20 wks

+1..... last week was a day early I was so over excited that I posted too early, this week I have been rather ill so Im a day late, but Im jinxing it if I miss a week.... so 20 wks!
MORE than half way as baby is coming in 19 wks, in fact in 20 wks she will be a week old!

She is the size of a Banana now, a big banana, Spoke to R tonight and there is most definitely a big bumpage starting! Baby Bella better behave for our scan as she is a shy bean and keeps on hiding in scans, she likes snoozing away like mummy! She doesn't like being poked and prods back when the doppler is on her! I bought R's little boy a dr kit and outfit so he can help mummy out by being a dr! As she has so many visits.. We are off to chicago in 9 sleeps to see her! Ive been so ill this week, I so hope Im well for then! I just want to be a mummy and enjoy my gorgeous new family <3 Surely not to much to ask? It looks cold there -11 at night brrrrrrrr scarf and gloves and BIG coat!

got a couple extra scan pics, got a potty shot as they are called just to CHECK Bella WAS a girl!!!!

arrow saying "Its a girl" lol at her er lady bits!!!

praying in the womb!

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — about the size of a banana.

 (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of her head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)

She's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for her digestive system. She's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in her first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery). niccccccccccceeee, Daddy gets first nappy  ha ha...well maybe, see bet post!

ALL IS WELL

Our beautiful baby girl at 19.5 wks....We are in LOVE already....

The Previa has moved, and all looked bang on schedule...fingers crossed <3

level 2 scan in 1.5 hrs!!!

I am sooo nervous!!!! I am REEEEEEEAAAAALLLLLLY hoping the Previa has moved up and away for good. The hospital want to talk to us about the birth plan and also we have to find Bella her own baby doc. A lot is riding on todays scan as If R is high risk she will maybe move dr and hospital even...I am really hoping its all well and nice and simple. I will get to find out about scan about 7pm, long days wait for us :( I suppose no news will be good news. I would love to see a good CLEAR scan pic for once too :) I have been having heaps of anxiety dreams about baby related issues too.

19 wks (past half way point- due at 39 wks latest)

We are 19 wks!!

Bella has been having a rave at night (fabulous!) from all accounts...Level 2 scan on friday at 10am Chicago time.in just over 2 wks we will be off to Chicago ourselves, yipeeee

Tried out the pram yesterday which was pretty fun, the dogs walked nicely next to it which was surprising! I have been having my first anxiety nightmares about Bella, Namely that I forget to feed her, this had me worried until I read its the number 1 most common expectant mother anxiety dream....phew, so NORMAL then..normal is GOOD.

MANGO BABY- MY FAVE fruit!!!

• Developing a protective coating over her skin, called vernix caseosa. It's greasy and white and you may see some of it at her birth.
• Working on her five senses. Nerve cells for her sense of taste, hearing, sight and smell are developing in her brain.
• work on finding a Paediatrician now. shhhhhhhheeeeeeesh now??!!!
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Bella's Bear Granny made!!!

Look what Granny made!!!!! CLEVER CLEVER Granny!!!!!!!

BYE BYE Hercule Poirot

Last night we said goodbye to my favourite detective of all time Monsieur Hercule Poirot,  It was very moving and I have watched Poirot since I was little. I loved his mannerisms, Miss "limon", Hastings the whole shebang.....


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/10443824/What-made-Hercule-Poirot-perfect.html

Disaster in the Phillipines

So they now are saying over 10,000 people dead....HORRENDOUS..

On one of my pregnancy friends groups we have a lady from the Philippines on there, She hasn't been online since, of course going on the internet is the LEAST of her priorities but we have all been thinking of her, 20 wks pregnant, called Charmaine aged 21 and thats all we know, and pictures of her and her husband looking so in love....Im hoping that she just has no internet connection and is busy sorting things out, but one cant help but fear the worst when you watch the news....We are very lucky to live in the UK, I cant imagine the pain of losing my whole family, my home and my livelihood, with no HOPE at all....so so sad.

The beautiful Philippines where we also see season after season of SURVIVOR (mummy and daddy's fave programme)

and now :(

whats in a name? Name Revealed!!!

we ummed and ahhhed for a very short time over names, We knew both the first and the middle name would feature just not in which order. I was ALWAYS going to call my daughter this name.

Bella.......my beautiful beautiful (literally in Italian!) Bella!!! But should we call her Isabella or just Bella?....Well we have an Isobel already in the family and she is Izzi, AND as I want her to be called Bella not Izzi or anything else we said why not jump straight in and go with Bella. We did toy with Hope as a FIRST name for a bit because of all she means to us and signifies but we came to the conclusion Bella Hope fitted better than Hope Bella. And "Beautiful Hope" couldn't be more accurate of what she means to us. Why have I told you now? why not wait, because that IS her name and If GOD FORBID something happened now at such a late stage I would still call her that name, she is formed, she looks like a person and we would hold a funeral. She is REAL and that is her name not baby CJ and more but Bella. Our very own beautiful hope.

18 wks

baby CJ (or B) is now 18 wks, we are almost half way now!!!
B is size of a sweet potato

yes I know you are thinking this looks more like a mouldy and hairy chicken fillet than a sweet potato! Well I am..Mind you I don't eat sweet potato, so maybe they do look like this....

Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long, 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. Think Prince Charles....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. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound. Weird to think Baby CJ's oven is in place already! Hope hers works!!!

The Bear and the Hare

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqWig2WARb0



This has to maybe be the best advert EVER.... It made both Mr CJ and I cry!!! We have decided to tell this as a bedtime xmas story to B. I made a practice run by telling Mr CJ the story last night...Gosh it is SO lovely...click on the link above.

And then the bears face, thats what got me, his look of pure happiness and wonder!

AND now I have just seen J Lewis have made a book of the story!!! Yippppeeeeeeeeeee

Havent posted in a while

..been a bit M.I.A. Uber busy and a bit stressy.. On a positive note the rocking chair and chest of drawers  for B's room are coming on saturday, think we need granny to make a little seat pad for it though (note to granny who will read this) as it clearly used to have one in there as is a little gap for it. unfortunately Carly couldn't organise that. Also on ebay and done up as above by "super Carly" coming on saturday is a highchair and a bench storage seat for our kitchen, we are waiting on a table too and more seating, our table is falling apart! this will save space and add storage AND be nice and from ebay! WIN WIN! Just hope it all LOOKS smart!!!

Need to order our cot soon....Exciting times, just over 3 wks to CHICAGO....whoop...

Ps Not sure we told you that the Nuchal screen all came back fine and so did the test for Neural tube defects :) just hoping all is well for the level 2 scan on 19 November and also that the horrid Previa has GONE!!!

17 weeks

17 weeks tomorrow, the weeks are starting to tick by a bit now :)

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.She now has her own fingerprints!!! SCHWEEEEEET!!!

Baby CJ is now the size of a large onion, voila un petit oignon