Baby Newsletter Week 14

Below is a copy of one of the weekly newsletters my friend, Heather, sent to our friends at work during my pregnancy as the BPA (Baby Personal Assistant):

Hello Baby Scouts!!!

Week 14! 

Baby Updates (IT'S A BIG WEEK!!!):

-Baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck its thumb!!!! Wowzas!

-Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form on expression after another!

-Its kidneys are producing urine… uh gross.

-By the end of the week its arms will finally be proportionate to the rest of his body. 

-Its also developing an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo all over it's body. Eww teen wolf body!!!

Erika Updates:

SECOND TRIMESTER!

-We're getting some energy back! 

-Hopefully less queasiness – but I'd still be careful of feeding her burritos or french onion soup.

-Daydreaming and planning about the baby is expected and suggested- therefore don't expect her to do work!

-Baby bump time!

IS IT A BOY OR A GIRL?!?!?!?!

Let me know what you think! 

Thanks,

Heather, Official BPA

First Scare Already

You scared me today baby. You scared me to tears on numerous occasions throughout the day before the doctor could tell me that everything still looked OK.

It started with about 10 minutes of cramping that felt like the worst period cramps I've ever had yesterday evening. There was no bleeding, but then I was up again for about an hour early this morning with the heating pad, Tylenol, and tossing from side to side while crying in pain. 

But then the cramping subsided and I went to work dialing the doctor just to make sure this was normal. (I have no idea what's normal.)

I finally was able to reach someone at the doctor's office right before heading up the elevator to my office. I explained my concern to the nurse, and she said she would call me back after talking to the doctor.

So of course I did the rational thing and started crying while dialing Brent's office number, then when he answered immediately started babbling about how it was serious enough for the nurse to have to consult the doctor.

Thank God for Brent. Brent my rock, Brent my voice of reason, Brent my rational side. He told me that of course the nurse was going to consult with a doctor and that he wouldn't be surprised if they wanted to see me just in case. Then he made sure I was done crying and told me to head up to work and wait for the nurse's call.

About 20 minutes later the nurse called and confirmed that yes the doctor did want to see me as soon as possible, which brought on another flood of tears just in time for me to hang up the phone and see that my boss had walked over to my cube to wish me a good morning. She took one look at me and asked me if I wanted to join her in her office presumably so I could cry with the door shut.

I mumbled a yes, and grabbed a tissue while she tried to convince me to just go home. But since my appointment wasn't until 3 p.m., I told her I'd feel better just being at work with something to do instead of at home just worrying and waiting. I kept saying that this is not like I'm sick; this is my baby. This is my child. It's not OK if everything is not OK.

So instead she spent time trying to convince me that everything I was describing sounded like something one of her pregnant friend experienced before having a perfectly healthy baby. And the other female member of my work team then came in with a printout of why the cramping was most likely normal and her mom, who's an OB-GYN, on the phone. Did I mention how much I love my team? 

And thankfully a visit to the doctor showed that everything with the baby was fine, even though it took probably a good 15 seconds before the doctor could find the heartbeat with her portable device, giving me another mini panic attack. 


Geez baby. You're not even close to being here yet and already I'm getting a taste of the lifetime of worry I'm going to experience.


Thank God for your dad.

Baby Newsletter Week 13

Below is a copy of one of the weekly newsletters my friend, Heather, sent to our friends at work during my pregnancy as the BPA (Baby Personal Assistant):

This week Erika's baby is A MEDIUM SHRIMP!!!!

Other fun Facts:

-Baby now has tiny fingerprints!!!

-His/her veins and organs are clearly visible through it's still-thin skin

-The body is finally starting to grow and catch up to it's very large head!

-If it's a girl (though we all think it's a boy) she now has more than 2 millions eggs in her ovaries! Crazy!!!!!

Erika Facts:

-Next week marks the beginning of the SECOND TRIMESTER!!!

-I'm sure she still has gas and heartburn (don't bring it up, she's sensitive!)

-We're also looking for a Doula… the requirements mean you actually have to be there for the birth… ew. So I'm sticking with Baby's Personal Assistant, but if you're interested we're taking applications! 

Stay tuned for more fun with Erika and ze BABY!!!!

-Heather the official BPA

An actual human being

I can't tell you how reassuring it is that my regular doctor's appointments routinely prove to me that my baby is OK. I can hear his or her heartbeat and sometimes get a peek at how he or she is developing.

And what's more is that this ultrasound showed off what looks more like a fully formed human being:

But even I can admit that this one in which the baby is looking straight at the ultrasound wand is still a little creepy-looking. Yet still beautiful.

It's getting more real by the day.

Baby Newsletter Week 12

Below is a copy of one of the weekly newsletters my friend, Heather, sent to our friends at work during my pregnancy as the BPA (Baby Personal Assistant):


Happy 12 weeks Erika:

How Erika's baby's growing:

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. The baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

What Erika is feeling this week:

She may begin to feel heartburn (also called acid indigestion), a burning sensation that often extends from the bottom of your breastbone to your lower throat. Many women get heartburn for the first time during pregnancy, and those who've previously had bouts of heartburn may find that it gets worse. -Fair warning… don't feed her burritos. 

Other:

Is it a boy? Is it a girl? What will his/her name be? How much of a chunky monkey will the baby be? Will it be born early, late, or cook for just the right amount of time?

We will be having a friendly guessing game coming to you soon. So think about your guesses (feel free to do any tests you feel are necessary on Erika to help you determine your guesses) and we'll have the game soon!

Baby Newsletter!

I told my colleagues I was pregnant on my 30th birthday. One of my friends, Heather, immediately named herself my unborn baby's BPA - Baby Personal Assistant (since this is my first child, I'll take all the help I can get!). Below is the first of the weekly newsletters she sent to our friends at work:


Hello Everyone,

CONGRATS TO ERIKA MELLER!!!!!!!!!!! WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A WORLD BOOK BABY!!!!

Baby is due Thanksgiving and we are all so excited for Erika and Brent! 

Here is an update with how big baby is:

Erika's baby is just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.

She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccuping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.

Congrats Erika! We love you!!!
-Baby's Personal Assistant