28 Weeks

I forgot to post this yesterday... here's what's happening this week:
Baby:
Your baby now weighs about 2.7 lbs (1.2kg), measures about 10.4 inches (26cm) from crown to rump, and is around 16.7 inches (42cm) long. He is plumper and rounder, and his head and body are beginning to be in proportion. Your baby now uses all of his senses. He can see, taste, recognize touch and the sound of your voice. During the last trimester, your baby will receive antibodies from you through your placenta that will provide immunity from many diseases.
Your baby's adrenal glands are producing androgen-like substances. Androgens are normally male sex hormones, but in late pregnancy, when they reach the placenta they are turned into estrogen which in turn stimulates the production of prolactin in your body. Prolactin is the hormone needed for milk production. In this exchange, your baby is beginning to stimulate milk production in your breasts so that when he is born there will be food waiting for him. Also, baby is building up fat.
Mom:
As if we have to tell you: their little “cute” kicks are getting stronger these days, but just pay attention. If you notice a significant drop in the number of kicks experienced per hour it would be a good idea to tell your physician or mid-wife. But before you start getting anxious, keep in mind that during the final weeks of pregnancy your in-house-football player will be kicking significantly less as they will lack the space to move about as vigorously. Your breasts may be leaking colostrum as your baby stimulates the production of the hormone prolactin. If you are not leaking colostrum, there is no need to worry at all about having a good supply of milk to feed your baby. Not everyone will leak colostrum before birth.
Your balance may be affected by your enlarged abdomen so you should be especially careful to avoid falling. You may be feeling pressure on your diaphragm, liver, stomach and intestines as they are displaced by your growing baby. Your total weight gain by this point is likely between 19 and 25 lbs (8.55 and 11.25kg). As your uterus puts pressure on your internal organs, including your bladder, you probably have to go to the bathroom more frequently.

The Nursery & Belly Shots

First things first... I have added 27w & 28w belly progression shots to the slide show. Sorry that I didn't post it any earlier. I have been very busy with work and trying to figure out what I am doing before they cut all ties and let me loose on those Sprint customers! So those pictures are there for you to enjoy (Yo... that means you!). See slide show below.

Second... step 2 in the nursery decor has been completed! On Monday, Christine, came over to paint the stripes on the wall. A few weeks prior, Brad and I worked on taping the wall for Christine, so all she had to do is paint! I love the colors. Unfortunately, the light purple doesn't show up very well in the pictures... but it's purple! I've attached several photos. Next step is to get the furniture moved in and then I can start drawing on the walls (that's step 3). Step four is to paint the Dr. Seuss characters on the wall... that's mom's job. She'll be here in about a month to do that. So I've got to start getting busy!

Taped room

Emmy helping

The first purple stripes

Christine painting

Striping complete!

Third... our classes birthing classes are going well. I feel like I am learning a lot and am less apprehensive about giving birth. I know I can do this.

Fourth... the little munchkin appears to be stretching out a lot in my tummy. It's very uncomfortable, but hey, what can you do. In fact, I think she likes the chocolate shake that I just had from Burger King... as she is kicking and punching me. Don't worry, I put protein powder in it just to make it healthy.... mmmm!

Other than that, just plugging and chugging away. Soon my work will know I'm pregnant. I wanted to wait until I graduated from training. I found out that the other pg girl in another training class got let go yesterday. That's most unfortunate. But it seems like everyone likes me there. Some people want me in Rep Assist (that's where I help fellow co-workers) and others want me in Advantage (that's where we try to upsell people's phone services). Apparently, I have a great attitude and voice for Advantage. I just hope that I can move somewhere where I don't have to take billing calls all day long. Oh well...

My next OB appointment is on April 2. I meet with the CNM (midwife)... as I am now on "rotating doctor" mode. I won't see my OB until the end of April. Hope everyone else is well!

Third Trimester & a Foot

Today I went in for my regular OB appointment. All is well! I am officially in my third-trimester now. According to the doctor's chart, I have gained 8 pounds since my check up 4 weeks ago, however, according to my scale, it's only about 5 pounds. My blood pressure is normal at 112/74 (I'm still alive, hooray!). Baby's heartrate was about 140 bpm. My glucose test results came back, I don't have gestational diabetes. My tummy is measuring 27cm, up 3 cm from the last visit. I asked the doctor why I am uncomfortable in the upper right side of my abdomen, right under my rib cage. She says that it could be a leg or something and a lot of women experience that. She checked and sure enough, she felt a foot right there! So the little munchkin is stretching out her leg right there and making mommy uncomfortable. Also while she had her hands on my belly, she could feel her hiccuping. A wide grin spread across her face. She's a great doctor. Other than that, it's off to another OB appointment in two weeks! Hooray!

