Fwd: Your pregnancy: 17 weeks

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From: "My Pregnancy This Week" <babycenter@email.babycenter.com>
Date: October 30, 2008 5:29:03 PM EDT
To: sraynak@gmail.com
Subject: Your pregnancy: 17 weeks
Reply-To: "My Pregnancy This Week" <newsletter@babycenter.com>

Hello, Sean! 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. >> Read more about this week Quick Clicks > Can music make your baby smarter? Why an ultrasound may not reveal your baby's sex BabyCenter Store: Shop for soothing skin care Overheard "I get tired of everyone saying pregnant women are beautiful. I've never felt less attractive! I hear about women who love being pregnant, and I'm just puzzled by them." — Laura The United States is the only industrialized nation that doesn't guarantee paid maternity leave. — The Project on Global Working Families Sponsor Links: LOFT maternity pants only $49.99! Free stuff for you and your family   Feeling off balance, forgetfulness, and itchy skin   Itchy skin Your breasts and belly may feel especially itchy now as your skin stretches. You can take the edge off by: • Showering or bathing in warm — not hot — water. (Some women swear by the skin-softening properties of a warm oatmeal bath — available in most drugstores.) • Using a mild, moisturizing soap. • Slathering on the moisturizer while your skin's still damp after a bath or shower. • Wearing loose cotton clothing. Starting to feel a bit off balance? As your belly grows, your center of gravity changes, so you may begin to occasionally feel a little unsteady on your feet. Try to avoid situations with a high risk of falling. Wear low-heeled shoes to reduce your risk of taking a tumble; trauma to your abdomen could be dangerous for you and your baby. You'll also want to be sure to buckle up when you're in a car — keep the lap portion of the seat belt under your belly, drawn snugly across your hips, and also use the shoulder harness, which should fit snugly between your breasts. Why am I so forgetful? There's no conclusive explanation for why many pregnant women say that their short-term memory isn't up to par during pregnancy, but this feeling can be the result of lack of sleep. "Pregnant women need extra sleep, but it's hard to get," says Margaret Pfeifer, an obstetrician with the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. As your body changes and becomes more uncomfortable, it can disrupt your sleep patterns. Other factors that may contribute to this foggy feeling include hormones, stress, and a preoccupation with all things baby. It's the Law: Giving birth at home   ADVERTISEMENT Decisions about how and where to deliver your baby are among the most personal you'll make during your pregnancy. While you have the right to opt for a home birth, your state may regulate who can deliver your child for you at home. If you want a midwife to deliver your baby, you'll need to find out if and how your state regulates midwives. Most states provide some certification or licensure of midwives that allow them to participate in home births. A few states offer no regulation, leaving midwives who attend births open to civil or even criminal penalties. Click here for state-by-state information. Of course, there are serious medical considerations involved in choosing to deliver your baby at home. And just because it may be legal doesn't mean that your health insurance will cover it. Contact your insurance provider or state Medicaid program to find out exactly what services and types of providers it will cover before deciding to deliver at home. • Are you planning to take a childbirth class? Avoid hot showers and baths, which can dry out your skin. Use mild soaps and be sure to rinse off well and towel off lightly. Then slather on the moisturizer, preferably a non-scented one, since some scents can cause irritation. The BabyCenter Store Recommends: Pregnancy Skin Care It's time to pamper yourself and your itchy skin. You deserve a bit of indulgence, and we're here to help. Here are some especially soothing products: Cucumber Tea Eye Gel This cooling gel combines tea and cucumber, a powerful antioxidant blend that helps reduce puffiness Tummy Honey Treat yourself to this gift set with everything a new mom-to-be needs to help prevent and minimize stretch marks and relieve the itching often associated with pregnancy Almond Belly Smooches Infused with a light, almond scent, this wonderfully thick cream is specially formulated to moisturize skin with replenishing vitamins and rich emollients > Shop for maternity skin care > Shop for pregnancy health products > Everything you need for your pregnancy What can you do to prevent stretch marks?   Erica Breneman Obstetrician in Oakland, California, and mother of one Unfortunately, there isn't much, if anything, you can do to prevent stretch marks and over half of pregnant women get them. Several things that might help: keep your weight gain slow and steady and within the recommended range, stay well-hydrated, and eat a healthy diet. Creams and lotions don't really help the marks, but they may decrease itching. MaryJane Lewitt Certified Nurse-Midwife in Atlanta, Georgia, and mother of two Stretch marks are partly a gift from our own parents — if your mother had them, you will probably get them. Eating nutritiously and drinking lots of water helps your skin stay well-hydrated and stretchy and may help keep stretch marks from getting really bad. Samantha Maplethorpe Family Physician in Issaquah, Washington, and mother of three There's really no evidence that anything works well. You'll find plenty of so-called prevention products on the market, but there's no proof they work. I say call them trophy lines — your body worked hard to create that baby! Expert Advice: Is it safe to sit in a hot tub while I'm pregnant?   Expert: Jeanne-Marie Guise, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, Oregon Health Services Center, Portland, OR It's not a good idea to sit in a hot tub unless you can lower the temperature to be like a warm bath, around 100 degrees. Sitting in hot water can make you overheat. Being overheated raises your heart rate and reduces the blood flow to the fetus, potentially putting your baby under stress. There's also some concern that getting overheated in the first trimester affects the baby's development; there's a slightly increased risk of problems like the baby's abdominal wall not closing all the way. It's also harder to cool down when you're pregnant, so if you get overheated, you're more likely to pass out. Shop for essential pregnancy products See what's on sale Shop for comfy maternity clothes What will your nursery look like? Also This Week ... Get thoughts about birthing methods Dilemma: I'm fantasizing about another man What do you call your baby-on-the-way? Check your pregnancy calendar ADVERTISEMENT The best positions for sex during pregnancy • The How-We-Got-Here-in-the-First-Place • The Lap Full of Love • The Crush • The Get-Off-Before-I-Nod-Off • The 10-Foot Pole Have a great week! From all of us at BabyCenter

