Today was the big ultrasound!

The big ultrasound finally arrived. I invited my mom to come with us since she had never seen an ultrasound before and was fascinated by the tale of our last one. The baby was definitely awake and active for this one which made it a bit hard for the ultrasound tech to do all of the measurements and assessments. The heart, brain, and spine were looked at in detail along with the kidneys, bladder, and other organs. Per the report, all of the following were found normal on the fetal anatomical survey: calvarium (top of skull), choroid plexus (part of the brain where the cerebrospinal fluid is produced), neck, palate, lips, sacrum, aortic arch, ductal arch, chest wall, kidneys, genitalia, forearms, fingers, lower legs, toes, intercranial anatomy, cisterna magna (space in the brain), nuchal fold (space at the back of the neck that, if too large, can indicate Down Syndrome), face, cervical spine, four chamber heart view, cardiac axis, lungs, ventral wall, humeruses, hands, femurs, feet, umbilical cord, lateral ventricles, midline falx (division in the brain), profile, thoracic spine, right and left ventricular outflow tract, cardiac position, diaphragm, stomach, bladder, cerebellum, cavum septum pellucidum (a cavity in the brain that is present in all fetuses but closes by 3-6 months in healthy babies), orbits, nose, lumbar spine, fetal heart motion, ribs, liver, and bowel. Nothing was found to be abnormal which is a relief. The baby is big for its gestational age measuring 9 inches tall, in the 96th percentile. The due date per the ultrasound is 2/19/09.

And the question on everyone’s mind is- what is the baby’s gender?
We are proud to announce that we are having a girl! Her name will be Lilia (Spanish for Lily) and we will call her Lily. Her middle name will be revealed after she is born.

Here are some pictures:


a side view of Lily, her hand was always by her face



a cross section of the nether regions: a lack of anything sticking out plus the three white areas apparently = girl



a 3D image of her face tucked up against the wall of my uterus

19 Weeks Along (Friday, 9/26/08)

The weekend was spent doing stuff around the house. Saturday I mowed the lawn for the first time in forever. Finally getting rain brought it back to life. The baby did not appreciate the bouncing of the riding lawn mower. I tried to go slow but it didn’t help. It caused some cramping which resolved after lying down and drinking lots of water. We gave the dog a bath as well. I wanted to clean the house but I was just too darned pooped. Sunday my mom came to help clean the basement again. For some reason, it gave me a lot of trouble with my asthma. We must have kicked up a lot of dust. My asthma was still really bothering me on Monday. I did a breathing test on myself and compared it to the one I had done last week as part of regular quality assurance at work. My numbers were way down. I talked to Dr. Flaherty about it and he changed my Pulmicort to Symbicort. I hope it works for me. He also suggested having Paul go into the basement and do a bunch of dusting and vacuuming for me before I go down there. I asked for that prescription in writing but I believe he thought I was joking. The rest of the week was fairly uneventful. My craving for Indian food is still going strong. I bought a bunch to go then ate it Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Yummy. The ultrasound to find out the baby’s gender is on the 30th. I can’t wait! I still have no premonition or preference other than I want a nice healthy baby.

News from the womb…
Lanugo (temporary downy hair) now appears on the baby’s head and body. This helps hold the vernix on the skin. The vernix caseosa is a creamy looking substance that now covers the baby’s skin in order to protect it and its developing glands and sensory cells. If the baby is a girl, mature egg cells now exist in her ovaries. From now until the baby is born, the placenta will grow in diameter but not thickness. Heat-producing brown fat has begun to form at the base of the baby’s neck, by the breastbone, and near the urethra.

18 Weeks Along

Saturday it rained like crazy. I slept in then we went to Nicholas Kafkakis’ 1st birthday party. He was so cute. We grocery shopped and thus ended our eventful day. Sunday it rained like crazy as well. My mom came over to help me clean out the basement. She will be helping me with this enormous task for the next two weeks. Although we worked for nine hours and got a lot done, we still only got through about 1/5 of the basement. Gladly I sent a Suburban full of stuff with her to be donated to Salvation Army. One of the cool things we went through were five totes of my old toys. It was fun reliving the memories. Most of it I reminisced about and then put in the pile to donate but some I set aside for my baby to have. When we were going through some of my old dolls and their clothes, we found an old onesie that was actually mine when I was a newborn. It was so tiny! I was only 5 lbs 6 oz when I was born but still it looked so little. It was a green sleeper with Pooh on it. I saved that as well. It would be cool to have my baby wear the same thing but it would have to be pretty small to fit into the onesie. All in all, we got 8 inches of rain over the weekend.
We took an hour walk most days of the week for exercise. I was pretty hard to motivate but was glad that we did it. My reflux has finally gone away. I think because my stomach is jutting out now the baby isn’t pressed against my esophagus anymore. Over the week I had an incredible craving for Indian food. I had it for lunch Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The only reason I didn’t continue was that I was working in Ann Arbor Thursday and Friday. Now I am craving it again! Ooh, and Honey Nut Cheerios.

