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Christmas In Nashville

At our Dr. appointment on Friday baby Coopela wouldn’t cooperate and we couldn’t find out the gender, so Cooper’s parents bought us a 2D/3D ultrasound for an early Christmas present yesterday while we’re in Nashville for Christmas. Baby Coopela cooperated and we found out that she’s a GIRL!! Today the Dr’s office called us and our quad screen results came back negative! The quad screen tests for neural tube defects such as spina bifida or anencephaly and chromosome abnormalities such as Down syndrome. That was great Christmas Eve news!!

Fetal development in pregnancy week 19: Your amazing little baby is now around 10 inches in length! If this seems a bit shocking, you’ll be relieved to know they’ve not actually grown over 3 inches, but that their little legs are now straight enough to be measured. This is when doctors begin measuring fetal growth from head to toe, (no longer “crown to rump”). Lanugo (little hairs) covers their whole body now, trapping that charming cheese-like vernix caseosa to the surface to the skin. This week your lil’ fetus will start on an appetizing diet of amniotic fluid which they are now capable of swallowing, digesting, and passing the fluid as far as their tiny “large” intestines. Research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now so start reading and talking to your baby!

Here's a video Cooper made for Dylan in Iraq since he's not able to spend Christmas with us this year.

Christmas Eve 2008

18 Week Baby Bump

18 weeks pregnant !!

We’re 18 weeks pregnant and my belly is definitely growing! Any day now I should be able to feel the baby kick for the first time! Cooper and I have been extremely busy this past week so I was worn out, but things are slowing down and I feel great! My next appointment is on Friday. If my dr. has time she will give me an ultrasound to confirm the baby’s sex!! If she doesn’t have time we’ll more than likely just go and buy an ultrasound on Saturday so we can know the sex of the baby before Christmas!!
Fetal development in pregnancy week 18: Your baby measures 5 to 5.6 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 5.25 ounces. The rapid growth spurt is tapering off, but reflexes are kicking in. He can yawn, stretch and make facial expressions, even frown. Taste buds are beginning to develop and he can now distinguish sweet from bitter. The baby can suck and swallow, and he may even get the hiccups. The eyes have become sensitive to light, so if a bright light is shined on your belly, baby will probably turn away. Your uterus, about the size of a cantaloupe, can be felt just below your navel. You're most likely feeling the baby move at this time. A mid-pregnancy ultrasound may be performed between now and 22 weeks to assess your baby's growth and development and to verify the due date. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

17 Weeks Pregnant!!

We're 17 weeks pregnant, almost half way there! My belly has been growing and a stranger came up to me on Sunday and told me that I had a cute pregnant belly!! :) It was the first time anyone that didn't know I was pregnant actually made a comment to me and it made me happy! Being pregnant is great so far, I'm really enjoying it!
Fetal development in pregnancy week 17: Don't be too shocked but... your baby is EVEN bigger than it was last week, not to mention getting cuter, and smarter every day! As you’ve come to expect, there’s no shortage of growth and development this week: your fantastic little bean stalk has added yet another half inch to their overall height-- making them nearly half a foot long! Their little limbs have reached their relative proportions, and will continue to grow evenly with the rest of the body after this week. Reactive listening has begun for your baby, even though their ears are not yet structurally complete or fully functional. Meanwhile, different parts of their astonishingly complex brain are developing to process your little one’s hearing and other senses, (you know, sight, smell, taste and touch). If you’re having going to have a little girl, her ovaries have already produced millions of primordial egg cells, which, within a few weeks, will develop into actual eggs! If your child is male the prostate begins to develop.

