Karen, Erik and Jack

Hi everyone! So sorry for sending this late. Pregnancy brain is a killer!

This week, the baby is about 4.5 – 5 inches long and the size of an avocado. By the end of the week, the baby will be about the size of a turnip (seriously, that’s what Babycenter says. I don’t even remember the last time I saw a turnip. But the baby will be a little over 5 inches long from crown to butt.) More development is happening this week – the Kraken’s legs are now longer than its arms, its head is more erect, and toenails are growing. The scalp pattern is developing, but there’s no hair yet. As of this week, Kraken’s heart is pumping 25 quarts of blood each day – and this amount will continue to grow as the Kraken does. Bones continue to form out of the soft cartilage, and the baby can definitely start to hear. So, any music suggestions for the car are welcomed – I like to play music that the Kraken would like, or at least should get to know.

As for me, we had an “exciting” weekend. All last week, I was still throwing up all of the time. On Saturday afternoon, I begun to get a migraine. By Sunday morning, the pain was excruciating. More alarming, I started to throw up every 20 minutes or so – even on an empty stomach – and could not keep anything down. My ob’s office advised that we go to the ER, where they gave me IV fluids and some strong medicine for the pain and vomiting. Luckily, Kraken was totally fine during all of this (checked the heartbeat at the ER and the ob’s office on the following day – a healthy low 150’s)!! Unfortunately, the headache came back and did not subside until late Monday evening. The good news is that since then, I have felt great – no headache, no vomiting, very little nausea, and my appetite is back. Hopefully this is a sign of good health that is here to stay during the second trimester!

Our ob has scheduled our “big” ultrasound for May 6th – just over three weeks from now. Everyone asks what I think it is, what I “feel” like it is, and I honestly have no idea. I have periods where I am sure it’s a boy, then become convinced it’s a girl, then flip-flop right back. We just hope for a healthy baby, and so far we have been very blessed with one!

Thanks for all of your support, and your emails – we love you and hope you have a great week!
Love,
Karen, Erik and Kraken

Hi everyone! Another week, another update. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that we are already 15 weeks along!

This week, the baby is about 4 inches long (the size of an apple) and will be the height of an avocado by the end of the week. Kraken is moving amniotic fluid through his/her lungs which helps the air sacs in the lungs develop. The legs have grown longer than the arms now, and Kraken can move all of his/her joints. Taste buds are developing – even though the baby is only tasting amniotic fluid now, the fluid’s taste is affected by whatever I eat. So today, the baby tasted a granola bar, juice, soup, tortilla chips, chicken, broccoli and rice. Kraken can also sense light now, according to everything I have read – it says that if I shine a flashlight on my belly, the baby will move from the light (even though its eyelids are still fused shut). We have not tried this yet but I have a feeling we will soon. Soon, the tiny bones in Kraken’s ears will develop and the baby will be able to hear what’s going on outside the womb. I’m making careful selections in the music I play for songs that I think Kraken would enjoy.

As for me, I’m still getting morning sickness. Seriously, I’m ready for that to stop ANY day now… I’m also 100% definitely showing, and Erik has said that I constantly have my hands on my belly now. I caught a cold over the weekend but thankfully it is nearly gone now. This weekend, Erik did some work on the nursery (after slaving away in our yard and replacing all of our bushes) but was also side-lined with the same cold.

Next week, we have another doctor’s appointment but it’s just a blood test and check-up. The BIG ultrasound is in about 3 weeks.

Have a great week everyone!

Hi everyone! We hope you’re doing well. Here’s the latest on Baby Garrett/The Kraken.

This week, the Kraken is the size of a lemon and will be the size of a large naval orange or apple by the end of the week. S/he can now squint, frown, grimace, pee and suck their thumb (hopefully not all at once). S/he can also grasp things now (like the umbilical cord) and is growing like crazy – currently about 3.5 inches from top of the head to butt. By the end of this week, the arms will have grown into a size proportionate to the rest of his/her body, and soon the legs will catch up too. Kraken is developing a fine coating of hair called lanugo all over – it’s to help keep her/him warm until body fat develops. The liver has started to make bile and the spleen has started to produce red blood cells. Kraken is probably kicking and punching me (with hands and feet that are about 1/2 inch big) but I can’t feel it yet, and probably won’t for another month.

