16 WEEKS!

I can't believe I've reached the 4 month mark already... how time flies! The belly is definitely starting to become a 'baby bump'. It's about time to go shopping for some maternity clothes! Luckily, the nausea has waned and I'm feeling much more energetic. Really looking forward to this 2nd trimester.

Above are pics of little Ellory Faith Plohg sucking her thumb and waving at us! Such a little cutie pie.

Baby's Development This Week

Week 16 of Pregnancy: Baby's Hearing Develops

Tiny bones in Ellory's ears are in place this week, making it likely that the baby can hear my voice when I'm speaking (or singing in the shower). In fact, studies have found that babies who are sung to while they're in the womb recognize the same tune when it's sung to them after they are born (so choose your baby Muzak with that in mind…). And baby's busily boning up in other ways. For one, the backbone (along with the back muscles) is stronger now — strong enough, in fact, to enable your baby to work on straightening his or her head and neck even more. Baby's crown-to-rump measurement is between four and five inches in length, and weight is hovering around three ounces.

This little one's a looker — with a face that has both eyebrows and eyelashes — but a skinny looker since there's no baby fat yet. And here's the skinny on baby skin: It's practically translucent now, so if you took a peek inside your uterus, you'd be able to see your baby's blood vessels under that thin skin.

Tonka Truck or Tiara???

At my sonogram on Friday we were officially inducted into TEAM PINK!!! Jim & I are so excited to be expecting a little lady. Of course, we had an inkling... referring to baby as 'she' and 'her' since week 4! Jim is admittedly nervous about the thoughts of having a daughter, and already insisted she attend an all-girls school until college. Oh, and no dating until she's 30. But boy will she be spoiled with LOVE.

Sonogram pics are coming!

1 Year Anniversary as New Yorkers!

I can't believe that on this day last year Jim & I reached the destination of our cross country trek into New York City, with our rented Chevy Tahoe XL pulling a U-haul packed full of our 'living necessities'. My how time flies! So much has happened... Jim started his job, which grew into a passion, we traveled to Dubai, I started & stopped working for SoNu Beverages, dabbled in personal training, we moved from being Upper East Siders to Upper West Siders, and most importantly - we conceived! I wonder where we'll be and what we'll be doing this time next year???

12 Week Sonogram

We may be a bit biased, but how perfect does Baby Plohg look?????

Baby's Development This Week

Week 12 of Pregnancy: Fetal Organs and Systems

This week marks a turning point for our baby. The herculean task of developing new bodily structures is nearing an end as most of your baby's systems are fully formed. Now comes the maintenance phase, during which our fetus' systems continue to mature for the next 28 weeks and the organs get to work. Our little fetus weighs as much as half an ounce now, and the crown-to-rump length is about two and a half inches (the size of a large plum — busily working his or her way through the whole produce department). It's hard to believe (especially from the outside, since you're probably barely showing at this point), but baby has more than doubled in size during the past three weeks. And that's just on the outside — there's plenty going on inside too. The fetal digestive system is beginning to flex its digestive muscle — literally — as it starts practicing contraction movements, a skill our baby will need after birth to push food through the digestive tract. The pituitary gland at the base of the brain has started producing hormones. And the bone marrow is making white blood cells, which will one day help our baby fight infection (including all those germs passed around the snot-nosed playgroup).

It's likely that at this month's checkup we'll finally hear our baby's heartbeat — a sound that will make our heart race with joy!

Baby on the way

With a little bundle of joy due to join our family on March 10, 2009, I thought it would be fun for us & our families if I documented the journey to parenthood!

Here you will find updates on our lives and my pregnancy. Today I am 14 weeks (horray!), and while I still feel pretty rotten physically, I feel much more at ease mentally. We have had 3 sonograms that show a very healthy, growing (ahead of schedule, no doubt) baby... and should know whether to buy a Tonka truck or a tiara by next Friday!