25 weeks, 4 days - Dear Baby: A note from Dad

Mom’s hand in perfection

Dear Baby,

We had our 25 week doctor appointment today, and it seemed the perfect opportunity for me to write my first blog to you because 1) I’ve been meaning to for quite some time and 2) the outcome of today’s appointment was such that your modest mom can’t be trusted to report it in full detail.  Dr. Elliot glanced at your mom’s chart and noted her weight:  “perfect.”  He listened to your heartbeat:  “perfect.”  He felt you in your mom’s tummy:  “perfect.”  So strong was this assessment in nearly everything that the doctor must have used that word a dozen times in half as many minutes, and his questions, “how are you feeling,” “any abdominal pain,” “any cramping,” weren’t so much questions as perfunctory requests for statements he already knew to be true.

Your perfect heartbeat is measuring at 130 bpm, which, according to the old wives’ tale, indicates you’re a baby boy.  We need to get an official family pool going on this…

The doctor also told us that you and your mom can travel with you in her belly up to around 34 weeks, which means that the date your mom and I are supposed to babysit for your cousin Carter in Atlanta is right on the cusp of that.  Your mom said she really wanted to go though, and the doctor said it was ok.  So barring any issues, you’ll get to spend some good quality time with your cousin again at the end of June.

Even though we got such great news today, you should know that things often aren’t perfect.  Even so, things are often beautiful and useful in ways you might not see at first.  Take for example your mom’s hands, which she has always regarded as a distinct imperfection.  Dr. Elliot told us that because your mom is nice and tall and because her hands have nice, broad palms, your delivery has a much greater chance to go smoothly.  I always tell your mom what beautiful hands she has, and here is the perfect proof.

Can’t wait to see how perfect you are in person.

Love,

Dad

25 weeks, 2 days - Belly pic!

Ugh. It just looks so fat to me.  I had this really romantic notion about pregnancy that I'd be fine with gaining weight and that I'd be so excited to be getting a belly.  Maybe it will change as the belly looks more and more pregnant, but as of now, it still looks and feels just so fat to me.  <sigh>  But, it means a healthy baby, so no real complaints.  Just innocent whining.  :)

25 weeks, 1 day - Dear Baby

Dear Baby,

As of today, you are approximately 13.5 inches long and about a pound and a half.  I can't believe you're that big.  You still quiet down significantly when I talk, but not completely like you did several weeks ago.  You're getting bigger and stronger seemingly every day.  In fact, these days, you have been waking me up in the middle of the night with your dancing and kicking.  I wish you'd be able to remember this time in utero when you grow up so that you could tell me what it is that you're doing so much in there.  And why you seem to like doing it so much when I'm sleeping.

Your Nana Deb and I spent last weekend shopping at consignment stores to get me some additional clothes to wear as you get bigger and I'm less and less able to continue with my normal things.  We also went to Babies R Us, where she helped your dad and me add more stuff to your registry.  I thought it would be super fun to register for things for you; as it turns out, it's quite a stressful prospect.  How will we know what you're going to need?  How can we know what's going to be best for you?  Nana Deb was a big help in that regard because both your dad and I were a little too overwhelmed to do a good job.

For your dad's birthday this year, you gave him a very nice card with a promise that you would move to Atlanta to be with him.  That was a very difficult decision for me to make, as it means that I'll be giving up my job and the flexibility to see my mom whenever I want to, but it seems to be the right decision for you and for our family.  You'll get to grow up with Gramma and Grandpa Rehbein, all of your Rehbein aunts and uncles, your Terlizzi cousins, and, of course, your father.  It's very sad and hard for me to think about moving away from Washington, DC, which I love and consider home, but when I think of the quality of life you'll be able to experience there versus here, it's the only decision that really makes sense.

In the card where you told your dad that we'd be moving, you included a "Get Out of Relocation Free" card.  Here's what it looked like:

 

You had it printed on a piece of orange card stock so it looked just like one of the Chance cards from Monopoly, which is what it was based on.  Your dad liked it an awful lot and laughed and laughed and laughed.  He said it was the best birthday gift he'd ever received.  Your Gramma and Grandpa Rehbein were the first people he showed it to and they were awfully pleased, too.  Gramma R took pictures of both the birthday card and the Monopoly card so she could save them.  Maybe we'll be able to find the pictures one day when you're old enough to read so you can see them for yourself.

Have a wonderful next few months, Baby!  I'm doing my best to keep you safe and warm and provide you with all the best exercise and nutrition that I can.  I can't wait to meet you in a few short months!

Love,

Mama 

25 weeks, 0 days - How pregnant am I?

So, I've gone back and forth with my mom and Sheri on when exactly I ended my first trimester and with the rest of the world on exactly when I can increment "how many month pregnant" I am.  I've been consistently using Baby Center's table during my reporting, so if you're wondering how many months along I think I am or what trimester I consider myself in, refer to the handy little table below:

 

Also, according to Baby Center, the baby is the size of a rutabaga this week.  I'm not sure about the family Rehbein, but the Pieper clan isn't exactly a rutabaga indulging group, so I've included a picture below so you can get an idea of what Baby is looking like these days:

That looks about the same size as the head of cauliflower that my ticker reports, doesn't it?  Baby Center reports that the baby is 1.5 lbs and 13.5 inches, head to heel.  The ticker says 1.8 lbs.  Not the same, but pretty close.  So weird to think that there's something THAT big inside of me.  And sooo cool.  :)

24 weeks, 4 days - A Note from Nana Deb

A Newborn's Conversation with God

A baby asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow,
but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"

God said, "Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

The child further inquired, "But tell me, here in heaven I don't have
to do anything but sing and smile to be happy."

God said, "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you.
And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."

Again the small child asked, "And how am I going to be able to understand
when people talk to me if I don't know the language?"

God said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words
you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will
teach you how to speak."

"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"

God said, "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach
you how to pray."

"Who will protect me?"

God said, "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life."

"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."

God said, "Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach
you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you."

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth
could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, "God, if I am to leave
now, please tell me my angel's name."

God said, You will simply call her,   "Mom."

24 weeks, 1 day - Baby Fun Fact #2

Baby Fun Fact #2: These days, babies born as early as 24 weeks have a fair to good chance at survival.

Holy moses!  Obviously, we don't want baby to be born for several months yet but it's awfully comforting to know that, if something happened and he DID come, there's a fair to good chance he'd survive.  Yes, he'd likely have long-term issues, but wowzers!  That's a pretty big milestone.  :D

23 weeks, 6 days - Baby gone crazy

Oi. This baby. I'm not sure what's gotten into it lately, but hot damn, has it been doing some mad gymnastics. I've had a pretty bad tummy ache when I wake up in the morning the past few days and, along with that, it seems like the baby is FREAKING OUT with activity. I told Phil and Sue this past weekend that I could feel movement, but I couldn't ever tell if it was just a small movement or a big one that goes all the way across my tummy unless I feel it from the outside. I must retract that statement. As of yesterday morning, I could feel this little nugget squirming in circles on the left side of my tummy. I'm sure you'd have been able to see it from the outside, but it didn't occur to me to look until it was too late. But again, I've had a stomachache the past two mornings... so I ask you this: does gastrointestinal distress cause a baby to be more active? Does the baby hear the gurglings of my guts and try to get away from it? I don't want to make the baby uncomfortable, but it's kind of neat to feel little Baby moving around that much. :)