This one is probably my favorite......super cute......

If you're looking really closely, it's the cord, not a gender deciding piece......;)

This one's pretty cool, you can see your profile really clearly...

You like to have your hands up to your face.....

Just a few images from our 20 week ultrasound!

Dear Baby Helland: (Of 20 Weeks)

Dear Baby Helland:
Well, today we had our 20 week ultrasound and it looks like you have all of the right parts in the right places. At one point, you had your hands together by your face and even the x-ray tech thought you looked like you were praying. It was pretty neat to see all the images. When we got home, Daddy said "so do you think baby looks like you or me?" And I answered "Well, it has a pointy chin like you, but it doesn't have a turtle nose, so that must be from me." (Daddy has this joke with some of his friends that he has a turtle nose. I have no idea what a turtle nose is supposed to look like, but Jake's sister said it once and it stuck.) Even during the ultrasound, you were a mover. And now I understand why I don't always feel it. Apparently I have an anterior placed placenta, which means it's sitting on the front of my belly. So when you are kicking and punching, it has more of a barrier to get through. Although, I'm pretty sure you were doing some summersaults during the sermon Sunday. When I told Grandpa Ben, he suggested you were just trying to help Pastor Debra empahasize her points by punching little "Amens"!
In other news, Daddy has started reading to you. So far we are checking out the Sandra Boynton books and he thinks they are pretty hilarious. I do often think about what sounds are going on around me, and what sounds you might be picking up. Will Prudence's bark really bother you if you've been hearing it this long? What do you think of pep band and band rehearsal when Mommy's teaching?
We've started pre-natal classes which are pretty interesting. I don't know if it's the fact that I like any type of school or classes(especially ones that really apply to something pressing), or the fact that it's confirming what I've been studying up on so I don't feel like an uniformed pregnant woman, or maybe I like meeting all of the people in the hospital that I could possibly work with when it comes to labor and delivery day. I'm not going to lie, I do really look forward to the juice and cookies/crackers they always have available. So far we've worked on nutrition(and I really need to be better at my veggies) with the dietician, learned about possible drugs from the nurse anesthetist (holy cow I can't spell that), cesareans and other possible complications from the ob/gyn and a typical birth with a family practice doctor. I've really liked everyone so far, and that makes me feel good about labor. We also got a tour of the birthing center and there just happened to be a baby in the nursery. She was such a little peanut with a ton of hair. I almost cried because she was so cute and I thought "holy cow I'm going to have one of those!" (These weren't tears of fear, it was mostly of joy and excitement.) A few things have surprised me during class: 1. I guess I'm one of the few that actually follows the recommendations on the pamphlet. They said to attend class in your first or second trimester. So I did. I am the only one in class who isn't basically about to pop. At first I felt ackward about it, but then daddy reminded me that I'm just on the ball. 2. The epidural needle didn't scare me. Even when she passed it around, I didn't have a problem with it. Of course I don't really need to watch it being administered, but I'm not afraid about it poking me. I have a lot of confidence in those medical people. Plus I really liked the nurse that presented it. (I also got a Baby Ruth because I was the only one that asked a question!) 3. It still is a little hard to watch an actual birth. We watched two (one with, one without an epidural) and I'm sure glad that I really don't have to see what's going on down there. I have no doubt you will be beautiful, but man it's pretty gross when you get delivered. I don't know how your dad does it.
My kids at school are very interested in you. They give suggestions every day as to what we should name you. Also, every time I mention a musical person to emphasize a point, they think I brought it up because that's what we're naming you. Like this morning in jazz when I told them the recording had Maynard Ferguson on it who was a screamer. Three kids then said "that's it, you're naming it Maynard!" They will say anything to waste time!
I still eat a lot, but it's hard to tell how much my belly is really growing. My students tell me which shirts make me look more pregnant and which ones don't. Lately my favorite foods include fruity pebbles, lettuce salad with thousand island dressing, bars, and peanut butter and banana sandwiches. (I've tried to stay away from the sandwich meat after all that talk about listeria. Not quite sure how I'll be able to give up my subway, but maybe I'll just find a new favorite sandwich.)
And all that talk of food has made me hungry again.......I'll go finish off last nights fettucine alfredo.
Talk to you next week!

Dear Baby Helland (Of 19 weeks):

Here's daddy at 13 weeks

This was mommy at 13 weeks

Mommy's starting to get a belly at 16 weeks

Daddy still doesn't have a belly at 16 weeks....

Starting to actually look like a baby belly at 18 weeks!

Still no baby belly for daddy at 18 weeks!

Dear Baby Helland (of 19 weeks):

So far we've been good at taking belly pictures about every two weeks. Your daddy is pretty silly and decided he should take belly pictures too. I think he's going to run out of goofy poses soon!

