How far along: 23 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: gained 1 lbs this week
Maternity clothes: still rocking it
Stretch marks: nope
Sleep: strange dreams vey realistic...uhm alyssa milano???!!!
Best moment last week: He kicked daddy in the face lol
Movement: strong as ever
Food cravings: banana
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: nope
Belly Button in or out: Innie..still
What I miss: energy
What I am looking forward to: getting our crib
Milestones: my boobs have stopped growing...for now
Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.
so i thought i had till at least the 3rd tri before i started feeling this... lol I should be so lucky. I was laying down earlier and felt my whole stomach get hard, not painful or like a cramp, just hard.
at first i thought it may have been monkey moving the wrong way or that he kicked something in there and caused a reaction. but then i got an email from similac strong moms saying BH can start as early as 6wks! I put 2 and 2 together and guess what today's wasn't my first i've been feeling this "hardening" for some weeks now not consistent but there. Ok then well here is a more "medical" definition
Braxton Hicks contractions are sporadic uterine contractions that start about 6 weeks into your pregnancy, although you won't be able to feel them that early. You probably won't start to notice them until sometime after mid-pregnancy, if you notice them at all. (Some women don't.) They get their name from John Braxton Hicks, an English doctor who first described them in 1872.
As your pregnancy progresses, Braxton Hicks contractions tend to come somewhat more often, but until you get to your last few weeks, they'll probably remain infrequent, irregular, and essentially painless. Sometimes, though, Braxton Hicks contractions are hard to distinguish from early signs of preterm labor.
Play it safe and don't try to make the diagnosis yourself. If you haven't hit 37 weeks yet and you're having more than four contractions in an hour — or you have any other signs of preterm labor (see below) — call your caregiver immediately.
By the time you're within a couple of weeks of your due date, your contractions may get more intense and more frequent, and they may cause some discomfort. Unlike the earlier painless and sporadic Braxton Hicks contractions, which caused no obvious cervical changes, these contractions may help your cervix "ripen" — gradually soften and thin out (efface) and maybe even dilate a bit. This period is sometimes referred to as pre-labor.
There were four words that drove me nuts every time I heard them while pregnant: How do you feel?
I know, I know, seems simple enough. Someone wants to know how you are feeling! How nice! Those words, although simple enough, seem loaded during pregnancy.
How do I feel? HOW DO I FEEL? I’m pregnant, my belly is stretching, I have cravings for peanut butter at 3 o’clock in the morning and my husband has affectionately nicknamed me “Pudgy.” How the heck do you think I feel?
The people who asked me this question always did with such concern. They’d place a hand on my shoulder, lean in and utter those four little words, much like I’d expect a doctor to say “It is malignant” to a patient.
My pregnancy hormones usually had a role in the way I answered. I’d have to bite my tongue not to reply something horrible about how I really felt.
How do I feel? I feel like shoving my foot up your butt if you ask me that stupid question just one more time.
Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.
The grow must go on! No wonder you’re getting so big, at 11 inches and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.
Their perfect little pancreas is now further developed and they’ve also started producing their own hormones! Your baby's future in the circus as a world-famous tight-rope-walker is secure: their inner ear is now developed to the point that they have their own sense of balance. Lucky for your little explorer, balance also promotes physical dexterity, which has them actively feeling out their surroundings where skin, body parts, and the resident umbilical cord are the big sensory experiences. Your foot-long baby, is looking a bit like an oversized raisin right now as more and more wrinkles are showing up each week. Not to worry, all that excessive wrinkling is just their skin’s way of planning ahead for the time when they’ll start piling on that irresistible baby chub
How far along: 22 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: gained 1 lbs this week
Maternity clothes: i still fit in my skinny jeans! they don't close but the go over my butt which is great
Stretch marks: nope
Sleep: can you say soccer player!
Best moment last week: when he kicked and scared the bejeesus out of the cat who was leaning on my belly
Movement: all day long, especially if i'm hungry, or after i eat
Food cravings: cheese fondue & foie grais
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: no way! no no no! he needs a lot more baking to do.
Belly Button in or out: In for the most part, almost out when i'm full or towards the end of the day
What I miss: tight dresses
What I am looking forward to: making it to V-Day 24 weeks baby
Milestones: waiting for word that our crib is ready for pick up
I found a fruit that i though i could only get in Costa Rica! Growing up my grandfather would bring these home and i would sit on the back door step and just eat these and be in pure bliss.
I introduce mamones chinos:
How far along: 21 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: gained 6lbs...yay finally some changes
Maternity clothes: always!
Stretch marks: nope
Sleep: He is kicking more every time i turn. M can now see my belly move and feel him
Best moment last week: when he Kicked michael for poking him...lol
Movement: especially if i'm hungry, or after i eat
Food cravings: chocolate
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: no way! no no no! he needs a lot more baking to do.
Belly Button in or out: In for the most part, almost out when i'm full or towards the end of the day
What I miss: my skinny jeans, actually some shirts too.
What I am looking forward to: holding my baby
Milestones: getting a beautiful gift from my mom
Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.
The amniotic fluid is the perfect substance to support your baby’s movement. The baby can move in any way their brain and muscles direct: spinning, jackknifing, turning, and somersaulting. The amniotic fluid plays a major role in your baby’s growth and development. It keeps them buoyant, warm, and clean. It even gives them something to occasionally swallow so they can practice digesting and excreting waste.
I know this is a bit late but it saddens me because i lve everything he did. He was an honest good guy one of the few.
from dlisted.com
Patrick died of pancreatic cancer today. He was only 57. Patrick's rep issued this statement:
"Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully today with family at his side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20 months."
I need to thank Patrick for The Outsiders, Road House (YES!), Ghost, Point Break, To Wong Foo and of course, the masterpiece of all masterpieces Dirty Dancing. Seriously, I wore my VHS copy of that OUT.
Rest in peace, Patrick. Nobody did it like you.
How far along: 20 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: no idea right now
Maternity clothes: always!
Stretch marks: none yet.....
Sleep: He is kicking more every time i turn. M can now see my belly move and slightly feel him
Best moment last week: hearing his HB every night
Movement: especially if i'm hungry
Food cravings: tacos & juice
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: no way! no no no! he needs a lot more baking to do.
Belly Button in or out: In for the most part, almost out when i'm full or towards the end of the day
What I miss: my skinny jeans, actually some shirts too.
What I am looking forward to: holding my baby
Milestones: picking out a dresser!
Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation... baby's genitals are now fully formed!
Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)
He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery)
How far along: 19 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: no idea right now
Maternity clothes: my staple lately!
Stretch marks: not that i've seen but the dreaded boob veins are becoming visible! lol
Sleep: He is kicking more every time i turn.
Best moment last week: hearing his HB every night
Movement: especially if i'm hungry
Food cravings: cake and water
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: no way! no no no! he needs alot more baking to do.
Belly Button in or out: In just barely
What I miss: my skinny jeans, actually shirts to.
What I am looking forward to: making it to the 1/2 way point
Milestones: deciding on the mattress!
Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.
Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.
missed m/c ~ D&C
Ectopic ~ Emergency Lap surgery
missed m/c ~ D&C~ trisomy 16
blighted ovum
with us for 4wks ~ chemical 
with us for 5wks 3d ~ missed m/c ~ D&C 