BELLY PIC- 4 MONTHS

16 Weeks Pregnant!!

I’m so excited that we’re 4 MONTHS PREGNANT!! Time sure does fly. I’ve been feeling great! Cooper and I have been enjoying each day together. We know that once the baby gets here we’ll be sleep deprived and won’t get to go on dates, so we’re taking advantage of our alone time by getting extra sleep and spending as much quality time together as possible. It’s wonderful to have so much to look forward to….finding out the baby’s gender, the first kick, the next Dr. appointment, baby showers, decorating the nursery, a growing belly, and finally a little baby in our arms!! :)
Fetal development in pregnancy week 16: Fat begins to form underneath skin, providing your baby with insulation for the coming months. Did you know that both baby and placenta are now about the same size? Your little one has reached 4.57 inches and approximately 3.53 ounces. His head and neck are held straighter now. The genitals are developed sufficiently that an experienced sonographer might be able to determine if your baby is a boy or a girl. Her heart is pumping as much as 6 gallons of blood a day beating at a rate about double your heart rate and her bladder is emptying every 45 minutes. If you could take a peek inside, you would witness your child's reflexes in action! (Sucking, swallowing and blinking are now evident.) She is probably even hiccuping even though you don't feel it yet! Your baby has learned to breathe! This is apparent from the regular movements of his chest. Isn't it amazing that he is able to breathe "underwater," inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid? These actions help the lungs to develop and grow. A growth spurt is just around the corner! In the coming weeks he will double his weight and add inches to his frame.

Movin' Right Along!

Well, had a check up yesterday and the baby has a normal heart beat and seems to be growing at a normal rate. Angela has been doing a great job. We were prepared for the worst during the first trimester but it went really smooth. I hope you enjoy this video I made with clips from our ultrasound yesterday and some other stuff I've shot recently. There will be more of these video's I promise. I talked Angela into buying a new Nikon D90 DSLR with HD movie mode! You won't be able to see anything in HD over the web, of course, because I have to condense the quality way down to be able to upload.

Baby Coopela


Fetal development in pregnancy week 15: You may begin to feel some fluttering movements as baby kicks, flails, twists and turns. She can also grasp, squint, frown, grimace and maybe suck her thumb! Your baby's legs have grown longer than the arms and the body is now longer than the head. And you'll be happy to note that he is moving those arms and legs often! His skin is very thin -- so thin blood vessel are visible. It's covered by a fine, soft layer of hair called lanugo. Lanugo comes from a Latin word meaning "down." This hair is thought to help insulate your little boy. The three tiny bones in his middle ear have begun to harden. The auditory centers in your baby's brain haven't developed yet, so she might not really understand what you say but her hearing capacity is in the process of developing. Fingernails and toenails are growing. Eyebrows are beginning to grow and even the hair on his head is sprouting. It will probably change color and texture after birth. All this and your little one is an amazing 3.98 inches long and may weigh 2.47 ounces.

14 weeks pregnant!!

We’re 14 weeks pregnant! In exactly one week we’ll have our next ultrasound! We’re really hoping Dr. Wayman will be able to tell us Coopela’s gender so we can come up with a real name!
Fetal development in pregnancy week 14: 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.
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 Coopela's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

13 Weeks Pregnant!!

We're 13 weeks and time is going by faster than I thought it would! I'm doing really good! I haven't felt sick, just a little tired. After work I've been laying on the couch reading one of my 5 pregnancy books...lol Only 2 more weeks until my next Dr. appointment and my birthday!! :)
Fetal development in pregnancy week 13: This is your final week in the first trimester and your little weed continues to grow and grow and grow. Of the three trimesters, this one has been the most important for your little one’s development. Assuming you’ve carefully adopted a healthy diet, continue to exercise and get ample rest, your little one is set up perfectly for even more growth and development in tri-two! Way to go! He or she now weighs about 1.5 ounces and is roughly 3 inches in length. Little hairs, known as lanugo, will start to cover their body this week, as their sense of taste and smell are further refined. Their cozy little amniotic sac is also increasing in size and mass as it continues to fill with more fluid. Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible 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.

