Bump Picture

25 weeks, 2 days.

3D/4D Ultrasound

We just finished our first 3D/4D ultrasound! Here is Nicholas Paul Lundberg :) He is perfectly breech right now, so hopefully he'll move over the next few months. He was literally holding on to his feet when we first started the ultrasound! We saw him blink, pucker his lips, suck his thumb, open his mouth, and move his hands around his face a lot. He seemed very annoyed by the poking, but hopefully he'll forgive us - because it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life! We were all absolutely astounded. The office was really nice, and they have a giant screen on the wall for viewing the ultrasound. As soon as Nick was on the screen, I was completely overwhelmed. We are having a second 3D/4D ultrasound between 32 and 35 weeks. We can't wait!

Here is the full video footage of the ultrasound:

Twenty-Five Weeks

Today Nick is 25 weeks old. Only 105 days to go! We still haven't been able to hear Nick's heartbeat with the stethoscope, but we'll keep trying. He is moving and tumbling around in there a lot - my sister and Jeff have both felt him and seen him move now. I think he is pretty much developed now - he'll just keep getting bigger and his brain will keep growing! Better keep taking my omega-3 supplements!

According to The Cradle, during this month, the buds for Nick’s permanent teeth will come in, high in the gums behind the baby teeth. Nick’s spine will be made up of 33 rings, 150 joints, and 1,000 ligaments, all of which are used to support the body’s weight. All of those structures will begin to form during this month.

According to Pregnancy Weekly, Nick weighs about 1.5 pounds and measures 13.5 inches from head to heel. He is becoming stronger as his stem cells continue to develop into bone tissue, and his bones become solid through a process called ossification.

According to Baby Center, head to heels, Nick now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. He's also growing more hair — and if we could see it, we'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

According to The Bump, I should let Jeff put an ear to my belly -- he might be able to pick up Nick's heartbeat (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving Nick a healthy pink glow. Nick is also soaking up my antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and Nick will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes.

Tomorrow is our 3D/4D ultrasound and we are so excited!! We will post all of the pictures and the video (if possible) as soon as we get home. It will be our first glimpse of what Nick might look like when he's born! We are so happy to be having a baby now that all of this technology is available. It's difficult to believe our own mothers never saw us on an ultrasound, let alone a 3D/4D ultrasound.

Carrying On The Tradition

When Jeff's parents announced to his maternal grandparents that they were having a baby, they gave them grandpa and grandma coffee mugs for Christmas. We intended to tell them when I got pregnant the same way - but in our excitement, we simply forgot and told them over the phone. So we decided to buy them mugs for Christmas! Here is Jeff holding the mugs his parents gave his grandparents (his grandma still has them - this picture is from January 2008!), and here are his parents holding their new mugs today.

Like Father, Like Son

Baby Nick received a special Christmas gift from his Grandpa and Grandma Lundberg - a UM letter sweater his dad wore when he was little! Here is a picture of Jeff in the sweater (circa 1980) and a picture of the sweater in its box from today. We can't wait to photograph Nick in this sweater! We are so grateful to Jeff's mom for saving this sweater and keeping it in such great condition for all these years. We hope to save it and be able to pass it on to Nick's son one day, too!

Merry Christmas!

Baby Nick wishes everyone a Merry Christmas! Here are Nick's very first Christmas gifts - from his Aunt Krystyn and Uncle Zack, of course :)

Bump Picture

24 weeks, 2 days.

Twenty-Four Weeks

Today Nick is 24 weeks old. Only 112 days to go! We bought a stethoscope to try to hear Nick's heartbeat at home, but so far we've had no luck. We tried again last night and heard nothing - but we both SAW Nick kicking, instead of just feeling it! It was so cool to see the top of my bump move. I am still having a pretty symptom-free pregnancy, although I have to be careful of how I sit or my back starts to hurt. I still haven't had round ligament pains or any other stretching pains, thank goodness! But Nick is definitely growing - I look more pregnant every week :) We are looking forward to our 3D/4D ultrasound, which is a week from tomorrow. We will receive four color photos of Nick, and a DVD. I'll post as much here as I can!

