Showering Ashlynn Pippa

On November 12, I was blessed with another wonderful shower! Many of my friends - Anissa, Ashley, Claire, Crystal, Jessica, Kim and Sheri - put together an absolutely adorable pink and green shower.

34 Weeks!

Baby's now the size of a honeydew!
Things are heating up inside as well: Baby may grow up to a full inch this week alone, and his brain is developing like crazy. Pretty soon, he'll be able to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing. Also, his bones are hardening, and he's started to keep his eyes open when he's awake. At less than two months to go, he weighs in at about 4.2 pounds to 5.8 pounds and measures about 17.2 to 18.7 inches.

Mommy at 34 Weeks:

November 25, 2011 marked 34 weeks.

32 Weeks!

Baby's still the size of a squash!

Ready or not, baby's getting ready to emerge. She's probably in the head-down position by now, with her bottom facing up. This is the comfiest way for her body to fit in your increasingly cramped womb and will make her eventual exit (only a few months away now!) much easier. (If she's still head-up, don't panic -- there's still time for a flip before birth.)

At 32 weeks, our baby was still in the transverse position (sideways). The doctor assured us that there is still time for her to move the right way.

Mommy at 32 weeks:


November 11, 2011 marked 32 weeks.

31 Weeks!

Baby is still the size of a squash!

Baby's going through major brain and nerve development these days. Her irises now react to light, and all five senses are in working order. (She won't pick up anything from her nose until after birth, though -- smell is transferred through air, not amniotic fluid.)

Mommy at 31 weeks:

November 4, 2011 marked 31 weeks.

30 Weeks!

Your baby's the size of a squash!

Baby already measures about 15.2 to 16.7 inches long. Right now, she weighs about 2.5 to 3.8 pounds but she's still got a ways to go -- can you believe she'll triple in weight before birth? Baby's energy is surging, thanks to white fat depositing beneath his skin. And since she's growing so fast (weight will triple by birth), things are getting kind of cramped in the womb. What all this means for you: Get ready for some more kicks and jabs to the ribs. Her skin is getting smoother.
But his brain is getting wrinklier -- to make way for all that essential brain tissue. She's now strong enough to grasp a finger!

The Halloween celebration at my work marked 30 weeks. My co-worker, Cari, came up with this adorable costume idea. In all honesty, we weren't quite sure how it was going to turn out until that morning when we assembled, but it was definitely a success. We didn't take into account the fact that it was going to be hot and not-breathable, so I got a bit foggy after a few hours! :) Sadly, I did not win the costume contest, but all of the kids definitely loved it. Halloween sure made for a more festive photo than the other weeks!

Mommy at 30 weeks:

October 28, 2011 marked 30 weeks.

Ultrasound!

Michael and I went in for what was most likely our last ultrasound on October 12. During this ultrasound, we were delighted to find out that my placenta previa had corrected itself. If it had not corrected itself, we would have to had to schedule a c-section at that time. I really did not want to do that. I will be perfectly fine if that is how our baby decides to enter the world, but was hoping that decision wouldn't be made 12 weeks early. As much as it will surprise everyone who knows how much of a planner I am, I really didn't want to schedule the c-section so I don't know her birthday. I really hope that we will have a surprise and will get to go to the hospital unexpectedly.

28 Weeks!

Baby's still the size of an eggplant!

Baby's lungs are mature enough that, if born right now, she has a pretty good chance of surviving (with help from medical technology). Her skin is still pretty wrinkly (one byproduct of living in amniotic fluid) but will smoothen as fat continues to deposit.

Mommy at 28 weeks:

October 14, 2011 marked 28 weeks.

A Garden Party Baby Shower!

On October 8, Amanda G, Kate, Amanda E, Carol B and Leah hosted a wonderful baby shower for me. It was at Amanda G's house and it could not have been a more perfect day! Most of the shower was on Amanda's newly renovated deck and it was so nice! It was such a wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon with people I love. They had everyone create a scrapbook page that I can add photos of Ashlynn to later (or photos of me with each guest at the shower). That was a really fun activity and now I have a perfect memento. The garden party theme was carried out in all of the decor, my favorite part was all of the fresh flowers!

Thank you so much to Amanda, Kate, Amanda, Carol and Leah for a fabulous shower. Love to you all!

27 Weeks!

It's official: Baby's showing brain activity! And her brain will keep on getting more complex.

