The Scoop- We're Post-Due Date

Well, dear friends and family, the baby has not yet arrived! We really thank you for all the phone calls and emails and comments on the blog which are always full of so much love and support and reminders that you are praying for us!

I spent my due date vacuuming the whole house! I never give up, do I?! The middle of the night last night brought some more contractions, and as of this morning they haven't stopped completely...after a couple days of no Braxton-Hicks, I hope that these will turn into something...? Nothing to do but wait it out! oooo, there's one right now...

A Conversation

Dr. P, M.D.: Well, it looks like you're due in...two days...it's routine to have an exam at this point, unless you'd rather not?

Very Pregnant Heather: YES!!! PLEEEEASE!!!
...

Dr. P: Okay...yup...looks like you're favorable.
H: How favorable?? Like "tonight" favorable??
Dr. P: haha, well, I can't tell you that. It could be any time.

...

Modern medicine can't even tell me if I'm "favorable" enough to go into labor in a few hours!! Hearing that it could be any time is reassuring, though.
I did need to ask what the high-tech medical term "favorable" means. It's a way of saying that I'm a little dilated (a couple centimeters...this is not an exact science), and all other things that have to change in order to permit labor have begun to change.

I have another appointment set up for next Monday, and if I still have not progressed any further by that point, I'll be induced on Wednesday or Thursday (7 or 8 days overdue). It's a relief to have a definite birth date on the calendar, but we are hoping and praying that things happen on their own before then!

Still Pregnant!

I may look happy about reaching the 40 WEEK point, but my smile will be a lot bigger if the doctor tells me this morning that I'm dilated to 4cm and I'd better check in to Labor and Delivery!!! This is one tired momma.

After a little more than a week of experiencing contractions-- some weak, some with more umph; some at random times, other coming 7-10 minutes apart-- I'm finding it harder to stay patient. My doctor appointment is at 10am today, so I'll be sure to update once I'm home again.

Steve and I planned on spending yesterday afternoon "hiking" around Patuxent Wildlife Sanctuary to take some pictures...oh yeah, and induce labor; but our camera battery turned out to be dead just as I assumed the "nine month belly shot" pose in front of a scenic wetland. And we discovered that we had 20 minutes before the park closed. The best laid plans of mice and men...

So we settled in at home for the evening and I tried the "red raspberry leaf" herbal tea regimen that is said to start contractions. Two hours of cramping later, I was still with child. (Ladies, a warning: avoid red raspberry leaf tea unless you want to cramp, like me! Stick to the raspberry flavored variety.) I may have to stop all the fruitless attempts at controlling my body and be content to wait!

Let's Talk Turkey

Here's a description of a baby at 22 weeks, courtesy of BabyCenter.com:

Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches and almost 1 pound. Her skin will continue to appear wrinkled until she gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her head and body is now visible. Your baby's eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks some pigment.
Her pancreas, essential for hormone production, is also developing steadily. Your baby's lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath her gum line. You won't actually see her first tooth until she's around 4 to 7 months old unless she's one of the rare babies who's born with teeth.

I'll be 23 weeks on Wednesday! To my surprise, I've been tired and sleeping in a lot recently (I haven't been able to sleep in since before college!)....so I'm enjoying it while I can and trying to store up the rest for the next four months:)
Thanksgiving was great...lots of family time all weekend long. We even got to eat leftovers on Friday night here at our house with both sets of the baby's grandparents and aunts and uncles, as well as a great-grandmother! Lots of voices in the outside world for those little, new ears to listen to! Steve and I are relishing the attention while it's still focused on us....in no time at all we'll just be overshadowed by the little bundle of joy we take along to family functions! (hahah, just kidding...we can't wait!!!!)

Life in the Fifth Month

They say this is as good as it gets!

I would agree. I'm comfortable, can stay up late, have more energy (most of the time), and actually had my first stranger ask if I was expecting! I must look pregnant!


I had another OB appointment this morning, and once again had the treat of listening to the baby's heart...and this time, there was a lot of swishing fluid noises as the baby was pretty active the whole time. My blood levels were a little low that last time I had bloodwork done, so if the trend continues at the next visit, I'll get to take some yummy supplemental iron pills. I also received a bottle or bright orange glucose drink for the glucose test I have to undergo in a month. I hear that's a fun one!

Christmas season is already upon us, even though Thanksgiving isn't until tomorrow! I was thinking about taking the most recent sonogram picture and putting it on mugs, mouse pads, aprons, and sweatshirts to give as Christmas gifts.

