Week 29!

Baby's Size:  The baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds – like a butternut squash - and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. To meet her increasing nutritional demands, I’ll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because her bones are soaking up lots of calcium, I have to be sure to drink my 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 the baby's hardening skeleton each day. 

 My Weight: This past Wednesday I had a checkup and was weighed.  I had gained 3.6 lbs since my June 29^th visit.  So 1 lb per week…doesn’t seem too horrible!
Maternity Clothes: I found a cute shirt at Kohl’s that I have wanted for awhile…it originally was $40 but I bought it on clearance for $14!  Movement: She seems to be working out in my tummy.  I would love to know what she is doing in there!  There are times when she is very quiet and other times where it is crazy.  Sleep: I seem to be heading to bed earlier and earlier each night.  I made it until 10:30 on Saturday night and that seemed crazy to me!  It might have been that nap that I took earlier in the day! 
What I miss: I’m not missing a whole lot this week….just the same old stuff. 
Best Moment this week: The best moment this week had to be when we heard that the cysts on the baby’s brain were completely gone!!  It was a huge relief to hear and made us so happy.  I hadn’t been thinking about the cysts, but when they told us they were gone a huge weight felt like it was lifted.
Looking forward to:  Heading to NY!  We are leaving for our trip on Thursday and have to head back Monday, but we’ve managed to plan quite a few things in that time period.  I can’t wait for the baby shower on Sunday that Justin’s mom and her best friend Debbie are throwing me!!
I also set a date for our 3D/4D ultrasound and can’t wait to see what that looks like!  The appointment isn’t until August 13^th, but time seems to be flying by!
Cravings:  NONE!  I really feel super boring because I don’t have any!  It’s probably for the best since it would just mean one more task for Justin!
Symptoms: I had a list of aches & pains for the doctor and all are normal regarding pregnancy.  Apparently if my appendix was going to rupture it would have happened already.  It is just a pain that will be there until after the baby is born.  Carpal Tunnel syndrome is normal for a pregnant woman and she thinks that is what may be causing my hands & fingers to go numb.  Awesome!  Leg cramps = normal.  The doctor said feeling like an 80 year old woman is completely normal!  Good times!Pictures: So at this point, you can probably tell that I have given up on wearing the same clothes every week.  I am just too lazy to change into them when it is picture time.  

Appointment Info!

We had a very long appointment scheduled for today.  First, I had to drink a nasty fruity drink so they could check my glucose levels.  Once the drink had been in my system for one hour, they drew blood to send off to the lab.  We should know in 2 -3 days if it comes back negative/positive. 
While the drink was settling in my belly, I had to watch a video regarding, "What to do when going into Labor".  It was a video that the doctors at my office put together to answer some basic questions one might have.  They touched briefly on many topics and I left the movie room feeling a little nervous!  It was a lot to take in and since I am getting closer & closer to the due date, it made my mind wander thinking about all different types of scenarios I could go through. 
Justin & I then went in for an ultrasound.  We thought we'd be getting lots more photos, but she left us with one measly photo!  I guess the point of the ultrasound was to see if my placenta had moved up...it did!  Before, it had been sitting low, but now it is where it is supposed to be. 

Hey Baby Girl!

 We then waited to visit with the doctor.  She came in and I had a few questions about my achy body.  My numb hands, pelvic pressure and achy rib all seem to be par for the course.  I was 99% sure my achy rib meant my appendix was going to burst, but she said because I had been experiencing the pain for so long, the odds were it wasn't going to happen.  Good to know, especially since we are driving to NY next week and I was tempted to map out all hospitals along our route.  It sounds foolish, but what are you gonna do!?
Originally we were supposed to head back to the Duke specialty doctor's office so they could checkup on the babies choroid plexus issue.  After chatting with our doctor, she decided they could check it for us right then and there.  We are pleased to say, the choroid plexus dots that were spotted in her brain are completely gone!! Yayy!!  So, although it was a loooong appointment, I felt really good when leaving the office.
Since I am now in my third trimester, I will start to see the doctor every 2 weeks.  It won't be anything fun, just a basic checkup of the babies heart, my blood pressure & weight, the size of my belly and maybe a few other things thrown in. 
We now just have to schedule our 3D/4D ultrasound to get LOTS of pics!

Week 28!

I’m in the home stretch! The third and final trimester starts this week.  Also, if I’m like most women, I'll gain about 11 pounds this trimester – Ut Oh, watch out!

Baby's Size:  By this week, the baby weighs two and a quarter pounds – like a Chinese cabbage- and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

My Weight: I have an appointment on Wednesday where I will get the scary details!
Maternity Clothes: I found a dress I liked from Target and ordered it online because I couldn’t find it in my size in two different stores.
Movement: There is movement ALL the time.  I could sit and watch my stomach move for hours on end, but that doesn’t seem very productive! 

Sleep: Oh sleep; how I’ve missed you…my runs to the bathroom at night are getting more frequent which kind of suck, but what can you do!?  Getting up several times during the night wouldn’t be so bad if I wasn’t such a wack job.  I lie in bed and hear all kinds of noises and automatically think someone is breaking in.  Thankfully Justin is right next to me and we have an alarm system, but my mind still plays games with me!  I’ve started to ice my ribs right before bed and that seems to at least numb the pain a little so I can fall asleep. 

