Daylen's Sonogram Pictures

I just realized that I haven't even posted any pictures of Daylen and this is his webpage. The most current pictures I have are from my last appointment at 16 weeks when we found out he was a boy. My scanner isn't hooked up so I took a picture of the picture. I apologize for the fuzziness. It took the technician over 20 minutes to determine Daylen's gender. He was stubborn which is a quality he has already inherited from the Lemons men. One of the pictures you see if of his profile laying down. This is the position he stayed in and refused to move. We shock him around and tried to get him to move and he flat out refused. I had to lean over to one side to see if it slid him around enough so the technician could determine his gender. After close to 20 minutes I finally stood up and "jumped around" the technician's room determined to get him to reposition himself. Of course this was a quite hilarious task since Darren and Dianne were in the room. Finally when I laid down on the bed we were able to determine his gender. The other pictures you'll see if one of him sitting down as if he was "mooning" us. Dianne suggested that he finally said, "You want to see it, I'll show you." We were so excited to find out his gender. There is also a picture of his feet and of him actually sitting up facing us. It didn't take him too long to decide to go back to where he was so we were only able to see his "man part" for about 5 minutes. We took a DVD with us to the appointment so we are able to look at our son move around as much as we like. Dr. Light said that we may have to have another sonogram due to the fact that this sonogram didn't reveal his internal organs such as lungs and heart chambers. So she'll want to do another one to make sure those are developing on time.

Week 18 - 19 (June 9 - June 23)

Since I didn't get the chance to update my week 18 status I decided to combine week 18 and 19. Last week Daylen was approximately 5 1/2 inches long and weighed almost 7 ounces. He flexed his arms and legs. His ears formed to their final position and he developed a protective coating called the myelin around his nerves which will stay with him for a year after he is born. This week Daylen weighs about 8 1/2 ounces. He is the size of a large heirloom tomato. He is beginning to sprout hair and is developing his senses such as smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. According to most studies he could probably begin to hear me. Studies encourage moms to begin reading, singing and talking to the baby so it can familiarize itself with its mom's voice. So for those of you who are determined for Daylen to know your voice, now is the time to start talking to him. His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body. His kidneys are making urine which explains the frequent trips to the bathroom. He developed his waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa that will prevent him from "pickling" in the amniotic fluid. The next couple of weeks Daylen should begin growing like a weed. Although I still haven't felt his movement I can push on my stomach and feel hard places that could possibly be his head or feet.

I have started having stabbing pains in my lower abdomen which is referred to as round ligament pains. It is the stretching of my uterus to accomodate for the increasing weight Daylen is putting on it. This week I have developed an ugly cold. By being pregnant I am limited to what I can take to treat it. I started my summer Master's class this week and this cold could not come at a worst time. I am in class all day from 8 - 4 when I am constantly coughing, sniffling, and sneezing. I wish either my cold would go away soon or class would be over quickly so I can lay down at home and go to sleep. The class wears me out so much that by the time I get home I crash. However, I can't complain too much. Since I didn't have morning sickness or nausia I can be thankful that I am only suffering with a cold. I know others wished they only had a cold.

Daylen's Room

Daylen's room is finally beginning to come together. This week Darren, Mark Cox, and Billy Paul put down the laminate flooring in the nursery and guest room. It took them about 2 hours to lay the floor in the nursery. So far all we have to do is put in new base boards, work on the closet and wait on the reclining chair. We had trouble getting the 2 large items to fit in the 11 x 11 nursery, but found an arrangement that we think will work once the chair gets here. I am not going to hang anything on the walls until we get the chair and decide on a final room arrangement. So far I am very pleased with how the nursery turned out. I was so excited after they finished the floor and put together the crib that I started putting all his things in the room. I was impressed with Darren. It only took him about 20 minutes to put the convertible crib together with no problems. All the reviews we read about the crib mentioned how hard it was to put together and how the washers didn't fit, etc. I guess their husbands aren't as smart as mine. =)

The dresser we bought in Allen turned out to be a perfect match for the crib. Although they are from different companies their chocolate finish matches so well. I am glad we decided against getting 3 big items for his room because there was no way any more furniture was going to fit in the room. Right now everything fits perfectly, we even have a little space reserved for all his toys. Darren and I are so excited about Daylen and we are enjoying every bit of preparing for his arrival.

