halfway there!

halfway is a big milestone in pregnancy!

the first half has been a breeze, now i hope my belly gets bigger, the baby grows strong, and the second half is just as wonderful!

I've begun to have what feels like bubbles in my belly, what the doctors say is the first signs of feeling the baby's movement. before long, I'm sure she'll be kicking at my tummy non stop!

and this week (19 weeks) I've been told something weird... baby looks like a mango dipped in cheese due to a little growth spurt (she's about a half pound in weight and six inches long) and covered in a substance called vernix caseosa. This greasy white stuff covers her skin, protecting her from the amniotic fluid. (Without it, she'd look totally wrinkled as she entered into our world.)

mommy graphics

names, anyone?

searching for names for our baby girl...

we've come up with some and are still thinking of the perfect one.

... a name that makes you smile, makes you happy, and makes you feel good!!

suggestions greatly welcomed!

our growing angel

from this picture and her wide open mouth, i think she is going to love to talk (or sing!)

i think she was yawning from all the summersaults she's been doing!

little tiny fingers, giving us a wave, just saying hi!

the back and spine bone, everything looking perfect!

leaving paradise

Unfortunately, the day has arrived when i have to say so long to the beautiful island of Antigua.

I am going to greatly miss the heavenly beaches and warm sunny skies, but can't wait for the move to Panama and the new bundle of joy soon to arrive! I'm really looking forward to a short trip back home, visiting family, getting to see Toby, and a sweet, juicy orange!

some pictures from the beach....

moving along ... 18.5 weeks ... my bump, my lovely little bump ...

I have to stay updated on the other blog,

Scott and Lesley's Adventure blog....

http://leroyspanama.blogspot.com

cloud nine

today was wonderful.

that is putting it mildly.

after spending the afternoon taking wonderful pictures at the beach, i called the doctors office to see if i could get in for an ultrasound appointment. they know my voice, i have called every day, trying to get in. but today was different. instead of hearing they were booked and there was no availability, they took my number. five minutes later, they called back and said to come in, the doctor could see me. wahoo. we rushed into town and after trying to find a parking spot, not able to locate the office, and waiting for an hour in the waiting room, it happened.

lesley leroy, please come.

so scott and i went into the room, i got applied some 'warm jelly' and we told the doctor we had come to find out the sex of our baby. he didn't mess around, he got right down to it. within moments, the ultrasound of our baby revealed what we had been waiting to determine...

we are having a baby girl!

it was a wonderful, joyful time, and we continued the ultrasound of the entire baby, from the top of the head to the tiny little toes. everything was perfect. good health. all of the measurements were normal.

cloud nine. that is where we are.

orange you good

oranges, oh how i love you.

i can't wait to get a hold of a sweet, juicy florida orange.
i was so happy today i got to have a form of my favorite citrus fruit...

a mangerine!

you will only find these in antigua. a mix between a mandarin and a tangerine.
quite interesting. but very juicy.

went great with sweet tarts and dove dark chocolate.

registry

Most everyone knows my overwhelming ability to get...overwhelmed.

That was my feelings on baby registries, and when I was first asked about it, I said that I would not register, because I didn't know where to begin and figured it would be overwhelmingly, immensely too much stuff.

So then the more I kept getting asked, the more I pondered.

Then I took the plunge, I went to www.babiesrus.com ... but just for a peek!

Then I stopped. There was overwhelmingly way too many things.

Baby Care. Baby Gear. Baby Toys. Feeding. Bath & Potty. Clothing. Nursery. Health & Safety.

Where would I start?!

So as I let the memory of www.babiesrus.com linger in my head for a week, I went back on a couple of days ago and checked out more 'baby registry' sites. I was still overwhelmed, but this time, shocked by how many things were either pink or blue. (My frustration for still not finding out the sex of our baby is pretty high, but my patience have taken over, and know the time will come soon!) So I surfed the internet, looking at all of the products made just for a baby.

And then I decided, I am going to register. I had no idea that there were so many necessary items for a baby, and as many as I can receive would be wonderful. I am going to pick out the items that we would like that I can take to Panama, and then the bulkier items (like crib, stroller, changing table) I can purchase there.

So my baby registry hunt begins... and I am not so overwhelmed anymore. It's very, very exciting!

you're a ... what?

As much as my body is growing and changing, the baby is doing a lot more changing than I am.

I get updated with emails about your changes, babys developments, pregnancy articles, etc. and each of them tells you how far along you are, what the baby looks like that week and the developments. The funny part is, each different email I get describes the baby as something different, in terms of how big it is.

One says that Baby's now the size of a sweet potato, passing the hours yawning, hiccupping and rolling. Another says the baby is about 5 to 5 1/2 inches long from top to tail, about the size of a lobster tail. And while another says my uterus is the size of a melon, our summersaulting baby is about the size of a pickle from the deli!

While I haven't decided which food I prefer to call the baby, I know that it is happy, enjoys when I listen to music and from all the ready I have done, it already likes to read!

“Doctor says to a man "You're pregnant!" The man says "How does a man get pregnant?" The doctor says "The usual way, a little wine, a little dinner...."”

tomorrow marks 18 weeks!

I am feeling good, just waiting for the day I can get to the doctor so they can tell the sex of the little one! There is another place on island that can do a 3d ultrasound, but they are booked until February, so I am going to keep my fingers crossed that I can get in this coming week. It still remains a mystery... but I am already so in love with our baby.

"A mother's joy begins when new life is stirring inside... when a tiny heartbeat is heard for the very first time, and a playful kick reminds her that she is never alone."

fresh outta the shower, took a quick belly shot!

18 weeks- only 22 more to go!

oh, technology!

so today was the day.

was the day.

we were so excited going to the doctors today for my ultrasound. we got there, all anxious to find out the sex of our baby, met with the doctor, only for her to tell us that the machine they use cannot detect the sex until about 20 weeks along. are you kidding me? i had called and they said come in at atleast 16 weeks to find out! so... because the technology in Antigua is from the 1970s, we were unable to find out the sex. Boy, girl, boy, girl.... it still goes unanswered.

However, we were still able to have an ultrasound, see the little baby, who waved to us while doing cartwheels. Talented little thing!

Everything looked good, the baby is healthy and on track. Good news! I even gained 10 pounds (just haven't figured out where it's gone yet!)

"All that I'm after is a life full of laughter
As long as I'm laughin' with you"

little bean

oh, sweet child in my belly...

i love you and cannot wait to meet you!

but, for the time being, can you please let me get some sleep?

i have become very familiar with tossing and turning lately and have found it much harder to get some rest. also, i came down with a stomach bug, feeling a mix between stomache, headache and just plain nausea. i thought that was not supposed to happen after the first trimester!

scott and i are so excited to find out the sex on tuesday.

boy... girl... boy... girl?

starting to show

Made it to 16 weeks, 4 months! wahoo!

I feel great and my belly is starting to finally show.

We are going to the doctor next week in Antigua to find out whether our little one is a boy or a girl. We are so excited, and can't wait to find out... then we can start picking out names!

16 weeks!

15 weeks preggo