37 Weeks

37 Weeks

By the way, the Swiss Chard is the worst picture ever... Really??? Okay, so holy cow 37 weeks... 3 to go... could go at any time... knowing 4 people recently who've all been early; and with their first... WOW!!! It's crazy to think that in only a few short weeks we'll be meeting this little guy or girl. That's so exciting! I feel like the week has flown by since last week.

On Sunday I had the most amazing hour of relaxation! Artie had given me a pregnancy massage for our anniversary back in November, but I hadn't used it. So I went and it was unbelievable. I was so relaxed and calm afterward I didn't even know what to do with myself. I loved it so much, thanks hunny!

We had a doctor's appointment this past Tuesday. We found out that the baby's head is down :-) Good job Babyfredi! I'm still 1 cm dilated and the doctor said I was about 30% effaced.

We have gotten a lot more of our baby stuff. People at work threw me a baby shower today which was fun! We got some really cute hooded towels, diapers, and some good books.

I'm trying to get things settled at work, and it is a little stressful. I have a sub lined up, which is great, but getting things prepared is not easy.

Our bags are packed, other than the last minute throw in items. Having them packed is a mixture of emotions because I'm glad they're packed, but slightly stressed that it means that any time I need to be ready.

Well, I know I'm rambling a little. I will go on to the weekly quiz.

37 Week Quiz

How far along: 37 weeks and 3 days today

Weight gain: I'm up about 31 pounds.

Maternity clothes: I am definitely comfortable in some of my baggier/bigger clothes now. It seems like some of the cute maternity stuff doesn't even fit.

New Baby Items: We got our hamper for the baby's room, several packs of diapers, some cute onesies, and several hooded towels. We also got some car seat essentials (thanks Claire)!

Stretch marks: Here's hoping they don't just pop up.

Sleep: I seem to not get enough sleep. It's a little annoying.

Best moment of the week: Realizing that I'm going to meet this little one really soon, and get to hold it in my arms!

Movement: The head is down, which is great. But I do get kicked up high now. It's more rolling movements that I feel now instead of just kicks like before.

Food cravings: I got pizza. But what was actually funny was that I wanted pizza so badly and we were in the area of the place we love, so we stopped by. I got in to the restaurant and all I wanted was a calzone. So we both got calzones and then brought a pizza home :-).

Labor signs: No, not anything more than these braxton hicks. Soon though.

Belly button in or out: Innie, innie, innie, innie, innie all the way!

What I miss: I miss feeling rested, but I guess that's not going to come back for a while even after this baby is born.

What I'm looking forward to: I'm looking forward to so much, but mostly just getting to hold this baby and have Artie hold this baby. I think that will make it all the more real for us both!

Weekly wisdom: Have patience!

Milestones: Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

37 Week Belly Shot!

And one for people who don't want to see my stomach! :-)

36 Weeks

36 Weeks

By the way, I have no clue what a crenshaw melon is... Anyone???? This week has been a lot of fun so far! On Monday, Artie and I went to a Coping with Labor class at the hospital. I know that whatever happens, will be okay, but it really made me feel a lot more comfortable and confident with being able to do this whole labor thing naturally. I am not going to go into the hospital saying that no way will I not get an epidural, however, I'd like to say that I can go for as long as I can without one. And if that means all the way, then I really hope so! We learned some good pressure points, some relaxation techniques, tips for breathing, all sorts of fun things like that. We were the couple with the earliest delivery date in there. Made me excited!

Then Tuesday was my birthday, as well as being only a MONTH away from our due date!!! It was a good birthday although I turned the big 3-0. Artie had to work late, so we just enjoyed a night in. Plus, having your birthday on Valentines Day does not always work out the best for going out to dinner on that night.

On Wednesday Artie and I celebrated my birthday with a wonderful dinner out to one of our new favorite Japanese/Chinese restaurants by our house. It was good food! The week seemed to fly by then and this weekend is crazy busy. So I'll move on to our weekly quiz.

36 Week Quiz

How far along: 36 weeks and 4 days today

Weight gain: I'm up about 30 pounds. A lot has to do with what I eat the night before because my weight has been fluctuating about 2-3 pounds up or down.

Maternity clothes: Nothing new in this department. I am still trying to keep looking at least somewhat okay in clothes. I have learned that patterns do NOT help me out.