According to The Cradle, between now and Nick's expected date of delivery, his feet will almost double in size, from about 1.8 inches (45 mm) to 3.3 inches (83 cm). At this point, being pregnant is nothing new—it’s become a way of life! If I were still experiencing some stomach upset and nausea, eating an easily digested snack every two hours may help me feel less nauseous (but I never felt nauseous).

According to Pregnancy Weekly, Nick weighs about 1.2 pounds and is just under 12 inches from head to heel. His lungs have started secreting surfactant, the substance that keeps the moist, interior surface of the lungs from sticking together; and he is practicing breathing. Nick's eyes are also watching for light and his ears are listening to my heart beat and my stomach growl.

According to Baby Center, Nick is 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.

My midwife said I could start feeling Braxton Hicks contractions any time. She also told me to keep my eye out for signs of pre-term labor. Babies born as early as 27 weeks have a very high chance of survival, but I am working hard to keep baby Nick inside for as close to 40 weeks as possible :) Every day it sinks in a little more that I am going to be a "mother." I have a feeling I hardly know what the word means yet :) We both fully expect every aspect of our lives to change completely - so anything less than 100% change will be a bonus!

Prenatal Appointment

Today I had my prenatal appointment for December. It went well - my weight gain is right on target and Nick's heartbeat was in the 120s/130s. My midwife nervously told me she is switching practices, but she had no reason to be nervous - her new office will be about ten minutes from mine, instead of the hour it takes me to get there now! So I am definitely switching practices with her. I have already scheduled my next appointment with her new office for January 22 - that is a big appointment, it's when I have my glucose screening. I have to drink an orange drink, wait an hour, then have my blood drawn. I'll be 28 weeks the week before, which is when I have to start going every two weeks instead of once a month - so my midwife is moving her office just in time! This also means I'll deliver at Henry Ford West Bloomfield (www.henryfordwestbloomfield.com), instead of Providence Southfield (unless there are construction delays). It's a new hospital and it sounds amazing - here's the patient room description:

"Studies have shown that private hospital rooms reduce the rate of infection by 50 percent. Our own informal survey also has shown that all patients would prefer rooms of their own. So at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital, you'll find only private rooms.

Each is outfitted with all the comforts of home, including a sleeper sofa, kitchen facilities, and a flat-screen TV with Internet access that gives you the ability to see your family, access information about your particular condition, communicate with your nurse, order a movie or shop online from one of the many retail stores on Main Street. The rooms in our obstetrics unit feature Jacuzzis so laboring mothers can be made more comfortable.

We've thought of every last detail - from the warm color palette borrowed from a Michigan autumn to the artwork from local artists that hangs on the walls. Speaking of walls, ours are curved, in order to make our rooms feel as cozy and inviting as possible. You'll also find a beautiful armoire for your clothes, shelves for flowers and cards, and an upholstered headboard adorning your comfortable bed.

Supplies are stocked in every room and workstations are located right outside your door, so you can expect assistance as soon as you need it, and food when you want it. Not ready for dinner until 7 p.m.? We offer 24-hour room service. As long as it's OK with your doctor, it's OK with us."

My midwife and I talked about delivery - I'm having such an easy pregnancy, I don't have any pregnancy questions, just labor and delivery questions! She answered all of my questions and I loved her answers. She said she gives an average of 2-3 episiotomies a year, which is very few, and she said she only gives Pitocin if the woman wants it. She also said I can bond with the baby and nurse the baby right away after birth, that she has waited 2-3 hours before to weigh, measure, etc. the baby. She encourages staying well-hydrated too, to avoid an IV, and only gives IVs if the woman is getting dehydrated (usually from vomiting, she said). She has heard of my Bradley coach before and said she's very experienced and very good, so I'm excited to start my class in January! I feel very confident that I can have a natural birth, if Jeff and I prepare ourselves as best we can and work with my midwife during labor. I'm nervous but excited - because at the end, Nick will be here!

