Less than Two Months!

Well folks, we are less than two months away from the arrival of the Munchkin, if you go by the estimated due date. Things are movin and groovin on this side. Here's what has happened in the past week:

I went to my first La Leche League meeting on Monday. The group meets every third Monday of the month. It was nice to see all those ladies there. I'm not sure if I'll go to every meeting, but it's nice to know that if I get stuck on breast feeding or need help, there are ladies out there who can offer support and advice.

Yesterday, I completed my 32nd week! I am now in my 33rd week. The third trimester is trying to kick my butt... but I refuse to give in. The first trimester was easier than this trimester. The second was a honeymoon. So what's so difficult you ask? First, I feel like a beached whale... especially when I am trying to get up off of the comfy couch. At least when I am in bed, I can roll out. Speaking of bed, it's getting more and more difficult to sleep. I wake up when I have to roll over. And now it seems every two hours I am getting up to use the bathroom. The Munchkin is also running out of space. I can feel her kicking up behind my rib cage every so often. I'm supposed to be doing kick counts, but I haven't so far because I know she's moving around a lot inside my belly. One day I found myself playing with her foot. I'd poke it and she'd kick back. Gave me the giggles! So, since I've been getting up so often during the night, I haven't been sleeping well. So I've resorted to taking naps on the couch when I get home from work. They seem to be helping. There are a few moments when I forget that I am pregnant. Those usually happen when I am in transition from being in a dream state to being in my awake state in the morning. What snaps me out of it, is when I try to get out of bed!

Bradley Method classes are going well. We've only got four more classes left. Our homework last week was to create our birth plan. Now we get to share it with our doctor. Luckily, she's the type to go with the flow of the parents and only intervenes when baby or mom is in trouble. I'm excited to have such a great doctor. Our next appointment is on Monday. Wheee! Brad will be with me at this appointment because I am going to have him video tape it.

Here's a look at what's happening to Baby and Me in the 33rd week:
Baby ~ Your baby now weighs about 4.4 lbs (2000g) and measures about 12 inches (30cm) from crown to rump and about 19.4 inches (43cm) in total. Now that your baby is running out of room in your womb, you can probably see your belly moving as your baby kicks. Your baby may dream as he sleeps and when awake he may be alert, listening, feeling and even seeing dim shapes. Though your baby is still inside the womb, he is learning all the time as billions of neurons are making connections. Your baby is probably in his birth position by now. Your baby's lungs may be sufficiently developed by now, though if he were born now, he would probably still need an incubator to stay warm.
Mom ~ Your weight gain by now may be as much as 28 lbs and you are gaining weight faster than at any other time in your pregnancy. This is because your baby is growing rapidly right now. Your blood volume has increased 40% to meet your baby's needs and your uterus has grown 500 times since before you were pregnant. You may be feeling uncomfortable and feel the need to urinate frequently. You may be experiencing vivid dreams.

Also, a major accomplishment. Today I finished drawing on the walls in the nursery. The nursery is all ready for my mom to come in and paint! I am totally excited that everything is done. The characters that I have on the wall include: Marvin K. Mooney; Are You My Mother? (snort not included); Horton; One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish; Green Eggs and Ham; and Fox in Socks. Below is a picture of Horton which I just completed today. Horton faces the Are You My Mother Drawing. You'll have to wait to see Fox and the fish because I'm not darkening the lines. A little too complex.

So I am debating when I want to leave my job. I am thinking June 6... but I don't know if I want to go sooner or later than that. What do you all think? My estimated due date is June 18.

Other than that, nothing else is up. Hoping this weekend will be nice, as I want to get out into the garden again and plant some annuals and perineals. Getting prepared for next weekend's shower and all the guests coming in. Hope all is well with you! Oh yes, one more thing... the 32nd week belly shot is in the slideshow now. Have I dropped yet? Oh yes, and one more thing... I think baby has moved, so in the 32 week shot, she's not mooning you anymore. I think if you were to see me full frontal, rather than profile, she'd be mooning you. :)

31 weeks down... & Are You My Mother?

Hello everyone! Yes, I've got 31weeks behind me now. I'm in my 32nd week which means I only have eight weeks left until the munchkin arrives... if she comes on the estimated due date. Here's what's happening to me and baby this week.
Baby ~ Your baby's total length is 18.9 inches (42cm) and she is perfectly formed! She measures about 11.6 inches (29cm) from crown to rump. All she has to do is fill out more. Your baby weighs almost 4 pounds (1800g). If she were to be born now, she would still need to be incubated as she has insufficient fat stores to keep it warm. Your baby can distinguish between light and dark. Your baby can hear the outside world quite well now, and can also hear the sounds of your heartbeat, your digestion and the blood rushing in the umbilical cord. The pitch of women's voices are in the range babies are most able to hear over all the internal background noise. Your baby is already familiar with your voice and will be able to recognize it after birth.
Mommy ~ Your uterus now extends to about 5 inches (12cm) above your belly button. You probably continue to feel tired and may sometimes feel dizzy. You feel your baby's kicking regularly. Your baby is probably in the head down position by now and is long enough that his legs can reach your ribs. The pressure of your baby's legs can make your ribcage sore. Taking care to sit or stand straight may alleviate this discomfort somewhat. You may feel short of breath, have heartburn, round ligament pain, a stuffy nose and other pregnancy symptoms. Your pelvic joints may have expanded for the birth and this may cause some discomfort. You may feel a desire to "nest" which may make you want to bake, clean and get things in order around your home.

