Week 15

Week 15 of Pregnancy: Baby Kicking and Curling

Your baby is as long as four and a half inches right now, and weighs a bit over two ounces. Hold a large navel orange in your hand — that's how big your little darlin' is.

Curious why your body is finally looking like it's pregnant? That's because your baby is growing bigger each week — he or she is as long as four and a half inches right now. Need a better visual (and a snack)?  Hold a large navel orange in your hand — that's how big your little darlin' is at 15 weeks pregnant. (Now that you're done looking, peel that orange and eat it for a delicious two servings of vitamin C!).
 
So what keeps your baby busy all day? Mostly, your fetus is in rehearsals — practice, practice, practicing, and getting ready for that big debut. Babies practice breathing, sucking, and swallowing so that when they leave your comfy womb and move into your comfy house, they'll have the skills necessary to survive.
 
Fetal body movements continue to get practice this week, too. But because your baby weighs so little (a bit over two ounces), you won't feel the calisthenics going on inside your abdominal gym. But don't let that fool you. Your fetus is holding daily aerobics classes — kicking, curling toes, and moving those little arms and legs. 

 
And with each passing week, your fetus is looking more and more like the baby you're picturing in your dreams. By now, the ears are positioned properly on the sides of the head (they used to be in the neck) and the eyes are moving from the side of the head to the front of the face — where they'll soon meet your loving gaze.

Easy Loaded Mashed Potatoes!

Last night we had a staff dinner gathering and each couple brought a dish to share. Marc and I were assigned to bring mashed potatoes and gravy, so I went searching for a good recipe. I stopped down the road and picked up a recipe from Adrienne my neighbor who had made some to die for taters!  Here is the recipe that she gave me, they were easy and so- so good!

Easy Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Serves 16

Ingredients:

4 Packages Idahoan Homestyle Instant Mashed potatoes

1/2 Tub regular sour cream

Diced Chives

1/2 Package Grated Cheddar Cheese

1 Package Oscar Mayer real bacon bits (yellow package)

1 Can French Fried Onions

Directions:

Prepare mashed potatoes according to the directions on the package. 

Add Sour Cream, Chives, Cheese, Bacon bits and stir together.

Place in 13x9 in. baking pan. Sprinkle French Fried onions on top

Bake for 15-20 min. @ 350 deg.

Enjoy!

Food Cravings....

So many of you have asked 'what are you craving now that you are pregnant?' Here are my top cravings this week....

Watermelon

Egg Drop Soup with LIME!

If you haven't tried it already, I suggest you do! It is wonderful!

Now I am hungry, Guess what we are having for lunch today: you guessed it- Chinese!
Have a wonderful rest of the weekend!

Just Dance

Last night Marc and I went with a group of friends to the last Winter Texan dance of the season. It was a lot of fun, especially going in a group. We stayed all night long dancing the two- Step, waltz, and even learned the jitterbug! Marc and I couldn't help but laugh, because there were a number of times where baby got in the way- it was so cute, like the three of us were dancing together. We were thinking about the reality of a baby. When the dances start back up in December, baby Montes will already be 2 months old! We were told that we could bring baby with us next time, because there are about 200 'eager grandparents' that volunteered to hold the little one while we dance! Haha!

Happiness is...

There is a lot to be thankful for, especially now. I have been feeling really good, not sick at all- so I thought I would stop and think about a few things that make me really happy! 

So here it goes 'ahem' (clears throat)

10 things that make me terribly happy:

1. being pregnant
2. nesting at home
3. catching up with family and friends
4. taking good pictures
5. california
6. fun music that makes you move
7. getting packages in the mail
8. sleeping in (not for long!)
9. winning stuff
10. watching old home video's

What about you? Have you stopped to think about what is making you happy at the moment?

14 Weeks Today!

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.


Here is finally a belly picture: This is at 12 weeks (we are running a little behind)
Here's to another good week!

Jennifer over at I'm Just a Girl has tagged me in a little fun photo game.

The rules are:
Open your first photo folder
Scroll to the 10th photo
Post the photo (no cheating) and the story behind it
Tag some peeps

Ok so I followed the rules and this is the random picture that came up:

This picture was taken when we first purchased our home back in Feb 2007. This was the before picture! Before paint, before the REAL TILE was put in, and many other things. Makes me thankful of where we are today, because for anyone who has taken part in a home remodel- you know it is not fun!

Alright for this little fun game I'm tagging:

 Buffi over at Seasons of Life I know that she enjoys documenting life with pictures, so she is sure to have some!

Jenny at The Caffeinated Rambler I have know her for a while, and have shared pictures with her in the past!

Becca over at The Beauty of Life She is bound to have a good one to share!

 

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!! 

Art Walk!

Last Friday I was able to take part in my first ever McAllen Art Walk! It was such a fun time, and a great experience! I sold a ton of things, and now going back to the drawing board to make more pretty things in time for the next one! Here are a few pictures that hubby took that night!

Thirteen Weeks...

We are 13 weeks already! Here is the official update of what's happening this week!

How your baby's growing:

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. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.
We love you already Baby Montes. This week is the first week that you could possibly find out what the gender of the baby is, however Marc and I are trying to stick to our guns, we don't want to find out if it is a boy or a girl till it's born! I love the surprise and suspense!

Thankfully I have really been feeling good the past week! I am finally enjoying the pregnancy! Yeah! Keep growing!

Spring is in the Air

March is here:

Time to ...

Air out the House.

Pay extra attention to the yard.

Have people over. 

Go for walks.

Take advantage of the BEAUTIFUL weather before it gets to hot.