33 Weeks

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds 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 cone-head 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.

Peri Appt Update

Thought I would get on and give everyone an update from my peri appt this morning. It was a measurement day, so Tony decided that he would come in the hopes of getting some good pics and being able to see the little guy in action since it had been a while. Well, lets just say that he got to see the little guy in action, but no good pics--but because the Dr. didn't even try the 3D:( It just happened that the Dr. did the sono today and not the tech, so it was all business!

Needless to say, this little guy has not been affected by my APA syndrome and is growing just fine! They estimated his weight today at 4lbs 11ozs, which now puts him in the 72%tile! So no problems with the placenta getting him his nutrients! I commented that Dr. B wanted to induce me at 38 weeks and he said that sounded perfectly fine and he would note that in his report so that everyone is on the same page. So it looks more and more like we will be heading to the hospital on Dec 4th for an induction.....a little over 5 weeks and this little guy will be entering the world! We've waited so long for this day......hopefully time moves quickly, but not too quickly where we can't get everything else done that we want to before he arrives:)

32 Week Belly Pic

It is hard to believe that I am 8 months pregnant! The baby is definitely getting bigger and running out of space in there:) It sounds like 6 weeks from today we may be meeting this little guy! When I think of it that way-Wow, there is not a lot of time left. It's not official yet......but I do believe we are written in "the book" at the office:) As long as everything keeps going well, I see no reason why he won't be here (or almost here depending on how long he decides to take!!) 6 weeks from today! We can't wait!

Had a little scare during my NST yesterday. Apparently he decided to take a nap during the test, which is not a good thing to do. The heart rate has to have so many accelerations during the test and since he was sleeping he was pretty much on an even keel. So the doctor had to, for lack of a better word, "buzz" him. She put a probe up to my belly that vibrated and made a loud noise. It really shocked me--and definitely him--when she did it. I wasn't quite sure what to think when she did it, but after a minute I realized that my "motherly" instinct was kicking in because it really bothered me! It definitely scared him--thought he might jump out of my belly--so I didn't like that. I mean, who wants someone to come and shake them and make a loud noise when they are sleeping! The worst part was that she had to do it a 2nd time! Aunt Jill happened to be in the hall when it happened again and she went and got me some cold water and a sugar cookie to try and wake him up--she didn't like it either! Finally after the second "buzz" and the snack he passed with flying colors. I just hope he never has to have that done again!

32 Weeks

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth.

Shower #1

Sorry it has been a while since the last post--it has been busy around here! The time seems to be slipping by and then I barely have time to post:)

I had my first baby shower on Saturday. It was really a wonderful experience and at times I couldn't believe that I was actually there for me--not anyone else:) Like I have said in earlier posts, I never found myself not wanting to go to other people's showers, but I think I just assumed at times that I would never be at one for myself. So needless to say it was a wonderful time-I did forget my camera though, so I will have to rely on family to get some pics from the big day! My cousin was the main driving force behind getting it set up, but she had some help from my great aunts as well. My mom and Tony's mom had a little hand in it as well:) It was a pretty large shower (my mom's side and Tony's mom's side never had infertility issues!!) so we ended up getting lots of wonderful gifts for this little guy to use when he finally comes home. I think Tony was amazed as it was all brought in and left in the living room! We spent a couple of days going through the bags and getting everything organized-only need to take a few duplicates back, so that is always a good thing as well. My mom came over Monday night and helped me get a little more organized while my dad cleaned our carpets (yes, my dad cleans carpets--he even vacuums-in fact at one point my mom didn't even know how to turn on her own vacuum!!). I still have a couple of more showers, so more good times to look forward to:)

It is getting more exciting by the day! With the showers and the house finally getting close to being "baby ready," it is seeming more and more real. The baby will get measured again on Monday at my appointment with the Perinatologist. I'm expecting him to post some more big numbers--he is moving constantly and I think he is having a hard time getting comfortable. He has been having body parts (well mostly his butt up by my ribs!!) sticking out all over on my belly. Tony got to feel a big shift last night as he was telling the little guy good night--didn't think he was believing how it looked and felt when he did it! I will post another picture on Friday--hard to believe that I will be 32 weeks!

31 Weeks

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds 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.

Diappearing Act!

Well, I have to say that it has almost happened.....my belly button is about no more. It has been slowly disappearing as this baby of ours pushes my belly out:) Last night while I was in the shower I was "feeling" to see if there was any indentation left...I would have to say that it was close to none. Then when I got out of the shower, Tony happened to mention the same thing! Funny how we were both thinking it at the same time:) It still hasn't "popped" out yet, but I do hear that it can happen from time to time. Not sure how I feel about that! But I know most of us when we were little kids (or heck maybe even now as big kids) have always wondered what the inside of our belly-buttons really looked like......I have to say that I now know that answer and it really isn't anything special!

Also disappearing.....my energy! I've realized the past few nights after work I have great expectations of what I would like to get finished, but I just want to sit down and not do much of anything! Tony tells me that it is fine and that there isn't anything that HAS to be done, but there are definitely things that I think need to be done:) Oh well, what can you do? I'm going to keep trying to get things done, but maybe I just need to have less expectations for what can happen in one night:)

Hopefully nothing else decides to disappear!

Nursery Pics

Finally--here are the pics of the nursery. It isn't totally finished (we still have some things to hang on the wall and there is no mattress in the crib yet) but wanted you all to see the before and afters, up to this point at least:)

Here are a few pictures of the room with all of the

sports stuff and the stripes that were expensive to cover!

