20 week ultrasound pictures

You sure have a squirmy baby!

That's a direct quote from our ultrasound technician. NO KIDDING! :) We had the "big" ultrasound this week, our 20th. Everything is progressing just as it should. We got to see the 3D/4D ultrasound which showed our baby's little face. S/he blew us a kiss, did some toe-touches and rolls, but couldn't keep still long enough to get a good picture of the face. We have plenty of legs, arms, organs, etc.

Here's what's going on with the baby developmentally: 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!

Here's a picture of me at 20 weeks 2 days. This weekend, my yoga instructor (who knew I was pregnant) told me I didn't have to suck in my stomach. I told her I couldn't even if I wanted to!

One week down, 13 more to go!

I just completed the first week of my second semester in the part-time MBA program at George Washington University. Oh yeah!!!

It actually wasn’t bad at all. I feel very fortunate that five or six people I met last semester are also in some of my classes for this semester. Coming from a small undergraduate school (there was less then 1,000 people in my graduating class) I find it comforting to already know and trust people in each of my classes.

On the down side, it means I’m back to hauling my bag of books back and forth on the METRO again. Since the morning commute on the Orange Line is really a vicious fight for seats and then standing room, I often find that my book bag is the best device for getting a seat for Anne and/or keeping others from getting too close to us. I have so much stuff crammed into this bag that it’s almost impossible to get around it without breaking one of the unspoken codes of METRO conduct.

However, by the time I’m heading home, my book bag becomes something of a liability. Perhaps it’s simply because I haven’t really been toting it around for a month, but it also seems heavier than last semester. I admit that within a day of carrying it, my head, neck and shoulders just start screaming for some Aleve.

I can only imagine what it will be like carrying all of my stuff and the baby’s…

What a goal!

Obviously, this guy is not putting all these kiddos through daycare in DC!

19 weeks

Here I am at 19 weeks, 2 days.

The baby is the size of 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.

The jeans I'm wearing in this picture are not maternity jeans. They are the super-low-rise variety that was popular about 5 years ago. The "waist" was always a little loose ... so there's plenty of room for growth! Wearing these jeans before pregnancy, I always felt:
1) A little trampy, and
2) That my pants were going to fall down at any minute.
Who knew that all I needed to do was add a long maternity top (and a pregnant bod) and it would fix everything?

150 days until due date!

There are only 150 days until our due date of June 7. Only about 5% of women give birth on their due date, according to my highly accurate random Google search.

18 weeks, 2 days ... feeling much better than first trimester now. However, the belly is getting much bigger.

So, after work, we went to get groceries at the local Harris Teeter. Normally, this would be a pretty boring affair. I was wearing a sweater and tie. Anne had the day off and so was wearing her comfortable clothes: maroon yoga pants and a green hooded sweatshirt with, "Everybody Loves an Irish Girl" stitched on the front. She also hadn't had a shower that day. Now, we had a pretty long list of groceries and so we split the list between the two of us. I took off to get my items, leaving Anne with the shopping cart. After a few return trips to drop off the items with Anne, I found myself in a tight spot. I couldn't find the Gruyere cheese!Anne too couldn't find the Gruyere, so I told her I would look a little longer if she wanted to move on to the next items on her list. She agreed and I circled the cheese stand, searching for a little piece of Switzerland. Boy was that a mistake.When my eyes and my nose failed to locate the precious Gruyere, I hustled to catch up with Anne. As I approached Anne, I noticed a sly smile on her face."What's Up?" I asked.Suffice to say, my modest wife was smiling because a young man had approached her and asked if I was her boyfriend. She replied no, that was her husband. The young man, embarrassed, then replied that I was a lucky man, and quickly retreated from the scene. I told Anne that I totally agree with the man and congratulated her. She's still got the magic!

2008 -- Expecting the Unexpected

Well, it's 2008 & time to come to terms with the fact that this is the year that our lives will really change. On or around June 7, we'll be joined by the littlest Ladewig, our first child. Being pregnant has already meant a lot of changes: no more alcohol, no more caffeine, and no more staying up past 10PM. It also means doing something I never thought I'd do: willingly posting unflattering pictures of myself on the Internet. But, due to many requests, I'll be doing just that and posting my "progress pics" right here. Jon suggested in the interest of equal time, I should post some unflattering pictures of him as well. Maybe I'll just include some stats on our belly race. I started with a waist 9 inches smaller than his. I'm now only 4 inches smaller, with a rounded belly slightly resembling a toddler's.