Baby Sonny is a....

Baby Sonny is officially a BOY!!!  Both Jeff and I could not contain our excitement for the 20 week anatomy scan.  It was difficult to sleep last night!  The anatomy scan was a huge success, we got to see Baby Boy Sonny's brain (right and left ventricles and cerebellum), all 4 chambers of his heart, his kidneys, stomach, bladder, distinct bones, and even blood supply.  Last but not least, we could see a penis!  I even had the OB verify when he rescanned me, just to double check!

Profile pic, face on the right, nose up, body on the left

 A foot, it's amazing how developed the bones are

 Another profile pic, face on the right, body on the left

Baby Sonny's face, not the clearest image

Hand

And we have a boy!  I know the photo is not convincing, which is why I had the OB recheck.  

But rest assured, Jeff and I are CERTAIN that we have a boy on the way!  

Is it possible to embarrass your children before they are even born?!

Half Baked!

We are celebrating that Baby Sonny has reached the 20 week mark!  Half way there and doing great!  Baby Sonny is about 10 ounces and is measuring 6.5 inches from crown (head) to rump (bum), or about 10 inches from head to toe.  Baby Sonny is approximately the size of a cantaloupe.  Baby Sonny is starting to produce meconium, the result of digestion, and this will eventually pass in his/her first diaper.

This past week Oma and Opa have traveled up from Florida.  My cousins, Cole, Cooper, and Chloe, traveled down from Massachusetts for the weekend.  We had a family "Thanksgiving" dinner on Saturday night.  It was nice to be together.  On Sunday I asked if we could go to a corn maze.  We traveled to a corn maze nearby but soon discovered it was not open this year.  After a quick mobile Google search we found a corn maze 30 minutes away.  And boy was it worth it!  It was more than just a corn maze, it was an 8 acre/3 mile scavenger hunt.  We found all of the items, with only minimal help from other groups.  Thank goodness for the snack center because we all worked up a healthy appetite after the 3 mile course.

This is an exciting week in the Sonneborn household.  Today marks the halfway point for Baby Sonny.  Today also marks one year at St. Francis Hospital for me.  Tomorrow we have our anatomy scan, we will soon find out if Baby Sonny is a boy or a girl!  And Thursday is Jeff's 30th birthday!  Sadly Jeff has an exam Friday morning so we won't get to celebrate his birthday until Friday afternoon.  But that's ok, we'll have a small party and celebrate a new decade!

This week we also purchased bedroom furniture for Baby Sonny.  Thank goodness we placed the order because the furniture might not arrive until the end of January.  What do you think?

19 Weeks

This week Baby Sonny is six inches longs and weighs 8 ounces.  Baby Sonny is approximately the size of a large mango!  The arms and legs are finally in proportion, neurons connect the brain and muscles, and cartilage is turning to bone.  Many of the senses are developing specialized areas in the brain for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch.  And hair is starting to sprout on the scalp!

Last week Jeff and I went down to NoVA for Liz and Tim's wedding.  I was fortunate enough to arrive Thursday night along with the other bridesmaids.  On Friday we all went to the Red Door Salon for massages, manicures, and pedicures.  My pregnancy massage was fantastic!  Friday afternoon was the rehearsal followed by dinner.  Jeff had an exam Friday morning but arrived partway through dinner.  We then had a night cap at the hotel bar (I had a tall glass of water).  On Saturday the girls went for hair and make-up followed by pictures.  And then it was time for the wedding!  The wedding took place on the top story of a building in Tyson's Corner with stellar views of the surrounding city and mountains.  The ceremony was short and sweet and then it was time for dinner and dancing! 

The happy couple right before the ceremony

 George Washington U. PAs

Obligatory pregnancy photo!

This is one day after the wedding, I'm not sure what happened over night but I think my belly is here to stay!

My first stranger comment

While at work on Wednesday night I got my second dinner (yup you heard me) of pumpkin soup at Au Bon Pain.  When I was paying the cashier (whom I see at least once per week) asked "Is this your first?"  I looked at her, and asked "My first overnight call?"  She must have thought I was being silly (or just slow) and said, "No, your first baby."  I couldn't believe that someone could tell that I am pregnant!

Week 18

Baby Sonny is roughly 6 inches long and weighs 8 ounces.  In fruit talk Baby Sonny is about the size of a sweet potato.  The arms and legs are finally in proportion, neurons are connected between the brain and muscles, and cartilage is turning to bone.  Baby Sonny has also started to develop vernix caseosa, which is a greasy white skin covering.  This will help protect his/her skin from the amniotic fluid.

