Week 34

34 weeks means only 6 weeks to go!  Baby seems to be doing well and growing a lot.  I'm thinking she has either started dropping or is just big enough that she is putting serious pressure on my bladder because I feel like I always have to pee now (I couldn't even make it through a Target run yesterday!).  She still gets the hiccups a couple times a day and while I definitely still feel her moving around in there all the time, the movements are generally not quite as strong as they were a few weeks back, probably because she is running out of space.  I can't wait until she is here so I can post pictures of her instead of me!  We have our 34 week appointment on Wednesday, then at 36 weeks they start to check me for dilation and I go in weekly.  In case you aren't counting down the work days... I am!  Only 5 more work days until my leave starts!  I am so looking forward to long walks outside and reading lots of baby books.  : )

I feel like the blog is getting a bit boring ( although I guess it's good things are uneventful at this point!) so I thought I'd share a sneak peak of the furniture and bedding we selected for the baby...  we went with the Kendall furniture collection in espresso (first two pictures below) and the Sweet Lambie bedding (third picture below) both from Pottery Barn Kids.  The dresser/changing table topper is set up (as it was delivered assembled) and already filling quickly!  We plan to set up the crib/bedding in a couple more weeks and enjoy the extra space while we can. 

Week 34 update from BabyCenter.com:
Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 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. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that 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.

Week 33

Not a whole lot to report this week... things are going well and no big news!  The baby is definitely growing and still finding a way to squirm around a lot in there.  Now that she is so big you can see her movements from the outside of my belly as well.  Sometimes when I get up at night to pee the baby starts to move around or gets the hiccups, which prevents me from getting back to sleep.  Then my mind starts to wander and I am usually up for hours which is no fun!  I am having more Braxton Hicks contractions these days, sometimes several in an hour, but they aren't painful or very regular so I'm not worried. 

I am getting excited for my shower in a couple of weeks and my mom being in town.  And Joel and I are looking forward to putting the crib up after the shower.  It will definitely feel real seeing the crib in our bedroom!  We had our Newborn class tonight taught by a pediatrician which was really informative.  Update on the work countdown... 9 more days! Crazy!  : )  We signed up for a breastfeeding class but it's not until April 28th so hopefully she doesn't decide to make her appearance before that. 

Week 33 update from babycenter.com:
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Week 32

We had our 32 week doctor appointment this morning.  The appts are fairly uneventful these days (no more ultrasounds), the usual... pee in a cup, listen for the heartbeat, the doctor measures the belly and feels how the baby is positioned, and lots of time for questions/discussion.  Our doctor group has 7 doctors and I have decided to see all of them since any of them could be delivering me.  I have seen 6 of 7 so far and really liked them all.  Today, the doctor said I was measuring 32-33 inches (which should be pretty much in line with how many weeks you are).  He also said that the baby is head down, so that is good news!  I frequently notice a big curved bump on the right side of my belly and that is where her back is, with her feet coming down the left side of my belly.  She is still being extremely active which is always fun!  The doctor also said I was having a contraction when he was feeling my belly, so I guess what I thought were Braxton Hicks contractions actually are.  I wasn't sure because they don't hurt at all, my belly just gets extremely hard.  From here we have a similar 34 week appointment, and then weekly appointments from 36-40 weeks which include pelvic exams to see if I am starting to dilate.  I can't believe how fast it's going! 

I am counting down with only 15 more days left of work since I get the month before off!  Even more exciting coming off of busy season!  I am really looking forward to having more time to relax, exercise, and read lots of baby books. 

Joel marched in the St Patricks Day parade last weekend with the Friendly Sons of St Patrick and I went to watch this year.  It was pretty entertaining to see him and his group, but overall the parade was a little lame and I discovered that beer gardens are not fun places for pregnant women to hang out (surrounded by drunk people and the smell of beer- yuck!). 

Week 32 baby update (whattoexpect.com):
This week, your body may start prepping for delivery day by flexing its muscles — literally. If you feel your uterus bunching or hardening periodically, those are practice contractions, otherwise known as Braxton Hicks. These rehearsals (typically experienced earlier and with more intensity in women who've been pregnant before) feel like a tightening sensation that begins at the top of your uterus then spreads downward, lasting from 15 to 30 seconds (though they can sometimes last two minutes or more). What's up with your baby? She's starting to get ready for her big debut, tipping the scales at almost four pounds and topping out at just about 19 inches. In these last few weeks, it's all about practice, practice, practice as she hones the skills she'll need to survive and thrive outside the womb, from swallowing and breathing to kicking and sucking. And speaking of sucking, your little one has been able to suck her thumb for a while now. Another change this week: As more and more fat accumulates under your baby's skin, she's becoming less transparent and more opaque.
 

