6 WEEKS PREGNANT TODAY!

This week's major developments: The nose, mouth, and ears that we'll spend so much time kissing in eight months are beginning to take shape. Baby K has an oversize head and dark spots where his baby's eyes and nostrils are starting to form. His emerging ears are marked by small depressions on the sides of the head, and his arms and legs by protruding buds. His heart is beating about 100 to 160 times a minute — almost twice as fast as mine — and blood is beginning to course through his body. His intestines are developing, and the bud of tissue that will give rise to his lungs has appeared. His pituitary gland is forming, as are the rest of his brain, muscles, and bones. Right now, our baby is a quarter of an inch long, about the size of a lentil bean.

Other happenings this past week in the life of pregnancy:
Still haven't had any morning sickness, hurray! Only other tell-tale pregnancy symptom right now is the ta-ta's are so sore and heavy feeling!  Current cravings are cheese, cheese, and cheese! I weighed myself today and I weighed in at 155.8lbs, a total weight gain of 1.4lbs so far. I am already sporting some maternity clothes as most of my clothes are already getting tight. Everyone- and I do mean everyone- is predicting it's gonna be a boy!

MyRegistry.Com

While browsing through last month’s issue of ‘Pregnancy & Newborn’ magazine, I came across the coolest concept ever! It’s called “MyRegistry.com” and it allows you to create a registry, whether it be bridal, baby, or other, with items from an infinite number of retailers. So I can combine my Babies R Us Registry and my One Step Ahead registry, as well as any other retailers, all on one. You can then send out e-notifications or print out these cute little cards to put in your baby shower invites. I love it! What a great idea! I already begin transferring the few things I have put on my registries on there so it’s all on one now. I am definitely gonna have to share this with every pregnant woman I know! And bride to be for that matter!

My First Vivid (and WEIRD!) Pregnancy Dream

Is it true that women have more vivid dreams while pregnant? I mean, usually in those dreams you would be pregnant or they are dreams about the baby right? Well this one didn't involve a baby, and I don't remember if I was pregnant or not, but it was so vivid that memorable that I just had to share. Its actually kinda funny now that I think about it....so ludicrious that I wonder hows it seemed so real.

Had a dream that I am driving down Alico with entire family and we pass the road where my grandparents used to live. The house is still for sale after their deaths, keep this in mind. We do a double take because the four or five houses next to it that were vacant due to foreclosures and short sales, have HUGE rock and heavy metal radio station banners draped across the front of them and we are like, WTH? So we do a U turn and park in my grandparent's driveway and take it all in. The houses with the huge radio station banners are doing mini concerts and hosting house parties! My dad whips out his cell phone and is frantically calling around to figure out what the hell is going on. I say "you guys are never going to sell it now". Then we look across the street where Kinderworld Academy, a little daycare center that I used to work at, has been bulldozed down and a new HUGE Regal movie theater has been built in its place and the few lots next to it.
Then I woke up.

 Isn't that like the WEIRDEST dream ever?! I think what made it so memorable was that its based on a real place, my grandparent's house. So weird.

Baby K's Gift Registry Continued

There is this amazing catalog called 'One Step Ahead' that has tons of innovated products designed by moms and doctors and the things in there are awesome! Things you can't find anywhere else and things you can't live without! Here is what is on our registry on their website:

Natural Foam Mat

I have all hardwood floors so a crawling Baby K would greatly appreciate a padded playarea! This one is totally cool because it matches my floors so I can put them in the living room without fear that they will make my living room look like a daycare center! And they wipe clean with a wet cloth, making cleaning them easy.

And they are thicker than most other foam mats making them extra protective of toddling little ones.

Sock Ons

Babies are born with an uncanny ability to remove socks, exposing those piggies to the cool weather! Sock Ons.Slip these stretchy little wonders over baby's socks, and baby's socks will stay on, no matter what. Comfortable, fashionable, and foolproof; infants can't kick, tug, or pull 'em off.

Add-A-Size Garment Extenders

If Baby K is anything like Shaylee was as a baby, she outgrew the length of her onesie far faster than she outgrew the actual chest and sleeves of them. I soooo could have extended the life of the cutest one pieces had I had these!  Unlike others, this garment extender set not only works with Carter's® and Onesies®, but GAP®, Old Navy®, and many other popular brands. You get more, too: includes two each of five different snap styles. Found exclusively in One Step Ahead catalogs and website.

