24w Bump Pics

Dear Belly Button.....

Dear Belly Button,

My connection to life is what you once were,
Now your old appearance seems to be such a blur!

Deep and wide, quite a cute little "inny",
One body part that never changed whether fat or skinny!

Once pierced, and decorated with jewels you were in,
Now you've just left a giant hole in my skin!

With a sneeze or a cough you pop out to say hello,
For now you sink back down, but soon back in you may not go!

Through my shirt you can be seen, just a little lump,
If you'd like a good laugh ask to take a peek at my baby bump!

See you in a few months, with baby Kane in tow,
My old belly button will be back, the perfect "inny" I used to know!

Love,

Pregnant Ashley

22 week Dr. Appt.

This morning Chip and I went in for our 22 week check-up! We were only there for about 15min. believe it or not. The Doctor came in, and right away went for the Doppler to hear the heart beat. woosh woosh woosh! All was well with baby Kane, a nice strong heart beat!

We got the results from the CVS blood test, and it came back negative for downs syndrome which was good to hear. We had a few questions for the doctor like when I would have my glucose test for gestational diabetes and when we could schedule our Lamaze classes. You know Chip and I, always trying to rush things! haha, the doctor told us that at our next appt. (28 weeks) I would have the glucose test, and that's also when we would schedule our classes as well as pre-check-in to the hospital.

I also had the doctor examine the backs of my legs on my calves. Apparently I've added lovely stretch marks along with broken capillaries to my symptoms list! I had no clue they were even there, but you can never sneak something by my mom, and she caught it. We just wanted to make sure it was normal and not linked to preeclampsia, but all looked normal!

Alrighty, well that was about it for our 22 week appointment! Chip wanted me to add this into the blog today to let all of you know about our little guys name, so enjoy!

The boy's name Kane \k(a)-ne\ is pronounced kayn. It is of Irish and Gaelic origin, and its meaning is "little battler". Anglicised form of Cathán, derived from "cath" meaning "battle". Kane (kah-NAY) is also a Japanese surname. (haha this must be why he's kicking so much! I knew we were having the next Karate Kid!!!)

**Congrats to all of the family and friends who were members of the class of 2009!**

Courtney Albertson
Justin Albertson
Nicholas Albertson
Christa Black
Steven Hesse
Patrick Kernstine
Ian Lyons
Jessy Wilder

22 weeks--Braxton Hicks Contractions

Here are some fun facts on where Baby Kane is in his development:

• Baby is about 11 inches long and weighs in at about 1 pound.

• The eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed, and the fingernails cover the fingertips.

• Sounds from a conversation are loud enough to be heard by the fetus in the uterus.

• If you talk, read, or sing to your baby, it's reasonable to expect him or her to be able to hear you.

• The top of your uterus is now about 1 inch (3cm) above your bellybutton.

Over the past week I've been introduced to the wonderful world of Braxton Hicks Contractions! What are they, some of you may ask?? Well here's what google told me about these little unexpected jolts I've been feeling.

• Braxton Hicks contractions are sporadic uterine contractions that start about 6 weeks into your pregnancy, although you won't be able to feel them that early. You probably won't start to notice them until sometime after mid-pregnancy, if you notice them at all. (Some women don't.) They get their name from John Braxton Hicks, an English doctor who first described them in 1872.

I had noticed this "cramp" that would come and go, and I didn't pay much attention to it since I had no idea what it was. But last Sunday night as I was reading my "What to Expect when you're expecting" for the 5th month chapter, Braxton Hicks came up and I was like "OH! This is what I've been having!" Then sure enough I had one and made Chip feel it. It was like my whole lower abdomen turned hard as a rock all of a sudden, stayed like that for a few minutes, was uncomfortable, then went away.

This week I had to break down and buy a few new bra's. The 34 C's I borrowed from my Mom were cutting off my circulation, and my cup was over flowing! Chip and I took a trip to Motherhood Maternity and bought 2 nursing bra's, good for now and even better for when the baby comes! I never thought I go into a store and buy 38C & 38D bras! Absolutely crazy!

Also.....L.A. Lakers won the NBA finals....If you know me, you know I HATE BASKETBALL....But...I LOVE CHIP.....So........I have been watching Basketball....NOW IT'S FINALLY OVER!!!!! YAY!!!! NO MORE BASKETBALL!!!!....Oh yea, Congrats Lakers, whatever.