Just kidding. I promise not to do that even when we have real pictures of the little guy or girl.
By the way, I'm glad we're keeping the gender a surprise, but as each week passes it becomes harder and harder to not know! I won't give in.

We hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

What a Cutie!!

Yesterday was the anticipated 20-week sonogram! I went to the radiologist with a very full bladder so that the placenta was pushed closer to the front of my belly, making it easier to take some measurements of the baby.

It was an amazing moment when Steve and I first saw our baby once the sonogram began! The growth since my last sonogram 11 weeks ago is astounding!! We saw a perfect little Deterding, with the most adorable profile in the world. And of course, I'm not just saying that because I'm the mother...I really do have the world's cutest baby. See the picture above.

First the radiologist took measurements around the baby's head, stomach, and the length of the femur (thigh) bone. These measurements determined that the baby was 20 weeks, 6 days and the due date remains on March 28th. I asked why the femur was part of the equation, and it was explained to me that since it is the largest bone in the body, its rate of growth in the fetus is used to determine age, the possibility of Down's Syndrome, and other things as well. Interesting.
Other things checked out where the spine, blood flow, umbilical cord, heart chambers, and kidneys. It was also determined that the little guy or gal weighs in at 13 oz.! Almost to a pound! (yes, it's true, we still don't know the sex of the baby).
We watched the baby kick, swallow, move the arms, and even repeatedly attempt-- and then succeed in-- finding and sucking the thumb! It was so neat to feel the baby kick me and watch it happen on the screen at the same time!

Can I get a sonogram every week?!
What a miracle!
Isn't God so good??

I'm feeling pretty good, although fighting a little cold that just makes me more tired than usual. I feel the baby kicking and moving around every night now, usually beginning at around 10pm. We've cleaned out most of the other bedroom, and I'm looking forward to turning it into the nursery! Daddy had to clean most of his clothes out of the closet in the baby's room, and Grandpa Deterding helped us move out the furniture! My next regular OB appointment is next Wednesday...and I'm thankful that weigh-in is before Thanksgiving, rather than after:)

Daddy Felt the Baby!!

Today was a very exciting day for the baby's daddy. I (Steve) felt the baby for the very first time!!!! It started kicking Heather this afternoon and also later this evening. I was able to just put my hand on Heather's stomach and feel it kick. It sort of just felt like a little "thump." It is hard to believe the baby is kicking in there. We are going on Tuesday for our second sonogram, which I am really excited about.

On the Move

Month four will be completed this very week!

According to a trusted source (from my New Mom reference library of baby books we have all over the house!), the baby is rockin' and rollin' in the womb--although I haven't felt any "fluttering" baby movements myself-- sucking thumbs, wiggling arms and legs, and practicing how to breathe, swallow, and suck.

And all of a sudden, it seems that my little "blackberry"-sized baby is now more of a little "navel orange", as far as size comparisons to produce go. Wow!

This weekend, Steve and I are looking forward to celebrating Homecoming weekend at Grove City College.
I'm sure that Uncle Matt will be surprised to see how much his neice or nephew has changed his sister in the past couple of months!
- - - - - - - -
I've been blessed by an outpouring of generosity from many family members, friends, and members of our church family...offering maternity clothes, cribs, books, labor classes, links to parenting resources online, baby clothes, and more...what a blessing to know that our baby is already taken care of in so many ways, even before he or she is born! God is good!

We've Reached the Half-Way Point!

Twenty weeks today

I had a dream last night that the baby was pushing his or her face and hands against the inside of my belly, and I could see the outline of the features behind my stretched skin...crazy. And then my dream-baby started extending legs and arms so that by belly was shooting out several inches to the left and right, and I had to keep pushing limbs back into place! I can interpret this dream: I want to see the baby moving from the outside!! Hopefully the real-life experience won't be so graphic as my dream:)

I continue to feel little "quickenings", as the medical world calls fetal movement, periodically throughout the day and especially at night.
Today I plan on making my ultrasound appointment, and we just can't wait to see how much our child has changed in the past 10 weeks!!

19 Weeks

This FOUR MONTH BELLY SHOT was taken at Ryan and Rachel's wedding! Congrats!

