24 Weeks

Molly Grace is 24 Weeks!! We are over half-way to getting to meet her! I can't wait to see the little girl who is kicking me all day and night!

We got Molly Grace's bedding in last week - it's so stinkin' cute! I can't wait to see it all together. We are going to pick up all her furniture tomorrow. Her room is still set up as the guest room, so we have some cleaning out to do before we can set anything up - but we have plenty of time! I can't believe in 3 1/2 months she will be here!

How far along? 24 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: At my appt. 2 weeks ago, I had gained 7 lbs in 4 weeks! But my dr. said since I lost 15 in the beginning, that was fine! I'm still below my pre-preggo weight!

Maternity clothes? Sometimes. I still wear some of my regular stuff.

Stretch marks? Nope - and I've been checking! lol

Sleep: Much better the past couple nights. I've actually slept through until 4 am a couple times!

Best moment this week: Jamey got to feel her kick really hard! I think it surprised him how well he could feel her! I also have been having a few Braxton Hicks Contractions (I just learned yesterday that that's what I'm feeling!).

Movement: ALL the time! She moves and changes positions a lot. And she kicks all the time!

Food cravings: Dr. Pepper...I've been on a Mt. Dew kick, but this week I've wanted DP! And Banana Popsicles

Gender: Sweet baby girl!

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: Nothing really! I'm enjoying it all!

What I am looking forward to: Getting her furniture tomorrow and going shopping in Branson!

Weekly Wisdom: I'm not very wise these days! FYI - Pregnancy Brain is so NOT a myth!

Baby's Development:
"Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon." -babycenter.com

21 Weeks (and a few days!)

I'm so bad at remembering to blog! That's why I never could keep a journal - the newness wears off and it becomes a chore! I'm going to try and do better, though, since I really want to be able to look back during my next pregnancy and compare!

I was 21 weeks last Friday - over halfway there! I can't believe it!

How far along? 21 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I don't really want to know! I am still below my pre-pregnancy weight, though!

Maternity clothes? Yes. I still wear a few of my regular jeans and a lot of my regular tops, but I do wear maternity clothes more often

Stretch marks? No! And I don't want to think about the possibility!

Sleep: Better - but still not good! I still wake up several times in the night. Lately I've been waking up because I keep trying to roll over on my stomach and it hurts! I'm such a stomach-sleeper!

Best moment this week: Feeling her move more and more!

Movement: Yes! She's so active. I feel her all the time. I've even started feeling her having the hiccups! Jamey holds my belly every night hoping he can feel it, too!

Food cravings: Lucky Charms and Campbells Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup

Gender: Girl! And I'm loving all this pink and frilly stuff!

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? very much in

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach!! And having energy!

What I am looking forward to: Hearing her heartbeat again next week

Weekly Wisdom: I'm all out of wisdom!

Baby's Development:

"Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well." -babycenter.com

"Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch." -thebump.com

Pregnancy Survey

ABOUT YOU:
Name?: Beth
Age?: 27 years old.
Height?:5'6"
Pre-pregnancy weight?: Not going there!
Weight now: I've gained a little back, but still 9 lbs lighter than my pre-preggo weight

ABOUT THE FATHER:
Name?: Jamey
Age?: 32
Height?: 6'1"
Are you still together?: Of course - when we said "I do" 5 years ago it was forever!
Favorite thing about him: He's so laid-back and easy going. If you know me at all, you know how well that compliments me! He's the most giving man I've ever met.
Least favorite quality: He loves to hunt and I'm a huge anti-hunter! lol I guess if that's the worst thing I can think about him, then I am pretty lucky!

ABOUT YOUR PREGNANCY:
Is this your first pregnancy?: Yes! We waited 3 long years for God to bless us with this miracle!
When did you find out you were pregnant?: June 6 - I was 4 wks 1 day along!
Was it planned?: Very! Planned and prayed for!
What was your first reaction?: Complete SHOCK and disbelief! I had no idea. I just took a test for kicks because I had 1 left in my closet! I never dreamed it would show up positive!
Who was with you when you found out?: Just me! Jamey's parents were visiting so I just paced in the bathroom for at least 30 minutes waiting for him to come back in the bedroom!
Who was the first person you told?: Jamey, of course!
How did your parents react?: They freaked out - in a good way!
How far along are you?: 19 weeks, 1 day
What was your first symptom?: extreme dizziness - I thought it was an issue with my blood sugar!
What is your due date?: Feb 12, 2010. An early Valentine!
Do you know the sex of the baby?: Yes! We found out last week
If so, what is it?: GIRL!
Have you picked out names?: YES !
If so, what are they?: Molly Grace
How much weight have you gained?: I lost about 15 right away, I've gained about 4 back
Do you have stretch marks?: No - and I'm praying mother nature is on my side with this one!
Have you felt the baby move?: twice
Have you heard the heartbeat?:Yes - every 4 weeks at the doctor's office

ABOUT THE BIRTH:
Will you keep the baby?: That's never been a question
Home or hospital birth?: Hospital
Natural or medicated birth?: MEDICATED all the way!!
Who will be in the delivery room with you?: Jamey
Will you breastfeed?: I will attempt to!
Do you think you'll need a c-section?: I'm hoping for one!
Will you cry when you hold the baby for the first time?: I cry at everything!
What's the first thing you might say to him/her?: Is that really something you can plan?
Would you let someone videotape the birth?: No!
Are you excited about the birth, or scared?: I'm excited to meet her - I'm not so excited about how she's going to get here! lol

What a Day

Today was just one of 'those' days! But tonight, I was laying on my belly playing on the computer and I kept feeling this weird butterfly sensation in my belly. I finally realized it was Molly Grace! That's her first real movement I've felt. She obviously doesn't like me laying that way because as soon as I moved it stopped! That one little moment erased all of the negatives from my day!