This past week I was fortunate to start shopping for baby furniture and baby gear.  Hannah and I checked out Babies'R'Us and then a small chain store called USA Baby.  I had a lot of fun at USA Baby taking the strollers out for a spin and trying out the car seats.  We even got a demo for the Uppababy Vista.  I got to play with the bassinet, experiment with how easily the bassinet, seat, and car seat could be exchanged, and got to practice folding it up. It was really a lot of fun to try out.  We were also sure to try out some less expensive models ;)

Speaking of baby furniture, I also had my first pregnancy/hormone-induced fight with Jeff.  I got upset over picking out new furniture.  Thank goodness Jeff is so easy going because he took it all in stride.  When I realized how much I had over reacted, he even let me apologize without feeling foolish.  But these pregnancy hormones can be tough to deal with at times!

This past week my friend Mychal came back to CT to visit her friends and family.  Mychal joined me for dinner, red potato pizza and salad, and zumba.  It's a nice cardio-dance workout that each person can do to her own ability and comfort level.  I think Mychal had a good time!  We met up again on Saturday night and went out to a bar for juice!  It was sad to say goodbye but also sad that we never took any photos :(

Later this week Jeff and I will be traveling down to DC for Liz and Tim's wedding.  Best news for me is that my bridesmaid dress still fits!  I cant wait to see Liz (and my other DC friends) again and join in the celebration.  We're having a slumber party Thursday AND Friday night, getting our nails and hair done and the big day will be Saturday.  I'll be sure to post photos from the wedding next week!

Baby Thornton

Hannah and Matt have exciting news to share!  Baby Thornton will be a GIRL!!!   Congrats you guys, Jeff and I can't wait to meet our niece!!!

Maternity Jeans

Maternity jeans are the best invention ever.  The jeans have a little bit of lycra/spandex in the leg but they also have a STRETCHY WAIST!  Which is ideal for lounging on the sofa, going for a walk, driving in the car, and gorging yourself when you are out to eat with your husband.  My jeans even have a zipper, which is functional only in the sense that the zipper works.  The zipper is placed below the elastic waist band, so you don't need to unzip the pants to put them on, making it super quick and easy to get dressed.  I love my maternity jeans so much that I might not want to return to button waistband jeans after Baby Sonny is born :)

And speaking of maternity jeans, here I am wearing my favorite pair!  I have a *small* but growing baby bump now!

Week 17

This week Baby Sonny weighs about 5 ounces and is about 5.5 inches long.  Baby Sonny's nervous system is starting to develop and rapidly mature.  Fat is beginning to accumulate under Sonny's skin and sweat glands are beginning to form.  Baby Sonny's skeleton is changing over from soft cartilage to bone.  According to my books Baby Sonny has learned how to yawn.  Also according to my baby books Baby Sonny is rolling around, punching, and kicking.  But I can't feel any of those movements yet.  I probably will start feeling Sonny in the next few weeks.

I love being pregnant.  I love to sit back on the sofa after work and rub my belly.  And then when I go to bed Jeff and I take a good look at my growing belly.  I can see a baby bump really well when I lay down.  Jeff is less convinced :)  My distinct belly bump disappears when I stand up but I'm definitely starting to look more round.

On a different note, work has been really difficult this week.  I haven't been sleeping well.  Part of the problem is my rotating schedule, working days, long days, and over-nights.  And the other problem is that I've really started worrying if I will be a good mother.  How will I know what to do?  I guess you just prepare the best you can and then when I'm not sure ask for help (from Mom, Suzanne, Emilie, Hannah, my relatives, my friends).  I think I'll learn to manage.  The most reassuring fact is that Jack is thriving, at least I know how to care for a dog.  And the best part is that he wags his tail like a maniac when I come home.  He knows I love him.

More exciting news, Hannah and Matt go for their Baby T anatomy scan tomorrow.  Tomorrow they will know if Baby T is a little boy or girl, how fantastic!  Jeff and I go for our anatomy scan in late October.  I'm trying to move the appointment up because I don't think I can wait that long!

One of my friends from work, Leah, a nurse on the surgical floor, suggested using old wives' tales to predict the sex of the baby.  One method is to put a ring on a string and place it in front of your belly.  If the ring swings forward and backward the test predicts a girl.  If the ring spins in a circle the test predicts a boy. Our ring test predicted a BOY.  We'll know in a few weeks if this is correct!