Life has been busy as October drew to a close. Our home was broken into while we slept last Tuesday night, and our beloved new Nikon digital SLR camera is no longer with us! We also lost my laptop computer, another digital camera and tripod that was in the camera bag, and some memory cards. All in all, Steve and I exclaim a resounding "God is good!" We are safe, the baby was still safe in the womb, and nothing of lasting value was taken from us.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal."
Still, we are hoping to claim insurance money and replace the camera in time to capture those precious moments once the baby is born.

Speaking of baby Deterding, I'm beginning to count down the days until I'm five months along! Can it be that I'm already half-way though the pregnancy? I sat on the floor in the "other bedroom" tonight, planning out a nursery in my mind's eye. It was absolutely beautiful! Donations from friends and co-workers continue to trickle in, including a baby rocking chair and some more tiny, tiny clothes. So small! Another tub of maternity clothes was dropped off as well. I'm felling rather well these days, with only occasional weariness and nausea. I feel silly sharing this, but the most exciting change in my body recently is this:

I can now see the bottom of my belly button!

You can only understand the significance of this if you knew what an extreme "inny" I've had all my life:) I've never seen the bottom of my belly button.

What the Obstetrician Has to Say

"Looks good."

That's about all I have to go on after today's OB visit! However, I left the office with a referral for a sonogram!! FINALLY. We're so anxious to know what the baby looks like at 18 weeks...so much has changed since the last sonogram 2 months ago. Like bones, for instance. The baby now has bones! The little one weighs in at a hefty 5-6 ounces...and soon I'll be more than happy to report the exact crown-to-rump length! Furthermore, it's been said that the uterus is now the size of a cantaloupe (these fruit references in the books are cracking me up!). It's feeling like it, that's for sure. No more sleeping on the tummy. I tried jogging across a crosswalk this afternoon, and it felt a little awkward in the midsection:)
This weekend, we'll see how agile I am when I put on my dancing shoes...my husband and I will be floating around the dance floor at the wedding of two good friends, Ryan Hall and Rachel Short. I'm so excited for them! Congratulations!
It will also be a good oppourtunity to get a 4.5-month belly picture...

Before I sign off, I want to share another example of the Lord's provision: just the other day Steve brought home a big bag of baby items from a secretary at AACS! We now have some clothes, a baby carrier, and a swing.

Week 17

I haven't been a very good blogger recently. I was waiting for something "new and exciting" to happen. In the meantime, Coach Steve has been finishing up a winning soccer season, we've started purging the house of unnecessary "stuff" to make room for baby, and we had a great time visiting the alma mater for Homecoming-- where my dear friend Keely's fiance was "Creeked"! Engaged men at Grove City College are attacked, carried to Wolf Creek, and dumped in the muddy water. It's a glorious tradition, and the Homecoming crowd made quite an audience. Congrats to Keely and Kevin (pictured in the orange towel after he emerged from the water)!

Well, on Friday something "new" and "exciting" happened in the car on the ride home from a movie in Columbia....


I felt little baby hands and feet wiggling around!!

THUMP-THUMP THUMP-THUMP

Steve and I heard our little guy or gal's heartbeat this afternoon, for the first time!

The doctor found it right away with his little doppler machine, and it sounded so strong. I'm at 14 weeks today, and the baby is now 3-4 inches "crown to rump" and weighs in at an ounce! It might be possible at this point to tell whether the baby is a boy or girl....but we're not going to find out:) although several people I know have dreamt that I give birth to a BOY-- mommy and daddy included. Interesting...
To vote for BOY or GIRL now, get your cell phone and press *328....hahaha, just kidding.

I'm feeling good, I got my cheesesteak for dinner last night:), I almost choked when I saw my weight on the scale at the doctor's office, I'm wearing some of Steve's clothes around the house, and we are eagerly awaiting the joys of the second-trimester!

Thanks so much for the continued prayers on behalf of this little miracle!

Cravings

Pregnancy cravings are interesting. The stereotype has the husband running out in the middle of the night to pick up pickles and ice cream and chop suey and pastrami sandwiches. Well, Steve has not had to make any midnight runs to WaWa as of yet...which is a good thing. But I find myself wishing for a really outrageous craving, just to feel like I'm truly taking advantage of being pregnant.

True, I did enjoy cheddar cheese and baby gherkin pickles on a regular basis for a couple of weeks, and Steve did run to the grocery store once to get me 10 cans of soup when I, nearly in tears, bemoaned the fact that I just couldn't eat dinner because I wanted split pea soup and we didn't have any....but that's not in the same ballpark as NEEDING to eat something really wacky. I almost expected it to happen, but maybe I should be relieved that it hasn't....yet. My wonderful husband shouldn't have to make late-night trips to the store until it's for something truly necessary, like Pampers:)

Second Trimester, Here We Come

Now that I'm showing (from certain angles) Daddy took a couple belly-shots yesterday afternoon on my way out to Rachel's bridal shower! My advice to the bride-to-be and her fiance Ryan? Don't wait too long to have a baby:) This pregnancy thing is a blast!