What I miss: I miss being “normal”.  Life now revolves around this pregnancy completely.  I feel like a bum and get tired so quickly when doing everyday tasks such as the laundry and sadly even putting the dishes away! 
Best Moment this week: When we received a gift from Justin’s parents…the nursery glider & ottoman!  It is the last piece of furniture we are going to cram into the nursery and I am so excited to see the final product! We are slowly but surely getting everything where we want it.

Looking forward to:  Seeing the baby on Wednesday!!  Justin wants to ask if we can implant a video chip in my belly so we can always see what she is doing, but I am guessing they won’t be doing that. 

Cravings:  Still no real cravings.  It’s kind of weird because I feel like I should have some, but I guess I am just boring!
Symptoms: Rib pain, back pain, leg cramps and now a numbing of my left hand.  I’m definitely going to bring up this rib pain yet again to the doctor because I am convinced it is my appendix about to rupture.  Justin asked that I just tell the doctors my symptoms and not to diagnose myself, BUT we will see!
Pictures: Here is a picture from early Sunday morning…when I say early I mean 9:30ish, but for a Sunday that is early for me!  I value my weekend sleep-ins because I know they will be disappearing in a few short months.

The new Glider almost fully assembled!

Week 27!

Baby's Size:  This week, the baby weighs almost 2 pounds – like a head of cauliflower - and is about 14 ½ inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on.

My Weight: I won’t be weighing myself at home…what’s the point!?  We are scheduled for an appointment on July 20th, so we will see at that point how I am tipping the scales!Maternity Clothes: No new maternity clothes, but I will need a new dress or two for the upcoming baby showers we have planned, so shopping or internet searching is on the list.
Movement: She has been moving a lot!  It’s weird to see my stomach moving around… if I stare long enough at my belly, it looks like fireworks could be going off in there!
Sleep: Still having trouble getting into a good sleep position.  I am constantly tired though, so I seem to fall asleep pretty quickly once I get settled. 
What I miss: I miss not complaining about a pregnant ailment!  I feel like I am always saying, my rib hurts or my back hurts and it is getting old for me and I am sure it is getting old for Justin!!  Best Moment this week: I was pretty pumped when my mom came over to help with putting up a new window shade in the nursery and a curtain rod for the curtains she made.  Sadly, J & I aren’t the best at home-improvement projects, so we usually have to ask for help so we don’t screw anything up too much!  Last time I put a curtain rod up myself, he was none to pleased with the result.  Oops!  The nursery is definitely coming along and I can’t wait to get some things up on the walls because it is looking a little bare in that department.Looking forward to:  Next week’s doctor’s appointment!  We will get to see the baby by ultrasound again, so that is always exciting!  We will then get to make an appointment to do 4D ultrasound!  The place we are looking into doing this at is called Triangle Imaging.  They offer a feature called Sonostream LIVE, which allows us to share the entire 3D/4D ultrasound experience live – in real time, privately across the Internet with anyone in the world aka Grandma & Grandpa Crooks!!  I definitely have to call there and figure out when that will work best for everyone.

http://www.triangle4dbaby.com/

Cravings:  No real cravings.  I seem to be wanting ice cream a lot lately, which is unusual for me.  I particularly want fruity flavored ice cream – peach & black raspberry are the two favs for the moment.  I do know that my appetite has picked up.  I feel like I could eat and eat and not be full!
Symptoms: Same symptoms: rib pain, back pain and leg cramps, Oh my! 
Pictures: Justin took this picture before we went out to dinner because I knew my stomach would look way bigger after I ate!  Brinkley has apparently felt left out the past few posts because she got in my picture and sat so well…she wasn’t missing out again!

 

Week 26!

Baby's Size:  The network of nerves in the baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. She may now be able to hear both my voice and Justin’s as we chat with each other. She's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of her lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when she's born and takes that first gulp of air. And she's continuing to put on baby fat. She now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches – an English hothouse cucumber- from head to heel.
My Weight: My June 29^th appointment went well and I have gained 9 lbs in just a month, leaving my grand total at 13 lbs!  I guess I was bound to gain some weight, but it seemed like a large jump!
Maternity Clothes: I bought a cute tank top to wear to a 4^th of July party.  Still holding strong with just 2 pairs of shorts and some dresses!
Movement: The last few days she seems to have stepped it up a notch.  She doesn’t seem to enjoy certain positions when I am lying down and will move around like crazy until I re-position myself.  Justin has been able to feel lots of kicks lately as well!
Sleep: Falling asleep seems to be the only difficult part.  Once I am asleep, I am pretty much out for the night.  Between my rib ache and back ache, I have to be very careful how I lay down; otherwise I toss & turn for a bit.
What I miss: I’m not really missing anything at the moment.    
Best Moment this week: There were soo many because we got to have lots of fun with friends!!
Looking forward to: Getting the house back in order and figuring out some nursery stuff.  We will be heading to NY at the end of July, but that still seems far away.  I am sure time will fly by though!
Cravings:  I got to eat my NY corn on the cob!  It was a yummy treat!  No unusual cravings at the moment though.
Symptoms: Same old, same old!  Lots of midnight leg cramps! 
Pictures: I had Adam take this picture before we went out to dinner.  He isn’t the photographer that Justin is, but he got the job done!!