Happy Girls!

Happy Girls!
April 2019

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Week 34!

The days seem to be flying by at this point!  On tap for this week: order/shop for items that we still need, pack our overnight bags for the hospital, hang picture frames in the nursery, order the wall decal for the nursery, laundry of all the new clothes Baby C got at the NC shower and RELAX!
Baby's Size:  The baby now weighs about 4 ¾ poundslike 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. It’s also good 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.
My Weight:  I haven’t had a weigh in since August 17th.  I have a doctor appointment coming up this Friday, September 2nd, so I’ll have a better idea how I am doing then.
Maternity Clothes:  I caved and bought a dress for my NC baby shower.  I was good though and managed to only spend $15!  It was a dress on summer clearance at Target & I had a 20% off coupon, it was meant to be!
Movement:  Supposedly her movement is going to start to calm down, but I haven’t experienced this yet.  She is still very active and makes it difficult to do certain things!  It’s hard to bend over and shave my legs or put lotion on them…I think she gets too cramped or something.
Sleep:  Wow, this past week has been a tough one sleep-wise.  It is impossible to get comfortable when I fall into bed even with the number of pillows I sleep with.  I toss and turn trying to find a good sleep position.  I seem to be frequenting the bathroom around 4 – 6 times a night as well…and it is so annoying because it feels like I have to go so bad, but when I get in there, I hardly pee!  At work I find myself getting really tired around 2pm and am totally ready for bed around 8:30pm. 
What I miss: I don’t miss a whole lot right now, maybe just the occasional alcoholic drink.  A friend brought over some Sam Adam’s Octoberfest beer and I’d really like to dip into it!
Best Moment this week: The NC baby shower!  It was a good time, but I needed a nap afterwards!  
Gifts for Baby C!

Diaper Cake

Sugar cookies!!

Looking forward to:  Getting everything from the NC shower situated in the baby’s room and putting the finishing touches on it.  We also have to order a wall decal for the nursery, so I should probably get on that!
Cravings:  No cravings BUT I did eat chicken on Saturday night!  I probably haven’t had any chicken in 5+ months, so this was a huge step for me!  The whole family went out to dinner since it would be the last time in awhile we’d all be together.  Ian left early Sunday morning for Charleston and who knows when the 7 of us will all be together next!  The chicken fricassee sounded so good so I decided to give it a try.  It tasted pretty good, but I still don’t think it will be on the menu at our house for a little while still.
Symptoms:  Still the same fun stuff.  Back pains, leg cramps and hand numbness are the major ones.
Pictures: Ollie gets a cameo!

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Week 33!

Baby's Size:  This week the baby weighs a little over 4 pounds – about the weight of a pineapple – and has most likely passed the 17-inch mark!  She’s rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening.  The bones in her skull aren’t fused together, which allows them to move slightly and overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal.  These bones don’t entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood. 
My Weight:  I had an appointment this past Wednesday and I had only gained 1.8 lbs in 12 days.  Not too bad, the doctors said I will probably gain a pound a week until the baby is delivered anyways.
Maternity Clothes:  I am sooo over maternity clothes at this point.  I just want to wear loose fitting dresses or t-shirts until this baby is born!  I’m not interested in any clothing being tight around my stomach because it is just uncomfortable at this point.
Movement:  She is moving all around!  I still love to watch and feel my belly rolling all over the place!  The 3D/4D ultrasound technician said she is currently head down butt up, which is good.  She said she should stay in this position until birth because she doesn’t really have any room to swing around.  Her movement is starting to hurt a little more than before though.  I feel like her elbows and heels are jabbing into my stomach & liver making me keel over a little!  Thankfully they are short, quick movements and they pass quickly!
Sleep:  My sleeping patterns stink!  Finding that perfect position to fall asleep in just isn’t happening.  The other night I actually had to prop several pillows up behind me and fall asleep in a sit-up position.  I probably head to the bathroom about 3 times a night as well…I have gotten very good at keeping my eyes closed and finding the bathroom in the middle of the night though! 
What I miss: I’m missing sleep…like I said, I wake up several times at night and it takes forever to find a comfy position.  I find myself being exhausted at about 2pm everyday and most definitely in bed by 9pm every night.  I feel somewhat bad going to bed so early because I don’t get to spend a lot of quality time with Justin on workdays.  He’s a night owl and doesn’t head to bed until at least 11:30 ish every night.  Thankfully he comes up to bed with me around 9 and watches a little TV with me until I fall asleep!
Best Moment this week: Nothing really exciting went on this week.  Same old stuff…we continue to prep the nursery, even though there really isn’t much else we can do. 
We were able to get our 3D/4D DVD scan of the baby sent to our grandparents!  Our friend John was able to burn the DVD copy we had so we could send a copy to Justin’s Nana & Papa and a copy to my Grandma.  It’s just the coolest thing to watch and I was pretty excited to send them on their way!
Looking forward to:  The NC baby shower is this weekend!  I can’t wait to see what my mom and sisters have in store for the shower.  It should be a fun time!
Cravings:  This past week I had an actual craving for Carvel Ice Cream cake…ask and you shall receive!  Justin went and bought a little one from our grocery store and it made me a very happy girl!
Symptoms:  This carpel tunnel syndrome is still bothering me.  It’s just a pain and kind of inconvenient!  Sometimes it is worse than others, but I can’t wait to be “normal” again and not have pregnancy related problems! 
Pictures: Brinkley has the weekly photos down to a science…I go and stand near the door and Justin tells her to go stand next to me.  She comes over and positions herself beautifully every time!