**Happy Birthday Dana Leigh fellow Mommy to be!**

I have another Dr's appt. this Thursday, more updates to come!

21 Weeks--New Purchase--Craft Project

So as the days pass Chip and I seem to be just going along, checking things off our list in preparation for little Kane. We were invited to a "Baby Show" sponsored by Babee-Tenda. This 3 hour seminar featured many different consumer reports of the typical baby products that new parents are sure to go out and buy. Also since Babee-Tenda sponsored it, they had a few of their products for sale. This company has been around for over 60 years and once they were done with their schpeal we were hooked on the baby feeding table. Here are come pictures of the features, also visit www.babeetenda.com to check out the crib they make, it looks pretty awesome too!

We really thought this was a great product and here are some of the points that sold us.

1) The table is 24" square and rolls through any normal 30" door. The size and shape of the table provides your baby with a "safe zone".

2) The padded innerseat adjusts to 8 different positions and is vinyl-backed for easy cleaning.

3) The removable high pressure laminate tray easily slides out for easy access and is supported by grooves in the sides. Baby cannot be pinched by the tray.

4) Widespread, angle legs and low center of gravity create a non-tip design.

5) Double 2" barrel caster roll easily, even over carpet.

6) The aircraft-quality extruded aluminum legs are reinforced with a solid hardwood core which can be lock at 21", 24" or 27" high.

7) A unique load lock-up prevents all leg adjustment while the child is in the table.

8) The tension lock fastens the tray securely in the proper position.

Also this weekend we had a craft project to complete! We went to A.C. Moore and got letters to spell Kane's name. We painted them to coordinate with the colors in the nursery. We also bought a hat hook rack to paint a little later on. Here's how the letters turned out! Chip painted the "K" & "N" and I did the "A" & "E"!

I thought they turned out pretty good! Still lots more little decorations to do in the nursery, but things seem to be coming along!

So some of you know Chip and I have been thinking about doing cloth diapering little Kane. Please save your sighs and gasps for later! haha! When I've mentioned this to people many responses have been negative and from people who haven't seen what's new today in cloth diapering. There are many common misconceptions of what it is to cloth diaper here in 2009...This is not your grandmother's cloth diaper, they are prefolded, they don't involve HUGE METAL PINS, & in most cases look a lot like your every day disposable diaper. Cloth Diapering appeals to us 1/2 for the cost we'll be saving in the long run & 1/2 for the way lower environmental impact. Here are some pictures and fast facts.

• Disposable diapers are actually more likely to cause diaper rashes than properly cleaned cloth diapers. Not only do they tend to be left on the baby longer (leading to ammonia and bacteria buildup) but they are also more likely to cause rashes for a variety of other reasons.
• Disposable diapers generate sixty times more solid waste and use twenty times more raw materials, like crude oil and wood pulp.
• Over 300 pounds of wood, 50 pounds of petroleum feedstocks and 20 pounds of chlorine are used to produce disposable diapers for one baby EACH YEAR.
• The options available today prove that cloth diapering doesn't have to be inconvenient. Cloth diapers nowadays are fitted with elastic in the legs and back area and have easy hook and loop closures or snaps. Many different fabric choices and absorbency levels allow parents to choose the best diapering system for the individual needs of their child.

Please visit www.softclothbunz.com to see EVERYTHING that's available now-a-days, there is so much to choose from that could fit almost any size and life style. We will most likely begin to cloth diaper Kane once he's gained some size around 6 months, and is done going through 20 diapers a day!!

20 week Ultra Sound!!!

Hello all! So today was our "Big Ultra Sound" for our 20 week appointment. We made it to the Naval Hospital at 7am this morning ready to see our little one again. To make a really long story short, our ultra sound tech was "new to the equipment" and our 45 min. appointment took an hour and a half...NOT HAPPY...Anyways, Kane was in prefect health! All of his little organs were the right size and working properly, so all was well! Also as of last night Chip was able to feel Kane kicking from the outside! This was sooo exciting for both of us, and a huge milestone for us in the pregnancy. Here are some pictures of our little baby boy. The first is a great profile picture, and the second is...well...proof that "it's a boy"!!

CONGRATS--Friends Katie & Brandon Varner had their baby girl Elania Elizabeth on May 26th!!!

Also just this evening, my cousin Lauren had her baby girl! Lauren & Daniel welcomed Kelsey Marie at 6:35pm 7lbs. 2oz. 20 1/2 inches--CONGRATS!!!! (picture below)