Madalyn Rhea Garner - Weeks 18 & 19

Well, it's official. We are having a girl. It's really exciting, but I don't know what to do with a girl. I mean, I was a little boy, so I've got that covered. But, having a little girl will be a very interesting experience. We went to the doctor for our 19 week ultrasound. Dr. Anderson and Jennifer wanted to set the date of the ultrasound a little later (some people get these done at 16 weeks) to make sure and get a positive ID. We go in and they start looking at everything. It seemed like forever before they told us it's a little girl. Madalyn would not hold still and it took awhile to get a good picture of her, but we got a few.


To be honest, I think the discovery of our daughter was more of a surprise for Jenn than it was for me. Because the baby had been so rambunctious, Jennifer had been thinking it was a boy. She's still excited about having a girl, but she's had to shift her thinking somewhat. We've been looking at bedding and we've bought a few pieces of clothing and I think that helps. Jenn is really getting excited about doing hair and painting little nails and stuff like that.

In addition to finding out about Madalyn, we've also been very busy. My new job is really starting to take off and I've been getting more and more responsibilities. Also, it's the end of the summer semester, so I'm trying to finish up strong. Also, I've really been trying to ride a lot of miles because the Hotter Than Hell 100 mile Bike Event is just a couple of weeks away and I've been slacking on my training.

Also, the transmission in Jennifer's car has gone out. She went to Sonic for something to drink and then couldn't back out of the spot. I had to drive over there and physically push the car out. Just so you know, the Toyota Camry has a safety feature that keeps you from pushing the car backwards unless you flip this little hidden lever. I felt like a big wuss trying to push this car that wouldn't go anywhere. But, once I found and flipped the lever, it moved much easier.

Madalyn in week 18 is, "head to rump, about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and she weighs almost 7 ounces. She's busy flexing her arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. Her blood vessels are visible through her thin skin, and her ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from her head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place."

Week 19 and Madalyn's "sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, taking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom —about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.


That's all I've got for now. Thanks for checking in!!!

Axe Murderers and Moving Baby - Week 17

This week has been nice. We just got back from Falls Creek and Jenn and I slept most of the day. This week, we've spent our time working with the teenagers who went with us. We had like 30 kids from junior high and middle school all the way through newly graduated seniors. The week was a lot of fun. If you'd like to see a little bit about the week, check it out HERE. 

We had a great week with the kids, but the rest we got today was much needed. The coolest baby-related thing was that I finally got to feel the baby move. It felt like someone drumming their fingers on the inside of Jenn's stomach. It was really cool, but it was even cooler watching Jenn interact with the baby all week. It would be moving around and she would reach down and rub on it or it would be poking her and she would push on it to move it around. The whole thing is pretty crazy. 

The coolest non-baby related thing was scaring the crap out of the girls in the dorm. Friday night everyone was staying up late and being crazy. I took the trash out of the kitchen at about 1:30 in the morning and could see the lights in the girl's dorm were still on (by the way, you can't see in those windows, I'm no creeper...). So, I went over and banged on the windows. A scream irrupted from the dorm that would make you think that an axe murderer had just walked into the room. I ran back inside just in time for the first girls to pour out of the dorm and let all the sponsors know about the whole ordeal. It was pretty funny...

By the way, we find out the sex of the baby later this week, so check next week's post for the big news!

According to BabyCenter.com: Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — his lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and he's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. He can move his joints, and his sweat glands are starting to develop. [personal note: I hope the baby gets his sweat glands from his mother. I sweat like a fat kid in a trash bag]

That's all for now. See you later...

Short Fuzes and No Jeans (Weeks 15 & 16)

Okay, so I know that I haven't kept up with the blog like I should, but we've had a brutal couple of weeks. With my sister's wedding, a big musical production at our church, and the beginning of my new job, things around here have been pretty hectic. Did I mention my wife was pregnant also?

My new job is with Cornerstone Architecture in Oklahoma City. I'm really excited about this new opportunity and have been working there for a week and a half already. It's been so nice--getting to work at 8:30, leaving at 5:00 and having the freedom to stretch my schedule as needed. The boss, Shane, gave me a little project to work on and then left town for a conference in Florida. He got back yesterday, so I've been working this past week basically by myself. The other guys at the office are nice, and I'm just really pleased with the whole experience.

Jennifer's work is going well. The plan is for her to stop working after the baby comes, so she's kind of got "the short-timers" disease (aka she doesn't really want to do anything at work). Once she gets the motivation to get there, she has a productive day. It's just hard for her to get started sometimes.

As far as Jenn's pregnancy is concerned, things are going great. She's really showing now and this week she thinks she is beginning to feel the baby moving. The other day at the mall, she was talking to the baby because it was poking her and she was uncomfortable.

Speaking of the mall, we have done SO MUCH shopping lately. It's not because Jenn doesn't have any clothes, she just doesn't have many maternity clothes. So, it seems like every day this past week we've been at the mall or at Motherhood Maternity, searching for a pair of jeans. Every pair she would try on would either fit okay in the waist but be too short or would be the right length and have a saggy butt. Today (praise the Lord) she found a pair that fit and bought two of them.

While Jenn's belly and clothing continue to grow, something else continues to shrink. That thing would be her temper. Under normal, non-pregnant circumstances, Jenn is a very patient person. She gives people the benefit of the doubt, tries to see things from other people's POVs, and doesn't really ever snap at people (besides me, occasionally). Apparently, the pregnant Jennifer has found the old Jenn and beaten her to death with some type of blunt object. Jenn's fuse has never been shorter. I have been caught off guard by this. We've had times where we were giving each other a hard time and then the switch flips and she's ready to dismember me. This aspect of my wife will take some getting used to.

According to BabyCenter.com, Week 15: "Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). He's busy moving amniotic fluid through his nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. His legs are growing longer than his arms now, and he can move all of his joints and limbs. Although his eyelids are still fused shut, he can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, he's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but he is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")" [side note: our doctor's appointment to find out the sex is on July 16]

Week 16: "Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now,he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

Well, that's all for now. I'll write next week from Falls Creek!