35 Weeks (and 1 day!)

34 Days to go!

Here's what's happening with the Little Miss this week:

She's running out of room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (about the weight of a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in the womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. (She may not be doing somersaults, but she's definitely stretching, pushing and wiggling a lot!). Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete - she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Appointment update:
Today brought my 35-week OB appointment. My blood pressure was great, as usual. I'd gained 4 pounds for a total of 18 pounds gained so far. I was a little sad I'd gained 4 pounds since the last appointment but my OB did remind me I hadn't gained any weight the previous appointment so I was still on target for the pound-a-week goal.

I had my Group B Strep (GBS) test today. We'll know the results at next week's appointment. Basically, Group B Strep is harmless to me but can harm the baby if she's exposed during birth. If I do test positive, I'll be given antibiotics during labor. Today was also my first internal exam/cervix check. Surprisingly, I'm already making some progress. I'm 1cm dilated and 50% effaced. (!!!)

I'm still measuring a little small, but it's absolutely nothing to worry about at this point. I'm technically in the "small to normal range".

While I know I can remain at 1, 2, or even 3 cms for several weeks with no progress, the fact that I was already making SOME progress was quite the wake-up call that birth is not that far away. Of course, my mind immediately started running through all the things we need to make sure we have complete.

We need to:
-install the car seat
-start packing the hospital bag
-start packing the dogs' bag since they'll be staying with one of their most favorite people (our boarder) while we're at the hospital.
-double-checking that we have all necessary supplies for those first couple of weeks
-buy a few nursing supplies (pjs, bras, a couple of easy-access tops, etc)
-get the December birthday and Christmas shopping completed

I'm sure there's more that needs to be done but those were the major tasks that popped into my mind today. I'll update with 35 week belly pics soon!

Wordless Wednesday: Duncan, AKA Snaggletooth

Obsessions

One would think, with 5 weeks to go, I'd be obsessing about my upcoming labor and delivery. No, not me. Labor and delivery are on my mind, sure, but it's not what I'm obsessing over.

My obsessions?
- figuring out the logistics of traveling with the Little Miss next March. Yes, I said March...5 months away!
- determining all December birthday and Christmas purchases for our family
- finding the perfect stocking for the Little Miss
- finding a Baby's 1st Christmas ornament
- designing the perfect birth announcement

And the biggest obsession of all....
- Money. Will we have enough? Can Y stay on top of the bills since that's usually my task? Will I be able to concentrate working at home with the Little Miss....enough that I can have the income I had pre-Little Miss?

Moms or moms-to-be, what are your obsessions?

34 Weeks! (and 2 days)

40 days to go!!!!!

Here's what's happening with the Little Miss this week:

She now weighs near 5 pounds, or about the size of your average cantaloupe. She is also about 18 inches long. Her fat layers, which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born, are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. Any nerves concerning preterm labor can be allayed as babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Things are still fairly uneventful. I've had a couple of strong contractions when I've been out running errands and haven't had enough water. I've also had more issues breathing. There was one night this week it woke me from sleep. It took me 2 or 3 hours before I felt like I could catch my breath and go back to sleep. I'd tried sitting up, lying on my side and just about every position imaginable. Nothing seemed to help that night. I had the same issue again last night as I was initially trying to fall asleep but it only lasted a few minutes and I was able to get comfortable enough to sleep.

Work is keeping me busy as I try to wind up my projects before taking my leave in just a few WEEKS! I just simply cannot fathom that our daughter's arrival is mere weeks away. It seems like time has absolutely flown since the second trimester. I have our contact list and calling tree all set for the Little Miss' arrival and I'm beginning to think about what I need to take with us to the hospital to start prepping the hospital bag. The car seat will be installed soon and we'll be double-checking our list of necessities for our daughter's arrival.

Infertility Awareness Week

This week is Infertility Awareness Week. Some of you may be asking why I'm posting about this when I'm happily pregnant with our daughter. I AM an infertile. I will ALWAYS be an infertile.

This time last year I was struggling with the fact it had been just over a year since we had started trying for a baby. I was in the midst of a Clomid cycle...ahh, the Clomid Crazies! It was our third cycle on Clomid. We had returned from a vacation to Disney World in September where I was surrounded by happy families and questioned why WE didn't have children on the day I found out yet another cycle had failed. I'd reached the point I knew we needed outside intervention beyond my OB.

While mine is currently a success story, I still find myself becoming upset with couples who abuse the infertility clinics. Those who, after three months of trying, run to be tested only to find they are a perfectly healthy couple. That was time a Dr. spent that could have been spent with a couple who truly needed his or her services. I still hurt for friends and aquantances that are infertile and are still struggling to conceive. It still stings when I hear someone announce a "whoops" pregnancy or hear "It was our first month trying!". Are these couples any less deserving than those of us who have dealt with infertility? Absolutely not. But it doesn't make our struggles any easier to bear.

If you are currently struggling with infertility, know someone who is, or just want to know more about infertility check out this link to learn more: RESOLVE

Uneventful

That would be my latest OB appointment...uneventful. It's fantastic things are uneventful because goodness knows that, at times, this hasn't been the smoothest of pregnancies.