Notice the jersey on the wall--where Tasker gets his name:)

Tasker and Dad get ready to tackle the first box!

Hard at work putting the crib together!

The finished room, well so far:)

The rocking chair was given to us by Tony's Aunts and Dad. It used to be his

grandma's--still has the worn places on the arms where she used to rest her hands.

We were very excited to receive this gift and think it goes great with the furniture!

We are pretty pleased with how everything looks. It just makes us even more excited to bring this little guy home--now he has a place that is just for him:)

To H1N1 or Not?

So of course I have to be pregnant when this new strain of the flu is going around. As I stated in an earlier post, I've already gotten my seasonal flu shot but now is the question of whether or not to get the H1N1 shot. There is at least one school that I consult with who already has a confirmed case of it and I'm pretty sure another one will be announcing soon.....but is it really necessary? It has been an internal struggle for me lately. I mean I'm healthy so I should be able to recover, right? Well according to the articles even the most healthy person can be severely affected by this strain of the flu.....

Anyone who knows about my profession might question whether or not I believe in vaccines as a whole (for those of you who don't know I work with children with Autism). I have always been a believer that vaccines themselves are not the cause of Autism....However I do believe that we give WAY to many vaccinations at one time to our small children. This little guy will get his vaccinations, but will most likely get them on a graduated schedule. We will not be doing 6 shots at one time! That is just too many for a little body to process at one time in my opinion. Hopefully the pediatrician we plan on using will be supportive (I'm setting up an appointment with her soon!!) or else we will be needing to search for a new one.

So now to whether or not to get this new H1N1 shot. I've heard/read that it is manufactured by the same company who does the seasonal flu shot, so in theory it should be just as safe as that one. Pregnant woman have been getting it for years, so why am I so hesitant to get this new one. Well for one thing it does have Thimerosal in it (the preservative that many parents believe lead to their child's Autism--mercury based). I did read last night that there have been single-dose syringes manufactured for pregnant women and children that do not contain the Thimerosal. If this is the case, I might consider getting it--but that would depend on whether or not my OB ordered the single-dose shots or the larger vials that yield several shots. Also, there is not a lot of data, or how about NO data since it is so new, to show that there are not adverse affects from the shot on the unborn child. However, I know that they want pregnant women to get it so that possibly the child could be protected once it is born since they can't get the shot themselves.

I just don't want to do anything that might possibly harm this precious little baby growing inside me.....so does that mean get the shot or not get the shot? I'm not sure yet.......

30 Week Belly Pic

Well, here is the 30 week belly picture. As Dr. B. said at my appointment yesterday, I am now 3/4 of the way done! Well, probably even a little more than that with the induction a few weeks early:) Hard to believe that tomorrow we will be in the single digits for weeks left and under 70 days!

30 Weeks

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

Update

Things have been so busy I haven't had time to get on and update. It seems like we have things to do every night and I end up running out of time to add a post. So here is an update on things:

• Things in the basement are going great! It ended up taking 2 more coats of red before the wall finally was finished--thanks to my dad that is finished:) Aunt Jill came over last Wednesday and painted the floor with that epoxy stuff. We decided to hold on to a little of our money and wait on the carpet. One can didn't get the room quite covered and we didn't have the rest of the basement cleaned up enough yet for her to continue....so Tony and I spent Saturday downstairs together getting things cleaned up. Who knew drywall dust could get everywhere! We wiped things off and vacuumed others and moved them into the finished portion. I even vacuumed the walls--I know Tony thought I was falling off my rocker! Aunt Jill is coming back tomorrow night to hopefully get the rest of the floor finished! Yea--the end is near:) I will post pics soon!
• We ended up having to get a new water heater! Fortunately it was still under warranty so we were able to return it. Tony's dad came over Monday morning to wait for the plumber to get it all installed. Now we get to deal with getting it all reimbursed from the water heater company--can't wait to do that!
• The nursery is all painted--thanks to the grandmas--and Tony put together the furniture this weekend and we got it all in the room. We love to just go and stand to see how it all looks...imagining putting our little boy in there soon. I took pics of him putting the furniture together--did a good job, but didn't believe me that the crib would be impossible to put together in the living room and then transfer it when it was finished to the nursery. Luckily he "checked" and realized I was right and we avoided a catastrophe:) Again--will post pics soon!
• Had my first non-stress test (NST) at the OB on Thursday. Things went well with that. I also had my one hour glucose screening. I talked with Dr. B about when she would induce barring that everything continued to go well--she said around 38 weeks. I also asked if she was planning on taking a vacation because I really wanted her to be the one to deliver. She said they were contemplating one....I told her that I would rather she be there:) She looked at my due date and with being induced earlier than that, thought she would probably be around:)
• Peri appt yesterday went well. My mom came with me for the measurements. They estimated his weight at 3lbs 5 oz, which continues to put him in the 63%. The tech tried to get some 3d pics, but he again was being difficult and hiding! So no good pics this time:) I think the one from last week will hold us off for a while anyways!
• Got a call from Dr. B's office today. On the message they said they needed me to call back so they could review my test results.......I immediately think that I failed my glucose screening and think the worst! Well when I called, the nurse told me that my iron was low and they needed to put me on a iron supplement. I told her that I thought I failed my glucose screening and she laughed and said that actually came back good:) So now I get to take an iron supplement. Guess it had been a while since something new had been added, so bring it on!

So I think that is all for now:) Things continue to be busy though, so I'm sure there will be more to update soon. I'll also put up pics of the nursery and basement:)

29 Weeks

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.