Week 31

Sorry for the delay on the weekly post!  AND, sorry for the bare belly pic for those of you who do not enjoy seeing it.  It was requested and I gave in as the weekly pics of me standing in the living room or entryway are getting a little old.  : )  The week was fairly uneventful although we did start our childbirth classes at the hospital last week.  There are 6 classes that include labor/delivery, anesthesia/C-section, birth films/tour, the newborn, postpartum/cord blood retrieval, and baby care basics/infant CPR.  We were afraid they would get a little long as they are 7-9:30 on Wednesday nights but the first class was actually great.  The night started off rough as we were running late as usual, got a $40 parking ticket picking up food from a deli at the Horton Plaza on the way, and then Joel had a piece of misplaced tuna in the new car (yuck) as a result of eating while driving!  It got better from there though...  Despite reading all the books it was sill incredibly informative and we learned a lot about labor (dilation, effacement, stages, length, tools used, lots of charts/graphics, etc, etc, etc!).  We have our next class tomorrow night and are looking forward to it!

The baby seems to be doing very well, she is still moving all over the place and kicking around in there.  Sometimes I wish there were at home ultrasounds so you could see what she is doing in there and tell what body part is sticking out!  She seems to be awake more frequently or for longer periods now than she used to.  She also gets the hiccups almost every day, but I have read that hiccups for babies in the womb aren't uncomfortable like they are for adults. 

In other news, we got the stroller ordered last night (the Baby Jogger City Select as discussed in the week 29 post)... it was hard to find it in stock anywhere as I guess it has been pretty popular since it came out this year.  The only concern is that the carseat adapters are back ordered for now, and will hopefully ship in April.  Without that, we technically can't use the stroller yet b/c it's not really recommended for babies under 6 months without the carseat attachment so their head is fully supported.  And sorry to those of you who were hoping to get your hands on my old green Saturn, but we sold it yesterday!  : )  We just didn't think it would be the best car for transporting the little one (very small, hard to get the carseat/stroller in, etc), so it was time.  We had posted it in Craigslist a couple of weeks, only receiving one response from someone who wanted to trade it for tattoo services.  No thanks!  So we gave in and paid to post it on Auto Trader and sold it the next day.  Here's the weekly update from Baby Center...

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Week 30

I guess that means we're 3/4 of the way there and only 10 weeks to go!  I know that the big day will be here before we know it!  And, we suspect she is growing a little faster and may make her appearance early, but I guess we'll see.  My mom said she had each of us 10 days to 2 weeks early, not sure if that has anything to do with how I will be though.  I am still feeling pretty good!  I am definitely starting to get more uncomfortable, bending over and standing up from a low seat can be a challenge and my quality of sleep just varies by the night.  She is still moving all over the place in there and I've noticed that sometimes when I roll over or get up to pee in the night she wakes up and then keeps me up with her activity. 

Yet another trip to USA Baby (don't love the store, but they have the BEST selection to check things out in person) to check out carseats last weekend now that the stroller decision has been made (we think, unless we change our mind!).  So many decisions come with having a baby!  Joel said he is embarrassed at the amount we go to that store, but they reassured as that there are couples that go far more frequently than us!  : )  I had always thought we would need to purchase 2 rear facing infant carseats but the girl at USA Baby enlightened me... she suggested we only buy one infant carseat and one convertible carseat (which is rear facing for the first year and then you turn it around and use as a forward facing seat).  I guess you really only need one of the infant carseats that attaches to the stroller and you can carry around.  Any moms out there who disagree please let me know!  These things are really not cheap so being able to purchase one of the two seats that we can actually use for a long time would be nice.  So for now that's the plan.  When things slow down I plan to post all of the research we did on carseats and strollers as it was quite intensive, but for now busy season is keeping my posts short! 

Not much else to report for now... here's the baby update from the Bump & What to Expect  (Sorry, I can't even commit to a site to use to update!):

Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments. 

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

Week 29

I'm not sure if the picture does it justice or not, but I am feeling pretty huge these days!  And the scary part is I have another 11 weeks of growing to do before this baby is born!  We had our 28 week appointment earlier this week and found out that I passed the glucose screening test, meaning that I do not have gestational diabetes and don't have to do the follow up glucose tolerance test.  Yay!  I did have low iron levels though so I have to start taking another iron supplement, but that's not a big deal other than maybe making me a little more tired (which is not good on top of 12 hour workdays).  The baby has continued to be pretty active which is fun for us.  : ) 

