12 Week Update

Interesting Fact!

The end of the first trimester marks an important step for your baby-to-be. All of her major body systems are in place. In her digestive system, her small intestine is no longer entwined with the umbilical cord, but instead is tucked neatly within the abdomen. Her nervous system continues to develop, and her brain's structure is fully formed. Many of her organs are starting to work on their own, too. For instance, her thyroid begins to secrete hormones. Next week she'll no longer be considered an embryo, but instead graduates into a fetus. She's already looking more and more like the baby you're probably imagining—she even has tiny fingernails.

How Big Is Baby?

At 12 weeks, your baby weighs in around 1.5 ounces and measures about three inches in length (from crown to rump).

How We Feel

A lot has changed in the last week, the ultrasound just made the baby that much more real to us and, we are at the end of the first trimester, which is a relief. It's time for us to really start preparing for baby, with so much to do and time flying as fast as it does I don't want to find myself rushing right at the end. Our What to Expect in the First Year book has a great list of essentials we need to be ready to bring baby home so slowly but surely we will start checking off the list.

Stacy and I have been talking about painting the nursery and we have some really good ideas for a cute nursery that will grow in to a great toddler bedroom as well. We are excited to get started on that project, though we'll probably wait until the new year.

One major thing has happened this week and that is that Stacy has come to stay with us for a while which is kind of neat because we've had a chance to have some great conversations about our expectations of each other once the baby is born, and it's just been nice to get to know each other better. I'm not sure at this point how long she will be staying with us, but she's more than welcome for as long as she'd like to stay.

That's it for this week.

♥

Our First Baby Picture!

Presenting Little Sweet Pea

I like to think she was waving at us. For a while there she was really active, bumping around and waving her arms, but then she chilled out for a while and just let us gaze at her.

The ultrasound technician asked us if we'd heard the babies heartbeat yet and when we said no she turned on the speakers and the babies heartbeat was so amazing. I held it together fairly well until I heard the little thump thump of her heart and that's when my eyes started leaking a bit. Her little heart was beating at 165 beats per minute, which is another indication that we're having a girl.

The technician was great she printed out pictures for both sets of parents and we were on our way. Unfortunately due to some misunderstandings Mathew didn't make it to the ultrasound, and that was upsetting to everyone because I know he wanted to be there, but we have another scan in 6 weeks and we will hopefully all be there for that one...maybe even Dustin!

♥

Week 11 Update

Interesting Fact!

Your baby-to-be's body still may look a little strange. At this point in development the head makes up nearly half of his body size. Don't worry, in the next few weeks the rest of his body will catch up. Right now, part of your baby's small intestine coils around the umbilical cord outside his body—this will change soon, too.

How Big Is Baby?

Your baby weighs in at about three-tenths of an ounce this week, and his length is just under two and one-half inches (crown to rump).

How We Feel:

We are very excited that we are going to the first ultrasound appointment this weekend. I'm really hoping that Dustin will make it back into town in time to see the baby. If not, I guess pictures will have to do. We've all been making jokes that Stacy is having a whole litter because she's already popped and has a baby belly...I guess we'll find out if it's true.

I picked the baby up her first book the other day - Love you Forever by Robert Munsch. Dustin and I love to read and hopefully we can pass that love along to the baby. I've been looking in to a bunch of adoption books for kids that I would like to order off of amazon or chapters. I think it will be a great way to introduce the idea of adoption to the baby from a young age.

♥

Week 10 Update

Interesting Facts:

Week 10 marks a milestone for your baby-to-be. This first part of fetal development is all about organization. All your baby-to-be's cells have been directed to their places—brain tissue is growing rapidly, muscles are forming, fingers and toes are becoming defined. Your baby-to-be looks less like an embryo (or an alien) and more like the baby in miniature that he is. He's getting bigger, too.

How Big Is Baby?

This week your little one is about one and one-quarter inches long and weighs in at .18 ounce.

How We Feel

10 weeks - We can officially tell the world our wonderful news. I am so excited and happy that everyone finally gets to share in our joy. I sent out an email to share the news with close friends and some family. I don't want to make any assumptions for Stacy and Mat - I don't know how hard it's going to be for them when we tell everyone. Unlike many open adoptions, Mat and Stacy are family so our announcement impacts them in a very real, personal way. I can only assume that they are okay with us being so excited to tell everyone, it was Stacy after all, who told me I could tell after 10 weeks and not wait for the first trimester to end.