We had another visit with Dr. Leino on Friday. I only gained 4 pounds since her last visit which is surprising, because I really having been eating almost everything in sight. (Another example-last week daddy made a frozen pizza for supper. We each ate our half. I really could have eaten another half. So I waited a few minutes. Daddy left for his ER night and I waited a few more minutes. Finally I gave up and baked another frozen pizza. I ate half and kept the rest for leftovers. I am a bottomless pit.) This was the first visit where my belly got measured and she said we were right on target. We heard your heartbeat which was nice and strong again, and you were a mover. I still am not sure if I've felt you moving and that actually brought me to tears one night. I was a little emotional and told your daddy I felt like a horrible mommy because I couldn't tell the difference between gas and your kicks. Dr. Leino really said that it'll become more obvious in a week or two. So for now, I'll just guess as to when it's you and not supper.

The maternity clothes I ordered just arrived. I've found that Penney's, Target, Old Navy and Gap are my key places. I actually bought some dress pants that feel like I'm wearing sweatpants. Yay!

For some reason, labor has really been freaking me out lately. It's not that I thought it would be a walk in the park, but the pain associated with it stresses me out. Maybe it's that daddy is in his OB rotation right now and comes home saying, "You know, it's really going to hurt". He's not trying to be evil, he's just a realist. Maybe it's that I'm actually starting to look pregnant so it's becoming a little more real. Maybe it's because we're almost half way through this pregnancy and it seems to be going so fast. With our last few doctor visits, I've been a very calm patient. No need for xanax(I wouldn't anyway with you hanging out in my belly), great blood pressure, no super fast heartbeat. But I've known what to expect these last few visits and it's been low key. My fear (I've recently figured out) is that once I realize the day has arrived for you to make an appearance, I'll go back to being freakazoid patient because there will be pain, and it will be a long process. We discussed this with Dr. Leino and at least now I know that there are things (like Nubain) that could help me stay calm and not hurt you. A few moms have had some good advice though. Kim made the comparison that there are 365 days each year, and you live for many years, so if you spend even one in pain, but you get your baby, it's worth it. And one of my sisters (can't remember which one) said it's the worst pain you'll ever forget. I guess we'll just deal with that day when it arrives.

I worked on your room a little last week too. I set up some shelves I had sitting in the laundry room and organized all of the clothes and accessories that are waiting for you. Auntie Vicki also had us take the bassinet after Cade's party so that's also ready for you. But please wait until at least 35 weeks to make an appearance. I want you to be oober healthy, so stay and hang out for a while. We'll be reading some pretty awesome books in the coming weeks, so kick back and relax while we make it through the halfway point.

Talk to you in a week or two!

Dear Baby Helland: (Of 17 weeks)

Not much is new this week.
I still feel ridiculous in every piece of clothing that I own, which is really upsetting. Now my pants are really starting to be iffy. I've been trying the bella band, but sometimes the top half gets kinda rolled up and looks funny under my shirts. I may have to break down and buy some stretchy pants. Please oh please, let Old Navy have something that fits and is possibly on sale!
I basically can eat everything in sight lately. I don't really have cravings anymore, I just eat a lot. Like last night, I thought one pudding pop would satisfy me for dessert. About an hour later I ate another. Apparently you really like pudding pops. But I think the world actually wants me to eat more. An example-while driving home, I thought "Since Daddy won't be home for supper, I think I'll stop and get Subway". Normally I get a six inch, but you Baby Helland, were convincing me to get a footlong. I battled this on my fifteen minute commute. When I pulled into the parking lot, I decided getting a six inch would be best. So I go into Subway and ask for my six inch turkey breast on monteray cheddar. And the lady automatically makes a footlong. I took that as a sign from God. But he paid me back. I normally ask for "a few tomatoes" which is usually half of what they put on when you just ask for tomatoes. Instead, she put on the regular amount. I took that as a sign from God too. He must have been thinking "Ok, you can have your footlong, but you'll be eating more tomatoes." Fair enough. But then I put on extra mayo. Ha! I win. And then, when I go to pay, the lady informed me that everyone got a free cookie today. You see, the world just wants me to eat more.
So far daddy and I have been calling you Baby Helland. Then last night daddy suggested we call you "Baby Gaga". Get it? Sounds like Lady Gaga. It gave me a good laugh.
I'm really ready to start feeling you kick. Sometimes I wonder if I can feel you kicking away, but then it stops right away and I can't focus on what it really was.
Next week we get to visit Dr. Leino again. Nothing too special for this appointment, but we will be doing the Quad Screen. After that first visit with the gallons of blood they took(maybe not gallons, but it seemed like it took a long time!), I feel like I can handle anything! Still not quite ready for the whole labor deal, but I'm hoping that I'll just be so anxious to see you that I'll go into rockstar mode and push like a mad woman. Wishful thinking, I know.
Sorry this week is pretty boring. I'll tell you how our doctor appointment goes and hopefully figure out how to upload some pictures of mommies belly.
Tata for now!