I had no weight gain since my last appointment so I'm holding steady at up 14 pounds total. My blood pressure has continued to remain excellent and her heart rate is great as usual. The only thing amiss is my belly measurement and even that isn't anything to worry about at this point. I'm measuring a little small for 33 weeks, but am growing at a normal pace from previous appointments. Up until 31 weeks, I'd been measuring right on target. At 31 weeks, I began measuring just 1cm behind the "normal" measurement. All this really means is that our baby girl is a little small. If the measurements continue at the rate they have been there isn't anything to worry about. If I begin to start measuring even smaller than the "normal" measurement then I may be given a sonogram for a growth check. I return October 30th for my last two week appointment. From there on out I'll be seen weekly!

All in all things are going great. Now if we can just get to her settle down at night so Momma can get some sleep, life will be perfect!

33 Weeks! (and Belly Pics)

49 Days to go! Eek!

Here's what's happening with the Little Miss this week:

She weighs a bit over 4 pounds this week or about the weight of a pineapple. She has also passed the 17 inch mark from head to heel. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies born vaginally are born with a cone-head like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

In other developments, well, not much new is happening with me. The Little Miss keeps pushing herself up into my ribs and diaphragm so there are days I have some real issues breathing. Thankfully, I've only had one REALLY bad day so far. I've had a couple of days that I'm sure can be declared as full-fledged nesting. One day last week I completed about 15 tasks on a to-do list including rearranging the linen closet, bathroom cabinets, kitchen cabinets and the office. With the nursery pretty well complete, we're mainly down to making sure we have all the necessary supplies for that first week or two home. We've managed to figure out about 70% of our December Birthdays and Christmas shopping, too. That really relieves a lot of stress knowing that major task is mostly under control.

I'm still feeling pretty good. I'm definitely more tired now than even just a few weeks ago. If I can manage a decent night's sleep, I find I have a fair amount of energy. If I don't, I can almost guarantee I can't get through the day without a nap or two. Some days that makes it really difficult to make it through the work day.

I have my 33 week OB appointment on Thursday so I'll have more to update then.

Breathing? Who Needs to Do That??

Apparently the Little Miss thinks I don't need to breathe!

Today has been an exceptionally hard day for my lungs. I don't know if she has positioned herself just right or what but breathing has been really difficult today. I've been unable to catch my breath all day and it's even worse after a meal. I do know she's taken to pushing herself up into my ribs and seemingly on my diaphragm, too. It's days like today I'm extremely glad I'm not in front of a classroom teaching. My students wouldn't have had much lecturing out of me on a day like today!

Sunday, it felt like she was completely sideways in my uterus with her foot pushing into my ribs on my right side. I could definitely feel the outline of her foot - it was so odd to be able to identify the body part. I'm getting so excited to meet her and see those feet for myself!

Moms, do you have any tips or tricks you'd like to share for those times when it feels like you just can't catch your breath?? Or is this just one of those things I'll have to deal with until she's out?

32 Week belly pictures

32 Weeks, 2 Days:

32 Weeks! (and 1 day)

Nothing much new to report this week. Nights are becoming more and more sleepless. Thankfully I can manage a nap during the day...even if it's only 30 minutes.

Here's what's happening with the Little Miss this week:
She now weighs between 3.75 and 4.5 pounds or about the size of a large jicama. She's also about 16.7 inches long now and taking up a lot of space in my uterus. I'm gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to the baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth. Her skin is also turning from red to pink.

I'll update more after my appointment next week. 32 week belly weeks coming soon!

31 Weeks (and 2 days)! 61 days to go!

Plus nursery and belly pictures!

The Little Miss is now over 16 inches long and weighs approximately as much as four navel oranges at 3.3 pounds. She's now heading into a growth spurt. The Little Miss can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so I may have trouble sleeping because her kicks and somersaults keep me up (yes! and wake me from sleep, too!). All this moving is a sign the baby is active and healthy.

I had my 31 week OB appointment this week. Things were uneventful. It had been three weeks since my last appointment and I was up just 3 pounds. I'm right on track for weight gain at 14 pounds over all. My blood pressure was normal and my belly is measuring right around 30 cm. Considering "normal" measurement for 31 weeks is 31 cm I'm not too far off. Other than a lot of fatigue, I've been feeling pretty good.

The Nursery!
The nursery is now about 95% complete. We need to add a few more decor items to the walls and purchase and install a ceiling fan.

I love going into the nursery now. I'll sit in the glider, rocking and imagining what life is going to be like in the next couple of months. I find the room very calming and warm.

Be patient, there are a lot of nursery photos. I'll try to post them in sections here and hope you can bear with me through all the photos!

Overall Look:






Above the bookcase, on the right, we're wanting to add some pictures of animals that we've taken over the years. It's just a matter of picking out which ones we want to use and getting them printed out.







The Changing Area:







The wall here is really high and will definitely need something else on it. It looks quite bare for now!


The Closet:













The Bookcase:






This was my bargain find at Big Lots! I'd been searching high and low for a bookcase and ran across this one at Big Lots. I love it!


The Crib and Bedding:














This bedding is custom made by my Mom. I designed the look of all the pieces and purchased the material and she did all the hard work sewing everything. I absolutely love how it turned out.


We're so excited to have the nursery pretty well complete...it just means we're that much closer to having our daughter home and sleeping in that crib! We couldn't have done it without the help of my Mom. She's been a savior these past few weeks. From sewing to helping us get the supplies we need to helping organize everything....we couldn't have gotten this far without her!