We worked on our Babies R Us registry this weekend and Joel was quite a trooper!  Then we headed back to USA Baby to look at strollers again.  I think the stroller decision is almost as difficult for me as the name!  There are just SO many options out there and they all have their benefits and drawbacks.  At this point I think the front runner is the Baby Jogger City Select (http://www.babyjogger.com/city_select_lp.aspx), which is extremely versatile... you can use it with the seat, carseat adapter, or bassinet (if you purchase it), and the best part is with the purchase of a second full seat it actually becomes a double stroller when you need it to.  You can put it together in over 20 different combinations too (and the second child doesn't have to always look at the back of the other seat)!  Even though we are only having one baby now, we know so many people having to purchase a double stroller now that they are having their second, so we are thinking maybe it's a good idea to go with this one which we will use as a single now and a double later so we don't have to purchase a whole new stroller in a couple/few years when we have #2?  A lot of friends have also recommended the Bob, which we love and could jog with, but I'm not sure it has all the functionalities I want in my everyday stroller, so we may end up purchasing one of those as well down the road if we decide we do want a jogger. 

I am going to try to update the blog more often than once a week (and also post more pictures other than me standing in the living room) once work slows down a bit, but for now here's the week 29 update from What to Expect/pic from Baby Center: 

Unsightly yet harmless, varicose veins are simply swollen blood vessels that often surface on your body for the first time during pregnancy, especially if your mom or grandma had them. You may have a mild case (minor achiness and swelling) or you may be unlucky enough to experience real pain and bulging blue veins, usually from the ankle to the upper thigh. There are things you can do to alleviate this veiny situation, including watching your weight, keeping your blood flowing, and avoiding heavy lifting. And speaking of heavy lifting, your baby weighs nearly three pounds now and measures about 17 inches. Though she's getting pretty close to her birth length, she still has to chub out a bit. In fact, over the next 11 weeks, she'll more than double — or even come close to tripling — her weight. And as she grows and room in your womb gets tighter, you'll be less likely to feel those big kicks and more likely to get poked by an elbow or jabbed by a knee.

Week 28

It has been an exciting week for us!  The baby has been extremely active ever since I started feeling her move and kick and this was the first week to start really paying attention to and recording the kick counts and the first few days I was counting 10 kicks in just a few minutes, but on Wedneday she seemed to be much less active.  The kick count register from the doctor says to call the doctor right away if you can't feel 10 kicks in an hour when she's awake and I was only up to about 5 whenever I tried on Wednesday.  Thursday morning she continued to be less active so I called the doctor to inquire what to do and whether or not to be concerned.  The nurse said I could come in and listen to her heartbeat to be sure she was ok, but I was so busy at work I decided to wait until later in the day to reassess.  When I called back in the afternoon the nurse told me to come in, then called back a few minutes later and said that I actually needed to go to Labor & Delivery at hospital to get checked out.  I was not expecting that reaction at all and was really hoping everything was ok!  I headed over to the hospital and got hooked up to a fetal heart monitor and a contraction monitor and the nurse said they needed to monitor the baby's hearbeat for awhile.  Well long story short, they think the heart monitor I was hooked up to was faulty because it kept jumping to a higher heart rate which they said could be a sign of the baby having a heart arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) so they sent my doctor in to do an ultrasound.  Thankfully the baby was doing just fine and she looks perfect!  The doctor checked her heart, brain, movement, amniotic fluid level, lungs/practice breathing and she looks great!  Afterward they hooked me up to another heart monitor just to be sure and everything was fine.  And, I'm happy to report that the baby is back to being crazy and kicking and moving all over again.  : )

I also had to do my glucose screening test to screen for gestational diabetes (which entails drinking a really sweet yucky liquid then waiting an hour and having your blood taken)  and I have an appointment on Wednesday to go over the results with the doctor.  I hope the results are good, meaning no gestational diabetes and not having to go back for the glucose tolerance test which means drinking twice as much yucky liquid and having my blood taken every hour for 3 hours!

Joel and I took a trip to Palm Springs this weekend with his parents for a little getaway!  It's such a nice trip because it's only two hours away but you really feel like you're on vacation and can disconnect and relax.  We played golf on Saturday and went to dinner and then brunch on Sunday follwed by a little shopping before heading home.  I wasn't sure how the golf would go for me with the baby belly, but it was actually fine and we had a great time.  I hope we can sneek in one more Palm Springs weekend before the baby arrives! 

Time to catch up on Surivior from last week before heading to bed, so I'll leave you with the Week 28 update from What to Expect.com:

Your Baby in Week 28 of Pregnancy:  Your baby is settling into the proper position for birth, with his head facing downward (toward your body's nearest exit!). Your little work in progress is now about 2.5 pounds and almost 16 inches long. He's busy adding new skills such as blinking to an already impressive repertoire of tricks like coughing, sucking, hiccuping, and taking practice breaths. Your baby's sleep now includes the REM (rapid eye movement) phase — and that means he could be dreaming already (what do you suppose he's dreaming about?). Though his lungs are nearly fully mature (so both of you might breathe a little easier if he were born now), your baby still has plenty of growing to do.