Here we come a-caroling...

Baby C is about the size of a large banana and has developed taste buds. He swallows at least several ounces of amniotic fluid each day, and can taste differences based on what I eat. What a great excuse for munchies! At the moment he has lots of room to roll around, and the kicks have been significantly stronger and more frequent this week. He seems to quiet down when I'm up and moving, but loves to shake it when I'm sitting down or trying to sleep.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with dinners and my grandparents' house as well as Vinnie's mom's house on the same day. I didn't think this much food would be a problem given the pregnancy, but we were definitely full on all the wonderful treats. Now it's back to school for over ten concerts in the month of December. Our first caroling gig is Friday, but we've been hitting the carols since October so the kids are ready to go!

And the winner is...

...a bouncing baby boy!!!

We had a wonderful time at our Pink and Blue party today with lots of friends and family there to help us celebrate.

We were especially happy to have Vinnie's sister and her family there from out of town. Our little niece Sophie was disappointed when we opened the box of cupcakes to reveal a blue bowtie on the cupcake teddy bear - she said "Where IS the baby boy?" The little dear thought we were going to be meeting him today. :)

Julie and Ian, friends from college, surprised us today at the lunch. Julie had RSPV'd two days ago, but I didn't see her reply. They were in town from Salt Lake City visiting family and were able to join us. What fun!

All our guests voted on our baby's gender before the big reveal by writing their vote and their name on an animal sticker and then placing it in a pink or blue bag. After the news, we drew a winner from the blue bag - Brent Hobbs won, congrats!

Thanks to everyone who came out to wish us well. It was so fun to share our news with you!

Ultrasound fun!

Today was the big day! Our little one was movin' and shakin' all during the ultrasound, so much so that Jen (the technician) had to take pictures from non-standard angles. Dr. Archibald said that as he looked through the film, almost every picture was strangely oriented and he got a kick out it. Jen had to look four different times to determine the baby's gender because the baby is in a breach position at the moment (head up, bottom down). Luckily, she did get a good angle on the fourth try, so the Pink and Blue Party is a GO! We were really worried there that it might have just been a pizza party without a fun reveal.

Everything looks great with our little one. Ten fingers, ten toes, as well as good brain and organ development. Dr. A says he or she is nine days ahead of schedule for growth, weighing in at eleven ounces. The quote was "it's a cute little thing with a big head!" Vinnie says the doctor used the term "funny-looking" but I swear I remember "cute." :)

We have another ultrasound at our next visit on December 15th. Jen wasn't able to see the heart, get the baby's profile, or see the lips due to the baby's angle. We'll get to see our little one with four more weeks of growth.

Stay tuned for Saturday's big surprise!

Monday is the day!

From parentsconnect.com..."Your baby is between five and six inches long and weighs about seven ounces—about the size of an apple. If the baby is a girl, early ovaries contain follicles with forming eggs. Soon, half of the genetic material for your potential future grandchildren will be formed. Pictures of babies at this age show them touching the membrane of the amniotic sac, touching their own faces, reaching for the umbilical cord, pedaling their legs, and sucking their thumbs.... Your baby may already have a preference for the left or right hand. In the brain, areas of the nerve cells that serve the senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing are becoming specialized and are forming more complex connections. Loud sounds as well as any feelings you may have of stress or alarm may be communicated to the baby. The baby responds to these stresses by becoming more active. Practicing yoga and meditation can be good for your sense of calm and balance."

Tomorrow is our second ultrasound and we are so excited! The pink and blue party on Saturday should be great fun. I'll post again after the appointment tomorrow and let you in on the details about the ultrasound that don't concern our little one's gender. :)

18 weeks

Some of you have requested pictures, so here they are! I am currently at 18 weeks.



The baby is about 5 to 5 1/2 inches long and weighs approximately five ounces. He or she baby has been able to sense sound, but now the bones of the ear are completely formed as is the part of the brain that processes sound. The baby's eyes have also become light-sensitive.



Congrats to our friends Josie and Lana who are also expecting! Josie is the band teacher at Skyview, so the students have already planned the lives of our babies including the fact that they are going to grow up and get married. Josie's little one had the cutest ultrasound picture - "TJ" as the baby is currently being called, was smiling for the camera. My students have dubbed Baby Cariaga "Little C."



We are looking forward to November 16, and the wait until our party on November 21. It will be so fun to see Little C on screen again.

Three weeks until the ultrasound!

We didn't get to make our trip to American Falls after all, due to the swine flu. At least it meant that we were able to successfully wait in line to get my H1N1 shot on Saturday instead, but we were sad that we didn't get to see our family. Due to a long week of parent-teacher conferences I had Friday off of school, so we had lots of R&R this weekend at home, and it felt great.

I am now 17 weeks pregnant, and only three weeks away from my next ultrasound. I love the second trimester because I'm feeling really excellent, and I'm not big enough yet to be uncomfortable. I have to say that I have been surprised by the comments some people have made about my changing figure! The comment with the nicest phrasing was, "Oh, you look so cute!" which was MUCH better than, "Wow, you're getting big Mrs. Cariaga!" Granted, the latter was from a teenager, so I did my best not get my feelings hurt. A note to all well-wishers: yes, I'm getting bigger and yes, I'm aware of it, it's hard to ignore! :)

I may have found a sub for my maternity leave, as long as everything works out. She is the mom of one of my students and I know she will take excellent care of the program while I'm gone. Now, I just need to find someone to cover the Spanish side of my job (only two classes) and we'll be good to go.

This week Vinnie is busy brewing a stout. He's really excited, but I think it's mean that he started brewing beer at the same time that I stopped being able to drink it. Last week he got his acceptance letter from BSU, so he is officially on his way back to school in January to become a teacher. It will be a huge change for us, and we are looking forward to the challenges.