Invite Your Significant Other! Click to invite your spouse or partner to join BabyCenter and follow along as your baby grows » View our sites: This message was delivered to sraynak@gmail.com  Need to change this e-mail? • To change your due date or e-mail address: Go to http://www.babycenter.com/members/profile/update/ • To unsubscribe from this newsletter, click here. BabyCenter is the most complete online resource for expectant and new parents, filled with parenting information and inspiration. We hope you enjoy receiving My Baby This Week SM. All content © 1997-2008 BabyCenter LLC, 163 Freelon Street, San Francisco, CA 94107. All rights reserved. This Internet site provides information of a general nature and is designed for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your own health or the health of your child, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional. Please review the Terms of Use before using this site. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by the Terms of Use.

ysician or other healthcare professional. Please review the Terms of Use before using this site. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by the Terms of Use.

16 Weeks

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, hishead 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.

15 weeks

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). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam.

The Genesis of the Roar

With a sparkling 7-0 start, Penn State has been generating roars from the characteristically colossal home crowds all season long.

Ned Dishman/Getty Images

The lion's roar still gets fans -- and players -- pumped at Beaver Stadium.

As for genesis of the roar, well, that's a whole 'nother Nittany Lions story.

It's the story of a pioneering stadium sound effect that purportedly predates all others, from Purdue's train whistle and Houston's air-raid siren to the feral football "copycats" at Arizona, BYU, LSU, Missouri and Northwestern. It takes place in 1968, a year freighted with great significance for Penn State football.

To Penn State partisans, the Beaver Stadium lion roar has been an enduring and energizing part of the Happy Valley football experience for four decades. As the Michigan Wolverine and their supporters will undoubtedly discover Saturday afternoon, it's also annoyed opponents and their fans for the same amount of time, causing some -- reportedly Alabama fans -- to compare it to the sound made by a high-powered toilet flushing.

Listen for yourself.

According to the lion roar legend, Joe Trimarchi, a sales rep at WMAJ-AM, a State College radio station, went to his cart machine and selected a recorded lion roar as a "sounder" to preface sports news in 1967. In those days, stations had stock sound effects contained in cartridges of looping analog tape (think 8-tracks) that were housed and transported on wheeled "cart" machines.

Penn State sports information director Jim Tarman heard Trimarchi's roar and inquired about using it at PSU athletic events. The roar made its debut at a Penn State-Lehigh wrestling match later that year, migrated to Lions basketball games and, thanks to Trimarchi, to Beaver Stadium in the fall of '68.

Trimarchi, who also worked as a spotter at football games, lugged his bulky cart machine up into the press box and, by pressing a button, signaled not only the beginning of one of the most unique, yet unknown, traditions in college football but also Penn State's rise to national prominence. The lion roar would literally be heard throughout the country as Penn State embarked on its first undefeated season under a youthful head coach named Joe Paterno.

For Lions fans, the roar quickly became as essential a part of the Saturday sound track as anything played by the Blue Band. "Joe was a pretty savvy guy; he knew the appropriate times to play it," said Dean DeVore, an AccuWeather meteorologist who also works as the public-address announcer at Beaver Stadium. "There's an etiquette about it."

The signature stadium sound effect has long followed the conclusion of the Penn State drum major's famous 50-yard line flip and the team huddle after the pregame stretch, as well as Penn State first downs and touchdowns. The growl has celebrated sacks and fired up the crowd to support the defense on third downs, too.

Yet change is inevitable, even at a place as tradition-bound as Penn State. Gone are Trimarchi and his cumbersome cart machine: The father of the roar retired in 2006, and the roar has been digitized. The roar's new caretaker is sound technician Blair Drake. Drake, along with communications director Guido D'Elia, is responsible for integrating the roar and the Blue Band with new stadium standbys such as Zombie Nation's "Kernkraft 400" to create a raucous atmosphere and entertainment spectacle that DeVore calls "the greatest show on Earth."

While players, P.A. announcers, sound technicians and perhaps one day even coaches -- yes, even coaches -- will come and go at Penn State, there will always be one certainty.

"The lion roar will be here forever," said DeVore. "It's iconic."

John D. Lukacs is the consultant to College GameDay.

Lions' Roar

http://www.alumni.psu.edu/hub/funstuff/images/surprise.wav

 

Denny's beer barrell

Man gulps down 15-pound burger with toppings

http://www.apnews.com/ap/db_6775/contentdetail.htm;jsessionid=758C7D084E47BD8DC1477C2C4EC6F67B?sel=dockTopNews&contentguid=QojiwUNG&src=cat

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Oakmont

Had a great time playing Oakmont for my first time on Oct. 13th.  Here are a couple of pics from the outing. 

Infamous "Church Pews" between #3 and #4

Birdied #9 with the Clubhouse in the background

Bombs Away on the massive 562 yard par 5 12th

Serene at Fourteen

Assessing my drive from the "Big Mouth" bunker on #17

Best "home" hole in golf!

New kitchen cabinets

We added some needed cabinet space to the kitchen for future
expansion ;-)

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14 weeks - 182 days to go

Welcome to the second trimester! This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb. Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb. In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces.

WSJ.com - How Your Taxes Will Fare Under Obama, McCain

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