Our little man is movin' and shakin'

We officially felt our first real movement from our little guy the other night. I was lounging on the couch after a busy day and eating dinner, looking at baby stuff online. I felt something a little strange in my belly, and definitely different than anything before.
A few weeks ago I was concentrating so hard on trying to feel movement, but realized when he is ready in there, he will let me know and give me a little kick.
Well, sure enough, I look down and see a little thump from the insides. I couldn't believe it. But what makes it even better is Brian was sitting right next to me and put his hand on my belly and as soon as he did that, our little guy kicked three times. I think he's a daddy's boy already.
I can't wait for more movin' and shakin' in there!

We're halfway there!

How far along? 20 weeks

Maternity clothes? Woo! After being defeated by ebay many times, I finally won a pair of maternity jeans! I got them for quite the deal so I might have to try for another pair.
Stretch marks? My skin is definitely stretching, but no stretch marks.
Sleep: Getting plenty, but could sleep all day.
Best moment this week: Hitting the halfway point and feeling great.
Movement: Still waiting for that definite feeling, but he's definitely moving in there.

Food cravings: Thai food! I would give anything for some extra spicy red curry right about now.

Gender: Boy! but still a nameless one.
Pregnancy symptoms: definite acne, and those pesky headaches returned for a couple days.

Labor Signs: no thanks!
Belly Button in or out? the center of the cinnamon roll is rising...and I'm not too excited about it.
What I miss: Fitting into all my old clothes.

What I am looking forward to: Feeling that first real kick/punch.

Weekly Wisdom:
Milestones:

20 weeks

20 weeks and our baby is the size of a Cantaloupe.

Baby's digestive system is 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, speaking of the diaper situation... baby's genitals are now fully formed!

19 weeks and we've gone tropical!

19 weeks and baby Hall is 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 actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.

In other news ...

You might be surprised to know, but we have lives that consist of more things than just me being pregnant.

Life hasn't been too busy lately, but we have had a few things happen during the past few weeks.
In unfortunate news, Brian's grandfather Oscar passed away January 15 after a long battle with Leukemia and other major illnesses. It was very sad for all of us to see him go, but we know he can rest comfortably and is in a better place.
We took a drive up to Searcy, Arkansas for the funeral services and were able to reconnect with some of Brian's distant family. As much as their family might not be close, I think it's always nice to catch up and share stories with everyone. Whether or not we will ever see them again, who knows.
Since we were there, we all decided to take an extra day and check out Hot Springs and Little Rock. There isn't much I can say about Little Rock, since there wasn't much there, but it's always nice to add another name to the list of places we have visited. But we did take time to visit the Bill Clinton Presidental Library and Museum and ride the trolley around the city.
As for Hot Springs, it was a neat little historical town and is actually considered a National Park. We took a tour through one of the old Bath Houses, wandered through the town and stuck our toes in the hot spring...which are on average 140 degrees!

18 weeks and our BIG ultrasound later...

How far along? 18 weeks
Maternity clothes? Nothing new this week, but digging into the depths of my closet to find other options
Stretch marks? Avoiding like the plague
Sleep: I've been sleeping pretty well lately
Best moment this week: Getting to see our little guy! He is the sweetest thing I have ever seen.
Movement: Not that I can truly feel and say for sure.
Food cravings: I have been craving gummy bears and sour candy
Gender: It's a boy!!! And a very proud one at that. The doctor estimated that he weighs about 10 ounces and 8 inches long, with a heart rate of 138 beats per minute.
Pregnancy symptoms: I look like a teenager going through puberty with a galaxy of pimples on my forehead.
Labor Signs: N/A
Belly Button in or out? Still hanging out, not sure which way it wants to go
What I miss: A nice cold beer sounded really good during the Super Bowl this weekend.
What I am looking forward to: Our little boy continuing to grow into a healthy baby.
Weekly Wisdom: Don't take any moment for granted.
Milestones: Getting confirmation that our baby is strong, healthy and growing right on track for my due date.

Oh boy!

It's a boy!
Brian and I couldn't be more excited to be having a boy! This will be the first baby boy on my side of the family and the first grandchild for his parents so everyone is very excited.
And more importantly, our 18 week sonogram showed that our little man is developing right on track ... weighing in at 10 ounces and 8 inches from head to toe. His heartbeat was a strong 138 beats per minute.
I think Brian and I fell even more in love with him, seeing him wave his little hands, chew on his arm and just squirm around in there. It's crazy how much he really moves around but I can't feel it. I look forward to the days that I can feel his movements, and for Brian to be able to feel him move as well.
Now on to the good stuff! Our office makes a DVD of our ultrasound that I was able to upload for you all to enjoy! It's about 10 minutes long an takes a few moments to start. Enjoy!

Sonogram - 18 weeks from Jennifer Hall on Vimeo.

What a sweet potato! 18 weeks ...

Your baby is now the size of a sweet potato.
Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon.

17 weeks

How far along? 17 weeks
Maternity clothes? Slowly building my collection. I got a pair of work pants, and am trying to convince Brian that I need a pair of Citizens of Humanity maternity jeans.
Stretch marks? Still lotioning up daily.
Sleep: Not half bad, but have been missing sleeping on my stomach.
Best moment this week: Watching my belly grow on a daily basis
Movement: I think I might have felt something, but nothing for sure yet.
Food cravings: Everything! But have been craving salads and fruit lately.
Gender: One.More.Week.
Labor Signs: No thank you.
Belly Button in or out? This is a sensitive subject. I think the center of the roll might be rising ...
What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach
What I am looking forward to: Starting to feel movement, and our doctor's appointment on Monday. I can't wait to see the little babe and get confirmation that everything looks good and developing as it should.
Weekly Wisdom: A little exercise during the day, even just a walk around the block, really helps the energy level.
Milestones: Nothing really this week, but the belly has most definitely popped out.

It's my birthday ...

... and I will eat a whole bouquet of cookies if I want to!

Thanks to my loving mother and sister, I received the most beautiful bouquet of flowers and a delicious cookie bouquet and then some!

My golden birthday was a great day ... once I finally got off ork. After a very stressful day at the office, I was able to come home and make my mom's famous Hungarian Goulash and foccacia bread, which I have eaten for my birthday for as many years as I can remember. It's never as good as moms when I make it myself but it was still pretty darn good.

Brian surprised me and invited our good friends Nick and Julianne over for dinner and they brought some delicious cupcakes, including my favorite Red Velvet, and some sparkling cider. It was great to spend time with them and celebrate my birthday.

And thank you to everyone who called and sent their birthday wishes! I am grateful to have such wonderful people in my life! Here's to an exciting 26th year and many, many more.

This explains why I have been crying lately ...

You are 17 weeks along and your baby is now the size of an onion.
Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints.