organic cotton fleece baby blanket

I finished making baby's first blanket. A month or so ago I found some beautiful organic fleece online from a company in Canada. http://www.organicbynature.ca/ Yesterday I sewed a chocolate silk border around the edge of the blanket (it's the same fabric we are using in the nursery.) The blanket is double-fleeced so it will be very cozy for a February-born baby. As I'm sure there will be snow on the ground, that's my luck.

Beginning Week 10

The most critical part of baby's development is complete. Now the baby is headed into a period of rapid growth. While a bit strange to envision, baby's head is now about half its length. Eyelids fuse shut and irises begin to develop - Eye color is also determined by this point. (I'm willing to bet baby will have daddy's blue eyes.) The placenta begins to function this week or next - The placenta is the organ responsible for both the provision of nutrients along with the removal of waste to keep baby growing strong! Baby's lung tissue is continuing to develop and the bones are forming. Can you believe the first permanent tooth buds might be in place too? Soon baby will be able to open his mouth and move its tongue.

Baby is approximately 2 inches long, about the size of a lime, and weighs about a quarter of an ounce.

Mommy is doing great. I actually feel a bit more rested these days. For awhile I didn't have much of an appetite, but that seems to be at rest now. Our house is coming along great, getting ready for baby of course!

Beginning Week 9

I am starting my 3rd month already. Baby update: The baby has begun movement, while still too small for me to feel, baby is wriggling, shifting, and dancing already! Most joints are formed now, fingerprints are already evident in the skin. Baby can even bend its arm. Almost all of the body's organs are starting to take function. The baby is slightly over an inch now and will double in length before the end of this month.

I have noticed that by day's end I'm pretty exhausted, so I make sure I'm getting lots of sleep. Overall though, I feel great and have started to notice small changes. You still can't see anything, I haven't gained any weight yet. Continuing to eat healthy and in many, small portions.

Our nursery art arrived this week and it is adorable! Kevin is also going to start building the crib. It is going to be beautiful, I can't wait to see the final product.

first doctor's visit

Kevin and I went to see Dr. Anne Lipinski this morning for our first doctor's visit. (I'll get to the photo in a second.)

Enter Erika. It started off with routine items; I had to get my blood drawn. This was the only thing I was actually worried about because I have never done it before. The nurse took something like 6 viles of my blood. By the 5th one, I was at the end of the rope. With one to go, I could tell I was getting light headed. After she was finished I laid my head down and sure enough, passed out pretty darn good! I even gave the nurse a scare. After I woke up, calmed down and quit sweating, they gave me some cranberry juice and a wet washcloth. What a good start to the appointment.

Enter Kevin. The two of us went into Dr. Lipinski's office to chat about our medical histories and just get to know us. You can always count on me for a solid ice breaker. I'm really glad Kevin was with me. After our chat, all three of us went in for an exam and our first ultrasound.

Enter baby. The ultrasound confirmed our baby. Official due date is February 25, 2008. We saw some really cool photos and she even printed one for us. (See above.)You can actually tell there is a little person inside me. We even heard the heartbeat, which was going pretty fast. I've included some pointers so you can tell what's what on the photo. This is a profile view. My next ultrasound isn't until my 20th week or so, but I have lots of visits until then.

What excitement!

baby's first friends

Yesterday, mom and I went shopping over lunch at the mall. Here are baby's first friends that we found. They were pretty hard to resist. The lamb, in the back, plays soothing sounds (ocean, whale, heart beat and rain). The other two critters were just too darn cute! On the right is a puppy and the left a mole. They will no doubt fit in with the nursery art.

nursery art

Today we ordered baby art for the nursery. I found these critters online at etsy.com or better yet, http://www.creativethursday.com This artist had a lot of really cute paintings. These critters seem to fit "us," seeing as we are always in the woods looking for little friends.

Beginning Week 8

I still feel great and our first doctor visit is on Wednesday.

Everything that is present in an adult human is now present in the small embryo. By now, cartilage and bones begin to form, the basic structure of the eye is well underway, the tongue begins to develop, intestines move out of the umbilical cord into the abdomen, and the fingers and toes have appeared but are webbed and short. This little baby is still not even an inch big! Baby's length (crown to rump) is 0.61 inch (1.6cm) and weight is 0.04 ounce (1gm). Still quite tiny. The embryo is reactive to its environment inside the amniotic sac where it swims and moves. At the end of week 8, the embryonic period is over and the fetal stage begins. Now that's exciting.

I will let everybody know how the doctor appointment goes. Kevin will be joining me. I wonder if we'll even get our first ultrasound photo. Overall, I am very thankful that I feel very healthly, not ill. Go LaPean baby!

Beginning Week 7

Although the baby is only 1/2 inch big, its elbows form, fingers start to develop, feet start to appear with tiny notches for the toes, ears eyes and nose start to appear, intestines start to form in the umbilical cord, and teeth begin to develop under the gums. Some of the most important growth is happening in the baby's brain, where new nerve cells are forming at the rate of 100,000 per minute. The heart is beating even faster than it was last week and the heart tube has formed small bulges.

At the beginning of the 7th week, I feel great! It's amazing; maybe I'm one of the lucky few. Kevin and I see the doctor for our first appointment next week, where I'm sure we'll see an ultrasound.

In the meantime, we are still fixing up the house, trying to get as many projects done as possible. This way, we can focus on baby when s/he arrives. I'm just hoping by then I'll have a dishwasher!!