Stacy has an ultrasound on October 25th, and has her appointment with the Obstetrician on November 6th and I can't wait to go with her. Clearly she didn't read my last post before inviting me along. I'm going to cry like a little girl with a skinned knee for sure.

Some things I'm Grateful For

It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada and it's gotten me to thinking about how grateful I am about so many things.

I am grateful for Mat and Stacy, of course for their decision to have us adopt their baby but I'm grateful to them for so many other reasons.

To Stacy I'm grateful to you

♥ for being so brave
♥ for being with Mat
♥ for letting me feel so comfortable around you
♥ for loving the little sweet pea enough to be healthy while you're pregnant
♥ for being excited about being a tummy mummy
♥ for being so selfless

To Mat I'm grateful to you

♥ for being so brave
♥ for maturing
♥ for your honesty
♥ for putting up with Stacy while she grows little sweet pea
♥ for being so selfless

To my wonderful husband I'm grateful to you

♥ for staying up late and listening to my fears
♥ for staying up even later and listening to me ramble about the nursery or baby names or whatever is on my mind in the moment
♥ for being my best friend
♥ for being in this adventure beside me
♥ for just being you

And to you all, I'm grateful for us all going on this amazing journey together. Sweet Pea will have much love in her life, and really in the immortal words of the Beatles...all we need is love...

....WOOOHOOO

I was talking to Stacy this afternoon and she said that the Doctor said it was fine to start telling people when we hit ten weeks............

psst - it's 10 weeks on Tuesday!!...That's in five sleeps....5 sleeps!!!

-insert visual of Jordanna moonwalking here-

I've decided to send out an email, or put something up on facebook to make the announcement and I wrote a little poem to send to everyone. Of course being the big dork that I am, I had to scrapbook it:

Feeling Peaceful

Stacy and I went out for dinner last night and had a great talk; it was actually the first time her and I have sat down together by ourselves and discussed the adoption and how we both feel. I'm so happy we did because I think we both feel better about everything. It's still a hard journey to take for everyone but I think we will come through it with an amazing friendship that will last for years to come. I think the baby will be blessed to be so wanted and have so many people who love it unconditionally.

We have only 20 days left until we can announce to the world that we're having a baby, and I can't wait. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm terrible with surprises and I am bursting at the seams to tell everyone. Other than immediate family and a couple close friends no one knows and I know they will be so happy for us. I have even been trying to convince myself that 10 weeks along is far enough, but no, I need to wait...sigh

Stacy has another doctor's appointment in two weeks and I think she'll get to hear the babies heart beat...I'm hoping she'll invite me along (wink wink, nudge nudge!) because I would love to hear it and think I will turn in to a crying fool in seconds do just fine and not embarrass Stacy in the least!

Week 9 Update

Interesting Facts:

Your baby is busy growing. Her face looks more baby-like each day—her eyes are developed but concealed, and her nose, lips, and ears are becoming more defined. She's also starting to exercise her expanding muscles. Her fingers and toes are looking less like stubs. Although she's a wiggler—and you could see that on an ultrasound—she's still so small that you won't feel these movements. Her reproductive organs are developing, but even if you sneaked a peek you wouldn't be able to tell that she's a she (and neither could your doctor at this point).

How Big Is Baby?

Your growing baby is about as big as a quarter this week.

How We Feel:

I can't believe another week has gone by. I am starting to realize how much I'm already falling in love with the baby. I have hopes and dreams for her and when I think about the future, the baby has become a big part of that. I feel like when Stacy and Mat called and said they were pregnant and they wanted us to adopt the baby, it was like finding out I myself was pregnant and so as we go along this journey I can't help but feel the way I do.

Stacy has been having a hard time dealing with everything and she doesn't know what she wants to do anymore. Though in my mind I knew this was a likely possibility, I guess my heart hoped she would still be as sure as she was the day she called and told me about the pregnancy. I understand her conflict, I already love the baby myself and it isn't even growing inside me.

I'm not sure how to proceed from here. All I want for this baby is for it to be loved and cared for and if it's by Dustin and I then that's amazing for us, and if Stacy decides to keep the baby that's great for her but leaves us devastated. How do I look at an ultrasound of the baby and not fall in love with it, how do I spend each day dreaming about our lives together when I now there is a probability that Stacy will keep the baby? I don't know how to go forward without getting so emotionally involved with a baby that might not end up my child.