12 Weeks Pregnant!!

Well, we're 3 months pregnant and doing great! Just counting down the days until my next Dr. appointment (November 25th, I'll be 15 weeks)! I will get another ultrasound and the appt. is on my birthday...how awesome would it be to find out the sex of the baby on my birthday!! :) It might be a little soon, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Fetal development in pregnancy week 12: This week your baby is now almost the size of a lime, weighing almost an ounce and measuring almost 2.5 inches! Her eyes are now positioned in the front of her face and her ears are in position on the sides of her head. Most notably, reflexes have begun! Your little one's mouth is making sucking movements, her eye muscles clench, her toes curl, fingers and hands open and close, and she may even begin to suck her thumb. Though she is still too little for you to feel, she can feel you. If you were to apply pressure to your abdomen, your baby would squirm in response! Her brain has been developing rapidly too. Nerve cells are multiplying, and synapses, or the small junctions across which nerve impulses pass from one nerve cell to another, are forming at an impressive speed. A little lower, her intestines are developing and will soon be moving into her stomach cavity. Vocal cords are forming, the pancreas begins to produce insulin, and the liver begins to function - Responsible for cleansing the blood, storing nutrients, and providing needed chemicals, this is an important event! It's incredible to think how far she has come in just a few short months!

Happy Halloween!!

Here's a few pictures of Chloe in her Halloween outfits!

Her favorite costume is the lobster!! She's going to wear it tonight while we hand out candy to the little trick-or-treaters.

11ish Week Ultra Sound

Ok, here ya go. We had a Doctor visit today and everything went great. The baby's heart beat is normal and it appears to be growing at a normal rate. Still too young to tell the gender but one of the photographs above illustrates how extraordinarily handsome it will be if it's a boy. lol!

During the ultrasound we could see the baby shifting positions and moving its little arms and feet around. Some of our friends have described how incredible this experience is but I’d say incredible doesn’t begin to describe how we felt in that room today. Angela had that same cute little ear to ear grin she had the day I asked her to marry me. Of course she smiles all the time but this one simply makes my knees weak.

I meant to bring my video camera but we both were in a rush and forgot it. I won’t forget it next time though I promise. With love - Coop

11 Weeks Pregnant!!

We’re 11 weeks pregnant!! Tomorrow is our next Dr. appointment and we should get another ultrasound- with pictures hopefully!!! I’m feeling really good! I do get tired sometimes and am always hungry. I’ve read that you’re only supposed to gain 5 pounds in your 1st trimester and I’ve gained 6 so far with 3 weeks left in my 1st trimester…lol I’m not going to worry about it. They say you gain more weight in the beginning with a boy than with a girl, so who knows…maybe it’s a boy!!
Fetal development in pregnancy week 11: Your astonishingly tiny baby has been hard at work growing as fast as possible—almost doubling in size in the past three weeks! Amazingly, you’re in for a repeat size doubling performance within the next three weeks! Your tiny champion only weighs 1/3 of an ounce and is 1.61 inches long but has already completed the most critical stage of their development. Nearly all structures and organs are formed and beginning to function. Fingers and toes have separated - Take a glimpse at how incredibly precious your child's tiny feet are at this point. Hair and nails begin to grow, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden. The genitals begin to take on the proper gender characteristics - It will be just a few more weeks before your ultrasound can show if you are having a boy or a girl! Amniotic fluid begins to accumulate as the kidneys begin to function - This fluid, consisting primarily of water, helps provide a cushion for your baby while she's nestled within your womb. The muscles in the intestinal walls begin to practice contractions that digest food. They're also developing their swallow reflex this week. And lastly, your baby's smelling and other olfactory senses will begin developing this week, which when combined with the maturing taste buds, will provide your baby with their first experiences of taste and smell.

10 Weeks Pregnant!!

We’re 10 weeks pregnant! It’s hard to believe we’re a quarter of the way there!! I am feeling much better this week. I think my morning sickness (all day sickness) is over! Thank goodness! It was so hard going to work when I felt so nauseated, but I’m glad I did. I'll need my sick days for all the Dr. appointments we'll be going to. Cooper and I have no ideas for names yet. We’re calling the baby Coopela until we find out the sex, but at the rate we’re going we’ll still be calling the baby Coopela until the hospital makes us come up with a name for the birth certificate…lol!! We’re open to ideas and suggestions for names, so leave a comment with names and we’ll add them to our list! Next week is our next Dr. appointment and we’re getting another ultrasound. This time I’m asking for pictures so I can post them on our website for everyone to Ohh and Aww over!

