It's a BOY!!!

On Friday, April 17th, Matthew, Mimi (Cheryl), Gram (Sabrina) and I made a trip to Focused Within, 3D/4D Ultrasound Imaging Center to hopefully learn the sex of the little baby I've been making for the last 4 months. Although he isn't fully developed, what we saw was a little miracle!


At first he was squirming all over the place and we weren't sure we could figure out the sex. When he settled down, the umbilical cord was wrapped around his legs and we STILL couldn't tell what was down there. After much re-positioning and a little pushing on my belly, we FINALLY got him to show us "the goods"!!


The next picture is a view from the bottom, looking up. I know it's hard to tell what everything is, but trust those of us who were at the appointment, it's certainly a boy.

He started to stretch his arms and then let out a little yawn.



Satisfied with our pictures and thrilled with the news of a baby boy, we told him bye bye for now. See you May 18th at the next ultrasound!

For those of you wondering, the name we have chosen is Jackson! Mr. Jackson David Slayden.

Here is what Baby Center has to say about how Jackson is developing:

Your pregnancy: 16 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

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.

Oh, I almost forgot! I also had another regular check up with my OB on Friday. Other than the usual nausea and stomach problems that accompany most pregnancies, I seem to be doing GREAT. His heart was beating 140 BPM at 1:30 PM at the doctor's office and 142 at 5:15 PM at the ultrasound appointment. All of my blood work continues to come back normal. Keep us in your prayers that Jackson continues his healthy development.

Love,
The Slaydens
Matthew, Natalie and Jackson

15 week update

Happy Easter weekend everyone! I'm 15 weeks today and I'm noticing some definite improvements in my nausea. Instead of feeling sick everyday, it's eased up to every few days and the episodes are less severe. I'm so thankful to be over the first trimester hurdle and excited to finally enjoy my pregnancy! Here is an update from the Baby Gaga website.

Fetal development in pregnancy week 15:fetus in fourth month

Your nearly four-inch long gymnast is happily mobile inside your womb and if you're really lucky, you’ll notice a point when your sneezing, coughing or laughing results in a little kick here or a poke there. Still, many women don't feel anything until the 17th week or later. Although the poking and kicking isn't very charming during sleeping hours, it’s a good sign as it means your baby is actually reacting to outside events. Yay! You’ve got yourself one active healthy baby! Their little elbows and knees are bending more freely this week and their little legs are finally growing longer than their arms and getting pumped up for prenatal Richard Simmons. Many of their major organ systems are increasing in capacity—particularly that amazing tiny heart and complex circulation system, which is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood per day, and will increase to a very impressive 200 quarts per day by the end of the pregnancy. As far as hair goes, we’ve got some new scalp patterns beginning to develop on the head, although actual head hair is not yet present.