News from the womb…
By now, all of the major elements of the lungs have formed except those involved with oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange. Thus, breathing air is not yet possible. Pads have begun to form on the baby’s fingertips and toes that will develop the characteristic swirls and creases of the fingerprints and toeprints. The external ears now stand out from the head and are in their final position. The eyes look forward rather than to the side. Most of the endocrine glands secrete hormones that now appear in the baby’s bloodstream. Myelinization has begun which is the coating of the nerves with a fatty substance called myelin to speed nerve cell transmission and to insulate the nerves so that messages are not interrupted. The baby now measures 5.5 inches in length, big enough to cradle in the palm of my hand.

17 Weeks Along (Friday, 9/12/08)

Saturday we spent the entire day crib shopping around the Novi area. We saw lots of high end and lots of low end cribs. I fell in love with a crib at our first stop, Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard, but Paul insisted we keep looking. Being short, I need a crib with a drop side. I was amazed at how crappy and loud the drop mechanism was on a lot of the cribs. The majority of the high end models didn’t have drop sides which would apparently mean that I would have to toss the baby in. Not a good idea. After spending the entire day shopping (always Paul’s favorite activity), we decided that the crib at MHC was indeed the best so we went back there and bought it. It is made of hardwood (we refused to get one made of pine), has a super smooth drop side, and is sleigh style with beautifully carved legs. Plus it is normally about $800 on sale for $498. We ordered it in a medium oak color to match the rest of the furniture. Now we have to wait 6-8 weeks for it to come in. I hate waiting! I can’t wait to set it up.
Sunday we cleaned then spent the day relaxing. We had Vince over to watch the Lions lose. The rest of the week was fairly uneventful. I spent a lot of time researching baby items for my registry from my “Baby Bargains” book. I have already registered for most everything I need at Target and Babies R Us. I know it is a bit early to register but I am such a planner, I just can’t help myself. Plus, for Christmas I just want people to get us things for the baby so in case they are early shoppers, I am all set.
Although my pants have been growing increasingly tight, they have still been wearable. Then all of a sudden on Tuesday morning, my pants didn’t fit at all. My shirt was even tight. Paul commented that evening that I instantly looked pregnant. Luckily the maternity clothes I ordered online from Old Navy arrived that day so I had stuff to wear the next day that wasn’t painful! I love the maternity pants. Elastic waistbands rock! Some of my shirts still work but I ordered some maternity shirts too. They make my belly look a little bigger than it is but I don’t care. For once, I don’t care if my stomach looks big. I want to show it off!
Thursday I had a new symptom, edema in my feet. I know that this happens due to the increased blood volume. I had a really busy day at work so I was constantly on my feet. It took until the second loosening of my shoelaces to figure out what was going on. I was just so puzzled as to why my laces kept getting tight. Needless to say, I spent that evening on the couch with my feet up. At least this time, I had a good reason. :)

News from the womb…
During this week, the baby grew rapidly, with growth setting the stage for development later in the month. Existing structures became larger and more developed but no new structures were formed. With the help of the placenta and the umbilical cord, the baby’s system operates as it will after it’s born. The baby has its own circulation, pumped by the heart, which at this stage pumps the equivalent of 25 quarts of blood a day. The placenta helps with protection, digestion, respiration, waste removal, and hormone production. These functions will be taken over by the baby’s digestive system, lungs, and kidneys after it is born. The baby and placenta are nearly equal in size but the baby will soon grow larger than the placenta. The baby is practicing the reflexes of blinking, sucking, and swallowing as well as others. The kidneys have reached their final mature position in the body.

16 Weeks Along (Friday, 9/5/08)

I am four months pregnant now! One change that I have experienced this week is a super sensitive sense of smell. I can smell a skunk from about five miles away (not a desirable skill) and just about everything stinks to me. Everything tastes differently too. I have eaten a few things this week that I normally love that now taste awful. One example is the yams I had Monday that tasted like metal to me. So weird.
Saturday we took Rachel to the airport. We got there with lots of time to kill so we had breakfast at Max & Erma’s and sat around for a while at the gate. I think giving Rachel time at the airport helps her transition but it doesn’t make it any easier to let her go. I, of course, cried for a while after we put her on the plane and had to sit around waiting for her flight to leave the ground (the rule when you take an unaccompanied minor to the airport). That took up most of our day but then we decided to go antiquing as I am on a quest for a cute antique oak dresser for the nursery. We went to the Livingston Antique Outlet and found a few dressers but nothing perfect. Sunday we went to Bay City to the Bay Antique Center and Americana Antiques. We found two potential dressers but one wasn’t in good enough shape upon closer inspection and the other was in perfect shape but not exactly what I am looking for. We are keeping it in mind as a runner up, though. Monday was Labor Day which Paul spent working on finishing the trim tiles in the bathroom and I spent relaxing on the couch watching TV, researching cribs, and trying to fight off a headache (only being able to take Tylenol sucks and works about as well as taking absolutely nothing). The rest of the week was completely uneventful. We did shop for cribs at Babies R Us on Thursday and intend to do a bunch of shopping in the Novi area on Saturday. Oh, and I ordered some maternity pants online since I am down to one pair of pants and one pair of shorts that fit my expanding waistline.