Fetal development in pregnancy week 10: The most critical part of your infant's development is complete. Now you are headed into a period of rapid growth. While a bit strange to envision, your baby's head is now about half its length - Soon the rest of the body's growth will catch up but this area is prepared to keep up with the rapid brain development! Eyelids fuse shut and irises begin to develop - Eye color is also determined by this point. Placenta begins to function this week or next - The placenta is the organ responsible for both the provision of nutrients along with the removal of waste to keep your baby growing strong!

9 Weeks Pregnant!!

We’re 9 weeks pregnant! Time sure does fly. Only one more week and we’ll be ¼ of the way there!! I think I spoke too soon about the morning sickness...lol I felt nauseated all weekend and yesterday (Monday) I woke up puking. I was still sick yesterday evening so my wonderful husband made us dinner while Chloe and I layed on the couch!! I was nauseated today too, but haven’t thrown up. I layed on the couch during lunch and ate a cup of noodles and drank a sprite (with Chloe of course…she layed on my belly and we took a nap together). I still didn’t feel very good, but I had to go back to work. Cooper was working from home today so he made me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to take with me to work. I ate that and am feeling much better. My goal is to make Potato Soup for Cooper tonight. I’m hoping I’ll feel up to it. Yesterday I started feeling better at 3pm, but around 5pm things went downhill fast!

Fetal development in pregnancy week 9: Congratulations! Embryo has become a fetus! All organs necessary to sustain life are formed. Baby has begun movement - While still too small for you to feel, your little one is wriggling, shifting, and dancing already! Makes you almost wish for a window to peek in whenever you want! Most joints are formed now - and trust that your little one is practicing bending and flexing. Fetus will curve its fingers around an object placed in the palm of its hand - This is amazing to see! At only nine weeks, if you happen to have an ultrasound, you may observe your infant fascinated by everything he or she can lay their fingers on (mainly other fingers, toes, ears and nose! Fingerprints are already evident in the skin.

8 Weeks Pregnant!!

Last week was our first doctor’s appointment. It was a wonderful experience! Cooper and I were able to see the baby on the ultrasound machine and hear the heartbeat! Since I was only 7 weeks pregnant, it took the doctor quite a while to find the baby and the heartbeat. I can’t wait until our next appointment which is on October 29th! I’ll be 11 weeks pregnant so the baby should be much larger and hopefully we’ll get a picture to take home and share with everyone! My doctor’s name is Dr. Wayman and she is so sweet! I just love her! I was very worried about finding a great doctor, but now that I’m going to her I don’t have any worries. So far I haven’t been sick. I get really tired around 2 PM, but since I don’t get home from work until 5:30 I just have to work through the sleepiness. I do take naps on the weekends and read my pregnancy book as much I can! In 8 more weeks we’ll find out if we’re having a girl or boy!! That will be the BEST day ever!!! (next to the day I married the man of my dreams, the day our baby is born, and the day we got Chloe…lol)

Fetal development in pregnancy week 8: Woohoo! You've got one whole inch of baby inside of you! Your little embryo has finally reached the one-inch mark (30mm). And if it were possible to take a peek, you could actually see your tiny baby without a telescope! What’s more, your baby is finally starting to take on some very distinct human features. For starters, their little tail (really just the spinal cord) has disappeared completely. It’s nice to know your baby can no longer be mistaken for a sea creature! Additionally, both their toes and fingers are prominent with very little, if any, webbing. Upper and lower limbs all show recognizable joints (elbows and knees) and the lower limb bones are starting to ossify. But don’t expect your baby to resemble either parent quite yet. Right now, your baby’s head is disproportionately larger than the rest of their body--making up almost half of your little one’s height and weight!