Baby's lungs are going through some major developments these days, which (combined with the opening of previously plugged nostrils) means he's now able to practice inhaling and exhaling. The lack of air in your womb means every "breath" is filled with amniotic fluid, but hey -- it's progress.

Mommy at 27 Weeks:
October 7, 2011 marked 27 weeks!

Has the Nesting Begun?

I'm not sure who is more ready for the nesting to begin, me or Michael. I know it won't really kick in until much later, but I definitely want to get the nursery all set up. We bought the crib before I went to California, but it just sat in the garage for several weeks. Tim and Terri came over to help us put it together (and most importantly carry it upstairs). After very little challenges we had a crib put together!

That weekend I may or may not have started wrapping some Christmas presents too...

26 Weeks

Baby is still the size of an eggplant, but she is doing lots of great things!

Her eyes are forming, and his eyes will soon start to open. And her eyelashes are now grown, too.

She's getting her immune system ready for life on the outside by soaking up your antibodies. She's taking breaths, too. They're of amniotic fluid, not air, but it's still good practice.

Mommy at 26 weeks:

September 30, 2011 marked 26 weeks.

Growing and growing...

Apparently my belly must be getting bigger than I thought. I have had quite a few people comment on it lately. I thought it would be fun to capture some of these to remember later. A lady weighing us at work for BMI (fun times when you're 25 weeks pregnant...at least mine didn't count toward insurance!) said "That is going to be one big baby if you're not due until January!" A co-worker after finding out I am due in January and not November..."Are you sure you're not having twins?!?" I reassured her we are just having one baby and I only look big because I'm short...not sure she believed me! :)

Thankfully I had been to the doctor that week and knew my belly was right on track, so it was easy to laugh at these remarks! I actually love my growing belly and think it is exciting to watch it grow!

25 Weeks!

Your baby's the size of an eggplant!

During month six, the average fetus measures about 13.6 inches to 14.8 inches and weighs about 1.5 to 2.5 pounds.

That oh-so-handy sense of equilibrium is kicking in, and baby's learning to distinguish right side up from upside down.

Mommy at 25 weeks:

September 23, 2011 marked 25 Weeks

24 Weeks!

Baby is still the size of a papaya!

Baby's skin is becoming more opaque as the fat starts to pack on. And, thanks to the formation of small capillaries, her newly thick skin is taking on a fresh pink glow.

Mommy at 24 weeks:

September 16, 2011 marked 24 weeks.

My first baby shower!!

I had my first baby shower on September 14, 2011. It was so wonderful! The shower was pink and zebra themed...perfect for me! The shower was held at mom & Lee's church in Rio Linda, lots of family and family friends were able to come. It was truly a great night. We had a yummy dinner and lots of shower games. Baby Ashlynn was blessed with a ton of great presents. One of the really neat things about the shower was that it was small enough I was able to visit and take pictures with everyone individually. Thank you to everyone who put together my wonderful shower!

Mommy and Baby Take a Trip to CA!

On September 8, I headed out to California. The original reason I planned my trip was to go to Tiffany and David's wedding. The trip turned out to include so much more! I stayed with John, Sharen, Brandon and Emily. Emily was sweet enough to give up her room for eight days. Hopefully she didn't mind too much! In addition to the wedding, I also had my first baby shower!! More to come on that in another post. Even with a trip this long, I didn't get to see everyone I would have liked to spend time with, hopefully next time!

Here are a few photos of the trip:

Emily and me working at the table.

The bride and groom during their first dance.
Lee, Emily, Brandon & Mom

Emily, Brandon & Amy. Hard to believe they are old enough to be a bridesmaid and an usher...I still think of them as our flower girl and ring bearer! :)

The super cute candy buffet at the wedding!

Love the monogram on the cake!

Sharen (sister-in-law) and Karen (mother of the bride & Sharen's twin sister)

Sharen and John

Amy and Lee

Amy & Mom

The wedding was on mom's birthday, so they arranged for the DJ to play happy birthday to her. It was great!

23 Weeks

Baby's is still the size of a papaya!

She's forming little nipples (yeah, really!)

Her face is fully formed now -- she just needs a little extra fat to fill it out.

She's listening to your voice and your heartbeat -- and even to loud sounds like cars honking and dogs barking.

Mommy at 23 weeks:



September 9, 2011 marked 23 weeks!

Quite the Kicker!

