13 Weeks

We are done with the first trimester!  This is such a huge blessing and we are very grateful!

Supposedly, during the second trimester I will regain some energy.  I have pretended that I am already gaining some of that energy, but my eyelids still tattle on me at 7:00 when I'm nodding off.

(Photo credit: blogspot.com)



Little Baby P. is growing and my belly is starting to grow as well.  I'm in what I call the "awkward" phase-- where my maternity clothes are still a little too big, but my regular clothes are a little too small.  Today, I wore a pair of maternity jeans which were still a little too big, so I felt awkward all day long at my desk.  I also have found out that maternity pants, since they have so much elastic in them, get a funky "rubbery" smell after being put in the dryer.  To me, they smell like a Mickey Mouse kid tent.

(Photo credit: smart-trade.co.nz)

So, I smelled like Mickey Mouse tent all day until I could go home and change clothes.  :) 

Baby Growth:

-Nose and lips are completely formed.

-Little Baby P. can make a fist & suck his or her thumb

-The eyelids have fused shut to protect the eyes as they continue developing

-Little Baby P.'s bones and skull are solidifying

-Ribs begin to appear

-Little Baby P.'s intestines (which were partly in the umbilical cord last week) are now tucked inside

-Tooth sockets have tiny teeth that will make their appearance several months after Little Baby P. is born

-Vocal cords and the larynx are completely formed and ready to cry, coo, and giggle in just a few short months! :)

-Little Baby P. weighs 20 grams and is 3 inches long, or about the length of a Nutter Butter:

(Photo credit: blogspot.com)

and about the size of a peach:

(Photo credit: picturesclip.com)



We are more excited every day about becoming parents.  We look forward to the joys and changes that accompany this journey.  Thank-you for keeping us in your prayers! Love, Reba 



12 Weeks

We are at 12 Weeks!  That means our first tri-mester is almost over!  Woo-hoo! 

(Photo credit: artprintimages.com)

The doctor has increased my thyroid medicine twice now, so hopefully that will be delivering some much-needed energy soon.  Throughout this first tri-mester, I've been the "early-to-bed party pooper."  We're talking 6:30-7:00 bedtimes, folks.

(Photo credit: wordpress.com)

The clock strikes, and I am out like a light. :(  I guess Little Baby P. has me workin' hard at providing a home for our growing Little Kiddle.

Baby Growth:

-This week, Little Baby P.'s eyes have moved to the front of the head.

-The ears are in place!

-The intestines are formed, but Little Baby P. isn't quite big enough to hold all of that in yet, so parts of the intestines are chillin' in the umbilical cord.

-Little Baby P.'s fingernails and toenails are forming.

-The chin and nose are more defined.

-The digestive system is busy practicing the contraction movements that will be a necessary action after birth when Little Baby P. gets to eat.

-Little Baby P. is practicing swallowing. 

-The bone marrow is busy making white blood cells, which will help fight off the germs that his or her future playmates choose to pass around. :)

-Little Baby P. weighs almost 1/2 ounce and is 2 1/2 inches long, which is the length of a Vienna sausage:

(Photo credit: wordpress.com)

And about the size of a large plum:

(Photo credit: freeclipartpictures.com)

My Cravings:

-Water (It just tastes extra good this week!  I drink around 4 cups just standing at the sink in the morning while I get ready for work!)

-Milk (Also just has a wonderful refreshing taste this week! Especially at breakfast to accompany my scrambled-egg sandwich or PB&J)

-Cran-apple juice

-Grape juice (which I don't have any of, but would like to go get)

-Apple slices (seems to be the perfect, crunchy snack)

Well, my nursery looks a lot like it did last week: a crowded guest room.  :)  We have not assembled the crib yet.  But we aren't in a huge rush either so that's good. :)

Aaron and I did go out last weekend and buy a stroller/car seat combo.  We decided to go ahead and knock out that purchase.  We felt it was imporant as parents to buy the crib and stroller/car seat ourselves.