6 Weeks Pregnant!!

I’m six weeks pregnant now!! Thankfully I haven’t had any morning sickness, but for the past five days I’ve had cramping. It started out very light, but yesterday it got pretty bad! I was very worried that I was having a miscarriage, but from what I hear it’s just my uterus growing to make room for the baby and knowing that really eases my mind. I’m a little tired today since the cramping kept me from falling asleep last night, but as long as the baby is safe I don’t mind cramping and sleep loss! Our first ultrasound is in one week, so make sure to check back next Wednesday to see the ultrasound picture!

Fetal development in pregnancy week 6: This week's major developments: The nose, mouth, and ears that you'll spend so much time kissing in eight months are beginning to take shape. If you could see into your uterus, you'd find an oversize head and dark spots where your baby's eyes and nostrils are starting to form. His emerging ears are marked by small depressions on the sides of the head, and his arms and legs by protruding buds. His heart is beating about 100 to 160 times a minute — almost twice as fast as yours — and blood is beginning to course through his body. His intestines are developing, and the bud of tissue that will give rise to his lungs has appeared. His pituitary gland is forming, as are the rest of his brain, muscles, and bones. Right now, your baby is a quarter of an inch long, about the size of a coffee bean.

Little Lily is born!

Our good friends Todd & Mandy Davenport just had their baby girl (Lily) yesterday around 2pm. Angela and I went to visit them last night which increased our excitement level quite a bit. Todd & Mandy just bought a house within a stones throw from us so we can see Lily a lot!

5 weeks pregnant- little baby bump!!

5 Weeks Pregnant

Hi Everyone! Each week I will keep you updated our little baby’s development. Today I am 5 weeks pregnant and our baby’s heart is pumping blood and beating on it’s own this week!! It just makes me so excited to know that!

Fetal development in pregnancy week 5:
The changes to your growing embryo are not quite as drastic this week as they've been in the last few weeks. Growth is now largely focused on their little head, which is starting to develop much more rapidly than the rest of their tiny body. This is because their amazing brain is undergoing some very crucial and rapid development in order to effectively regulate their heart rate, blood circulation, and other vital functions. As for the rest of their miniature body, what were simple limb buds last week are limb flippers this week and the tail is more expressed. Amazingly, within a mere five weeks your little miracle is already developing the rudimentary forms of their liver, pancreas, lungs, stomach and nasal pits while their little heart is already increasing its circulation. Your baby is now a whopping 4-6mm in length.

How we told our parents

Angela wrapped little baby clothes up that said I love great grandma and I love grandma and grampa and so forth. The video above is her family opening the presents.

My parents live in TN so we had "Chloe" send an email to them thanking them for playing with her so much during their recent visit and attached a short slide show of Chloe in her new outfits followed by her telling grandma & Grampa she's going to be a big sister (shown below).

Just double checking...

Angela took another pregnancy test this morning (actual picture shown above). 3 days ago it took a few minutes for the second line to show up and this time it showed up right away. So we're 5 weeks prego now and I think her stomach still looks flat as a board but she swears up and down there's a little poodge. We realize a lot can happen in the first trimester so keep us in your prayers and I'll do my best to keep her off the booze (only kidding!).

Introduction

Well as you know already we recently found out we're pregnant with our first child. Our due date is May 20th, 2009 and we couldn't be more excited! Although I was hoping to at least get a few months of practice in we were fortunate enough to get pregnant during our first month of trying. Actually, Angela has secretly been shopping for baby clothes since about the time we got married! Truthfully, though, this is an experience both of us have been looking forward to our entire lives.

Unfortunately, both of our families live far enough away that everyday or even weekly visits aren’t a possibility. While you are welcome in our home ANY time hopefully keeping this blog updated with pictures and video will keep you entertained in-between visits.

We won't know the gender of the baby until around Christmas. You might notice the color of our blog page is pink. Well that's just because Angela's favorite color is pink and I knew I'd get scolded if I chose any other color. All we’re praying for is a healthy baby no matter what the gender!