News from the womb…
The baby’s head and neck have assumed more of a straight-line relationship. This may be due, in part, to the fact that the skeleton is actively ossifying. The head now appears upright and no longer rests on the chest. The ears have moved close to their final position. The baby’s toenails have begun to grow from their nail beds. The baby now measures 4.75 inches long from crown to rump and weighs 3.75 ounces.

15 Weeks Along (Friday, 8/29/08)

Everything I read keeps telling me that I am supposed to be feeling better and more energetic now that I am a few weeks out of the first trimester. I feel no improvement. I am still exhausted like I am going through the day drugged on Nyquil. I still have to pee every hour and now I have the fun symptom of getting heartburn every time I bend over. The hormone level of Relaxin has apparently peaked which relaxes my joints and now causes my hips to pop out of joint frequently and I get round ligament pain every time I step on or off the bus. For some reason I can’t get enough Frosted Flakes cereal. I don’t even normally like the stuff.
Saturday we went to Cate’s wedding. It was fun. I had to buy a semi-maternity dress to wear to the wedding that would also last me a few more events. Sunday we drove Rachel up north to spend her last week here with Paul’s parents. It was a long drive up and back in one day in Paul’s uncomfortable truck so that we could bring Rachel’s bike up there.
Thursday I had my second OB appointment but it was my first time meeting Dr. Szekely. I thought he was very personable and made himself very available to me which was nice. The baby’s heartbeat was 160. I told him I had been having a little bit of cramping over the past few days but he reassured me that this is normal as my uterus is doing a lot of stretching. I didn’t gain any weight between last month’s visit and this one. I am glad because I know that I should watch my weight gain closely. Nonetheless, my pants are fitting tighter as the baby grows and I am going to need maternity pants pretty soon.
Friday Paul took off work to drive up north to pick up Rachel. We had a bittersweet last evening together going to Red Robin, Rachel’s favorite restaurant and watching a few episodes of Monk, one of her favorite shows. Tomorrow we will take her to the airport and she will go back to New York until Thanksgiving. It has been so nice having her with us. I hate having her leave. It sucks that she will miss so much of the baby’s development now and especially after the baby is born. She is with us so little that I worry that she won’t have a strong sibling bond with this baby like she does with her mom’s son who she gets to spend a lot more time with.

News from the womb…
The baby’s scalp hair pattern has been determined. The baby continues to practice breathing, swallowing, and sucking movements in preparation for life outside the womb. Some amniotic fluid is swallowed and processed by the baby’s maturing digestive tract as it practices for the time when conventional food will enter its system. The baby now displays more sophisticated hand and arm movements such as making a fist, moving the thumbs, bending the wrist, and grasping. All of these movements are practice to make sure that the nervous system and muscle connections are working. The baby’s leg movements are considerable as well such as kicking, turning its feet outward and inward, curling its toes, and fanning its toes. The baby now weights 1 ounce and stands 3.38 inches tall.

14 Weeks Along (Friday, 8/22/08)

Saturday was our Second Annual Rysso Family Luau. Everything came together perfectly and the party went great. The weather was beautiful and everyone seemed to have fun. The best part was the piñata which finally needed to be put out of its misery by a very enthusiastic Jamie Rumminger. My parents and Aunt Gloria were a great help and I don’t know if I could have done it without them. The neighbors and their adorable sons helped us take down the tent and pull all the decorations onto the patio after the mosquitoes broke up the party after dark. It was my intention to spend Sunday cleaning up but I was too exhausted to move that day. I slept in until almost 2pm then just lazed around all day. Everyone kept talking about doing it again next year but I don’t know if I will have the energy once the baby is here. I want to have another one but I guess we will just have to wait and see. We will definitely have to downsize the festivities, though.
The week was mostly spent slowly cleaning up after the party. Rachel wasn’t around this week. Since her camp had concluded, she spent half the week at my parents’ house and the other half at Cedar Point with the Roofs. She had a lot of fun while our week was mostly unnoteworthy. Thursday I went to a bachelorette party for my friend Cate. I was the lame one not drinking who had to have a two hour nap before the party so I could stay up past 10pm. What wild child I have become!
I almost forgot that the results from the first trimester screening came in this week. The nuchal lucency was normal, the risk for Down Syndrome is 1 in 3,299, and the risk for Trisomy 18 is 1 in 17,561 meaning that all is well.

News from the womb…
The baby practices inhaling and exhaling movements in the womb that sends amniotic fluid in and out of the lungs. The presence of the fluid is essential to the proper formation of the air sacs within the lungs. The baby’s colon has rotated 180 degrees counterclockwise and has formed a square around the small intestine. The two top corners of the colon have attached to the body wall and the colon ends in an anal canal while the small intestine remains suspended in the abdomen. The baby’s spleen is now fully functional and assumes functions supervised by the liver: the removal of old red blood cells and the production of antibodies. The sucking muscles have filled out baby’s cheeks and the salivary glands have begun to form. The baby has begun making breathing, sucking, and swallowing motions. The baby is now quite active and its movements have gone from mechanical and puppet-like to smooth and fluid. The baby is now about 3 inches long. (Apparently mine is ahead of schedule since it was 3 inches long last week.)