Thanks again for all of your prayers for us.  We are continually excited about becoming parents!  Love, Reba

11 Weeks

We are 11 weeks along!

We had a doctor's appointment yesterday.  Since it was in the morning, Dad was able to come with me.  It was not an ultrasound appointment, but I was really hoping to hear the baby's heartbeat through the Doppler (a Fisher-Price microphone-looking device):

(Photo credit: ebayimg.com)

Though Aaron and I were able to hear the heartbeat a month ago during the ultrasound, the baby's heartbeat isn't loud enough yet to be heard with the Doppler, so the Doctor didn't use it during this visit.  He confirmed that the lab-work from the last visit was great and that everything looks wonderful.  It's always nice to get a good report!  Our next appointment is scheduled for a month from yesterday and I'm already looking forward to it!  During the next appointment (which won't have an ultrasound either), the Doctor will attempt to use the Doppler to hear Little Baby P.'s heartbeat. 

This week, Little Baby P. is 2 inches long, which is roughly the length of a sugar packet:

(Photo credit: blogspot.com)





and is about the size of a large lime:

(Photo credit: pictureshunt.com)

Little Baby P. weighs 1/3 of an ounce, which is about the weight of 2 sugar packets.  With all these sugar and lime comparisons, apparently, Little Baby P. is a whole lotta sweet, and a little bit of sour. ;)

Baby Growth:

-All vital organs are formed and functioning (The risk of defects decreases this week since Little Baby P. is less susceptible to outside influences).
-Fingernail and toenail beds are beginning to form. 
-Little Baby P.'s head is nearly as big as the rest of his or her body (Once again, folks, we're gonna have one smart kid!) :)
-If Little Baby P. is a boy, the testes have formed.
-If Little Baby P. is a girl instead, the ovaries have formed.
-Little Baby P. can sigh, stretch, move his or her head, suck his or her thumb, flail the arms and legs and do somersaults.  (I won't be able to feel all these movements for several more weeks, but Little Baby P. is trying out all the dance moves now in order to impress me later)  :)
-Little Baby P.'s ears assume the proper place:

(Photo credit: blogspot.com)

Yes, we will love Little Baby P. even if he or she has ears like this :)

In the next 9 weeks, Little Baby P. will increase 30 times in weight and will almost triple in length.  That's a lot of growing taking place in there!

My Cravings:

-This week I'm still on the peanut butter kick.  Still preferring JIF... it's what choosy moms choose, after all.

Nursery News:

-At the end of last week, Aaron and I took advantage of the Target Baby Sale and ordered a crib that was reduced in price and came with a free crib mattress.  :)  I love sales.

-The mattress arrived on Wednesday and the box is imprinted with "New Baby Bed." :) Yay!

-The 73 lb. box holding the crib came today! (Yes, Aaron carried it inside).

-I am so excited to have both pieces in the house ready for "Dad-to-Be" to work his handy-man magic.

-Once we have the crib assembled (hopefully this weekend) I will put up some pictures of our up-and-coming nursery.

Thank-you again for all of your prayers for us.  Aaron and I sometimes look at each other and have a surreal sense about all of this, but we are so grateful to have this blessing!  We are very, very excited to be on this journey to parenthood.  Your prayers are so appreciated!  Love, Reba



10 Weeks

Woo-hoo! We are 10 weeks along! That's a whopping 25%, people! :)

(Photo credit: rising-global.com)

Only 30 weeks left to go! :)

Little Baby P. will no longer be medically known as an "embryo" by the end of this week.  Instead, we graduate to the "fetus" stage.  Fetus is an odd word to me, and my Little Baby P. has been and will always be considered a "baby" during this pregnancy and for the months following.  However, the word "fetus" doesn't seem so odd now that I learned that it simply means "little one."

Developments for Little Baby P:

- This week the "tail" has fused into the spinal column.

-Little Baby P. has discernible fingers and toes (yay!)

