32nd Week

A produce change...finally! Only one more to go.

I made the mistake of watching a natural, un-medicated birth on You Tube.  (People will put just about anything on You Tube...sheesh!)  It was her second delivery which surprised me when I still saw her writhing in pain and screaming.  It made me cry. I don't know why I do that to myself.  Same with all the TLC shows that I foolishly watch like "A Baby Story", or "One born every minute"!  I do so in an attempt to prepare myself for what to expect but in reality I just end up in tears and terrified.  Now thanks to the shows, I worry about shoulder dystocia and a myriad of other complications.   Sigh!  Sometimes ignorance IS bliss..

A family member referred back to an earlier blog I wrote in terms of the name we chose, and asked what we meant by it being "significant".  And while the name was already chosen BEFORE we researched its meaning, we were surprised to see how closely it mimics "Daddy's" philosophy and work ethic.  Perhaps we should rename "Daddy" Bryce Sr.?! :)

  

"This is the first and dominant impression the name Bryce conjures up in most people. Powerful, a conqueror, devours the weak and rules the strong. The name Bryce reflects money and power. He is a carnivore, a winner at all cost. Bryce has the power and potential to achieve great things. Whatever the enterprise, he strives to be the best and most successful in his field. Extremely competitive and not afraid of challenges or challengers. A visionary, a realist, and a planner. Discipline and perseverance. Dynamic and efficient. Rewards the faithful and hardworking employee, but has no tolerance for the incompetent. Bryce understands the balance between giving and taking, generosity and greed."

As I'm writing this at work (on my lunch break) I decided to take inventory of what's under my desk - a snapshot  of my snacking habits I guess!  There is a green skittle, a Cheerio, a "bead" from a candy necklace, 2 hickory sticks, something that looks like a piece of strawberry...and a penny!  There is also a questionable large dark stain on the carpet which I'd rather not identify!

Before I knew your name,
Before I saw your chin and your nose,
Before I counted your fingers and toes,
I asked heaven for someone as wonderful as you,
And every prayer and wish came true.
I dreamed of you...
Before I knew your name.

What's happening with baby this week? "Your baby is almost 4 pounds now, and measures about 17 inches long. He is starting to fit his home really well, soon to run out of space in there. Don't worry; he'll find a way to fit, maybe even into your ribs. Since he is growing larger, you may start to feel a decrease in movement as he runs out of room to do somersaults. Your baby's organs are all functioning well, with the exception of the lungs. His lungs are growing stronger every day, but it will be a few more weeks until they are fully developed.  His five senses of sight, touch, hearing, taste, and smell are now well developed, and he is practicing using these right now. He is even dreaming; as studies show that babies have periods of REM sleep in a dream state starting at about 8 months in utero. Maybe he's dreaming of your voice..."

Have I mentioned I can't believe I'm going to be a mommy in....49 days!!!  (probably once or twice eh?)

31st Week

53 days to go?!? How is that possible?! I remember writing on my 12th week blog  "…only 194 days to go!!"  

Not much to report this week...just been really busy at work.  It seems that suddenly everyone realizes I'll be going off on Maternity leave soon so everything has become a priority to get done.  Argh!

I had an OB appointment on Tuesday.  I haven't seen her for 5 weeks due to a scheduling conflict.  She took the usual measurements and said the baby is growing like a weed.  In fact, I'm measuring 2-3 weeks ahead which means I think he's gonna be a BIG boy!  (AND I've already gained 30lbs…with 8weeks to go! :s  (Who set the 25lb-35lb weight gain rule anyways?!?) She said not to worry - she won't let me go overdue.  She also told me I'm anemic, which accounts for my shortness of breath, dizziness, and fatigue. Just not making enough red blood cells for both of us.  Therefore, I have been put on iron pills which might take about a month before I see any improvement.  Going forward, my appointments will now be every 2 weeks. 

One of the girls from the "preggers" club at work gave birth this week.  A 9lb baby boy!  And she was tiny...but her belly was enormous!  That restored my faith that I can do this…as she did and lived to tell the tale!  We also had a new pregger join the club.  So wide eyed and naive…just like we all were at her stage (13 weeks).  Now us old timer, third trimester girls will have to take her under our wing (our giant jiggly wing) and show her the ropes.  :)

 

What’s happening with baby this week? “As far as growth goes, your baby's still on a roll, measuring an impressive 18 inches and weighing in at more than three pounds. At 31 weeks, you can still expect your baby to gain at least three to five pounds, possibly more, before you two meet. Your baby's brain is working overtime these days, developing faster than ever.   Connections between individual nerve cells are growing at a frenetic clip, and your baby can now perceive information from all five senses. Sure, your baby can't smell anything right now, but that's only because he or she is still submerged in amniotic fluid and needs to be breathing air to get a whiff of anything. Lucky for you - and your baby - yours will be one of the very first scents your baby breathes in, a scent that will quickly become his or her very favorite. So what's your little dove doing all day while you're busy feathering your nest for his or her arrival? Making faces, hiccupping, swallowing, breathing, pedaling with little hands and feet along your uterine wall, and even sucking his or her thumb. In fact, some babies suck their thumbs so vigorously while in the womb that they're born with a callus on their thumb.”