New Baby Items: We got a lamp for the baby's room from Artie's cousin, Lisa, which is sooo cute. It is the Noah's Ark theme. I am a little upset with our registry because they've discontinued selling the Noah's Ark bedding set though. They have one very similar, but we will need to buy it soon because it seems like it's not going to be out for very long either. I did go to Babys R Us and pick up some of the things off our registry that came from money we got for our shower from my Grandma and Grandpa as well as Artie's Grandpa and Phyllis. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I will let you know all the fun stuff we got!

Stretch marks: Still trying to keep them away. Not sure some mornings whether I see stretch marks or marks from the sheets :-).

Sleep: I've been sleeping pretty well other than more constant bathroom trips.

Best moment of the week: The fact that I am getting myself prepared at work to not be there for a little while and packing up a bag for the hospital!

Movement: So the baby knows where to kick me and stuff so that it really isn't comfortable now. Kicking up high on the left side and headbutting me down low on the right. At least that's the position I think it's in.

Food cravings: I want pizza still. I'm going to have to make Artie go and get me a pizza one of these nights. (I'm sure there won't be much fight there). The only problem is that the only good New York pizza is a little bit away. We might just need to stop there and eat there instead of bringing it home.

Labor signs: No! Still having loads of braxton hicks contractions. I'm getting a little more nervous just about what to expect and how to know when they're real contractions or not, but I'll figure it out soon enough.

Belly button in or out: Someone actually made a comment the other day that I must not be very far along because my belly button hadn't popped. I replied to them that I was due next month (about 4 weeks) and they were shocked. I guess my innie really is AN INNIE!!!!!

What I miss: Right now I miss not being kicked from the inside when I'm trying to sleep. Whoever says that baby movements feel like gas is totally wrong!

What I'm looking forward to: I'm looking forward meeting this baby, figuring out a name for him or her, and of course continuing to get set up for baby's arrival!

Weekly wisdom: You can do it!

Milestones: Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

36 Week Belly Shot! I look way less pregnant than I really am! Here's one with shirt down and me turned a bit...

35 Weeks

35 Weeks





Well, this is a little late being posted, but at least I'm getting it done. It's been a crazy week. After I got sick and was in the hospital I needed to recover. It didn't take very long for certain symptoms to go away, but my body was still just not back to normal. Artie got sick as well and so our house was just one big disaster of sickness. Finally, I think we are back to normal (at least whatever normal is now), and starting the week off.

We went to the hospital this past weekend and got to have a tour of the labor and delivery and postpartum wing of the hospital. It was really cool to see. We also began to preregister so that when we do go in there for real we don't have to stop and register at the desk, we can just go straight up to labor and delivery. It certainly made me a little nervous, but at the same time sooo excited to meet this baby.

Last night we watched a video about how to soothe your baby when they're fussy. I really enjoyed it. My dreams all last night were of me practicing those techniques. Well, I'll move on to the weekly quiz since I'll have another post coming out soon.

35 Week Quiz

How far along: 35 weeks and 5 days today

Weight gain: I was up about 29 1/2 pounds on Wednesday.

Maternity clothes: Still enjoying anything that is big enough to fit. I did find a non-pregnancy shirt the other day that I had even though would be a great shirt to wear when I was pregnant, and it worked out perfectly.

New Baby Items: So more fun stuff from our shower: We got some awesome stuffed animals, my mother-in-law made my diaper bag, which I am so in love with. We got some awesome baby blankets and other fun things, like a bouncy seat, to welcome this baby into the world.

Stretch marks: Hopefully not, I feel like I've filled out a lot since I was sick though.

Sleep: I sleep okay. I get up at least 2 times a night to go to the bathroom, but other than that it's okay. My dreams have been getting crazy lately though.

Best moment of the week: It has to be realizing that I get to meet this baby really soon!

Movement: This baby is beginning to get squished in there. So the movements still happen often, but they aren't as spastic. It's more big rolls and hiccups that I'm feeling now.

Food cravings: I still love chocolate milk, and so does the baby. But one thing that I saw the other day that looked good... and I know what you're going to say about this one, but a hamburger on a commercial. Ewww, I know, not like me at all... why would I want that?

Labor signs: No! Still having some braxton hicks contractions and lately I've been getting tightness all around, so we'll see what the doctor tells me next time I'm in there.

Belly button in or out: I've got an innie! Most likely not coming out!

What I miss: Right now there's really nothing that I miss other than being able to get out of bed without groaning :-).

What I'm looking forward to: I'm looking forward to our child birth classes, getting more and more ready every day, and of course meeting this baby!