-The skeleton is starting to grow & harden

-Little Baby P.'s ears are beginning to take shape

-The eyelids are no longer transparent

-Tooth buds are forming (this totally blows me away!)

-If Little Baby P. is a boy, then testosterone is being produced

-The kidneys are creating urine

-Little Baby P.'s brain is creating 25,000 neurons each minute this week! I reiterate the statement that we're gonna have one smart kid!

-Little Baby P. tips the scale at 4 grams this week (about as much as 8 paper-clips)

This week, Little Baby P. is an inch and a half long.  That's roughly the size of a mondo Brazil nut (you know, those are the HUGE ones in the mixed nut container):

(Photo credit: howmanycaloriesshouldieataday.com)

...or a small plum:



(Photo credit: pictureshunt.com)

My Cravings:

-Peanut Butter (JIF is preferred)

-Bananas (with peanut butter)

-Gala apple slices (with peanut butter)

-Grilled meat (Aaron made fabulous seasoned pork chops earlier this week. YUM!)

Notice I didn't write Arby's. I think I've kicked the craving, folks. :)

I haven't experienced any morning sickness (or afternoon, or evening...) in quite a while and I am very blessed!  I continue on the tired path and usually fall asleep on the couch around 8:00 every night.  Overall, I'm feeling a little more energized and very excited to have our next doctor's appointment next Thursday.

Thanks again for all of your prayers as we joyfully continue our journey to parenthood! Love, Reba













9 Weeks

Woo-hoo! We are 9 weeks along!

That means I am beginning the third month of pregnancy and only have 6 months and three weeks to go... but who's counting?

This week while perusing the 4 magazines given to me by the doctor, I came across an interesting sentence. It appeared in the magazine "As Your Baby Grows: From Conception to Birth." The statement reads: "Despite all the advances in biology and genetics, no one can explain how every cell in the embryo knows what to do and what part of the body to become; that remains one of the many mysteries of how human life develops" ('The 2nd Month,' American Baby's As Your Baby Grows, Volume 19, Number 2, 2011, Pg. 8)

However, I personally know that God is creating my baby piece by piece and part by part. His hands are all over this miracle! In the book of Psalms, David writes:

"For You created my inmost being;

You knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Your works are wonderful; I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from You

when I was made in the secret place,

when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body;

all the days ordained for me were written in Your book

before one of them came to be"

(Psalm 139: 13-16, New International Version)

Aaron and I know that we have been blessed with a miracle. We are so thrilled to be on this journey to parenthood! Thank-you for taking the time out of your day to read the blogs and pray for us!

Baby Growth:

Little Baby P. is surely growing fast. This week, Baby P. is between 3/4 inch and 1 long. That's roughly the size of an olive. 

(Photo credit: sallybernstein.com)

In case you don't have any olives around, another way to see the measurement is to look at your thumb from the top knuckle to the tip of your thumb is roughly an inch. However, this may vary depending on if your thumb is the size of Great Britain's "football" star David Beckham's thumb...

(Photo credit: sport360.com)

Or my thumb:

However big or small your thumb is, it should still give you a pretty good idea of the size of our Little Baby P.

This week:
-Little Baby P.'s heart is fully developed. 
-The Baby can hiccup. (how cute!)
-Fingers and toes are no longer webbed.
-The arms develop bones.
-The hands begin to touch the face.
-The legs start to move.
-Hair follicles and nipples form.
-Baby begins to move around (although I won't be able to feel the movements for several more weeks)
-Pancreas, gall bladder, bile ducts, and "diaper covered area" are all formed.
-Gender anatomy is forming.
-Eyelids continue to form.

Little Baby P. weighs 2 grams-- which is just slightly less than the weight of a penny.

My Cravings:
-Fruit (fresh or fruit cups)
-Arby's (I just can't get that one to go away!) :)

So far, I am very very tired, but haven't been feeling too sick, which is a total praise! 

Thanks again for keeping up with the Baby developments. We are very excited as we learn new things each week!