The countdown is on to mommy-hood.  I still can't believe I've been blessed with this gift.....

30th Week

...and I thought black was supposed to be slimming?!        

30 weeks and still a winter squash...or a head of lettuce as per "What to Expect when you're Expecting".

Well, these Braxton Hicks are occurring with alarming frequency.  I know that it's a normal process...practice contractions so to speak.  But anytime I have to tackle a set of stairs or walk any distance, they feel like they come back to back.  I'm sure I gave a few people a scare at the grocery store the other night, when I stopped dead in my tracks in the cereal aisle and grabbed my belly.  I was waiting for the intercom announcement "standby for clean up in aisle 2"!  :p  Apparently being dehydrated is one cause of frequent BH so I will try to increase my water intake.  And of course I will mention to my OB on Tuesday - perhaps she will tell me I shouldn't walk anymore!? lol

Need some pics in the frames and the rocking chair.

I finally purchased a crib!   I actually bought it at Walmart of all places. I'd been looking for a long time and never really saw anything I liked within my budget.  (And let's be realistic...why spend $400+ on a crib that will eventually become riddled with little teething tooth marks!) It was a great price, and a good name brand (Storkcraft).   It will eventually convert from a crib, to a toddler bed with safety rail, then a day bed, and finally into a full size. The whole process was an excellent demonstration of physics. Loading it onto my cart required leverage (as there was no one in sight to assist...plus I'm stubborn and hate asking for help). Gravity was used to get it into the car as I literally pushed it off the cart and hoped it landed squarely in my rear hatchback, and unloading at home demonstrated the principle of friction as I dragged it from the driveway to my door.  Once inside I carted it piece by piece up the stairs - where there is a will, there is a way!  It assembled quickly and easily...although I do have some extra bolts!! (Which I'm hoping are supposed to be used for the conversions?!)  And yes Mother, I already got in trouble for doing it alone!!

Oh and is it just hormonal me?  Or does this sneaky pampers commercial get you too?  I'd like to think that my emotions have been on an even keel this last trimester (poor AF had to walk on eggshells for the first 6 months as I would cry at the drop of a hat)  but then out of nowhere, this commercial comes on and I'm a sobbing mess again!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxbRdxbBROI

What's happening with Baby this week? "Woohoo! You can finally see the finish line now that you're in the final quarter of the race!!! Whether you felt like your pregnancy's been flying by or slower than a snail scaling Everest, you've arrived in your thirtieth week and your baby's cookin' beautifully! In animal news: the fine lanugo hair that covers their little monkey-like body will start falling off this week in preparation for the big day.  Still, don't be too shocked if your baby is hairier than you'd anticipated. Some babies keep their lanugo after birth - which is totally normal, and it will fall off eventually. Checking in on the fat factory: your little porker is getting even cuter with increasingly pudgy arms and legs, thanks to their ever-growing layers of subcutaneous brown fat. In terms of numbers, your big ol' baby should be weighing in at around 3 pounds 12 ounces (or more!) and be nearly 17.5 inches long! Keep up the good work you two!"

61 days to go.... (Eeeek!)

29th Week

 29 weeks?!  Where has the time gone.  It seems like only yesterday that I was counting the "teen" weeks!

Well, Baby is definitely running out of room. What used to be gentle kicks and twitches have now been replaced by grinding elbows and knees! (2 mins in the penalty box for elbowing!!) I think he is still laying across my abdomen because most of the "kicks" are to my sides.  He is actually supposed to flip "head down" soon.  I guess as they run out of room laying sideways, they naturally gravitate towards a "head down" position for more space. That will be when the "rib kicking" starts. Let's just hope he doesn't turn head up instead!

I attended my first pre-natal Yoga class this week.  Conveniently, I have a yoga studio literally 3 blocks from home and had attended classes there previously.  However, up until now they didn't have anything for "preggers" so I called the owner to inquire.  Turns out they couldn't find a trained instructor until just recently.  Better late than never I guess, although I think it would have been more beneficial to start at an earlier stage.  There were only 4 of us, 2 who were obviously pregnant, and 2 who barely had a bump.  The other girl and I were certainly struggling to get into and out of certain poses with our cumbersome bellies in the way.  I think for fairness...the instructor and the "little bellied" girls should have had to strap on a beach ball.