Nick's Stocking Stuffers

His first Baby Gap jeans and onesie! These jeans are so adorable - they have two little snaps where a zipper would usually go, and the insides of the legs snap up for easy diaper changing. They are super soft denim and they are fully lined with t-shirt material. They are the teeniest jeans ever! 0-3 months :) They are so teeny, they fold up small enough that they actually fit in Nick's stocking!

Bump Picture

23 weeks, 2 days.

Twenty-Three Weeks

Today Nick is 23 weeks old. Only 119 days to go! I feel him moving a lot, and Jeff has been able to feel him three times now. For some reason he almost always stops kicking and moving when I tell Jeff to try to feel it! I read that I could start having Braxton Hicks contractions soon - not sure how I feel about that. Maybe it's good practice? I went to my first La Leche League meeting tonight. I didn't learn anything new, but it was nice to be around other moms and lots of kids. I am so excited to nurse!

According to The Cradle, fine, downy lanugo covers the baby’s entire body, including the head. During the next six weeks, the baby will grow in ways that will safeguard its survival if born prematurely. Every day the baby spends growing in the womb is a day filled with developmental progress!

According to Pregnancy Weekly, Nick now weighs about one pound and is approximately 11.5 inches head to heel. He is continuing to develop facial features and I am probably feeling a lot of movement as he continues to explore his body and world in the comfort of his own personal "living womb." Nick now has eyes that open and close, ears that can hear, and a thumb well worth sucking. If I feel him making regular, jerky movements, I shouldn't panic - Nick just has the hiccups!

According to Baby Center, I should turn on the radio and sway to the music. With Nick's sense of movement well-developed by now, he can feel me dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), I may be able to see him squirm underneath my clothes!! Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that his increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as a dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb.

Here is the stocking we bought for Nick. Each of us in our little family has a blue stocking now :) I can't wait to fill it for him next year! Who am I kidding - I'll probably buy a *little* something to put in it this year :) Maybe a wrist rattle?

Bump Picture

22 weeks, 2 days.

Twenty-Two Weeks

Today Nick is 22 weeks old. Only 126 days to go! He has been very active - I feel him moving at least three or four times a day, usually a couples times each time. I still feel great and I definitely feel lucky to be having such a pleasant, easy pregnancy. My chiropractor said a baby's temperament in the womb is usually similar to his temperament after birth, so I think Nick is going to be an easy-going guy - just like his dad!

According to The Cradle, at the end of this fifth month of pregnancy, my uterus has reached my belly button. The baby in that uterus measures about 7-1/2 inches (191 mm) from crown to rump in length and is about the size of a Barbie or Ken doll. In less than two weeks, the baby has gained more than 3 1/2 ounces (100 g).

According to Pregnancy Weekly, Nick weighs about 15 ounces, measures just under 11 inches head to heel, and is growing eyelashes and eyebrows. Little taste buds are forming on his tongue, and his testes begin descending from his abdomen.

According to Baby Center, at 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, Nick is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If we could see inside my womb, we'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

According to The Bump, we should watch what we say -- Nick is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that Nick finds gentle music and my own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, Nick's s starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- I just have to pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.

We ordered Nick a personalized Christmas stocking. I've been trying to control myself with buying stuff - we are going to buy a dresser this weekend to keep Nick's stuff in, and then maybe I won't be able to control myself at all!! I am looking forward to finishing my pregnancy books, so I can start on the baby books. I already looked up what Nick *should* be doing next Christmas - he'll be about 8 months old. Next Christmas should be really fun!! He won't be able to open his own presents, but he should be sitting up and pulling up to sit up from his tummy, and he may even be cruising! And he'll definitely be able to play with the toys we buy him :)