Love, Reba

8 Weeks

We have reached the 8-week mark!

This week, little Baby Petersen is about 1/2 inch long. 

That's roughly the size of the diamond in Nicole Richie's engagement ring.  (Don't know who Nicole Richie is? That's ok.  I'm not a fan, but here's a picture of the bling-y ring-y):

Another way to think about it is this: When looking at your thumb, the length from the top knuckle to the tip of your thumb is roughly one inch...Therefore, Little Baby P. is half the length.

Baby Milestones this Week:
-eyelids, ears, upper lip & the tip of the little button nose are forming.
-tiny webbed fingers and toes will grow this week :)
-Baby's little heart has four distinct chambers now, and is beating at roughly 150 beats per minute (which is nearly half of an average person's heartbeat while at rest).

My Cravings this Week:
-anything that has to do with oranges! (Oranges themselves, tangerines, tangelos, orange juice, etc.) It doesn't matter if I just get to smell the orange or eat one myself, I LOVE oranges this week!
-veggies with Mom's amazing veggie dip.  (I wasn't really too fond of eating fresh veggies in the past weeks, but after getting to hang out with Mom on Monday during the holiday, fresh veggies have been more appealing.  Mom made me a little care bag filled with fresh veggies that were cut-up and ready to be snacked on!)
-Lemon wedge in my water. (Other drinks, besides orange juice and milk, haven't been appealing. So to dress up my water, Mom suggested dropping a lemon wedge in it. It works! I've had the appropriate amount of water each day!)
-Aaron's homemade seafood alfredo.  (A buddy at work who is also expecting goes on 2 short walks with me during our break times at work each day.  She mentioned that she had seafood alfredo for dinner one night, and that was that! I texted Aaron that he needed to make his version ASAP! He was a wonderful husband and made it last night. I had a bowl of it and it totally hit the spot!) :)
-I still am loving Arby's. (Don't worry... I don't give into the craving too much). :)

I look forward to "Baby Blog Day" each week because I am excited to share these milestones with you.  Thank-you for reading the updates and for keeping us in your prayers!

Love, Reba

7 Weeks

This Thursday was our 7 week mark.


Yesterday we had our first Doctor appointment. It included an ultrasound, a physical exam, a flu shot, and bloodwork. (Fortunately, Aaron was there to hold my hand for the shot and the bloodwork!) :)


I was excited to have the first stop be the ultrasound! We could see Baby's tiny heart beating and then we got to hear it! It's a confident "swish/swish" sound at the moment. Baby's heart beat measures at 141-- and the Nurse says this is just fine. All of the measurements for the Baby line up with the dates we expected and confirms that we are 7 weeks along.

Take a looksie at our cute little growing Baby:

And all at once we say "Awwww" :) (Picture the Baby lying on his or her side with the head on the left and the little leg buds showing toward the right).


For some perspective on size, this week our baby is the size of a Tic-Tac.


Our due date is set for August 30th. If our Baby is one of the 5% born on the due date, he or she will have a birthday exactly one week before my mom's, which is one week before Randy's, which is one week before Aaron's. Needless to say, it would be pretty fun to have a birthday party every weekend for a month!

Milestones this week:


-This week our baby's brain is growing at 100 cells per minute! We're gonna have one smart kid!


-Little arms and legs are developing


-Baby's eyes are open (though he or she doesn't have irises just yet)


Cravings this week:


-Angel food cake topped with berries (I only have one slice a day, I promise)


-Arby's (I told Aaron that after going through all the tests and bloodwork yesterday that I deserved to go to Arby's) :)


-Orange juice (Only one cup every couple of days)

-Cran-apple juice (Also, only one cup every couple of days).

I will probably add a new post every Friday afternoon.  Thursdays will mark our week# and each week I'll try to add milestones and cravings, and a picture or reference as to the size of little Baby.

Please keep us in your prayers as we happily continue our journey to parenthood!