Baby Belknap Week 23 Check in

Hello Everyone,

Hope this email finds you all well. Last weekend Jason and I dog sat to make some extra money to be able to hire a baby nurse once the baby arrives to help us figure out what we are doing. One of Jason's coworkers also delivered a large bag of maternity clothes for me. Now, if I just continue to grow I will finally fit into some of them.

Saturday was the first day I sported my compression knee high stockings. I could tell they made my legs feel better but they made me so hot. Guess that is what happens when I am moving around the gym and it is 95 degrees outside. My legs are still feeling achy at night.

Saturday Jason and I went for breakfast and I was wearing a shirt that said, "Yes, I'm Pregnant" and the man at the counter sat there and argued with me that I wasn't really pregnant. He didn't believe me, then when I told him I was five and a half months along he really didn't believe me. It was pretty funny. Then Saturday night we went to our friends Chip and Carmie's house for dinner. They along with Carie and Eric have decided that we are "Belknapping" them. (pulling a prank) Since they feel I don't even look pregnant. Guess I am really lucky so far to be holding onto my figure somewhat.

Carmie gave us two cute little girlie onesies. She has a son so she was very excited to shop for a little girl. Carie also gave us some cute pink baby roses. Thanks ladies! Carmie was a trooper and took me to Babies R Us on Sunday for three hours to register. As we walked up and down each isle I was in amazement that she actually knew what all that stuff was for and what I actually needed. It was so helpful. So, we are officially registered at Babies R Us and at Pottery barn Kids.

Sunday and Monday I have really noticed Gabby moving and kicking a lot more consistently. I have been feeling kicks mostly on my lower left abdominal area. Also a lot of the rolling motion right below my belly button. Jason got a little weirded out when he felt the kicking this time. Guess it makes it all the more real.

As we were at a cookout at Angela and Josh's on Monday they too have decided that I am not eating enough and have vowed to make me a batch of brownies each week. Now that is something I can handle for sure. I can say the aversion to sugar is officially gone! Yippee!!!! I did enjoy some brownies too. Yum. This is a great thing as well as a curse at the same time. I don't need the sugar but I am a girl after all and it is so delicious I can't help myself.

I have noticed I am not having to nap quite as long this past week. Plus while working I feel more energized. My newest and most consistent craving has been Outback! Yum. Salad and macaroni and cheese. Yes, mac and cheese from Outback. Also,I have been craving tuna salad.

I had a dream on Monday night that my sister in law Colleen was going to show me how to use the breast pump. While showing me she just decided that she would go ahead and pump her own milk to feed my baby. What, I know! The next morning in my dream I was going to feed the baby but Colleen had not left me with any milk and of course I was already not producing milk even though my baby was only two days old. So, I decided I would just find something to feed the baby. I found some chicken soup that I was going to thicken to the right texture. After thickening it I realized there were big noodles, chunks of carrots and peas and realized the baby had no teeth. Plus I was running late to my morning clients. I was so stressed out cause I didn't know how I was going to feed the baby and get to work. Why I was still working when my baby was two days old I will never know. Interesting to say the least. I know I am starting to feel anxious about the baby coming and us not having any idea what we are doing. Guess this dream is just showing me my fears.

I went to lunch on Tuesday with my girlfriend Karen, who is due a couple of days before me. As I stepped out of the car she told me I forgot to bring my belly with me. She has a cute baby bump already and I am still waiting for mine to arrive. Guess once a late bloomer always a late bloomer. Ha. I think there is starting to be a theme with this email and my lack of a baby bump.

I really feel in the past two couple of days despite what others are saying I AM looking pregnant. Even my maternity clothes that I have been wearing seem to be fitting a little more snug. Still feeling like I have large love handles along with a small bump in the front.

Jason and I went to Arizona on Thursday and got to visit lots of friends. The first being my cousin Andrea in Phoenix. It was so great to see her and she got to meet Gabby in my belly. We headed out to Lake Havasu City on Friday to visit Colleen. Where we did lots of eating and swimming. My belly no longer feels weird in the water. However, I did notice that the deeper I was in the water the harder it was breathe. Strange. Jason made some new friends in Lake Havasu. They were four year old twin girls. They loved him and it was so fun to see him interacting with kids. It was about 107 degrees or so the whole time we were there. Jason is not so sure how anyone lives there with it being so hot. Jason sported a shirt given to him by Colleen and her boyfriend Rick. It has a picture of a stork carrying a baby on the front and on the back it says, "it's a girl" So cute. Thanks guys! On Sunday we headed back to Phoenix to stay with Jason's childhood friend Sean. Jason had not seen him in about ten years. Sean and his wife Kim have three girls. I think Jason has had a interesting look into our future this past weekend. Are we ready for this?