As for me, all the books and advice and etc. tell me that I should be feeling much better by now! Which was true on Saturday morning – felt great and did tons of errands. But  spent all morning today throwing up (including in a church parking lot, my bad) so all of those books and that advice can go shove it. I’ve had people tell me that I have a “glow” but I think it’s just the excess oil my skin is producing – I haven’t had face breakouts like this since… ever! The good news is, I discovered that Frosties from Wendy’s can pretty much cure any sick stomach. Unfortunately, they don’t open until 10 am.

Have a good week everyone!

Love,
Karen, Erik & Kraken

Hi everyone! We hope you are doing well.

This week, Kraken will be growing into the size of a large lemon.  Fingerprints have formed on the fingers, and the growth of the body is starting to catch up with the size of the head (previously, the head was 50% of the body size, now it is about 33%. It will end up around 25%). If the Kraken is a girl, then eggs have developed in her ovaries. If the Kraken is a boy, then the testicles have begun to descend from the abdomen. Also developing – the vocal chords! The baby can use these vocal chords – we just can’t hear them until the baby is born because the uterus is sound-proof.

As for me, I’m happy that I am entering the second trimester this week. There’s still definitely some morning sickness – this week’s “where’s the weirdest place you threw up?” award goes to the shoulder of I-77 somewhere in West Virginia as we drove home from a weekend in Ohio. But I am having moments of energy again, thankfully. I have also made the transition to maternity clothes (for the most part). The “pregnancy brain” is getting worse so I try to take advantage of the “moments of clarity”.

We also got the first round of results from the Nuchal Translucency test, and they are happily normal. In 3 weeks, I go back to the doctor for another blood test and we’ll have the full results. In 5 weeks, we get the “big” ultrasound where we learn the sex of the Kraken!

Have a great week, everyone!

Hi everyone! Hope you are well. It’s time for the weekly update…

This week, the Kraken (oy) has developed reflexes. Which means that when I poke my belly, the baby is squirming in response. I can’t feel the baby yet, but yesterday’s ultrasound showed that s/he is kicking and punching like crazy whenever I poke my belly. The baby is now about two inches long (size of a lime) and will be three inches long by the end of the week (about the size of a peach). The Kraken’s nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, the eyes and ears have moved to the correct places on the head, the intestines (which grew so fast they moved into the umbilical cord) are now moving into the abdomen, and the kidneys are functioning.

Yesterday, Erik and I had a doctor’s visit for the nuchal translucency screening (results of which we’ll get next week, but everything looked promising so far) and a general wellness visit. The NT screening including an ultrasound (which we got pictures of and I’ll scan this week to send everyone). The ultrasound tech said that it’s SOMETIMES possible to get a hint on the sex of the baby this early… if we could have only coaxed the baby to roll over. We kept prodding the baby by poking my stomach, but the baby only kicked and punched in response, refusing to turn over. This is DEFINITELY our child. Our next appointment is in 4 weeks, and in 6 weeks we’ll get the ultrasound with the anatomy screen and gender determination!

As for me, everyone said that I should start feeling much around this time! Tell that to the Starbucks parking lot I threw up in yesterday. I have headaches, crankiness, heartburn, nausea, fatigue AND insomnia and more fun symptoms. I also developed a few new food/scent aversions – Erik can’t eat chicken wings anymore around me, unfortunately. In good news, we found a homemade fudge shop nearby and I heartily endorse their fine product.

See you next week!

Hi everyone! We hope you’re doing well. Here’s the weekly update on what’s happening with Baby Garrett.

First, here’s what Erik REALLY, REALLY wanted me to put in the update. Even though he came up with the nickname “Cletus the Fetus”, he has decided that he doesn’t like the name anymore. The other evening, after seeing a preview for the new “Clash of the Titans” movie, he decided that he wants to call his developing offspring “The Kraken“. Mostly because he really likes the idea of saying “UNLEASH THE KRAKEN!!!” during labor. Please note that if he actually starts yelling this while I am in labor, he may be sleeping on one of your couches. Also, our child will hopefully not require a virgin sacrifice because you can’t put those on a baby shower registry.

This week, “Kraken” is about 1.5 inches long – the size of a fig – and will be 2 inches – the size of a lime – by the end of the week. Her/his hands are able to form into fists, and s/he is moving, jumping, and kicking up a storm (which I should be able to feel sometime around 18 weeks, give or take a couple of weeks.) Now that the diaphragm is formed, s/he is hiccuping and swallowing amniotic fluid. Bones are forming and hardening, and tooth buds are still developing under the gum line.

As for me, I can start to feel the top of my uterus as the baby grows up and out of my pelvis. I’m in that period where my clothes are too small and maternity clothes are too big. Nausea, vomiting, dizziness and fatigue are still affecting me big time, and I had a two day migraine that knocked me off of my feet completely over the weekend. We are REALLY looking forward to these symptoms getting better in the second trimester (hopefully), which is only about two weeks away.

In addition, our next doctor’s appointment is in less than one week. I’ll give the update in next week’s email. After that, we will have hit the magical “12 week mark” where the likelihood of miscarriage goes down significantly, and we can start telling the whole world about the pregnancy. That means if you have been keeping it a secret (thank you!), you can tell everyone after that point. If you have not (DAD), carry on.

Hi everyone! We hope you are all doing very well.

This week, Baby Garrett/Cletus is 10 weeks old, and the pregnancy is
1/4 of the way through! Cletus has completed the most critical portion
of development and is in the fetal period, when the tissues and organs
already developed begin to grow and mature rapidly. S/he is the size
of a prune (a little over an inch long from crown to butt) and will be
the size of a fig (an inch and a half) by the end of the week. Cletus
is now kicking up a storm thanks to working joints, and nerves are
beginning to stretch out from the spinal cord. S/he is growing
fingernails now, and peach-fuzz hair all over. It will be a while
before I can feel any kicking or movement, but Cletus is definitely
moving around.

As for me, I’m still enjoying the nausea, vomiting, dizziness and
fatigue of the first trimester. I’ve started to become even more
forgetful than I already was (no comments from the peanut gallery,
please). The good news is that the bloating is getting better, so the
bump I have now isn’t gas – it’s baby. Last weekend I bought my first
piece of maternity clothing – a tank top, and it was amazingly
comfortable. I’ve started scouting out good deals on maternity
clothing, because it won’t be long before my pants don’t fit at all
anymore.

In less than two weeks, we get another ultrasound! We can’t wait to
see how much Cletus has grown.

Hope you all have a great week!

Hi everyone! Here’s the week 9 update.

This past week, I was privileged enough to be at the hospital when my
very dear friend Kat delivered her son, Jackson. She had a scheduled
C-section and delivered a very healthy 6lb 9oz boy. It was great to
see how the hospital took care of her, the process, and what she and
Jackson went through after the delivery. It’s amazing to think that
Erik and I will be welcoming our baby home ourselves in 31 weeks or
so.

This week, Ro-ro the Embryo will officially become Cletus the Fetus.
S/he is the size of a grape (about one inch long) and will be the size
of a prune (1.4 inches) by the end of the week. Ro-ro is looking much
more human and less like a gummy bear – s/he has hands that flex at
the wrist, elbows, and visible fingers and toes. All essential body
parts are accounted for, but thy will finish developing and
fine-tuning over the next few months. Eyes are fully formed, with
eyelids fused over them that will open around 27 weeks. The placenta
is almost fully formed, so soon that can take over hormone
production/regulation. This will (supposedly) help ease my nausea and
fatigue. In addition, tiny teeth are beginning to form under Ro-ro’s
gum line, but of course the teeth won’t be visible until well after
birth. Genitals are beginning to form, but it will be several weeks
before they will be visible enough on an ultrasound to determine the
sex.