Baby Thornton is a ...

beautiful, healthy, perfect little GIRL!!! And not a bit shy about letting us know! Ha! I've known for 3 days now and it's still sinking in! I just felt from the beginning that this was a little girl. The entire time we were trying to get pregnant, I just felt like God was going to give me a little girl. I think I had myself convinced it was a boy so I would be OK just in case! haha... I just can't tell you how thrilled I am. Jamey is still letting it sink in. I think he's still in awe that we're having a baby! He will be such a wonderful daddy! Even from inside my belly, our baby girl has her daddy wrapped around her little fingers (and by the way, she has the cutest little fingers and toes!).

Within hours of knowing she was a 'she', our little girl already had lots of pink bought for her by her Granny! I keep saying she is not spoiled, just very wanted and very loved!

We went to St. Louis this weekend to visit my old "stomping grounds" and go to the Cardinal vs. Braves game. We had a great time! We even got Baby Girl her first Cardinals outfit!

Tomorrow's THE BIG DAY!!!

Tomorrow at 10:00 am we will finally be able to call Baby Thornton "he" or "she"...hopefully! We're at least going to attempt to find out tomorrow morning! Knowing that this baby is part me and part Jamey - 2 of the most stubborn people ever - our child may decide to hide! We'll see...

Everyone keeps asking me what I hope for and what I'm feeling. I can honestly say that I have NO preference. We hoped and prayed and waited for this baby for so long, it doesn't matter at all to me if it's a boy or girl. I just can't wait to know it and hold it - boy or girl! I can see such fun things in the future either way. I hope if it's a boy it enjoys hunting and camping like his daddy - although according to Jamey he's going either way! Haha. I would love to be a football mom. I love the Nettleton Raiders and can't wait to have a son who plays football for them - they are in desperate need of some good players! :-) And of course if it's a girl I can't wait to dress her up in little tutus and dresses, put all those horrible brain-squeezers (aka headbands) on her, and watch her do ballet or soccer or whatever her little heart desires! I just can't wait.

As for what I'm feeling...I really thought it was a girl in the beginning. But lately I just have this strong feeling it's a boy. I can't explain it - it's just there. We'll see how strong my motherly instinct is tomorrow! Of course, Jamey says he knows it's a boy - no questions!

I can't wait!!!

17 Weeks

I am so terrible at keeping up with this! Good thing I don't write for a living!

I am 17 weeks now! In a few days I will be 18 weeks and we will FINALLY know what 'it' is! I can't wait to be able to say him or her - not the baby called 'it'! I can't believe we are almost half-way there, either. It seems crazy! My belly finally 'popped' last week. To others I'm sure it just looks like I ate a little too much ice cream, or worse, a beer belly! But I can definitely tell. And Jamey is fascinated by it. I think it's finally starting to sink in with him. He loves to talk to the baby and it's really cute - except when he's warning the baby about his/her crazy momma!

I read that the baby can now hear us and other noises. Loud noises such as a doorbell or dogs barking will even startle the baby! One really great thing I read was that babies who hear dogs barking from inside the mom's belly will be likely to sleep through the night when dogs bark. Which is really good news for us since we (Jamey) has one pesky mutt who LOVES to bark! I love to think that when we are at church the baby can hear the beautiful praise music! I bet he/she wishes it couldn't hear me singing along to KLOVE in the car, though!

So how could I sum up my pregnancy at 17 weeks?

• I have a terrible sinus/cold problem that will not go away. Yuck!



• I am finally sleeping better. I only wake up once (rarely twice) during the night, but I always wake up between 5 and 6 am.



• I have started gaining weight instead of losing - which is a little hard for me! But so far it's only been a lb. or less a week.



• I had my first major craving! The other night I was laying in bed and all of a sudden I NEEDED a Pizza Inn thin crust pepperoni pizza! Of course we didn't have one and nothing else would satisfy it.

How far along? 17 1/2 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 2 lbs. (But I'm still down 12 lbs from pre-pregnancy!)

Maternity clothes? Sometimes. I have found some awesome maternity jeans from Gap that look normal!

Stretch marks? No - and I dread the day I find one! :-)

Sleep: what's that???

Best moment this week: seeing Jamey get so excited after feeling my belly - he was amazed! And hearing him talk to the baby is the greatest thing ever!

Food cravings: They're random and come at inconvenient times!

Gender: I will know in 4 days!!!

Labor Signs: not at all

Belly Button in or out? still in - and praying it stays there!

What I miss: Being able to take some really good cold/sinus medicine whenever!

What I am looking forward to: Friday morning at 10:00 - we will finally know what 'it' is and will spend the weekend shopping in St. Louis!

Weekly Wisdom: A pickle and a ding dong are not a good snack! You will regret it later!