Armstrong Baby Blog

I spent a fair amount of time yesterday consolidating Sandy’s and my closets (we used to have separate ones, now we just have “The Marital Closet”) so that we could make room for all our son’s things.  Now our Marital Closet is jam-packed (but super-organized, as is my wont), and our little boy has room to grow.  Is this part of the nesting instinct, or just practicality?

Also, here are two outfits that I bought celebrating the fact that we’re having a boy — it is a little harder to get excited about boy clothes (and always has been!) but in light of all the outfits we’ve been receiving from loving family and friends, I wanted to join the party and buy my son some clothes — look at the lil’ shoes!

Love,

Mama Bear

Here’s my rapidly expanding belly, which seems to be growing every day.  This morning I felt him kick with my hand for the first time (my hand just happened to be resting on my belly, and then bounce!) and I got my first Braxton-Hicks contraction.  My uterus hardened up like a rock and I felt it stay that way for like fifteen seconds and then slowly loosen.  It was the oddest sensation.  Guess the little guy’s busy in there!

I’m halfway there!  Also, I’ve been looking into planning an unmedicated birth with the help of a doula and a Bradley/hypnobirthing based program called Hypnobabies.  I’m hoping to labor at home for as long as possible before I go to the hospital.  More on this in the coming months.

Love,

Mama Bear

So much to our surprise, my gender ultrasound today revealed that we will be having a little boy!  I will post more about the experience and our reactions to it later on, but I wanted to get these ultrasound photos up so everyone can see our beautiful son!

Look at this handsome profile… he’s looking to the left of the computer screen!  I think he has Sandy’s nose.

He’s giving a thumbs up to Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, and Great-Grandma!  Letting us know everything’s okay in his womb-bed!

Okay, for this one, imagine that the two white dots in the middle are his butt bones and he’s sitting on a copy machine.  See the boy evidence?

Here are the “frank and beans,” note where the arrow’s pointing!

More later, promise!

Love,

Mama-of-soon-to-be-son!

I think I will have this local lady take my maternity photos when I hit about 8 months!

http://www.peanutphotography.com/indexN.html

Just got back from Dr. Harter’s office – he measured the baby, let us listen to the super-rapid heartbeat (and kicking!), and answered various questions I had about my possible hypoglycemia (confirmed) and my returning IBS.  Note to IBS sufferers — pregnancy makes this worse, so be prepared!

I am not sure if I’ve felt any kicking yet.  A couple of times I thought I might have, but it’s hard to tell at this stage, so I’ll just wait a few more weeks.  Dr. Harter says almost everyone feels it by Weeks 19 – 21.  Apparently she kept kicking and then running away, so he had to chase her with his sonogram stick.  Haha!

On December 17, we get to have the gender sonogram.  Grandma, Sandy, and my mom and dad will be there to see if it’s a boy or a girl.  I’m betting girl!  Also, Sandy and I have bet against one another as to when we think my belly button will pop.  I think before my birthday (judging from the weird shapes it’s making now), and Sandy says December 22.  I’m not looking forward to the pop – I’m actually kind of scared!

Here are current pics! Look at my belly! My butt has grown to match!

Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!  We had a great one with Nanny and the girls (unfortunately sans Susan) in Palo Alto, where we went to visit Nanny at her new home in a Jewish independent living facility.  When we were teenagers, Nanny knew we were going to be together forever and would probably start making babies eventually, so she knitted us a baby set in case she wasn’t around when we got pregnant.  Well, she is, and here is the family with various baby items!  Thank you Nanny, we love you!

Grandma Ros, who is traveling on the east side of the country for the holiday season, also got us an adorable Ohio State Buckeyes onesie, so our baby knows who to root for should the need ever arise!  Thanks, Grandma Ros!  We missed you at Thanksgiving!

Signing off for now,

Yummy Mama Bear