I'm pretty sure I felt Baby Beans' hiccups for the first time on Monday Oct. 3rd.  Coincidently, I had just been reading an online forum about hiccups and thought to myself that it was odd I hadn't felt any.  Well that same day, I felt this odd rhythmic twitching, underneath all the regular rolling and kicking.  Too cute.  Poor Beanie Boo!

The crib bedding arrived...and I think the internet pictures didn't do it justice.  Much more vibrant with its deep chocolate browns, rusty reds, creams, and blues.  Also, it has so many different textures with faux suede, and corduroy...I love it!  Although as I was telling my Mother, the matching mobile plays the wonkiest version of Rock-a-Bye baby I've ever heard. Maybe I didn't wind it up enough but as is, it doesn't sound too "soothing". :s  And as I suggested in my last blog, I disassembled the bumper pad. (Don't know why they even include them in crib sets anymore when they're associated with SIDS!)  Anyway, there is a ton a fabric that will be perfect for constructing a new valance (that will fit my large window) and throw pillows.  I can't wait to buy the crib so I can put it all together!!

What's happening with baby this week? " This week your baby weighs in at 2.6 pounds, (which will double or probably even triple before birth), and measures at about 16 inches. Hard to believe it now, as you probably feel like you are already at maximum capacity. The baby's head is in proportion, and the head is growing along with all the brain expansion. Don't worry, the flexible structure of the skull allows for that big noggin to pass through during birth. (Let's hope!!) The brain is controlling breathing and maintaining body temperature, although not perfectly. Even newborns have problems keeping their body temperature in check, thus you need to be careful not to overdress or allow them to get too chilled. Sensory awareness continues to be more and more sophisticated, and baby probably already has some taste and odour preferences and dislikes as well. Baby will be moving to a head-down position in the next few weeks most likely, however some babies will pop back and forth making it a guessing game until the end."

Only 70 days to go....Excited and nervous!!

28th Week

Yay I’m a squash!!!  Yikes…we’re getting into some pretty big produce now.  Gulp! 

So we’re back from our Babymoom in the Bahamas.  A gorgeous spot!  While the weather  didn’t cooperate (thanks to tropical storm Ophelia) we still had a great time just being together with no agenda or stress.  The resort was pretty crowded, and I actually saw a few baby bumps. However, I didn’t see any “Bare” baby bumps on the beach...just mine...which I ended up sunburning!  (My belly is just a touch closer to the sun than the rest of me I guess!) 

After much online searching, I settled on a crib set...even though I don’t even actually have a crib yet. :s I really didn’t want anything too cutsie which is a difficult task in regards to anything baby related.  At one point, Mom and I were looking at fabric to make our own custom creation but that didn’t seem to be any easier.  So, I found one that feels kind of vintage/cottage with its muted tones, stripes and plaids.  I think it will look nice with the slate blue paint and dark wood furniture.  It’s a 6 piece set, with a bumper, dust ruffle, fitted sheet, quilt, valance and diaper stacker. (I also bought the matching mobile) Probably won’t use the bumper  pad in the crib, but will make throw pillows out of it instead. (One for the rocking chair that Mom and Dad are generously refinishing/re-upholstering) Of course the set could only be found in the States and the taxes, duty, and shipping cost nearly as much as the bedding.  But a small price to pay for the place that Bryce will lay his head every night.

I finally had to go get new uniform shirts for work.  (Yes, even though I’m not on the road, they still makes us dress as medics including steel toe work boots everyday…which my swollen feet/ankles really appreciate!) The shirt was becoming a safety hazard to myself and those around me.  We were all sitting around with safety glasses on waiting for the lower buttons to pop.  In fact...there was even a "pool" to see how far they would fly!  lol  Oh and the replacement “maternity” shirts are just so lovely.  I think my Mother would refer to them as  “hatching jackets”.  But the good news is, if I’m ever stranded somewhere, I have my very own wearable tent!!  Just squat down, pull my head and arms inside, and I’m well protected from the elements!!! 

What’s happening with baby this week? “In the beginning of the seventh month, your baby is really looking like, well, a baby! His head hair is growing long, if he is so genetically inclined. His eyebrows and eyelashes are distinct and his eyes are completely formed. If you were to look inside, you would see him blink, grimace, and squint. His body is starting to plump up as his muscles and bones have grown and developed. Fat will soon begin to accumulate as well. While your baby would need constant medical attention if born now, his lungs are capable of breathing. Your baby is now 2.2 pounds in weight and about 15 inches long.  As your baby runs out of room, you will really feel his twists, turns, and kicks. He is going to be more and more cramped in the coming weeks, and you will notice your baby making waves across your belly.

Only 74 more days to go....