The bell pepper, the law, and real estate...

Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long about the link of a bell pepper and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. 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.

It is really interesting to me how upset that people get when they find out that we are not going to find out the sex of the baby. I have had so many people tell me that they don't know what to get for the baby if they don't know the sex; like pink and blue are the only colors in the rainbow and it is imperative to buy gendered clothes and toys!!

New and exciting developments the last couple weeks include the fact that we "got" to pay $1200 to our lawyers so that Taylor can adopt her own child. I suppose I should be grateful that we live in a state that we can even do this but it still feels really insulting and frustrating. The process entails me signing a form that basically says that I give Taylor "permission" to make decisions about the baby if I am not able to make them. Also if something happened to me before the adoption was finalized it states it is my wish that it be finalized. We are resigned to it but it still pisses me off...we planned, conceived, and are going through this pregnancy and birth together but don't have the same rights as a married heterosexual couple if they conceived using donor sperm...rant, rant, rant! :)

On a happier note we may be buying a house! Big excitement. We keep hearing it is the best time to buy and apparently if we find something prior to 10/1 we could qualify for a great program that would help us...this is from the mortgage person we met with, we meet with the realtor our friend Ingrid picked for us on Friday. I am just excited to tour homes; mostly 'cause I am nosy and like to look around houses. I will keep you all updated on the search.

What I am most excited about is that I am supposed to be feeling the baby move in the next couple weeks! I can't wait; we should also be having another ultrasound around 20-22 weeks to measure the amniotic fluid, check position, growth, placenta etc. I hope to get some good pictures to post.

Much love,

Megan

Tale of a Turnip and Two Daycares

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop. YAY! The baby is working up a sweat. We are trying not to or at least not sweat and worry over inconsequential stuff. I had a major (hormonally helped) melt down this weekend stressing about all the things going on in our lives but feel much better now...crying can be cathartic.

Some of you have been writing to ask about the daycare's that we were looking at, wanting more details so here you go: There don't seem to be a lot of places that offer infant care but we were looking specifically at something that would be easy for me to get the baby to on public transportation. Fruit and Flower is about five blocks from work (although not on the public transportation route so it would take a little bit of walking). It is very structured, very cute, with a impressive outdoor area for an urban school. The draw backs are that the waiting list is really long and it does not have a flexible schedule; you are either full time or 1/2 days. We went on a tour with with 4 other couples/individuals (very upper class, very professional yuppie...we felt a little out of place although it was amusing to watch one of the men try to figure out what Taylor was in terms of gender!) . We put ourselves on the wait list. The second daycare, St. James we thought would just be a back up. One of the embryologists and one of the physicians have their children there and really like it. We really ended up liking it a lot. We had a private tour and although it wasn't as pretty, it seemed to be a really loving environment with a great flexible schedule...and yes, we were very clear that no doctrine is taught it is just housed in the church. So we have a deposit down for a spot in April. We will just see what happens. St. James is on the streetcar line and it takes about 10 minutes for me to get there from work.

The thought of daycare just stresses me out too...what doesn't lately! But at least there are some options.

Also...we are still trying to think of name options that are gender neutral. We originally thought Greer (but given Taylor's difficulty saying it and that it rhymes with queer we got rid of it). We have Drew (after our fabulous friend Andy), Rowen, Avery, and Emerson on the list. In the last week we were talking about Grayson, Graden, Greeley, Emry, Embry...any thoughts?

Week of the Avocado

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length . Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too.

We have been super busy touring day care centers...we are on the wait list for one and I think have a spot secured at the other...for April! It is insane. We also went to the lawyer again to fork over $1200 for the adoption of our own baby...yeah.

We are also major stressballs and have too many things going on. I am hoping to wrestle the computer away from Taylor this weekend and give a more comprehensive update...I know you are all dying to know about how I can't sneeze without wetting myself. :)

Love to all,

Megan

Lemons and Life

Hi all,

Quick update on where we are with life:

1. The nuchal translucency went well and the measurement of the nuchal fold is under 2 which we were assured was good. We are waiting for blood results this week.

2. We drove to Boise to see Mama, Papa, Leah, and David over 4th of July weekend and had a fabulous time...okay the visiting part was fabulous and not so much the road trip but that wasn't that bad either although I did frequent a lot of rest stops!

3. I am officially in the second trimester!!!!!!! I can't tell you how relieved that makes us. The baby is the size of a lemon and is producing bile and urine this week...yeah I was disgusted but excited too. Also it is working on making facial expressions (Papa pointed out that this is probably because it is peeing) and should be moving all around. I won't feel that for a little while yet but I am excited for it.

4. We have a prenatal appointment on Thursday and a tour of a daycare center on Friday (again, you have to get on the list now for care in April...how ridiculous is that?).

5. I am continuing to get my energy back and food is not so much an issue anymore as evidenced by the box of macaroni and cheese I ate for dinner. Hey, it was organic and I ate some veggies too!

Off to get ready for an early bedtime.

Much love,

Megan

ultrasound picture

Here is a scan of one of the best pictures we got from the ultrasound we did around the beginning week 10. The fetus is at the top of the area that looks like a distorted black oval (the uterus). It is on its back with the head on the right. You can see tiny arms and legs in this picture. It was moving around quite a bit which was great fun to see.

Taylor

Prenatal #2

We had our second prenatal appointment on Thursday and it went really well. We got to hear the heartbeat again, it was 160 again which is great. I also got a lovely massage and we met Stephanie (the 3rd member of our birth team) who I knew from Birthingway. I am really excited about the team and feel really confident and comfortable about our care. We have our genetic screening blood work and ultrasound (nuchal translucency) scheduled for next Friday.

My boobs continue to expand at an alarming rate (did I mention the size H bra?) but I am trying be calm about it...sometimes hard when you see people after a couple weeks and they stare in fascinated horror at your chest (yes, M and M I am talking about you). I still am feeling tired but a little better and I have a little poochy tummy now...yes, I know we need to post a picture.

My mother is stopping by on her way to move to Kansas which is sad because I would have liked having her here for the pregnancy (not the birth!). So I am off to enjoy time with her while she is here!

Week 11: The energy slowly returns

Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and is about the size of fig and 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.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 hiccuping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.

Hi again!

Pregnancy so far for me has been like having a low grade flu or seasickness; I am tired all of the time and exist in one of three states: super hungry, just ate, or nauseated. I haven't had any actual vomiting which I have been shocked by as I am the queen of puking when sick but haven't had to deal with that at all. Probably a little too much information but in the spirit of keeping those of you who might be considering pregnancy in the know (or those w/pregnant friends/family/partners etc.) I will tell you that constipation and gas are a big reality for the pregnant people. Taylor can vouch for this as my digestive issues and an odd and scary pain in my side ruined most of her birthday and turned me into a pain filled cranky bitch. Oh well!! better than the year I had just had my appendix out or the year we spent her birthday in a U-Haul with two terrified cats.

I sincerely apologize for all of you who have wanted to get together or have e-mailed/called (especially Rachel, Stephanie, and Hillary). I seriously spend most of my off time sitting, sleeping or sitting and sleeping at the same time. However, I have noticed in the last week that my energy level seems to be increasing and my stomach seems to have stabilized a little. I am choosing to hope that this means as the promised land of the second trimester approaches I will start feeling great.

We had a fabulous experience a week or so ago when my boss did an ultrasound for us at work. Taylor's family was in town so Mama, Papa (in the wheelchair), Irene, Leah and David...Taylor and I all piled into the exam room for the ultrasound (yes, it was a vaginal ultrasound but there was a sheet and modesty was maintained!). It was amazing as we were able to hear the heartbeat for the first time (160) and we got to see it move its little stumpy arms and legs. It actually is starting to look like a baby...okay it had a head at least which I consider progress. David promises us that he is going to put a video of the ultrasound on the blog so we will harass him until it happens.

Much love to you all...I hope the increase in energy means I can post more! :)

Megan

P.S. We went to Portland Pride and can't wait to take the baby next year to march in a parade!