Here's a pic of my baby bump!!

At my last appointment, the doctor was a little concerned that my cervix was on the thin side. He told me that I was to do very little around the house, no lifting, and to take it easy. He would check me again in two weeks to determine if I needed to go on bedrest. He also wanted me to have another diagnostic ultrasound. I was anxious for today to come to find out the results.

So we went for our fetal growth ultrasound this afternoon. They were measuring all of Gracie's parts and pieces to make sure she is growing properly. She passed the tests with flying colors...in fact, she measures 3 days ahead of schedule! As of today she is 3lbs 1oz! Bryan and I were very happy to hear this.

After the ultrasound we went across the street to the doctor's office. Where he told me I am officially on, what I call "modified bedrest". He said if I'm not at work, I'm not to be doing anything...no shopping, cleaning, cooking, etc. Yikes!!! I can tell you right now, this is going to be hard!!! BUT, I will do whatever it takes to make sure Gracie stays put for as long as she needs to. So I have resigned myself to the fact that the rest of the Christmas cards and presents will have to wait until after the baby is born AND I'm hiring a cleaning lady!! Maybe this isn't such a bad thing!! :)

I'll keep you posted as things progress!

In the meantime, have a Blessed Holiday Season!

More 3D pics

Grace smiling!!!

Grace's face again

3D ultrasound!!!

Gracie's face!!
Part of her face, with her left hand on her forehead...you can see all 5 fingers on that hand. Her right foot is also in view!
Her right leg and foot!!

Today Bryan and I have been married for 6 years!! To celebrate we went and got a 3D/4D ultrasound of Gracie. It was totally unreal to watch her move around in there. The images were so clear...as you can see above!

I am 27 weeks this week. This week she weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14.4 inches long with her legs extended. She can now open and close her eyes (which we saw during the ultrasound), and she sleeps and wakes at regular intervals.

I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday of this week and will post an update after that.

Hope all is well with everyone! Happy Holidays!!

Belly Shot (25 weeks)

Here is the latest picture of my belly. It has definitely grown!!

6 Months (25 Weeks)

Hi Everyone! It has been a long time since I've posted anything. I apologize, but we have been extremely busy! If we aren't working at work or home, we are sleeping!

I had a doctor's appointment last Wednesday. He told me everything looked great! They measured my belly and listened to Gracie's heartbeat. Everything checked out normal. At my next appointment I will be tested for gestational diabetes. Apparently they check all pregnant women at this time. The doctor is also going to send me for another diagnostic ultrasound in late December or early January. He wants to make sure that the baby is still growing properly.

Next weekend I have a 3D ultrasound scheduled. This type of ultrasound is non-diagnostic, and of course is not covered by insurance. The images they can provide are really cool and look more like a photograph than the traditional ultrasound, so we are going for it! I will post these pictures when I get them.

I have been feeling Gracie move a lot! Her movements still feel a little like gas bubbles, only stronger. Bryan has even been able to feel her from the outside of my belly. Usually when I tell him she's moving, he puts his hand on my belly and she stops. It's rare, but a few times he got a kick or two! It is totally amazing and kind of surreal!!!

Here is how Gracie is progressing this week:

Head to heels, she now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. Her hair is probably recognizable now (in color and texture), although both may change after she's born. Keep your fingers crossed that she has red hair!!!

I will have Bryan take some pictures of my belly and will post them as soon as possible!

We want to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! Blessings to all!

Love,

Rie & Bryan

It's a GIRL!!!

This image looks like Gracie is "mooning" the camera. Her little butt is to the left and her legs are sticking out towards the right. The arrow is pointing at the significant parts!
This image is one of her little foot. Her heel is on the left and her toes are towards the right.
This last image is of her face. With this imaging she looks like a little alien from Roswell. We still love her!

Bryan and I had an appointment at the hospital for a fetal growth ultrasound. Grace Marie is healthy, strong and exactly how she should be for 18 weeks and 5 days. Her brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, bladder, stomach, limbs, etc. all checked out fine. We were able to see her wiggling around and open and close her mouth. It was totally amazing!! She was hiding for a while and the doctor had to come in and look at her heart again to get all the views needed, but he said she looked great! He also said that according to their calculations she weighs 8 oz and has a due date of February 29th....LEAP YEAR!!! We'll just have to wait and see when she is ready to join the world! We are very excited!! Poor Bryan has a lot of painting to do...the room was half way ready for a boy...oops!! I have an appointment on Monday with my OB and will post another update next week. Please keep Baby Gracie, Bryan and I in your prayers so that we may deliver a healthy baby girl next year!!

16 weeks

Well, this week I'm 16 weeks! Four months down and 5 1/2 more to go! I'm feeling fine. I definitely have a lot more energy, but have to stick to my 9:30 bedtime. Here a few things that are going on this month with the little munchkin:

At 4 1/2 inches long (head to bottom) and 3 1/2 ounces, baby is about the size of an avocado. In the next three weeks, he/she will go through a tremendous growth spurt, doubling his/her weight and adding inches to his/her length. His/her lower limbs are much more developed now. His/her head is more erect than it has been, and his/her eyes have moved toward the front of his/her head. The little munchkin's ears are close to their final position, too. Some of his/her more advanced body systems are working, including the circulatory system and urinary tract. His/her heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, circulating his/her total blood volume through his/her body many times.

I saw the doctor last week and they drew blood and listened to the heartbeat. I am still waiting on the blood results, but the doctor said everything looked good. We have a fetal growth ultrasound scheduled for October 3rd. At that time, if munchkin cooperates, we should be able to find out what gender munchkin is. As always, I'll keep you posted!

Oh, by the way....I still haven't felt any movement, but expect to anytime in the next few weeks!!

Baby Rie

Imagine that...I'm petting a kitty!!

Baby Bryan

I decided to post some of our baby pictures. We keep wondering who the little munchkin will look like, what color hair will he/she have, what color eyes will he/she have, etc. We can't wait!

12 week belly shot

12 weeks

I had my 12 week checkup this afternoon. The little munchkin's heart was beating loud and strong at 156 beats per minute. The doctor said that's a great sign and things are progressing normally. In three weeks, I will have to have some blood work done to test for some birth defects. Please keep him/her in your prayers. He also told me we would be able to find out if the little munchkin is a boy or a girl in about 6 weeks! Bryan and I can't wait!
Here's how the baby is developing at the 12 week stage:
The baby's hit the 2-inch mark (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce. His/Her face is beginning to look more human. His/Her eyes, which started out on the sides of his/her head, have moved closer together on his/her face, and his/her ears are near their final positions on the sides of his/her head. The baby's intestines, which have grown so rapidly that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his/her abdominal cavity about now. His/Her kidneys are secreting urine into his/her bladder. His/Her nerve cells have been multiplying rapidly, and synapses (neurological pathways in the brain) are forming. The baby may have acquired more reflexes by now, including sucking, and he/she will even squirm if I prod my abdomen (although I still can't feel anything yet).

Today I am 11 weeks pregnant! I am doing well. I'm not as tired as I was, but still need to rest some. I haven't been sick at all, but sometimes feel yucky, for lack of a better term, in the evenings. Here is some information discussing what's going on with the little munchkin.
The fig-sized baby is now fully formed — measuring 1 1/2 inches long and weighing in at a quarter of an ounce. His/Her skin is still transparent, allowing many of his/her blood vessels to show through. Some of his/her bones are beginning to harden, and tiny toothbuds are starting to appear under his/her gums. His/her fingers and toes have separated, and he/she may soon be able to open and close his/her fists. He's/she's already busy kicking and stretching, and his/her tiny movements are so fluid they look like water ballet. As his/her diaphragm develops, the tiny tenant may also start to get the hiccups.
I haven't felt any movement from the baby, and probably won't until between 16 and 20 weeks. I'll let you know when I do!!

Baby!

Bryan and I are going to have our first baby. The baby is due March 1, 2008. We'll keep you posted as things progress!