We're off - multi-celebration trip

We are off tomorrow morning on a big vacation to Panama for a week and a half and then to Miami for a few days. This trip is a "Baby moon", a celebration of our 5-year wedding anniversary, a celebration of Smita's birthday, a pre-new-job trip for me (I start a new job when we return), and perhaps our last big adventure trip before we start traveling with baby.

Lots to celebrate!! We will try to keep taking weekly photos while in Panama!

Incidentally, pictures from our previous travels can be found here: http://sjains.smugmug.com/

Week 13 Belly Photo

Here is Smita's belly at week 13. I'll rejoin the photo's next week! I think I see a wee-bit of growth...

Doctor Check-up

We saw the doctor today for Smita's monthly check-up with the OB/GYN. All looked good and progressing normally. We heard the baby's heartbeat (beating today at a slightly calmer 156 bpm); sort of sounded like a the swoosh-swoosh of a door opening and closing... It took a little while to find the heartrate as it was masked in a lot of background noise of rumbling gas and a full stomach. Must be tough for the baby to sleep with all that noisy gurgling in there! Good end to week 13.

What's going on in the Belly?

I find it amazing that by 12 or 13 weeks, all the major organ systems have formed. Apparently this week, the liver is already producing insulin. And obviously the heart is formed and beating already. He/she already has 20 teeth or so, waiting under the gums. Toes, fingers already there. If it's a girl, she already has all 2 million eggs she's going to have for life in her ovary. At 13 weeks!! Of course he's like 2 inches long so I guess the last 20 odd weeks are about growth. There's a lot going on in there!

My Belly Week 12!

Well, here's our second tummy shot. While not entirely evident to the outside world (other than Sumeet), there's definitely some progress. I'm up about 5-6 lbs from pre-preggo weight, but it seems like it's all right there in my midsection. My pants are a bit tight (like I ate too much for dinner and need to undo the top button!!) but wearable otherwise. All worth it for the big headed gummy bear.

Week 12 Sonogram & Integrated Screening

We had an appointment this morning to begin the integrated screening that checks for Down's syndrome and several other genetic diseases. The first test (neck skin fold) came out normal which is a great sign. We also got to see the peanut again and saw it jumping around, doing loops, waving etc. It was fun to see... it looked like it was having fun in there. We also saw and heard(!!) the heart rate (beating at a calm 162 beats per minute.) CPMC also had the 4D ultrasound which was very cool to see - we got pictures of all and shown below. It is now starting to look a less like a peanut and more like a big-headed gummy bear! The updated due date is December 30th... I guess that means no Bali or Rio for New Years this year. With the crossing of the 12 week mark we will also now make this blog public. Yah! (Note: Clicking on any of the pictures pulls them up full-size)

Start of weekly belly pictures

Here we go... we are going to start a weekly"progress update" with profile pictures. We will try to take the pictures every Friday - the first is from the end of Week 11. I'm going to take profile pictures in solidarity with the plan for a belly reduction.

The Big Family Day

We told our family this weekend about the peanut. It was a bit early (10 weeks) but we had the opportunity to all be together, so thought it would be nice to tell them in person. They have sworn to secrecy until my end of third trimester doctor's appointment.

Everyone was extremely happy and surprised - they said they were all WAITING and WONDERING when this would happen. Everyone had their own helpful advice too from what to eat and what to do and not do. I think though that I'm going to stick to my plan to follow my doctor's advice and healthy eating and living.

I wish there were more pictures involved in the prenatal visits. Sumeet and I are dying to see the peanut again (partly to make sure everything's ok and partly just to catch a glimpse of the peanut). Next week is my integrated screen test where they test for genetic defects and then the week after is the end of first trimester appt where they listen for the heartbeat. We'll go public shortly after that!

For mom-to-be, I've not suffered much at all. A little tired off and on, and massive breakouts on my face (thanks peanut!) but no sickness and generally feeling very good, albeit getting a little pudgie. I miss some things - some events are definitely not as fun without certain beverages.

I think we'll start our belly pictures this week. Sumeet's going to take a regular picture of me over the coming weeks to demonstrate my belly expanding (so scary). We might even do a series of his belly getting smaller to keep things interesting around here!

Boy? Girl?

Smita thinks it is a boy.... I think it is a girl. We decided to wager on the sex of the baby... tough to do with a joint bank account! So the rules are whoever wins has $100 to spend and MUST spend it within 48 hours on something for themselves only. Now I have to plan what I'm going to spend my winnings on as well as think of baby names...