 6: I believe the dark spot in the belly means that there's fluid in there... which is a good thing. Means the wee one doesn't have a problem with swallowing! :)

The heart beat is nice and strong... 160 beats per minute... the wee one was moving around so it fades in and out a little... plus the doctor and nurse, in the room with me, were talking. :) Doctor Evans was going to leave another message for my friends and family if they were Badger fans. hee hee...

Now... for the normal weekly update...

My Baby:

Your little boy or girl has fully developed sex organs by this week, although they're still difficult to see through ultrasound. He's 3 inches long and weighs an ounce and a half, give or take a few grams. Now that the major systems are in place, the fetus will start to grow at an amazing rate. In the next month or so, he'll triple in length and reach the impressive weight of 1 pound.

Baby's Size: Peach Baby's Length: 3.25-4 in. Baby's Weight: 1-1.50 oz. How your baby's growing:

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

13 weeks... 184 days to go!

A few days late... but I'm finally getting it up... My Baby At the end of this week, your baby officially enters the second trimester of development. Although only 3 inches from crown to rump and weighing just half an ounce, she looks, well, human! Her eyes have moved from the sides of her head to the front, and her ears are in their normal position. She's also got reflexes--if you prod her, she'll squirm (although you still won't feel it), and her hands and feet respond to stimuli by closing or clenching. Baby's Size: Egg Baby's Length: 2.5-3 in. Baby's Weight: .50-1 oz. How your baby's growing: Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce. I had my appointment with the nurse on Wednesday Feb. 18th... it was all so overwhelming... so wish I was back home for all of this. I also had blood drawn for a few tests. I have an appointment with a doctor on Tuesday Feb. 24th. First I'll be driving up to Salisbury, MD to get a sonogram / ultrasound @9 and then I'll meet with the doctor @ 11 to discuss the test results and ultrasound... this is back down in Princess Anne, MD. (Salisbury is about an hour north of here and Princess Anne is about 45 minutes... or so...) I'm excited for the ultrasound... can't wait to hear the baby's heart beat. I'm going to try and take a short video with my camera and I hope it turns out. You'll know next week if it does. :)

Valentine's Day Flowers!! :)

Gary surprised me by sending me flowers. They're very beautiful and smell wonderful! We're going to celebrate together when I get back. :) Missing home!! This is the first picture I took of them with my phone... when they open up more I'll take better pictures with my nice camera

12 weeks! 193 days to go...

My Baby Now measuring between 2 and 3 inches from crown to rump, the fetus is busily doing his stretching and kicking exercises. All major organs are in place, and his brain, nerves, and muscles are starting to function. Although his gender was determined at conception, external genitalia won't fully develop for another couple of weeks. At that point, a sonogram may be able to show whether you're carrying a boy or a girl--if your baby will cooperate and face the camera! (hopefully not since we don't want to find out until the wee one is here!!) Baby's Size: Pacifier (a little weird... I think...) Baby's Length: 2.5-3.0 in. Baby's Weight: .50 oz. How your baby's growing: The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce. I have my first appointment on February 24th and I'll have my first sonogram!! Wahoo... I'll keep everyone posted! :)

11 weeks... 200 days to go!

My Baby At your next prenatal appointment, your health-care professional will apply a sticky gel to your abdomen and roll a contraption called a Doppler stethoscope across the surface. An amplified sound will fill the room. First you'll hear white noise like the static of radio reception, and then--miraculously--a tiny, pounding drum. The drum is your baby's heartbeat, galloping away at 150 beats per minute. It's the first audible message from your developing child, and it will fill you with wonder and joy.

Baby's Size: California Roll Slice Baby's Length: 1.5-2.5 in. Baby's Weight: .25 oz.

How your baby's growing:

Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.

Another week gone by...

Just a few highlights from this week... My desk at the beginning of the week... after I finished putting up pictures! :) Tuesday it snowed!! So I got to leave early... LOL... they don't know how to handle icky weather like those who live in WI. I took advantage of it and went home early! The end of the week, Friday to be exact, I went with a group from my department (589) to the visitor center to see the sphere in action... we got there right at the end when the video that Goddard made was playing but didn't get to see the whole thing. What I saw was pretty cool. Can't wait to go back to see more. Anyhow... This is the sphere with no projections.... of course... it's huge! This is the path CREAM III took... I believe... Another view...

The moon with the projected path of a satelite to go into orbit in 2010...

Was suppose to be the same satellite in orbit around earth but didn't turn out they way she wanted...

Another view... ;)

Not sure what this one was showing... but it still looks cool!

This is the projected trajectory of a rocket, I believe. Hard to remember Friday. :)

Same path just different view... It's going to be launched here at Wallops.

2004 Hurricane season...

Close up...

I think this one is pretty but... it has to do with tsunamis... eek... the effect eventually went around the entire world but I just got a picture from the beginning...

United States night lights!

We're not sure what this one is showing... looks like a bunch of green dots to me.

I'm a sucker for the American Flag... this is right outside the visitor center!

Just before I left work on Friday night this helicopter took off... had to take a picture.

Well, that's all for now. I'm off to bed!

An Adventure...

Ok... so I'm a little behind on pictures... These were taken last weekend. January 24th... well most of them... Hope you enjoy. It was nice day out for the most part. A little windy but the trail I walked blocked the wind so it was nice. I took the on my way home the night of the 23rd. I thought it was beautiful! The sign we see everyday coming home from work... On my way to the park...

I wanted to see the lighthouse first. It wasn't what I expected. A little run down if you ask me. Hopefully that's what they're working on correcting. :)

I think this is a Great Blue Heron but not sure... it's ugly to me. hee hee... reminds me of a grumpy old man. :)

A bird of some sort... not sure what it is again..

And yet another...

I thought he was cute!

Didn't stop... just drove past.

The Atlantic Ocean!! I've officially been from coast to coast! Wahoo...

I believe this is a type of Sandpiper... but don't quote me on that.

On my way to hopefully see some ponies!

And I did... but in the distance!

Snowy Egret

Don't think he likes me watching him...

What do you think! :) I did get a good picture of him taking off though. Super excited about that!

A duck... I think the males are so pretty!

Not sure but I think these are Swans... either that or they're Snow Geese... I'll have to ask next time I go to the park.

I thought this was pretty cool looking... can tell it was cold... there's ice and a little snow.

Just having fun with my camera... seems peaceful!

I have a feeling they're Swans... maybe even a Trumpeter Swan... anybody have clue?

They're were hundreds of them on the "pond" This is a pair that was a little closer on the 3 mile trail I drove.

He doesn't want his picture taken either... oh well...

He gave me cool pictures! :)

Or at least I think so...

Canadian Geese...

Finally... the sign we see each day on our way to work! :)

Hope you enjoyed the pictures I took... I'll have more. No big surprise there! I'm doing well.

Have a wonderful week!