It was very important to me that Michael was the first person to feel Ashlynn kick (other than me, obviously). As the countdown to my trip to California was getting short, I was getting concerned that Michael wouldn't feel her first. Apparently our little one wanted daddy to feel her first, too. The evening of Labor Day, Monday, September 5, she started kicking very strongly and Michael got to feel her. It was really a very special moment that we will always remember.

22 Weeks!

Baby's now the size of a papaya!

Baby's settling into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop. During month five, the average fetus measures about 10.5 to 11.8 inches and weighs about 12.7 to 20.8 ounces.



September 2 marked 22 weeks!

21 Weeks!

Baby's now the size of a banana!

Baby's digestive systemis busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion, and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, if baby is a girl, her womb is now stocked up with her lifetime supply of six million eggs (the number will drop to around one million by birth).



August 19 marked 21 weeks!

Are we really halfway done?

August 19, 2011 marked our 20 week day! I can't even believe that we are halfway done with this amazing journey. Normally when I am halfway done with a project, I am halfway done with my to do list...okay maybe not halfway done, but usually I've at least started! The only thing we had really accomplished by this day was A LOT of maternity clothes shopping and deciding on our baby's name. We really agreed pretty quickly on her name...after voting in Excel. I'm sure you can guess whose idea that was :)

Ashlynn Pippa Utt

I realized this week that I was feeling her kick. It took me a few days to realize that all the little fluttery feelings were actually our little girl moving around! It was truly an indescribable feeling. Michael was pretty jealous and kept trying to convince me that I wasn't feeling her, it was just guess (he has been doing a lot of research during my pregnancy!). I knew that it was really her and kept hoping he would feel her soon. Maybe I should write that on the To Do List so I can cross it off! :)

While these 20 weeks have really flown by, I'm sure the next 20 will go even faster! We better get started on all my planned projects!

20 Weeks!

Baby's now the size of a cantaloupe!

Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had via amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you'd like your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch. Baby weighs about 10.2 ounces and measures about 6.5 inches. She's still got a lot of growing to do though. Can you believe we're halfway done?

Mommy at 20 weeks

19 Weeks!

Baby's now the size of a mango!

Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil, and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.

Mommy at 19 weeks.
As of August 14, 2011

18 Weeks

Baby's now the size of a sweet potato!



Baby's become amazingly mobile (compared to you, at least), passing the hours yawning, hiccupping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking, and swallowing. And baby is finally big enough that you'll soon be able to feel her movements.

Baby at 18 Weeks: Mommy at 18 Weeks:
18 weeks as of August 6, 2011

Gender Reveal!

It was never a doubt that we wanted to find out the gender of our baby as long as he or she would cooperate. I had read to drink some caffeine before your ultrasound, but, of course, did not plan ahead so I threw a diet mountain dew in the freezer that morning. In the stress to get out the door on time, I totally forgot about my dew, so I had to call mom to get it out so that it didn't explode...note to self, no more morning doctor's appointments when we are both going, it's more stress than this girl can handle! :).

During our appointment on Monday, August 1 Michael and I found out that we are having a sweet little girl. We are so thrilled! It's amazing how much more real everything seems now that we know whether we are having a boy or a girl. Since I love any excuse for a party, we hosted a gender reveal party that night. I truly kept it low key and we ordered pizza. I couldn't have gotten it done without the help of my mom and Lee who came over during the day to do some things for us.

For those not familiar with a gender reveal party, many are done using a cake. Sometimes by dying the cake batter pink or blue, sometimes with icing. We went the icing route since I only had about five hours notice to get this made at the store. Much to the dismay of everyone, I made us eat the pizza first, then cut the cake at 8. Everyone seemed so thrilled, especially our parents. Since my dad and Lorie couldn't come, I called them after my appointment in the morning. I think the hardest part was not telling everyone all day until we cut the cake that night.

Mom was prepared with a boy and girl picture frame!

This was such a fun night and it was so sweet to see how much our baby is already loved!

Now there's a bump!

Well, I asked for it and here it is! The bump has arrived. It is so exciting, our next major step is to begin feeling the baby. We can't wait, Michael is especially looking forward to it as it will really make this seem even more real than it already is!

Week 17

I think I might be the worst blogger ever! So sorry, I am going to go back through and add in the baby's growth over each week and will try to blog at least weekly!

Baby's now the size of an onion!
Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. His umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes now feature one-of-a-kind prints.