 MiSwivel Feeding Chair

Highchairs are so bulky, and take up so much space, not to mention kids grow out of them way too soon. This feeding chair is AWESOME! Three feeding seats in one, with a "twist"...let's make that a "swivel!" This 3-in-1 chair isn't just an outstanding, grow-with-me value, it's a design innovation that spares your back. Swivel the chair to face you, put baby in and swivel it into whatever position you need it!  It's mounted on a height-adjustable, turning base, so you can secure baby without straining, then position it perfectly. Converts from reclining infant seat...to space-saving highchair alternative...to low-back booster. With reversible, machine washable cushion. From newborn to  50 lbs,  it outlast most other feeding chairs.

 Since I live in a small duplex with a tiny dining room, this feeding chair can be placed right on my existing spare chair right at the dining room table, making Baby K included in family meal time right from the start!

Love it love it love it!

You can view these online by visiting http://www.onestepahead.com/ and searching under our last name, Laufer. :)

Baby K's Baby Registry Started

Waiting sucks. And the excitement is too great! I just had to begin our baby registry! I know its early- we don't even know if we are shopping for pink or blue yet- but looking at all there is to offer since we last had to shop at Babies R Us gives me something to do to pass the time! So far we have the following items on the registry at Babies R Us (Registry #: 45187129):

Fisher-Price I Glide 4 Way Cradle Swing n Glider

The Fisher-Price I Glide 4 Way Cradle Swing n Glider offers Moms many different motions to soothe baby. Two different directions to glide your baby to sleep, a side to side cradle swing, and a traditional motion of front to back swinging motion. The swing will easily transition between modes, and will include an AC adaptor to save money on batteries along with battery power. The swing will have six speeds, 8 songs, 2 position recline, and toy mobile to entertain baby and a head support.Plus the control are located at the bottom of the base, you just tap them on with your foot!

Moby Wrap Baby Sling in Black

The design of the Moby Wrap Baby Carrier uses your entire back, as well as your shoulders, to carry the weight of your baby. Unlike other carriers, which have narrow straps or go across one shoulder, the Moby™ Wrap is a wide piece of fabric that is wrapped over both shoulders. It is amazingly comfortable and easy to wear. There are no buckles, snaps or other fasteners. It is easy to adjust the fit of your Moby™ Wrap by varying how tightly you wrap yourself and your baby. The Moby™ Wrap comes with an easy to follow instructional guide and this web site with the latest news, tips and techniques. With the single stretch cotton and the width of the Moby™ Wrap, your baby is wrapped close and tight, ensuring a secure hold. Your baby's head can also be secured under the stretchy cotton fabric for added safety. You can finally have both hands free and know your baby is safe and secure.

Moby Wraps align Baby's center of gravity uniquely close to a parent's body to provide extra comfort and security. These wrap-style fabric child carriers don't have buckles, snaps or other fasteners. It is easy to adjust the fit of a Moby Wrap by varying the tightness of the wrap itself.

Moby Wraps are optimal baby carriers for premature infants but are long enough to adapt to growing babies up to 45 pounds. Also, Moby Wraps are high versatile, Baby can be wrapped facing in, out to the world, sideways or on a parent's back. When not being used as a carrier, the Moby can be used as blanket, pillow or anything else a parent can imagine! I have wanted one of these even when Shaylee was a baby but never got around to getting on. I look back now as to how USEFUL one of these would have been! This is my #1 must have item so far! Even Nils could wear it, its not like the Bjorn baby carrier we had that was cumbersome and had to be re-adjusted everytime one of us wanted to wear it.

DadGear Cross and Skull Messenger Diaper Bag

When we saw this on Babies R Us' website, we just had to have it! The expectant father tends to be forgotten when it comes to the baby shower but this is something that is could be for Nils. No flowery, girly diaper bag for this cool Daddy! Is is a little pricey at $79.99 but since it looks nothing like a diaper bag, it can be used well after Baby K is out of diapers.
 
This rugged bag sets the new standard for diaper bags by not looking anything like one. It is designed after the classic style messenger bag and incorporates our hands "free" approach which allows you to change, feed, and entertain your child without ever having to set the bag down. Like all of our Messenger Bags, this bag has a removable front panel which allows for easy cleaning. The inside of the bag is a light colored material this color allows you to find things easily inside the bag.


That's all we got so far. Of course when you know if its Kanon or Kaylyn in there, more will be added. Being our second baby, we have found that there are many things that show up on baby registries that are just not needed. You live and you learn I guess! :)

Baby Names- Unoffical Results

A lot could change in the next 36 weeks, but here are unofficial names we have picked out for the baby, which I will affectionately call "Baby K" for now....

