27 Weeks

Last night I thought I was feeling baby hiccups for the first time- how cute is that?! My suspicions were confirmed when I read this description of a pregnancy at 27 weeks from BabyCenter.com:

"Your baby is really starting to fill up your uterus. This week he weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14.4 inches long with his legs extended. He can now open and close his eyes, and he sleeps and wakes at regular intervals. He may suck his fingers, and although his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with assistance — if he were to be born prematurely. Chalk up any rhythmic movement you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and isn't bothersome to him, so enjoy the tickle. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. Wonder what he's thinking?"

He (or she!) is probably thinking, "When is mommy gonna eat another cheesesteak sub?! I'm craving one!!" Well little one, the good news is that mommy and daddy are taking a first anniversary trip to Philly next weekend! (I only hope that I can do all the walking...I'd better start training for it this week...)
I made an appointment this morning for some follow-up testing at the doctor's office. Apparently the results of my last glucose (blood sugar) test were not stellar...although I was told there was no need for concern. Well, I'm not too concerned because what the doctor doesn't know yet is that I probably messed up the test results by accidentally eating a small bowl of mashed potatoes an hour before my glucose-test appointment last week...eating them wasn't the accident, it was not remembering that you're not supposed to eat or drink for two hours prior to the test! Hopefully that is the problem. There is also the possibility that my iron count is low, in which case some iron supplements will do the trick. So for now, I'll just try to eat my veggies and drink my 642,879 oz. of water a day and wait to see what the OB says.

Catch-up: a Cousin, a Hospital Visit, and Benjamin Grace

My my it's been quite a while since I sat down at the computer to gush about life as an expectant mother! I'll attempt to catch you all up on the Deterdings' December...

I was very busy as I finished up my short-lived homeschool teaching career with my 5th grade and 2nd grade girls. I'm concentrating on their transition to the new teacher who will begin in January, so I will still spend mornings in Annapolis overseeing that "change of command" during the first two weeks of January. After that, I'll wait to see what the Lord has in store for me during the third trimester...painting? A womens Bible study? Definitely getting the house prepared for the arrival in March!

Steve is still enjoying having his face kicked by his baby! There's nothing like putting your ear to a pregnant belly and getting a prompt "hello" aimed for your cheek! Or so I hear. I'd love to try it for myself but I can't seem to be able to lay my head on my own belly, as big as it is these days. I'll have to settle for feeling those kicks and rolls and punches from the inside...which is becoming more and more fun as the baby grows! On Christmas eve afternoon I felt something jamming up into my ribcage for the first time and had to try to maneuver a little baby body part away...it's just amazing what you can feel once things get crowded in there! The amazing thing is that I still have so much more to experience during this pregnancy in the last three months. I'll just keep enjoying this mostly-comfortable phase for as long as I can!

In other exciting news, Steve and I just found out that our little one will soon have a COUSIN!! Steve's sister Amy and her husband Scott are expecting their first child at the end of the summer in 2007, and we are SO excited for them! CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEW MOMMY AND DADDY! We love you! Needless to say that Grandma and Grandpa Deterding are on cloud nine these days..two grandchildren to anticipate in 2007! God is so good!
--------

I am happy to report that Anne Arundel Medical Center has excellent Labor and Delivery Facilities. Steve and I spent a good three hours there last week. I had been experiencing abdominal pain and cramping all day, and thought I simply hadn't been drinking enough. When it didn't go away and began to worsen, I went to the hospital to be monitored for a while, to rule out pre-term labor. All signs of labor were negative, and I was a little dissapointed that I didn't get at least a sonogram out of it all! The nurses were very nice and I just can't wait to go in there for the REAL THING!
------

We've settled on names! Grace Olivia or Benjamin ___________ (OK, we've mostly settled on names. The middle name is still being considered). We like to call the baby Benjamin Grace for now, although all non-scientific signs seem to point to a boy. Non-scientific signs include but are not limited to dreams, womanly intuition, slips-of-tongue, and signals from my parents' dog, Jake. Is it really a Ben in there??

That Was a Close One!

They say that pregnant women can be a little forgetful at times. Case in point: this morning I remembered to forego my usual glass of o.j.; I avoided fruit; I made sure to consume no sugar all day long in preparation for my glucose test at the OB's office at 1:30 pm. I made arrangements to miss work, and I even prided myself that I remembered to chill my special glucose drink....

but it turns out that my appointment was for NEXT Wednesday. Phew. I was minutes away from chugging that gross neon-orange glucose drink for no reason! Where is my mind these days? Not to mention my balance and stamina!

Week 25 is complete, and I'm almost to that elusive third trimester. I continue to enjoy kicks and twists and punches from the little one inside of me, and I even see a little quivering belly movement every now and then. I can feel it now....just in time for bedtime when mommy's trying to get to sleep:)

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas!

Well, the Christmas tree is already up in the Deterding home and other Christmas preparations are underway! And speaking of preparations, we're registered for baby gear! It only makes parenthood a greater reality when you're picking out carseats and vaporizers and highchairs.
I'm entering my 24th week, and here's the scoop:

The baby has probably gained about a quarter pound since last week, when his or her weight was around a pound. Length should be hovering close to a foot! I held a ruler up to my belly, and had no idea that the baby was so long! The baby's frame is beginning to fill out with some baby fat, the brain is growing rapidly, and the taste buds are developing. Every day it seems that I get just a little bigger, and I'm finding it more and more difficult to do useful things like walk up and down the stairs, bend over, or get out of the car:) And to think that I still have three and a half months of growing to go.

The other night Steve discovered that he could play with the baby...he found a little bump in my belly—presumably a little heel or knee or foot or hand—and if we poked it, the baby would jerk it away! Now that we can actually interact with the baby, the whole experience seems even more miraculous than it did before. We are getting so anxious to HOLD our child and kiss that cute little face we saw in the sonogram!

*here's the elephant question answer: 2 YEARS! sheesh.

We Welcome a (Third?) Cousin!

Congrats, Rachel & Trevor & family!

My second cousin Rachel gave birth to a beautiful girl, Aubrey, on Thursday!

Looking at the picture of baby and mommy in the hospital made me cry. Hormones are the reason, yes, but I also can't wait to hold our little guy or girl! Do I really have to wait four more months??
Rach, I claim a half hour to hold the baby at Christmas!
Well, the Lord knew what He was doing when he made gestation 9 months long. I am definitely storing up some sleep energy this past week...two hour naps are a daily luxury while I'm off of work!

Trivia: Do you know how long mother elephants have to wait to deliver their bundle of joy? I can't complain:)

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!