Week 20

We are half way!
This has been a big week for us. We spent our entire weekend spring cleaning. Which means that I had 2 tearful break downs while Jeff tried everything he could to stay out of the house and work in the yard.

I have come to the conclusion that Jeff and I both like to be in charge of projects. Neither one of us wants to take the back seat. This made spring cleaning day very interesting. Normally he worked outside and I would work in the inside. But this year he had to help me with moving furniture and even opening windows. As he is feeling that his wife has become helpless I am watching my Independence walk out the door. I know that things are going to change and I am going to need to count on him more but as my body changes and Joe gets bigger I am finding harder to do simple things and it really bothers me.

For example we go on walks about every other night. Well one night I had to slow down the whole group because I had gotten kicked and all of the sudden lost my breath. It's just those little things that are making my a little more nutz than I already am.

On a high note Jeff and I celebrated our 2year wedding anniversary. We had dinner at the Dock Cafe in Stillwater. I was very good but it is now 1:43 AM and I have such bad heart burn I am writing in this blog until the Tums kicks in. ;0)

Baby Stuff
from babycenter.com
It's kinda yucky but.....
Joe weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom, and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, we use measurements taken from the top of the baby's head to her bottom — known as the "crown to rump" measurement. After that, we use measurements from head to toe. This is because a baby's legs are curled up against her torso during the first half of pregnancy and are very hard to measure.)

A greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats her entire body to protect her skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. (This slick coating also eases the journey down the birth canal.)

Joe is swallowing more, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky substance that's the result of cell loss, digestive secretion, and swallowed amniotic fluid. This meconium will accumulate in her bowels, and you'll see it in his first messy diaper (although a few babies pass it in utero or during delivery).

Jeff Moment
This week Jeff is trying to deal with me. Hope next week goes better!

***The baby pictured above is not Joe. It is an example of where he is in his development.

Week 19

I spent a lot of time at different appointments thsi past week. We had our regular dr. appt. on 4/7. Everthing is going great. It is wild to think about how big my uterus is since my exam. My weight seems to be good too. Even though I am "full of life" I really miss my favorite pair of jeans.

I went to the dentist on 4/9 for a regular cleaning. At the end of my vistit I had to set up two more appointments because I have gum daisees due to pregnancy. Let me just say I hate going to the dentist. I cry just before evry visit and the thought of having to go three times in a month makes me sick. Plus my dentist, who is my age, is kinda slime ball. Needless to say Jeff wants me to make the switch to Dr. Spahl. Which I will do after my appointments.

4/11 was the big ultra sound. ( This is where I tell the world what we are having)
After getting the baby to move a little we discovered that it is a.......boy!
Yep, the wee bump that is not so wee is a boy bump named Joseph Thomas

I do feel bad for my poor mom. She really was looking hard for the girl parts.
I must say part of me wanted a girl because, well, I am out numbered in my house and I really like to buy little girl clothes.

But having a boy is great for a few reasons. I think that having Joe is going to help Jeff get over some of his baby fears. Sure he will have them but I think it would have been very stressful for him to have a little girl first. Second, I am looking forward to the bond that Joe will develop with his Grandpa Gerry and Gampa Tom. Jeff and I were both very close to our grandparents especially our grandfathers. And finally, I just can't wait to hold him and bring him home!

Baby Stuff
from babycenter.com
Baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces, and he measures 6 inches, head to bottom. His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine, and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. This is a crucial time for sensory development: Your baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch.

Jeff Moment
Jeff loves to call the baby Joey. I love to call the baby Joe.
The baby is named after Jeff's Grandpa Schmidt who went by the name Joe and the middle name is after Jeff's dad and my uncle/ Godfather both are named Thomas.
Jeff has a best friend named Joseph Thomas Spahl who goes by Joey.

You make the call.


*** Please feel free to send this blog onto others. I feel like I have missed some family and friends. Also, if you need help leaving comments please drop me a line at:
hjokeeffe78@ yahoo.com

***** The picture that is posted with this weeks blog is a picture of Baby Joe sucking his thumb. The ultra sound tec. says that he weighs 9 oz.

18 Weeks

This past week I have been trying my best to fight off a cold which turned into a sinus infection. I am taking medication but it has been a slow process getting better.

Jeff went out of town this weekend so it was nice and peaceful at home. Moose and I enjoyed sleeping in. :)

I did have a few moments this weekend I am sure Jeff is glad he wasn't home. I yelled a our neighbor kid because he was having a party and some of his friends were fighting out side my bedroom window at 1 AM. I won't write what I said to the kids but I am sure you can imagine.

On top of all that Moose got loose! Lucky for he comes on my first call. Finally I had a few words with someone who was visiting a neighbor a cross the street that it would be great if the could park their cars the right way so I can back out and leave my house. If you have been to my house then you know how many cars can be parked on the street when these certain neighbors have their family over. Seems like little things now that I write them down but, boy was I mad!

I have also started nesting. Jeff and I went looking at baby furniture yesterday. I have also started cleaning out the spare bed room. I need one good weekend of work i there and I think I will have it under control. I have also started putting some of the baby's things away in the changing table/dresser that we have.

Like I told Court last night. Four months from my wedding we were planned and ready to go. I am four months form having a baby and I am no where near ready!

We have a doctor's appointment today! Things are progressing very well. The baby's heart rate is at 145. I was loud and very strong. No kicking sounds this time.

We are scheduled for the "big" ultra sound on Friday! We are hoping to find out what the wee Bump is that day. I can't wait for Friday but with my luck the kid won't show us the "goods"

But the baby is half Jeff's so maybe we will have another so off. ;0)

Baby Stuff
from babycenter.com

Head to bottom, your baby is approximately 5 1/2 inches long and she weighs almost 7 ounces. She's busy flexing her arms and legs — movements that you'll likely start noticing more and more. Her blood vessels are visible through her thin skin and her ears are now in position and stand out from her head. Myelin (a protective covering) is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and Fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If your baby is a boy, his genitals are noticeable, though he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

Jeff Moment

Babies R' Us is the coolest place very! We went to look at baby furniture but he was so interested in car seats and strollers he has already picked out the one we should get. He could not believe that a store that large was just for babies. Wonder if he will be that excited to go into Motherhood Maternity?

**** The pictures of the developing baby that I have been posting are NOT pictures of my own baby but pictures to show that progress that our baby is going through.