Boy- (we are 100% on this one, if its a boy, this is the baby's name)

Kanon Slade Edward Laufer

Kanon was a name we were thinking of back when we were pregnant with Shaylee, although at that time the spelling was "Cannon". Its a name we both decided on and are big fans of. Slade was a name I heard, don't laugh, on the Bravo channel's reality show "Real Housewives of Orange County". It just sounds so masculine. Edward of course is for Nils' father. Shaylee's middle name is Linnea which is Nils' mother, so it was only far that Poppa Ed's name fit in there somewhere too, right, LOL! Having two middle names could raise a problem later if we want to have anything monogramed in which we would then just use the initals KSL. Edward would appear on birth certicate and other formal things, like his wedding invitations, etc.

Girl- (still brainstorming but this happens to be the favorite so far)

Kaylyn Channing Laufer

For some reason this name is just stuck. Its interesting because my mom's and my grandmother's middle names are Kay and mine is Lyn, with one N. This first name, Kaylyn, is a combination of them! Too perfect! Channing is another name I heard on TV- the actor Channing Tatum (male) and a dancer on So You Think You Can Dance (female). Either way, I loved it and originally was thinking of using it as the first name until I thought of Kaylyn.

I am still teasing Nils that if it turns out to be twins, one of each, then we can use both, LOL.

He doesn't seem to find this as funny as I do.

4 Weeks Preggers!

Can you believe something as small as a apple seed right now will grow to be full grown human? Its truly amazing! No real pregnancy symptoms- don't even have morning sickness yet, just the occassional slight queasiness. People are telling me I look pregnant- I hate to tell them its just fat, LOL! But, hey, if they think I am further along that I really am, so be it- sure sounds better than being overweight! Scheduled my first prenatal appointment and ultrasound for 4/15 and now I can't wait for that day to get here!

My real, true blue pregnancy symptom currently is definately being tired. I pass out early and struggle to wake up in the mornings. This recent time change doesn't help any either. I'm not one to take naps, but man, oh man, I could surely use one everyday around 2pm lately!!



“Implantation is complete. Your future baby has now reached beneath the lining of your uterus and growth is rapid. Your baby is now called an embryo. The embryo is still about 0.05 inches (1.25mm) long. It is deeply embedded in your uterus.

It is now possible to identify the fold of skin that will become your baby's head. A heart forming plate has developed and the central nervous system, muscles and bone are in the early stages of development. Your baby's heart has started beating. The brain, spine and beginnings of the nervous system are forming.

By the end of this month, your baby will resemble a tiny tadpole, barely the size of a grain of rice. A distinct organization, however, is becoming visible. There is a stripe down the back of the embryo which is curling over to form a groove which will seal up to form the neural tube. This will turn into the spinal cord and brain. The top of the tube is flattening out and expanding to form the front part of the brain.

The placenta, which will provide nourishment to your developing baby later in your pregnancy, is not yet formed. Right now your baby is nourished from you via hundreds of tiny "roots" that cover the amniotic sac. The nourishment is channeled from you to your baby from these roots through a stalk that will become the umbilical cord. The placenta will begin its development this week. It will form in the site that the fertilized egg attached to the lining of your uterus at the time of implantation. A bulge is developing where your baby's heart will be and the blood vessels are growing into place.”

Craving Naked....the Drink that Is

I have been taking prenatal vitamins since coming off the birth control pills to help get my body ready to conceive, but today, now that I know I am preggers, I bought a 30 supply of DHA Prenatal Supplements which supports fetal brain and eye development. I have been making a very conscious effort to give this baby the best start possible. I have been drinking orange juice every morning like it’s going out of style and trying my very best to eat well. Fortunately for Baby, my early pregnancy cravings haven’t been too unhealthy.


So far my only REAL craving is actually really good for me- it’s those Superfood smoothies by Odwalla, Naked Juice, and other similar brands. They all have about the same ingredients (apple, mango, banana, kiwi, pineapple, Spirulina, Chlorella, Broccoli, Spinach, Blue Green Algae, odorless Garlic, Barley Grass, Wheat Grass, Ginger, and Parsley) and are all this nasty pea soup green color and have no sugar added. I can’t get enough of them! Yum!

I also find myself eating more green olives than usual. My Saturday night snack was green olives and feta cheese. In a bowl. Nothing else. With a garlic dill pickle on the side. Thank goodness olives are packed with healthy fats!