Speaking of nesting... here's my latest wall creation. This was taken from the book "Are You My Mother?". Sorry Yo, I didn't put Snort in the picture! This drawing is right over the baby's crib. Sorry that the pencil marks are so light. I tried to darken up the picture so you could see. But I've also included the picture from the book. Remember, you can click on the picture to make it bigger.



Speaking of pictures... I also included a 31w picture of my belly. It's been added to the slide show. Enjoy!

And I couldn't resist throwing this picture up. Two mallard ducks were swimming in our creek this evening. They bathed, ate and swam in our backyard. They seem to like our yard because this is the second time I've seen them here.

My Baby is Mooning You!

You just gotta love the every two week appointments! Went in for a check up today. The munchkin is doing well. Her heartbeat is steady at around 140-150 bpm. Since I am on the doctor rotation, I got Dr. Oscar Polo, the only male doctor in the practice. I am hoping that he's not on call when I go into labor. While he's nice, I like my doctor the best! That would be Dr. Desiree Bley. I've gained two pounds in two weeks and my belly hasn't grown at all! Imagine that. I asked Dr. Polo how the munchkin is situated. He felt around my belly and says the head is down and the butt is up on my right side. So... if you were to take a look at my belly progression pictures, that means the munchkin is mooning you! She's already got a sense of humor! But the orientation makes sense, as whenever she has the hiccups, I always feel it on the right side.

That's about it. Until next time...

Green Eggs & Ham... and more!

The nursery grafitti is coming along very nicely. It took me about two hours to complete the drawing for Green Eggs and Ham. This artwork was drawn over the changing table. Here are some pictures of me actually drawing on the wall and the completed drawing.







In addition, I have added my 30 week belly picture to the collage. I can't believe that I've now got less than 10 weeks to go. It's getting really close, but I am excited and feel I am prepared, as long as baby comes AFTER the baby shower! I've already started my 8th month, can you believe it?

Here's what's happening to baby and me heading into 31 weeks:
Baby ~ Your baby now weighs about 3.5 lbs (1600g) and measures about 18 inches (40cm) in total and about 11.2 inches (28cm) from crown to rump. Your baby's increasing size means that she has less room to move around in your uterus. Your baby could already be moving into the head-down position. Your baby's lungs are maturing and their lining, which prevents air sacs from collapsing, is growing. This lung development means that your baby would have a much greater chance of survival if he were born prematurely. About 16 fluid ounces of blood are flowing through the wall of your uterus to the site of the placenta, though your blood never mixes with your baby's blood. It is separated by the placental barrier which is a very thin wall. Water, nutrients and waste are exchanged across this barrier at a rate of 0.3 fluid ounces per second. Your baby swallows amniotic fluid and urinates. Your baby's ears are sufficiently developed to hear and recognize your voice, the voices of other family members as well as familiar musical tunes.
Me ~ Most women have gained about 19 pounds by this point in pregnancy. The weight gain is made up of the baby, the placenta and the amniotic fluid as well as enlarged breasts, an increase in blood volume, water storage, fat and protein. You feel your baby moving about regularly and this may cause you to feel bonded with him. You don't need to worry though if you do not already feel bonded with your baby. For some women, the baby still seems abstract when it is inside. You may bond rapidly or gradually after the birth. Fatigue will probably continue and you may feel breathless after physical activity. Colostrum may be leaking from your breasts. However, this does not occur for all women and in no way indicates that there will be a problem breastfeeding if colostrum is not present before birth. You may have trouble sleeping for various reasons: it may be difficult to find a comfortable position, you may have to urinate frequently during the night, baby's activity can prevent you from sleeping and you may be feeling anxious.
Your back probably aches since the muscles and ligaments that support it have begun to relax and loosen in preparation for labor. You may have also developed some varicose veins.

My next doctor appointment is on Monday, April 14! And there's no birthing class! Woo hoo!

And just a special shout out to my girls... Yea, Yo! Congrats on that BFP... and Monty... yea for those number coming down! At least they're not going up again! Positive thoughts!

