Friday, February 22, 2013

Week 20

Hooray for half-way! I still can't believe we're in the second half of our journey towards meeting Baby Grayson! To say we're excited is a bit of an under-statement ;-)

This week began with our exciting anatomy scan! Immediately after arriving at the hospital, Mom, Andy & I were treated to nothing short of a world-class boxing match by little Mr. Grayson! We watched in rapt attention as he kicked, punched, twisted, and turned to escape from the ultrasound tech's probing tools. After several minutes of displaying his impressive moves, he then decided to present his little boy parts multiple times! He's definitely a little man, no confusion there! Ha! We then watched as the tech measured his long legs & adorable little arms. Next she counted his tiny fingers and toes--10 each!--and took some pictures of his cute little profile. We noticed mid-way through the ultrasound that he was playing with his umbilical cord, and then, as if tired of the whole ordeal, placed his right hand on his forehead in exasperation! It made me chuckle so hard! He's definitely already developing his own little personality :-) Next, the tech attempted to measure the choroid plexus system in the ventricles of his brain (this system is crucial for producing the cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF, that bathes the brain and spinal cord). By this point Grayson was resting his head very low in my pelvis, and was still squirming about. After several unsuccessful attempts at securing the measurements due to his fidgeting, the tech finally decided that maybe we should take a break to change position. Thrilled, I took a quick restroom break, which apparently made our little guy quite happy because immediately after I returned to the chair, we secured the necessary measurements--which were all right on track for his age! Although it had been quite a lengthy ultrasound (about an hour and a half!), we were thrilled to watch our little one moving about and looking so big. It made this momma's heart so, so happy :-) Knowing that he looks perfectly healthy was an even greater blessing, and made me feel much more at ease.

Here's a picture of our little guy at 20 weeks. See his little arm up by his face?


After our appointment, the rest of the week rushed by in quite a blur! Andy & I celebrated our last Valentine's Day before G's arrival with a special dinner at the Melting Pot, a lively jazz concert (which Grayson loved too, by the way!), and a fun gift exchange (can you say chocolate-covered strawberries? Yum!). We tried to soak in every moment together because once sleepless nights arrive, those late-night outings are probably going to be few and far between. But of course that's an easy sacrifice to make considering the big blessing we'll be receiving in exchange :-)

Here's our weekly update! Please continue to remember all 3 of us in your prayers as we make this final stretch together :-) Love to you all!

How Far Along: 20 weeks
Total Weight Gain: -1 lbs
Stretchmarks: None
Sleep: Solid
Best Moment this Week: Our 20 Week Anatomy Scan & Celebrating Valentine's Day with Andy!
Movement: Yes, getting quite strong now :-)
Gender: Baby boy
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button: In :-)
What I Miss: Warm Starbuck's lattes & cappuccinos
What I am Looking Forward to: Taking our next childbirth/parenting class
Milestones: Baby Grayson is about 6.5" long--the length of a large banana :-) He weighs in at a whopping 11 oz (most babies weigh around 10.5-11 oz at this point, so that's right on track!). He has also established a sleep pattern that is similar to a newborn, so he's probably sleeping about 12-14 hours a day. He may have even found a favorite sleep position--perhaps with his chin resting on his chest or with his head flung back :-) He's growing more and more now!

  20 Weeks

Til Next Time,
Hugs & Kisses, 
A Southern Sweetheart

P.S. Don't forget to check out the new tabs on the blog. You'll find lots of fun goodies up there :-)

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