(We won’t mention that last night I polished off a bag of fat free salad croutons as my dinner. Nothing else sounded that good at the time! LOL!)

I AM PREGNANT!!!!!

What a joyous day! I AM PREGNANT! I took my first pregnancy this morning and low and behold- it’s positive! Two pink lines! Since the second line was so very faint, I even took a different brand, digital pregnancy test, just to be safe, in case I was incorrectly reading the test results. No misreading here- I am pregnant!

We broke the news to Shaylee first. For the past month, we have talked to her about ‘when she becomes a big sister’ and about how the baby is going to sleep in the crib in her room that we have already set up, and how she is going to have to sleep in her own bed in the room with the baby, and how she is going to have to give up the pacifier since she is going to be a BIG sister. She happily chatters away about what she is going to do with her new baby brother or sister (she is very convinced that we are going to let her tote the baby around like one of her dolls, LOL). So, we wanted her to be a big part in all that was happening when we found out we would be expecting. On our drive to the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure event we proudly told Shaylee. We explained that Mommy was pregnant and she was going to be a big sister. Our conversation went something like this:

Me: “Guess what? Mommy is pregnant! You are gonna be a big sister!”

Nils: “Mommy is gonna have a baby!”

Shaylee, with her eyes lighting up: “You are?!”

Me: “Yup.”

Shaylee: “It’s in your tummy?”

Me: “Yup.”

Shaylee: “I can’t see it.”

Me: “That’s because it’s really, really tiny but as it grows my belly is going to get bigger until it’s time to have the baby”

Shaylee: “Right now?”

Nils and I in unison, chuckling: “No, no, no. Not yet.”

Me: “In nine months. I will make you a special calendar so we can see when its time.”

Shaylee, after brief pause: “Ok. Can we go to the playground now?”

Luteal Dip= Implantation?

Another low temperature this morning. However, upon further reading into this matter, I was relieved to read that FertilityFriend.com did a study regarding a luteal phase dip to find out once and for all if seeing a dip in the luteal phase, around the time of expected implantation, increased the probability of pregnancy. If conception occurred, implantation (when the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall) typically happens seven to ten days after ovulation, but it can happen a few days earlier or later as well (yesterday was day 6 and today is day 7 for me).


So they ran a full statistical analysis on 116,691 charts recently processed by Fertility Friend, both pregnancy charts and charts that did not result in pregnancy. To be considered as a dip, charts had to show a significant single dip that lasted a single day, occurring between 5 and 12 days past ovulation.

What they found was that 11% of charts that showed ovulation but did not result in a pregnancy displayed this pattern BUT 23% of charts that showed ovulation and did result in a pregnancy showed this pattern. Of the pregnancy charts that showed this pattern, the most likely days for the dip to occur were between 7 and 8 days past ovulation. I am day 7! This dip could be implantation! I could be pregnant! xx crosses fingers xx

If this is implantation, that would make me exactly 3 weeks pregnant already! Read on:

“The fertilized egg, which is now a ball of cells, will continue to move down your fallopian tube until it reaches your uterus. It will stay there for approximately three days before it embeds itself in your uterine lining. This is implantation. During implantation the fertilized egg can attach to the lining of your uterus and begin to receive protection, oxygen and nutrients from your bloodstream.

Your baby-to-be is still just 0.014 to 0.04 inches in size (0.36mm to 1mm). Though your future baby is still minuscule, great developments are being made. The placenta and vascular networks are forming. Germ layers that develop into specialized parts of the body, such as organs are also developing. Cells continue to divide. Some cells will become the placenta and others will form the amniotic sac where the baby will develop. Other cells will become the yolk sac which is responsible for producing blood corpuscles. In spite of the rapid cell division that is taking place, your baby is so tiny right now that he or she is barely visible. This is the week that your baby will transform from a blastocyst (a ball of cells) into an embryo.

The embryo at this time becomes differentiated into three different tissue-types: The inner layer, called the endoderm, will form the lungs, liver, digestive system and pancreas. The middle layer, called the mesoderm, will become the skeleton, muscles, kidneys, blood vessels and heart. The outer layer, called the ectoderm, will become the skin, hair, eye lenses, tooth enamel and nervous system. The cells from each type of tissue will move around to the appropriate location. The embryo is shaped like a teardrop. “

Just Say No...To Aunt Flo

Same symptoms, different day. But now I am having this heavy feeling in my abdomen…like a tightening, also like a contraction type feeling. Strangest feeling ever. I am getting concerned since my BBT dropped below my cover-line. If my temperatures continue to remain below that cover-line, it means the evil Aunt Flo is on her way, hence no baby this round. :(

All In My Mind?