Below I have attached the www.babycenter.com report for week 23 along with some pictures.

All our love,

Julie and Jason

Week 23
How your baby's growing: Your baby is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound. He may be able to feel your movements now, so put on some tunes and dance around the house. No matter what race your baby is, he looks red now due to blood vessels showing through his transparent skin. His true skin tone will develop over the course of his first year. Blood vessels in your baby's lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing, but complete lung development will take many more months. The lungs are the last organ to fully develop.
Your baby is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound. His skin is red and wrinkled. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing. He can swallow, but he normally won't pass his first stool (called meconium) until after birth. Loud noises heard often in utero such as your dog barking or the roar of a vacuum cleaner probably won't faze your baby when he hears them outside the womb.

Baby Belknap Week 21 and 22 check in

Hello Everyone,

The past couple of weeks have been very exciting and busy ones for us. Two weeks ago(week 20) as you all know we found out that we are having a baby girl. We are so excited. We went to the doctor Wednesday, August 22 where we had the ultrasound and a regular check up. During the ultrasound we got to see her whole little body. She was very active and even playing with her umbilical cord as if she was playing catch. As I mentioned before she was opening and closing her mouth each time we scanned over her face. There is no question that she is my daughter! Due to this we have decided on a name. Her official name is going to be Gabrielle Marie Belknap. We will call her "Gabby!" (Thanks Grandpa Larry for the name) All her measurements are right on for the due date of January 5, 2008. I really love getting the ultrasounds done. It is amazing getting to peek in on her little world.

When we saw the doctor she let us hear the heartbeat. Which was really fun for my mom and Dennis to hear. Her heartbeat is still in the 140s. I had gained two pounds since my last visit a month ago. Next time I go to the doctor I get to do the gestational diabetes test. Which should be fun. I have to drink a sugary drink wait an hour then they test me. I sure hope my sugar aversion is fully gone by then.

After the doctor's visit we went with my mom and Dennis to pick out the baby furniture. We did end up getting the crib/bed I mentioned in the last report. We also got two dresses and the mattress. The women at the store were so helpful and so full of information. Giving us all sorts of tips on the car seat and strollers as well.

I attempted to go to Babies R Us to register on Thursday the 23rd and was there for an hour and a half. While there I managed to scan I think seven things. One of them being diapers. I tell you, I didn't know it would be so hard to register. I do have a couple of friends with kids who said they will take me. Thankfully. I apparently have no idea what a baby needs besides diapers, wipes, and bottles.

(Week 22, August 25-August 31) Jason and I celebrated our two year wedding anniversary this past weekend in Myrtle Beach. The weather was beautiful and we spent most of the day Saturday at the beach. So Gabby has officially had her first dip in the ocean. I think she really liked it! Who knows she may end up being a "water person" just like her aunt Colleen Wedekind! I also had some ice cream on Sunday and it actually didn't make me sick. Which is great! I think the sugar aversion may be fading. I am still getting full really fast. Which of course allows me to eat every two hours. Can't complain about that.

Jason believes he has finally felt the baby move. He had his hand on my stomach Sunday morning and said he felt her. How fun for him to be able to experience this too! I can feel her move now most nights. Still not all the time. I guess she does only weight 13 ounces so we still have some time for her to grow.

I know I say this each week but my stomach has really changed. I think it really has started to finally pop out on Wednesday, 29th. I also had my first stranger at Whole Foods ask me if I was pregnant. It was very exciting. I am still dealing with pregnancy brain too. I tell you Jason is really enjoying this aspect of pregnancy. I overheard him boasting to a friend the other day how he can just tell me he already told me and I will just believe him as I can't remember. To funny. I am on to him now.

I did have a client tell me on Thursday that she could tell my energy has come back. Which, I do feel more energized at times but am still tired all the time. Does that even make sense? I am also starting to notice my legs feeling achy. I noticed it mostly when we were driving to Myrtle Beach over the weekend. I also noticed it a couple of nights. Looks like those compression knee highs are coming out! So sexy I know!

I have included my latest photos as well a picture of my mom and I after we had the ultrasound and a picture of Jason and I on our two year anniversary. Also the babycenter.com reports. Hope you all enjoy.

All our love,

Julie, Jason and Gabby


http://www.babycenter.com/ Weeks 21 and 22

Week 21
How your baby's growing:Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long. His eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. And you can certainly feel him move. He's oblivious to your schedule, though, so don't be surprised if he starts working out just when you're settling down for the night. If you're having a girl, her vagina is formed now, though it will continue to develop until birth.
Week 22
How your baby's growing:Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches and almost 1 pound. Her skin will continue to appear wrinkled until she gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her head and body is now visible. Her lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath her gum line. Her eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. Eyelids and eyebrows are in place, and her pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily.