Baby Pool and Week 18 & 19 week update

Even though baby Rohde isn't due until this Summer, we thought it would be fun to set-up a baby pool to record your guesses! Thank you for being a part of welcoming our son, Elliot Kurt, into the world!

Here's the cite:

http://bebepool.com/BabyRohde

Elliot:

18 weeks: After some name research and even an online poll of name spelling we have decided that Elliot's name will be spelled with 1 t and not 2. Now for the baby stats: He should weigh approx. 6.5 ounces and is 13.97 centimeters long from crown to rump, or about the size of a large pickle. His digestive system is starting to produce meconium, its first fecal matter. Elliot's brain is growing rapidly. By this stage, all of the major areas have been differentiated. The cortical layers, which govern specific brain functions, are beginning to form. He may exhibit signs of a primitive body language in utero, such as recoiling when the needle for the amniocentesis comes too close for comfort. Within the next few weeks, he'll be able to hear voices outside the womb and respond positively to music or loving words. Since week 14, I have been playing Classical music for both him and I using my iPod. While I know there is no evidence that it "makes a smart baby" I think of it more of a special time for me to feel him move around and a nice, relaxing hour with my feet up.

19 weeks: He weighs approximately 8 ounces and is about 6 inches from crown to rump. The exterior layers of skin tissue are developing to form her one-of-a-kind fingerprints. The amniotic fluid that surrounds Elliot allows for him to freely move his arms and legs and is also sometimes swallowed to practice digestion. Elliot's sensory development is exploding! His brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on his scalp is sprouting.

My baby bump at 18 weeks:

My baby bump at 19 weeks:

Mommy: I've been feeling pretty good minus backaches and the lingering nausea. I picked up a few ADORABLE outfits for Elliot and I can't wait to see him wear them! Chris and I also made our first official baby purchase, the stroller! It was too good of a deal to pass up between the stroller sale and a 20% off coupon on top. We got the Bertini B5 travel system in the Valencia pattern and we both LOVE IT! The travel system means it is not only the stroller but the car seat that Elliot will use until he is 35 lbs. Overall, I've had a great week and I finally have cravings: Marinara sauce (which I normally hate) and Ben & Jerry's chocolate fudge brownie ice cream (yummmy!). Check back often for baby updates and bump pictures.

Daddy: Chris has continued to be such great support during the pregnancy, calming me when I'm nervous about a weird twinge and taking charge over most of the house chores!! He was super excited for the stroller and decided to put it together after returning home from a Superbowl party at 11:30 at night. 30 minutes later and it was fully assembled and looks great. We even did an "infomercial" style preview for the parents (somehow he talked me into 'starring' in it). I love how excited he is ... I've even seen him going into the guest room to play with / test the stroller almost every night.

Here is a picture of the stroller:

Oops!! Baby Rohde is a ...

BOY!!!!!

2 thighs and his BOY parts (left side of picture)

Another great picture proving he is in fact a BOY, his other leg is hiding behind the placenta.

Yes, you read this correctly! Baby Rohde is actually a BOY and not a girl. Official name: Elliot Kurt Rohde. This name is especially important as Chris' dad's name was Kurt and it means so much for us to use his name for our son.

As you know (or previously read) "Bellyot" was not very cooperative during last week's ultrasound and thus I was a little apprehensive about the girl announcement. Although I DID have an ultrasound which, while difficult to capture, appeared to look like that of a girl including lots of great back shots as the baby evidently likes to curl up in a ball and face away from the camera, lol.

You may ask: "What made you second guess it?" Well many things actually ... the picture didn't have the classic "3 lines" that a girl sonogram would have, some people we showed didn't see the girl parts either, and really I just didn't feel like it was really a girl - I guess my Mommy's intuition has kicked in?

I went for a 2nd ultrasound this afternoon at a different location. Elliot instantly cooperated and was spread eagle for the camera. The first thing the tech said was "Oh my, Proud Boy!" ... LOL. There is no mistaking that this is a boy! We got some great shots, too! I emailed the original person we had Friday's session with and she was so upset as this was the 1st error in over 9 years of her practice! She invited us back to get a full session again, including CD of pictures and a DVD free of charge. Of course we took her up on it and got a bunch of great pictures of Mr. Elliot! She felt so bad that we were unsure and ultimately surprised by new results, she insisted that she give us cash for the sonogram we paid for today. She also upgraded our original package to the "Watch me grow" where I will go back free of charge for an ultrasound, picture CD, pictures, and DVD at 24 weeks and 30 weeks. She also gave us an adorable frame to put a few of ultrasound pictures in... minus the error (which was NO fault of hers - it was because our stubborn son) I am so pleased with our experiences there.

Sooooo bring on the BLUE!! Even though we were beyond excited for a girl, we're very very excited for a boy! I always wanted a big brother when growing up so maybe #2 will be a girl and have a big brother to be her body guard! lol

16 -17 weeks +

Bellyot: He or she will HOPEFULLY have a new title by this Friday!! We're so excited for our gender determination ultrasound this coming Friday (Jan 29th) ... will it be an Elliott Kurt or a Gwendolyn Elizabeth?? Still taking guesses on what you think "it" is ...

Our baby continues to be busy growing and developing inside of me. He/she is now the size of an avocado, measuring 4 1/2 inches and weighing approximately 3 ounces. His/her heart is now pumping 25 quarts of blood every day and his/her bladder is emptying every 45 minutes. The limbs are even more developed and their movements have become increasing coordinated. [Elise, I know you will like that part]. He/she doesn't yet have any hair, but the patterning of his scalp has begun. A growth spurt is just around the corner! In the coming weeks he/she will double in weight and add inches to his/her frame.


Mommy: Can't believe I'm almost finished with my 4th month of pregnancy and well into my 2nd trimester!! I am feeling the baby move more regularly this week, instead of a feeling like feather, it feels more like a tapping sensation. Either way, I love when it surprises me and makes me so excited for the real kicks ahead. I attended Chi Omega initiation this week and I can't help but wonder if this was Gwendolyn's very first Chi Omega initiation oooooor did Elliott overhear Chi Omega secrets... haha.

I had an OB appointment on 1/19 and heard our little baby's heartbeat via doppler - a strong 161 bpm!! And with no prompting from me, Doctor Langley jokingly said "Hmmmm, sounds like a very girl rate to me". I of course perked up and told him all the research I had done on the heartbeat Old Wives tale and he said that it is exactly what I said ... An old wives tale and it has to be right at least 50% of the time... LOL. And then he said "It doesn't surprise me that you've researched this" He is really funny and already learning that I'm a little excited about this stuff. He did say that if he had to make a guess, he would guess it's a girl. Shhhhh, don't tell Chris! Just kidding, he's excited for whatever it happens to be ... boy or girl!

I've also been feeling the not-so-fun stretching pains and aches that come along with growing a baby. I've been getting lots of round ligament pains this week which are not fun and really scared me at first. I spoke with my Dr at my appointment and he reminded me that growing a baby isn't a painless process and I am feeling very normal pains of pregnancy. He said that the 2nd and 3rd trimesters are full of growth and that means my uterus is stretching and expanding to support everything. I'm also having lower back pain which is another fun reaction to my growing uterus and baby.

Achievement of the week: I scheduled all of my pregnancy classes!!

I will be taking the Epidural class February 15th at Lakeland Regional Medical Center (LRMC) where I will be delivering our little bundle of joy. Would you believe that they WILL NOT give someone an epidural unless they have taken this course!??!! So my Doctor strongly suggests that everyone of his patients take it regardless of their birth plan in the case that they want an epidural on D-day. I have not decided one way or another but I'm not at all against getting an epidural. I'm not entirely sure of my pain threshold so I want to be prepared and BE ABLE to get one if I want it. Also, I want to know at what point it's too late to get one ... I don't want to miss my window of opportunity. LOL

I'm also signed up for the Birthing class (aka Lamaze) beginning April 8th every Monday night until April 29th from 6:30 - 9 PM. Chris will attend this class with me and we'll learn about all the fun things to expect during childbirth. Yay!

In June, we are registered for a Breastfeeding 101 course on June 7th and a Newborn Care and First Aid class on June 14th both from 6:30-9PM. Can't wait to learn all this new stuff!

Daddy: Chris is SOOOO excited for the big reveal this Friday! He's still rooting for a boy but I know if we find out its a girl, little Miss Gwendolyn will have him wrapped around her tiny finger from day 1 and probably before then. Chris has continued to treat me like a princess and hardly lets me lift a finger ... I did help out with house chores this week as he started back to school this week.

This weekend should be lots of fun ... our appointment is at 5:00 on Friday, followed by double date (and maybe triple date) night with Briana and Dave Muley where we will make the big reveal by wearing PINK or BLUE shirts!!! We planned a similiar reveal for telling the family on Saturday afternoon. We'll be meeting my parents and his mom at Toojay's in Sarasota for brunch also wearing our Blue or Pink colored shirts. After lunch we'll head back to my parent's house to show them the DVD of the ultrasound session. Can't wait!!!