The slight and occasional queasiness still happening. It’s so very mild that if I wasn’t, like, super attentive to what is going on with my body right now, I would have disregarded. Nils teases me and says it’s all in my mind-…psycho something…that when you want something bad enough, your body starts acting in response to it. Maybe he is right…or maybe, just maybe, I am prego!

I Feel Like A Camel

Hmm…I wonder if increase thirst is an early pregnancy sign? All I know is I have been drinking like a freaking camel for the last couple of days! Had it been summer time (or if Florida was having normal weather instead of these freezing couple of weeks) I would have assumed that it had to do with the heat. Or even if I was eating a lot of salty food which also is ruled out since I have had a decrease in appetite (quite unlike me!). Also, I had some very, very mild queasiness this evening. I do tend to feel this way when I haven’t eaten but for some reason this feels different because it remains even after I have had a snack. I wonder if it’s the beginning of morning sickness?

Boo Hoo...Freaking Hormones

Not much to report today other than I was a weepy, sobbing, emotional wreck this morning. First I cried about my bank account and then I cried again when I went to speak with my HR manager at work regarding what I can only describe as my ‘displeasure and misunderstanding regarding my annual review’. All I can say, is I better be pregnant to justify being a blubbering hormonal mess like this!

The Big O...No Not that One!

Yup. I definitely ovulated, hurray! Besides getting the significant temperature rise, I also got ovulation pain on my right side. It felt kind of like a mild menstrual cramping but only occurred on the one side, whereas with me, I feel menstrual cramps on both sides and in the center. Also known as mittelschmertz , which means "middle pain" it refers to a slight pain that you may feel near your abdomen or ovary at the time of ovulation. It does not necessarily occur at the exact time of ovulation and not everyone feels ovulation. As such, ovulation pain is useful to cross-check other signs, but cannot be used to definitively confirm or pinpoint ovulation. Fortunately for me, I had those two positive OPK tests to back it up! It’s amazing how in tune I am to what is going on ‘down there’ when I began to BBT chart and actual pay close attention!


If I turn out to be pregnant by a positive pregnancy test later on, that would make me 2 weeks pregnant already! Read on:

“Your egg was fertilized by a sperm that traveled along one of your Fallopian tubes towards your uterus. At the time of ejaculation, millions of your partner's sperm travel through your vagina into the fallopian tube. Only a few hundred sperm actually reach the egg and only one of them is allowed to enter the egg's protective coating. This is fertilization.

At the time of fertilization, chemical changes take place to prevent any other sperm from penetrating the egg. When this happens, the body of the sperm dissolves and its nucleus, which contains all its genetic material, fuses with that of your egg and rapid cell division begins. By now it is a cluster of cells, barely the size of a pinhead but multiplying rapidly.

Your baby's genetic blueprint and sex are already determined. Though you may be unaware that you are pregnant, this early stage of pregnancy is very important for your developing baby. At this point, the embryo is just 0.006 inches (0.150mm) long. Cell division is rapid and cells are formed into a ball-like configuration. The fertilized egg is traveling down your fallopian tube towards your uterus where it will implant.”

Positive OPK!

My first positive OPK test! Ovulation Prediction Kits (OPKs) are useful to help you find your fertile time. They work by measuring the presence of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) in the urine. A surge of LH is sent to the ovary causing the ovary to produce enzymes which in turn cause the dominant follicle to rupture and release an egg into the fallopian tube, called ovulation. Ovulation is expected to occur within 24 hours of the surge of LH. An OPK is therefore expected to be positive the day before you ovulate although there are also cases where it could take about 48 hours. That means that I could ovulate tomorrow! This may seem like a silly thing to get excited about but I have heard stories where women coming off of birth control have crazy, out of whack cycles and some do not ovulate at all for a couple cycles. Everyone who knows me knows that I am just too impatient to wait any longer! LOL!

Dip-piddy Do Da!

DIP-piddy do da! A temperature dip and another positive OPK test! Many women who do fertility charting do see a dip the day of ovulation, but many do not. A temperature dip cannot confirm ovulation. More important than observing a dip, is seeing a temperature rise after ovulation. A woman’s temperature rises in response to the presence of the heat-inducing hormone progesterone, which is only released after ovulation. I am just one of those lucky enough to have advanced warning of ovulation in the form of a temperature dip (especially since I have already had a positive OPK test result yesterday) so I can take advantage of the situation, wink wink!