As for me, I’ve had a few days of relief mixed in with feeling sick. I
had a few days last week where not only was I not nauseous, but my
appetite was back in spades. My nausea is now not pinned to any
particular time of day – I can get it any time, but almost always have
it in the morning (along with dizziness and a light-headed feeling).
One thing I have consistently been craving is milk – I drink a ton of
it everyday, either by itself, mixed with cereal, or mixed with some
Carnation Instant Breakfast (which soothes my stomach and helps ensure
that I m getting enough vitamins and minerals in me, in case I can
only have saltines for the rest of the day). Since bone formation has
already begun in Ro-ro, I’m glad that I am craving something which can
help! I am now unable to button any of my pants except for one pair of
jeans, which I can only wear to work on Fridays. I’m starting to show,
even though many women and sources said that it’s too early for me to
show if this is my first baby. However, I realized that when I had
surgery this past summer to remove an ovarian cyst, they had to fill
my abdomen up with gas and it stretched my stomach out to the point
where I easily looked 5-6 months pregnant. This previous stretching
could be why I am showing early.

Next week – we will officially begin discussing the adventures of
Cletus the Fetus! have a great week, everyone.

Hi everyone! We have now reached 8 weeks, and Ro-ro is doing great.
yesterday was our first prenatal appointment and ultrasound – we got
to see one very healthy baby with a heart rate of 180 BPM. The doctor
was very pleased. We’ll send pictures from this ultrasound soon – you
can see Ro-ro, a yolk sac, little nubs for the arms and legs. The due
date is still at September 28th! Our next doctor visit is on March
15th – they’ll check my blood and urine levels, my weight, and do a
nuchal screening test – it’s a combined ultrasound and blood test to
help determine our probability for Down Syndrome. After that, the next
ultrasound won’t be until we it 18-20 weeks – but that ultrasound will
tell us if we’re having a boy or a girl!

This week, Ro-ro is the size of a raspberry and will be the size of a
grape by the end of this week. Fingers and toes are developing, as
well as eyelids and breathing tubes from the throat to the developing
branches of lungs. Ro-ro is also building nerve cells and neural
pathways, and is moving around (although it’s too early for me to feel
that yet).

As for me, I’m still in first-trimester symptom fun. Many of the foods
that were my favorite before pregnancy have not been too kind to me
now. For several weeks, I had to eat like I was in college – rice,
ramen noodles, cereal and the occasional peanut butter & jelly
sandwich were all I could tolerate (especially at night). I’m thankful
that I could eat a bit of NY-style pizza last night and had no issues.
My clothes are having trouble fitting, but it’s too early for me to
graduate to maternity clothes, so I’m making do with what I can.
Erik and I found some great ideas for the nursery, and I think he’s
pretty excited about working on it!

Hi everyone,

I thought it might be nice to send a weekly email to everyone to keep
you up to date in what’s happening with Baby Garrett’s progress. Some
weeks may be more eventful than others, but we’re so excited to share
the pregnancy with our families!

Today, we are 7 weeks down, 33 to go. My estimated due date is
September 28th, but this may change a bit next week after the first
ultrasound. Baby Garrett, who Erik and I have nicknamed “Ro-ro the
Embryo”, is the size of a blueberry now and will be the size of a
raspberry by the end of the week. According to all of the baby
literature I can get my hands on, Ro-ro is developing all major organs
now – the heart is beating, the brain hemispheres are developing, the
liver is producing red blood cells, and the pancreas is producing
insulin. Hands and feet are developing, and Ro-ro sort of looks like a
gummy bear now.

Next Monday, we have the first ultrasound, which will confirm how old
Ro-ro is (and possibly change the due date), check for the heartbeat,
and generally make sure Ro-ro is doing ok. It will be a couple of
months before we can find out the sex of the baby, but we do plan on
finding that out prior to delivery. This Saturday, we are going to go
check out some furniture options for the nursery. For those that have
been to our house, we are turning our green guest bedroom into the
nursery.

As for me, pregnancy symptoms have been hitting me a bit harder this
week. Exhaustion, nausea, vomiting are all getting stronger. I also
seem to have developed a cold, and there’s really nothing I can take
for it. Thankfully, Erik has been taking wonderful care of me, and we
know that all of this is for a VERY good cause!

That’s all for this week – we hope you’re all doing well!

Love, Karen + Erik + Ro-ro