Sorry Facebook friends and family, we won't post an announcement until Saturday afternoon/evening after we tell the parents...

Your prayers worked!!

Thank you to everyone who sent prayers and well wishes our way for Peyton!!! They worked!! We received GREAT news today - her lab reports all came back within normal limits and she is totally fine! Doctor said, "Peyton has a great report card today, better than we could have ever hoped for and she will be just fine." THANK YOU GOD!!! The Dr thinks we caught her in the middle or end of an UTI. Best news is that even if she did have a UTI, her body fought it off just fine without medication. As a preliminary / long-term precaution we have decided to switch her food which will be better for her kidneys, liver, and heart. We will also be taking her back in 3 months (April) for another full panel just to make sure everything is looking the way it should.

Thank you again for thinking of us and Peyton, we really appreciate it!!

With love,

Please pray for our Princess Peyton!!!

We are asking for prayers for our puppy Peyton!! We've recently received some test results that indicate that her kidneys are not working properly. This is devastating news for us and we can't imagine our lives without our little Peytie!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PRAY that this is something that is easily corrected with monitoring and medication. She is so young and full of life ... little Miss Peyton is 4 and will be turning 5 on February 3rd. This scare comes exactly 1 year after her diagnosis with Melanoma. I strongly believe that our little girl is a fighter and that nothing will bring her down. Anyone who has met Peyton knows that she is full of life and acts just like a puppy - even the Drs think she is a puppy until they see she was born in 2005.

THANK YOU for praying for our puppy Peyton!!

In my 15th week

Bellyot: Our baby weighs about 2.5 ounces and is approximately 4 inches in length (crown to rump). About the size of an apple. His/her legs are now longer than her arms and it's bones are getting harder and stronger! His or her heart is growing strong and, even though it is little, it is pumping between 20 and 25 quarts of blood every 24 hours! By the time I am ready to deliver, our baby's heart will be circulating up to 300 quarts of blood every 24 hours. Many fetuses develop their future hairline this week, although it can take quite a bit longer for others. Will our baby have red, blonde or brown hair? He or she is also moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract. This action helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. And even though his/her eyes will remain fused shut until approximately 26 weeks, he/she can actually sense light in your womb!

Mommy: I am going between both due dates figuring that the baby will come when he or she is ready to make his or her debut! I doubt the 4 day difference really matters too much but either way I am technically 14 weeks 2 days according to my original July 9th due date but 14 weeks 6 days according to the July 4th due date. Either way, I am in my 15th week of pregnancy since I have completed 14 weeks in full (pregnancy calculations are confusing). Anyway, as you can see from above, I'm starting to get a baby bump!! While its small for now I am in maternity clothes due to the fact none of my pre-pregnancy pants fit. Some shirts do but they aren't long enough to cover the awesome belly band of the prego pants. Most of my dresses fit (I love A-line!!) but it has been WAY TOO cold to wear my dresses. Hopefully it warms up before I out grow them! haha I'm feeling great about 50% but the other 50% is full of nausea, headaches, and backaches and this week a sinus infecton.

In exciting news, I have started to feel the flutters of Bellyot!! It feels like a feather is being wiggled around and tickling me on the inside. I'm pretty sure that is the baby since I felt it once before during an ultrasound and the tech said that it could very well be the baby due to its location and how active the baby is. I can't wait until they are more prominent and Chris can feel them!!

Daddy: Chris continues to get excited! This week he is now doubling as my weekly photographer, hehe. He's putting his new toy (Nikon D5000) to good use!! He's also started to train Peyton to "kiss the baby". It's so cute and Peyton is loving the extra treats just for kissing my belly. She is probably so confused!


~~ Don't forget to cast your vote: Boy or Girl!! ~~

With love,
Connie & Bellyot

What's your vote: Boy or Girl??

Hey all,

Sorry I haven't updated in a while ... Bellyot likes to SLEEP. Lets hope that continues after he/she is born, lol. I've scheduled our 3D ultrasound for January 29th where we will find out if "it" is a BOY or a GIRL!!! I will be 17.5 weeks. Hopefully the little one cooperates. I will have a follow-up (confirmation and regular full anatomy scan) at 21-22 weeks at my OB's office.

So, now is the time to cast your official vote! At the top of the page, you will see a poll. Be sure to make your vote before January 29th - we'll check back often to see how many think BLUE and how many think PINK!!!

Drum roll please ... Here are the names that we've decided on:

Boy: Elliott Kurt
Girl: Gwendolyn Elizabeth

With love,
Connie & Bellyot