Weekly wisdom: It will all work out! Have faith and trust!

Milestones: Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.


35 Week Belly Shot!

34 Weeks

34 Weeks




It's pretty crazy that we only have 6 weeks left. This week has certainly been an interesting one so far. On a totally positive note... I found out that my maternity leave is going to work out. It all worked out so that I can be placed in the sick bank and not have to worry about that as much anymore. I don't know how much time I will be taking off after the baby is born, and will have to figure that one out soon. I also need to find a sub for my classroom in the next 6 weeks.

On Thursday it was predicted that we were going to get a foot of snow. Thankfully, school was canceled for Friday. Then Thursday night I woke up an was violently ill the entire night. Basically I couldn't keep anything in or down, including water, the entire night. By 6 am I was so dehydrated that I was becoming delirious and having trouble walking or standing. Artie brought me in to the hospital (our local hospital since our normal hospital is 40 minutes away and there was tons of snow on the ground and I couldn't last more than 10 minutes away from a bathroom.) Hopefully this won't be a problem when it comes to our insurance paying for it, but it was an emergency.

When we got to the hospital we went to the emergency room, but they said they couldn't take anyone who was past 20 weeks pregnant so they sent us up to the labor and delivery section. There they were able to monitor the baby with a heart rate monitor and get an IV bag started on me. They gave me medicine to stop the vomiting and to stop the other symptom. I had some blood work done and the results came back a little low, so they did more tests, which came back fine. We spent the entire day Friday in the hospital, I received two IV bags in total, several doses of medicine, and was finally relieved of the symptoms after we got home last night. According to the doctor I had a severe virus that just attacked my body. Don't know where I got it from, but thankful that I feel much better now.

It was one of those situations that I wasn't doing too well myself, but with me being pregnant, I wanted to take extra precautions to make sure that I wasn't endangering the baby. When we were at the hospital they checked me out and I am already 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. We also got the really cool experience of hearing a baby's first cry from the other room. It was really amazing. Both Artie and I got a little emotional about it. Can't wait to hear our baby's first cry! Although, I can wait a few more weeks since I feel like there are definitely things we haven't prepared for yet.

Well, that was pretty much the beginning of our week 34. Hopefully the rest of it will be much better. I am on the BRAT diet, which I hate because I want food right now, and I'm craving things I can't have. The two last things that are supposed to be put back into my diet are the two things that I have wanted so much of the last few weeks anyway. I semi turned into a mean person today because I wanted them. Okay, on to the weekly quiz.

34 Week Quiz

How far along: 34 weeks and 3 days today

Weight gain: I was up 28 pounds, but after the sickness I stepped on the scale again and was up only 26 1/2 pounds again.

Maternity clothes: I love my maternity clothes. I do enjoy lounging around in my pj pants too though.

New Baby Items: So more fun stuff from our shower: We got our Pack 'N Play from Aunt Chris and Uncle Larry. It was one of those presents that I was so excited to get I made Artie help me put it together right away. We got our high chair from Maggie, Danielle, and Aunt Karen. Yes, I put that together as well. We also got some great teething rings and some cute toys.

Stretch marks: Keep using the cocoa butter.

Sleep: I obviously didn't sleep well Thursday night at all. Recently, the bathroom breaks have been coming much more frequently during the night, which is a little annoying.

Best moment of the week: It was not fun being in the hospital, but basically the entire day on Friday we got to listen to the baby's heartbeat, which was really cool. It was so loud that when my mom called, she was able to hear it. At one point it sounded like a barking seal, at another point it sounded like a dog that had a horrible case of the barks, and one other time you could hear the baby having hiccups. Pretty funny actually!

Movement: This baby moved around so much. Although, when we were in the hospital, I was able to tell the nurse where they usually find the heartbeat and it was there the entire day.

Food cravings: I love a good glass of chocolate milk, which we get ordered from our dairy service. I also love any kind of fruit right now. I want clementines and anything citrusy.

Labor signs: No, although the doctor did tell me that I am 1 cm dilated. I think that's kinda cool.

Belly button in or out: It's still in. I think it's staying there.

What I miss: Right now because I can't eat much I miss food, but I don't want to hurt my stomach again. I'll be able to have it again soon enough.

What I'm looking forward to: I'm looking forward to getting more things prepared, although I don't feel like I've done a very good job of it so far. I still have a lot that I need to do here at home and at school.

Weekly wisdom: Live, love, laugh!

Milestones: 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.




34 Week Belly Shot!