P.S. If I look a little tired in the picture, it's probably because I am! The baby doubled in size the last two weeks and Mommy is feeling it:)

End of the Beginning

I'm in the last week of my first trimester!

Nausea is decreasing and the appetite, for better or for worse, is increasing! A trip to Camden Yards last night proved this: A few weeks ago, all of the mingling ballpark smells forced me and my stomach to leave the stadium before the game ended. Last night, all of the smells simply made me day-dream about cheese fries, funnel cake and Boog's Pit Beef. I think I'm back to normal!! Go O's!

Daddy and Mommy are already enjoying a rather obvious belly-bulge...Mom Mom Wilson had to take me maternity-clothes shopping this past weekend. Elastic waists are a wonderful thing.

What's going on during week 12? The baby has almost doubled in size in the last 3 weeks; the crown-to-rump length is nearing 2 to 2.5 inches, and weight should be around 0.4 ounces. (I wish that we could follow Tom Cruise's example and buy our own personal sonogram machine to keep up with the baby's growth from day to day, but I suppose we'll have to be content with reading what it probably is at this point!)

Few structures are left to be formed in the baby (it's been a busy 11 weeks!!) but those that are already formed continue to grow and develop. Fingers and toes are separated and have tiny nails on them, hair is beginning to grow, digestion and glucose absorbtion is possible, the production of hormones will begin soon, and it is becoming more apparent whether this little one is a girl or a boy! Of course, if all goes according to plan that little tidbit of information won't be revealed until the last push in March!

The baby's nervous system continues to mature, and as the sonogram revealed to us already, the baby already reacts to some stimulation. I wish I could feel all those tiny kicks and flips!

We Have a Due Date!

Alright, you'll be sure to guess this one:
It's the anniversary of the end of the Spanish Civil War!

...oh, not sure? OK, I'll give you another hint:
It's the same day that marks the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island!

...dont' recall? Maybe this will set off the light bulb:
It's my cousin Brandon's birthday, as well! (11th!)

Those are the only historic milestones I could come up with...our baby is officially due on MARCH 28th! To be honest that seems like a long time to wait, but it must be a pretty good estimate...

According to the fancy sonogram machine, the baby is 3.3 centimeters long, head to rear end, indicating that I'm 10 weeks and one day along in the pregnancy.

Steve and I got our first look at our child this afternoon...the image flashed up on the screen, showing a wiggling baby with two perfect little arms waving around and a tiny heart thumping away. What an exciting moment that was!! That good-looking little Deterding is gracing the front of the refigerator at this very moment...and we included it above. The top picture is a profile shot, with the baby looking to the left; in the bottom picture, the baby is looking right at you! You can see the little arms and legs!

I am starting to feel a little less sick and a little less tired these days, and the doctor reports that everything is looking good. We were lavished with gifts by my new favorite receptionist at the doctor's office when I was making my next appointment. We received a free Similac bag with Powder Singles (believe it or not, they now put infant formula in those single-serve packets to add to water...just like the Nestea packets you can shake into your Dasani...who knew?!) and a $200 off certificate for the baby's cord cell banking, should we decide to have some umbilical cord blood cells saved. This is a procedure I wasn't aware of before I started reading baby magazines in the OB waiting room...

A Visit from the Tooth Bud Fairy

We're into week 10, and the baby is already developing little tooth buds. Of course, if he or she takes after Mommy's side of the family, those teeth won't be breaking through for quite a long time!
The stomach and kidneys are up and running, and we're busy building bones and cartilage, knees and ankles, and eye lids! I never realized how such a tiny little person (only 1.5 inches long) could take so much of my energy to build! What a miracle this whole process is!

Steve and I are in awe of God's handiwork-- His perfect, precise design in the creation of His children. I still sit and wonder at the ways my body is changing to meet the specific needs of the baby day to day, week to week. And, of course, we've only just begun!

Speaking of changes in me, does an increase in the consumption of gherkin pickles and cheese meet a specific need of the baby's? haha.

Next up: the Doctor is in search of the elusive heart beat on Thursday the 31st!