Marvin K. Mooney

After laying on the floor for about an hour, Marvin K. Mooney is the first character in the Munchkin's nursery. He stands about three feet high and is right by the baby's crib and underneath the light switch by the door. Amazingly, it didn't take me hours to draw him. I took some pictures... they've been "enhanced" so you can see the pencil lines. After looking at the pictures, I decided Marvin was a little too fat, so I slimmed him down. However, I didn't take pictures of the slimmer Marvin. I guess you'll have to wait until he's painted in to see the lighter and most likely 10 pounds lighter Marvin! Also attached is a picture of Marvin that I took from the book. Enjoy! More to come...

Ladies & Gents... we've got furniture!

Things are moving at a fairly rapid pace in the Munchkin's room right now. This past weekend, Brad and I worked on getting the furniture all set up. On Saturday after an eye appointment and a trip to Starbucks (before you go... Starbucks... I just wanted to say I put my protein powder in my beverage for a little extra baby kick) we got down to business. The crib wasn't as difficult as I thought it was going to be - putting it together, that is. The only hard part was getting the side rails together because the prefabricated holes were imprecisely drilled. So after a little bit of sweat and cussing, we finally got the crib together. It took us about an hour and a half. Here are some pictures of the crib assembly and the finished product. (remember, click on the photo for a bigger picture)


The second part was getting the changing table together. Brad took the changing table assembly and Emmy and I tackled the drawer that went on the changing table. When we were just about finished, Brad's mom and dad stopped by. It was perfect timing because Brad's dad could help him move some of the furniture back into the room (dresser). After a little bit of futzing around with the pieces, we figured out where we wanted everything to go.




Afterwards, all four of us stopped by Babies R Us and Brad's parents bought us the crib mattress we registered for (thanks!).

This week, more likely tomorrow, I will start working on the Dr. Seuss characters. I am so excited that I can start working on it... as I know exactly where all the characters are going to go on the wall.

Emmy wanted to get in on the action, too!

Belly Pics, Shower & Non related baby stuff

Just wanted to let you know that I put a new belly pic on line. It's my 29week shot. I can't believe that I am in my 30th week!

So, I participated in an online baby shower with one of the buddy groups I participate in. Take a look at what I received. I got a package of onsies, Are You My Mother?, The Alphabet Book and The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss. My online secret shower buddy was good to me. The book comes just in time because I am going to draw the little birdie from Are You My Mother on the nursery wall.

Unrelated baby news... Brad and I finally bought a kitchen table. We got it from JC Penney. Monday and Tuesday night I sat on the floor assembling the chairs. And last night Brad helped me finish those chairs (putting on the seats) and we both worked on assembling the table. I've attached a picture of the new table. I'm quite excited to try it out! Gone is the card table. Now we feel like adults with real furniture!

That's it for now. Take care!

Certified Nurse Midwife

I'm at 29 weeks... starting my 30th week today! I am now on the 2 week doctor visit cycle and today I met with the Certified Nurse Midwife. She's trained to do everything a doctor can, except for surgeries and the use of forceps (yikes!). She's a very nice woman. In the past two weeks, I've only gained 1 pound. In addition, I've added another 3 cm to my belly. The CNM noticed that my tummy is a little red. She told me to watch for itchiness as that may indicate a pregnancy rash. So far, it hasn't itched. I think it's red because the skin is starting to stretch.

On the nursery front, I received an email that one of my Dr. Seuss books is ready for me to pick up. Unfortunately, I did not have time to get it after work today. So I'll pick it up tomorrow. I am anxious to get started on the nursery walls! I've only got four weeks until my Michelangelo comes to town!

Here's what's happening with me and baby this week:
Your baby now weighs about 3 lbs (1400g), measures about 10.8 (27cm) inches from crown to rump and measures about 17 inches (38cm) from head to toe. Your baby is probably aware of your Braxton Hicks contractions, which you experience regularly, even when you do not notice them. By this time, your baby is very active and you feel its movements frequently. Your baby is still practicing breathing movements which have now become rhythmic. Sometimes your baby gets the hiccups when she accidentally swallows amniotic fluid the wrong way. She is getting fatter and plumper. On an ultrasound, you can see your baby's activities quite easily. Your baby has periods of rest and periods of activity now. Your baby is probably most active when you are trying to rest.

Your uterus has now risen to about 4 inches above your bellybutton. Backache probably continues and you are probably feeling increasingly fatigued. This may be exacerbated since you may also have trouble sleeping. Whenever possible, try to put your feet up. Extra pillows will probably help you to find a comfortable sleeping position. You may be constipated; your nose may be stuffed; and you may have the occasional nosebleed. You may also have trouble breathing as your enlarged uterus crowds your lungs. You may at times feel faint and dizzy. You probably feel huge, but you'll get bigger still! Some women take great pleasure in their changing form while others feel it is a nuisance. If you are among the latter, you can take comfort in knowing that it is temporary, that your partner and others probably find you especially beautiful, that you are as close as you can be to your baby and that your body is providing him with all he needs.

I'll have Brad take another picture of my belly tonight and then I'll post it later on. 'Til next time... over and out!