Peanut's first stuffed animal

The music box for the bunny I've been making finally came! He is now complete :) I think I may make him a jacket later. I think I am the most proud of this project so far.

First Trimester Pictures

I know it is a little difficult to see the difference from week to week, so I figured the side by side comparison will make it easier.

14 weeks 2 days

Earlier this week I felt like I hadn't grown much, but now it seems like I grew overnight! It was weird to look down this morning as I was taking the pictures and notice the baby was on my right side. I could just watch a little bump form on one side, making my tummy look a bit abnormal. If I kept watching it would slowly disappear and then reappear! Baby must be active today :)

Week 14

Wooh-oooh I made it through the first trimester! Week 14 begins the second trimester, a time where the baby will grow a great amount. The possibility for miscarriage also decreases, it decreased originally once we found a heartbeat. Most miscarriages in the second trimester or later are usually caused by an insufficient cervix. I was told they will measure this at the next ultrasound at 20-24 weeks.

I'm not showing any more than last week, however, I am noticing more and more that I can feel the baby usually if the peanut is on my left side. I can't feel him move inside yet but if I'm laying on my back and the baby is on my left side I can feel a hard knot. The other day Greg could feel it too.... it's weird knowing that there really is a baby in there and that I can feel it's tiny body this soon... even if it does just resemble a knot. I think it likes that side as I've noticed it a lot more this week and it's the same position the baby was in when they tried to do the first NT ultrasound a week ago.

In week 14, the baby's neck will continue to grow longer, allowing the baby more movement so the chin no longer rests on the baby's chest. It is also easier to tell the gender this week; however, we will have to wait till the 20-24 week ultrasound to find out the gender.

According to Babycenter.com, this is what will be happening in week 14:

How your baby's growing:

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

Newborn clothes in Korea

Over the past few weeks I've been on the lookout for newborn clothes here in Seoul, specifically onesies and newborn pjs. Everywhere I look I only see toddler clothes and they are not cheap! I've been in contact with some other expat parents who have had children here and finally confirmed they do not really put their babies in onesies here. There is an online market I'd be able to find some but they still are not as cheap as in the states. So looks like that will be something I'm adding to my list to get when I come back this summer. I'll be looking to get a small variety in each age bracket so that I have them for at least up to a year. One of the expat parents also suggested arranging a meet-up to get their hand-me-downs or even let me borrow outfits while I'm here since some are still talking of having more children while they are here; but I have to wait to find out the sex before we can do that.

Finding out the gender

I emailed my doctor after forgetting to ask when we would find out the sex and she says we will at the 20-24 week ultrasound so in another 7-11 weeks! I wasn't sure if we would be able to find out based on the law they have here but she didn't mention anything about it. Maybe with foriegners they tell the sex if they ask.

13 Weeks

My stomach is getting harder... last week at the ultrasound I think I could even feel which side the baby was on. I had a small hard spot on my left side like a knot and after they had me walk around a bit it wasn't there anymore. When I went to the doctor on Friday, I've realized I've lost 20 lbs since we've been here. I'm going to continue doing what I've been doing to make sure I don't gain too much weight during this pregnancy; they say typical is 20-35 lbs.

According to babycenter.com, these are the changes that will be occurring this week:

How your baby's growing:

Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clear ly vis ible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce. This marks the last week of the first trimester.

NT Scan- 12 weeks 5 days

Well the little peanut didn't really cooperate today! The baby first turned away from us so they told me to walk around for 20 min then come back. So the second time, baby peanut was turned laying on its back but he kept turning his face away from us. To measure, they needed a clear profile picture. The ultrasound tech kept trying to aggravate the baby to make it move; it only resulted in a few hick-ups! The 3-D ultrasound to the left is the best picture; however, the shadow of the placenta blocked the left side. Since we had to wait hoping the baby would move, we did get to see some very detailed shots of the arms, hands, legs and feet.

Based on the measurements they did get, the doctor said everything looked very normal. Of course, they never give you 100% certainty in Korea; so our doctor says it's only 60% accurate. I don't anticipate there will be any problems since Greg and I are both young. Of course they will continue to follow up in other appointments. We got to see all the peanuts details, the legs, feet, hands and a good strong heartbeat of 160 bpm. Everything looks great so far! My next appointment will be in May but I don't think I'll get another ultrasound until I'm about 20 weeks.

In this picture to the left, the baby is looking at us. One arm is blocking his/her face and you can slightly see the other one up by its head on the other side.

Week 12

Two more weeks to go until the end of my first trimester! (it is debated whether the first trimester ends at the end of the 13th or 14th week... my books say the 13th week) And only 5 more days till we get to see our peanut again. At this ultrasound, we will be having the Nuchal translucency screening or NT scan. This is a scan that assesses the baby's risk of having Down syndrome or other chromosomal abnormalities as well as major congenital heart problems. This is typically advised for women over 35 in the US but here, they do it on everyone. The NT test uses an ultrasound to measure the clear (translucent) space in the tissue at the back of the neck during the first trimester. Babies with abnormalities tend to accumulate more fluid at the back of their neck in the first trimester causing the space to be larger than average. I tried to find a range that was normal but it changes daily based on how far along you are when you have the test. I will be 12 weeks and 5 days. I don't anticipate there being any problems since Greg and I are both under 35. If I should receive a positive result I would then be referred for an amniocentesis at 16-18 weeks. Due to my age, I'd be low risk for a baby with DS anyway, so I'm looking at this as another chance to see our peanut and get some really great shots! We should see some nice profile pictures since they have to enlarge the baby's head to 75% of the window in order to get a good reading.

I am beginning to realize the weeks of feeling like my belly has been growing has not been so, I could button my pants again this last week. Either it's from not retaining as much fluids or I've lost more weight; it's hard to tell. I've been walking a lot more, well more since we've been here... we walk more places in general here but I've started walking to and from the store if I have to pick up just a few things, or walk to the grocery store but ride the bus home. It is about a 20-30 min walk each way. I haven't popped yet but hope to soon, Greg thinks I have and says he can tell; he thinks I'm showing and it has been getting bigger this week.

The peanut has doubled in size over the past three weeks. The digestive system is beginning to practice contractions so the baby will be able to eat.

According to babycenter.com, this week has lots of changes for the peanut:

How your baby's growing:

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

Week 11

This last week my morning sickness was gone! I only had one day where I felt really icky but it seemed more like a stomach ache than morning sickness. I had some renewed energy this last week too. I personally see a bigger bump but I don't know if you will be able to tell in the picture from last week to this week. I still haven't popped but my mid section is getting thicker. Pregnancy boards call this the chubby phase, where it seems to be more fat than baby. By the end of this week my uterus will be big enough to fill my pelvis and may even rise above my pubic bone (this is the "pop" you see in early pregnancy pictures). So I should start showing more in the next few weeks.

From crown-to-rump length the baby doubles in the next 3 weeks. One interesting fact this week are if it is a girl the ovaries are developing; however, it is still too early to see even on an ultrasound. The baby is looking much more like a human and will completely resemble a human by week 12. Ears are nearly in their final shape (if they were not already), the nasal passages are open, a tongue and palate in the mouth are formed and there are visible nipples.

According to babycenter.com, this is what will be happening in week 11:

How your baby's growing:

Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is
now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden. Her skin is still transparent, allowing many blood vessels to show through.

She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.