I'll have Brad take another belly picture of me so we can all compare my 23 week photo with the 27 week photo. Have a great day!

Fifth Ultrasound... and hopefully the last!

Well folks... Got some really great news today! We went in for our fifth ultrasound (6w, 9w, 12w, 18w & 26w) today to see the position of the placenta. At our 18w appointment the placenta was really close to my cervix which could lead to some complications during delivery. Today the ultrasound revealed that the placenta had moved completely out of the way. So that won't be a problem and me going through the Bradley Method classes won't be a wash! So, I am totally happy. Also, at 18w they measured my cervix length at 2.7cm. That was on the short side of normal, so they checked that again today. The length of the cervix hadn't changed at all. If it had, it may be an indication that I may deliver early. Phew! I also did my one hour glucose test (testing for gestational diabetes). I was given lime glucola and it wasn't bad. It tasted like flat Sprite which I drink on occasion. Baby's heartbeat was strong (144 bpm) and there was plenty of amniotic fluid. Our little munchkin is also being very good and obedient. She's already in the head down position! So hopefully she won't flip herself over in the next three months. Breech would be bad! We also got a peek at the munchkin. She was very active, too and a couple of times I'd see her move on the u/s screen and I'd feel her hitting me with her hands. Was an awesome experience. We got a great picture of her face. I'm posting it without descriptions and with descriptions if you can't tell what you're looking at. Click on the image to see it bigger.

In addition, I've added my 26w belly picture. Here's the new slideshow:

I think that's about it. Hope you're enjoying your day!

26 Weeks - 98 days and counting...

So, I am in my last week of the second trimester. I hear this is the last of feeling good... as the third trimester is when I'll gain most of the baby weight and my back will start hurting, hands and feet start to swell and I'll be shouting... "I'm done being pregnant! Get this baby outta me!" I have now completed my 26th week and am starting the 27th. So far I have gained only 11 pounds. I've got about 19 more to go. Think I can make it?

Here's what's happening with baby this week:
Your baby weighs more than 2 lbs (1000g), measures 9.6 inches from crown to rump (24cm) and its total length is about 15.3 inches (34cm). If your baby were born now, she would have about an 85% chance of surviving. Nonetheless, your baby still needs another 13 weeks of in utero development to be considered full term. Your baby's eyes, no longer fused shut, are now open. Your baby's skin still has a very wrinkled appearance, but it is protected and nourished by the covering of vernix, a waxy coating that keeps the skin supple. Your baby looks almost like a full term baby, but is still much thinner and smaller than she will be at birth.

Here's what's happening to me this week:
The end of this week marks the end of your second trimester. Regular weight gain will continue until about the 36th week of pregnancy. Your breasts may be sore and uncomfortably heavy since they have increased in size. You can be susceptible to urinary tract infection from this stage onwards. Drinking plenty of water can help. Your cholesterol levels may be elevated, though this is usually normal in late pregnancy as cholesterol helps build up the pregnancy hormones that are being produced by the placenta. Of those hormones, progesterone is particularly important right now as it aids breast development and the muscles of the uterus. Sound fun, don't it? :)

Just wanted to say that I am getting my Bradley method exercises in at work. I've been doing a lot of deep breathing, squats and tailor sitting... oh and my Kegels I do whenever I remember to do them... which is often because work is a little boring right now.

That's about it. I'm going to have Brad take another belly picture of me tonight. I'll post it when I get it uploaded and such. Oh yes, last night I went to pick up my friend Tracey at work (we went to see 12 Angry Men - starring Richard Thomas aka John Boy) and I stopped to talk with another lady who's pregnant there. She's due May 26 or 27, but it was fun to compare pregnancy notes. One of the anchors, Steve Dunn, asked what I was going to name the baby... I said "Steve-etta". He gave me a high five. And no... that's not the name of the baby... and no, we still haven't figured on out yet.

Have a great day!

Well, we had our first birthing class yesterday. It was 2 hours of learning. We're doing the Bradley Method. There are a total of four couples in our 10 week class. We learned about exercising (kegels, stretching, relaxation) and proper nutrition (got eat more greens!) last night. We even got sent home with exercises that Brad has to help me do. I'm excited because I've always wanted to give birth naturally, or at least try. Brad is such a trooper and he's hoping that the classes will open his eyes as to what comes next in the pregnancy. Nothing much to report other than that. I'll continue to let you know what we learn in the class.