I attached pictures of his room with the wall color and the new laminate flooring. I also attached his crib with a picture of the inside of the crib showing off the gifts he has already received (he is spoiled already). I also included a picture of the changer/dresser combo that we bought in Allen.

Daylen's Furniture

Darren and I bought the last of Daylen's furniture today. When we bought the convertible crib from JCPenney's, we were shocked to find out that the manufacturer was discontinuing the design. We were able to find out the manufacturer's name and research which other stores in the DFW area carried their line. The closest we could find was Stacy's Furniture out in Allen that had a baby store called Ooh Baby. So Beth, Darren, and I went to Allen on Sunday. We took a piece of the crib with us to find a close match. We were able to find a really close match with another manufacturer's product and decided to buy it. Since it too was being discontinued, we were able to purchase the floor model at a reasonable discount. While looking around the rest of the store I fell in love with a gliding sofa chair. I was looking at purchasing a gliding rocking chair, but once I saw this one I changed my mind. Of course at the time, Darren said no. That was until we went back today to pick up the dresser. Being pregnant has its "perks." Darren just can't say no to a pregnant woman. We were going to get the chair that we saw on Sunday, but found out that the ottoman would be extra. Then the sales rep. mentioned that most people buy the gliding recliner if they don't buy the ottoman. So she showed us the gliding rocker. I fell in love with this chair more than the other one. It cost $100 more, but it did two things when the other just did the one. So we ordered the chair and chose the color and texture of the other chair. So the chair will be available in 8-10 weeks, which is no rush since Daylen won't be here until November. So Daylen's room is officially finished!! I attached a picture of the recliner and a picture of the other chair to show the color and texture we ordered. The chair is comfy enough to sleep in on those late nights putting him to sleep.

Week 17 (June 2 - June 8)

This week I am 17 weeks along into my pregnancy. So far I haven't felt Daylen move. I have, however, felt what some call "butterflies" that apparently is movement. Daylen is growing like a weed according to babycenter.com. His skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone and his umbilical cord is growing stronger and thicker. He should weigh approximately 5 ounces (about the weight of a turnip), and is about 5 inches from head to bottom. He can move his joints, and he is beginning to develop sweat glands which will be used a lot when he begins playing sports at 5.

Darren and I picked up the crib, mattress, and bedding we ordered online at JCPenney's. The nursery is coming along well. We have finished painting the majority of the wall, but need to go back and cut in under the ceiling and above the chair rail and baseboard. Billy Paul, my father-in-law, is supposed to come over and help Darren cut in. Once the walls are finished Darren will begin laying the laminate flooring. I will post more pictures of the nursery as it gets completed.

Nursery Under Construction

Darren and I decided that Daylen would have a sports themed nursery. We had always wanted to have a sports room and when we first got married we decided that when we had a son it would be surrounded by sports. We picked out the bedding from JCPenney's called "Playoffs." It is a combination of different sports and colors. We wanted to stick with primary colors since they are easier to match. The room we made into the nursery was originally red on the bottom and white on the top. The previous owners had just became new parents and put in a chair rail with border around it. We really liked how their nursery looked so we are keeping the chair rail and switching the colors. So far, Beth and Sean have come over to help Darren paint and get the room ready. Once it is finished we will be installing laminate flooring in 3 bedrooms and the hallway. So Darren's dad, Billy Paul, is supposed to come by and help install it. Darren could use all the help he can get. I can't wait until the room is finished so I can begin hanging shelves and pictures. I will keep updating the status of the room with pictures so those of you who cannot come by can see the room.