Now on the other hand, the Munchkin continues to get more and more active as the days pass by. I was sitting at work and I could see her moving underneath my sweater. She's kicking me almost constantly (right now) and the weirdest feeling kicks are when she gets me on the side. Sometimes I want to shout out in surprise at where she's getting me. She's a strong little girl.

So, if you've looked at my ticker above, I passed the 100 day mark! 99 days and counting. I can't believe how quickly things are moving. Well, hope everyone is doing well. I'll have to have Brad take another picture of me tomorrow at 26 weeks because I think my belly is getting bigger. In fact, my belly button is starting to pop out! Yikes!

The Next Step...

We continue to make progress in the nursery! My friend, Christine, came over and painted the nursery a pale yellow. In addition, she picked up two hitch hikers, Nancy and Jack (they take care of Emmy), and together all three of them spent just a few hours in the room painting. The walls look great and the yellow is so soothing. It will be nice in the summer when I can just put the baby in the crib, open the window and she'll hear the soothing sounds of a creek running in our backyard! Next on the list of things to do for the munchkin, tape the wall with the closet. Christine will be back to paint stripes on the wall. The colors: a turquoise and pale lavendar. We'll also have stripes of yellow in between so it will make the room more cohesive. So, the baby's room is moving along quite nicely. Once the stripes are on the wall, we'll move the dresser and night table back into the room. I'll get Brad to assemble the crib and the changing table and then figure out where I want to draw Dr. Seuss characters on the wall. So there's much more to do, but I am glad that it's getting done. The third trimester is getting so close. In fact, I hit my third trimester in another week and a half... March 19! Crazy if you ask me. Time is flying by so quickly.

Other news... tomorrow Brad and I start our birthing classes. I've chosen to go the Bradley Method way. It focuses on how to use the body to work through the labor process, birth without medication and using the husband as a birthing coach. Classes are two hours long and last for 10 weeks. It should be interesting. I'll let you know all about it as we go through it.

For now, here are some pictures of the nursery (click on the images for a bigger picture):



Ah yes, and I'm hearing that the baby shower plans are underway! Good thing, too, because I finished up my baby registry at Babies R Us this weekend. Of the things we're really hoping to get... the Graco infant car seat, the matching stroller and the glider chair at Babies R Us and the Britax car seat at Target.

Belly Picture

Just wanted to let you know that I added another belly picture to the slide show at 25 weeks. Other than that, nothing much is going on.

Let Mommy Sleep!

Well folks... here I am at 25 weeks! I'm now going into my 26th week and only have about 14 more to go. I can't believe how incredibly fast it is going. Tonight Brad is going to take a belly picture, so hopefully I will have another one to add to the list. I think my belly is growing. I know that I've gained 10 pounds since the pregnancy started. I've got about another 20 to go. Yikes!

Last night the munchkin was on the move. She was so active after dinner and it didn't stop. I think she missed Daddy. He was out bowling (weekly bowling league). I think the munchkin missed him so much that she was practicing her bowling approach and throw inside my tummy. I could feel her twisting and turning inside. From the outside I could see my stomach roll. Emmy even got in the action by placing her head on my belly. I went to bed, but couldn't sleep because she was moving around so much. But my tiredness got the better of me and I finally fell asleep. I think she did, too.

Not much else to report here. The Target baby registry is complete. However, I'm still working on the Babies R Us registry. But that's almost done. I think I have a few more little items to go here and there. But for the most part it's complete.

Next week, I go in for my ultrasound. I'll also do my Gestational Diabetes test at that time so hopefully by next Wednesday the results will be in and my doctor can go over it with me.

The Dr. Seuss Nursery!

Work has officially begun on the nursery! Woo hoo! This past weekend I primed the walls, stripping away the hideous primary yellow color from the walls. Next up, painting the walls a softer yellow. On one wall (the one with the closet) it will be stripes of pale yellow, light purple and aqua. My friend Christine will be over to help with the painting. Once that is done, I will draw Dr. Seuss characters on the wall and when my mom comes out at the beginning of May, she will paint in the characters. So things are moving along!

Here are a few pictures of the before and during process:





Keep checking in... as I will post pictures of the nursery process!

Belly Progression

Thought you might like to see how my belly has grown over the past few weeks.