Sunday, August 14, 2011

Week 32!

Baby's Size:  By now, the baby weighs 3.75 pounds – pick up a large jicama - and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. I’m apparently gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to the baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.
My Weight:  I’ll know after my appointment on Wednesday August 17th how much I’ve continued to gain!
Maternity Clothes:  My shorts are starting to seem even tighter lately!  The full panel on the shorts doesn’t seem to be going over my whole bump anymore, but they’ll have to do because I’m not buying anymore clothes!
Movement:  Lots of movement!  It seems like she is throwing a party in there sometimes!
Sleep:  I miss uninterrupted sleep, but I think I better get use to it!  Maybe my body is just getting me ready for midnight feedings, crying, etc. 
What I miss: I actually miss eating chicken, BUT I don’t technically want any.  There are just so many more dinner options when you eat chicken.  I feel like figuring out a dinner menu each week is like pulling teeth!  I did receive my glucose test results and they were NORMAL!  No change in diet for me thankfully! 
Best Moment this week: Our 3D/4D appointment!  It was so amazing to be able to see little Baby C on a huge TV doing her thing!  My parents & sisters were able to make it to the appointment and we were also able to have a web link sent to Justin’s parents so they could watch with us as well!  We had J’s parents on speaker phone for the whole appointment and it was just a really wonderful thing to have everyone able to share with us.  Baby C needed some chocolate to warm up, but once that was in my system she was ready to roll.  We got to see her suck her fingers & toes, smile and open & close her eyes.  It’s just crazy to think that all of that is going on inside me!
Looking forward to:  The NC baby shower!  It’s in 2 weeks, but I am getting so anxious because I think Baby C might arrive early.  (Wishful thinking?)  The house is pretty much in order because I didn’t want to save things until last minute and then not get them done.  Obviously it is very important to have the entry way closet clean for when the baby comes home!! Yeah I know I have some issues!
Cravings:  Again, no cravings and no imagination…our dinner menus are sooo boring!!!
Symptoms:  I now have carpel tunnel. Carpal tunnel syndrome is pain, tingling, and other problems in the hands because of pressure on the median nerve in the wrists.  It’s such a lovely feeling!  It’s a huge pain because doing small tasks like straightening my hair seem impossible. A friend has let me borrow her wrist braces from when she was pregnant and had this issue as well.  I wear the braces at night and I look so sexy!
Pictures: One more week down!
B is so precious!

Saturday, August 13, 2011

3D/4D Ultrasound Pics!

Here are some pictures from our 3D/4D Ultrasound!  She started off with her back to us, but after some apple juice and chocolate she decided to cooperate!


A happy girl!

Peace Out!

Flexing her muscles

Sleepy girl

Sucking her fingers & toes!

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Week 31!

Baby's Size:  This week, the baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds – the equivalent of carrying around four navel oranges - and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. Also developing at an impressive clip: the baby's brain connections (she's got to make trillions of them!). She's now processing information, tracking light, and perceiving signals from all five senses. She's also putting in longer stretches of sleep, which is why I’m probably noticing more defined patterns of wakefulness (and movement) and rest (when she’s pretty still). At this point, we can still expect the baby to gain at least three to five pounds, possibly more, before we meet!
My Weight:  Well, I knew it’d happen, but all that pizza I ate while in NY helped me put on 4 lbs in just 2 short weeks!  At this point I have put on 20 additional pounds and it’s making me nervous when everything I am reading is saying that this week Baby C will have a growth spurt!  My next doctor’s appointment is scheduled for August 17th, so the fun in rising numbers will continue!
Maternity Clothes:  I think I am done buying clothes…unless the weather takes a major turn and I need warm clothes.  As of right now, it is still sooo hot here in Raleigh, so I’m good with what I have.
Movement:  There is still a lot of movement going on.  Whenever I have a stomach ache, she seems to kick it up a notch in the movement department which doesn’t help me out at all!
Sleep:  I’m slowly becoming more and more uncomfortable when sleeping.  All the doctors, books, websites, etc. tell you to sleep on your side when pregnant.  Well, I usually don’t mind this side position, but lately it feels like my hips are being put into a clamp and the pressure hurts!  Plus my appendages fall asleep very frequently so I have to deal with that…ok enough complaining!
What I miss: I don’t think I miss anything this week…we will see what happens later in the week though because I will get my Glucose test results back.  If I have failed this second test, I will need to tweak my diet a bit, which I am guessing will mean cutting down on my favorite thing…CARBS!
Best Moment this week: There were a lot of best moments of the week.  Getting the house re-organized was one.  Let me just say that I am pretty sure I have the BEST HUSBAND EVER!  He knows me too well and he knew I’d have a nervous breakdown if we didn’t start the organization process sooner then later.  He knew it wouldn’t be a fun weekend, but he didn’t mention how ridiculous I was even once!  We ran errands, exchanged things, bought new things and got the house in pretty good order for the moment. 
The second thing was that we started our Baby Classes on Saturday which was fun to do together.  There were lots of other couples ranging in age, but Justin & I managed to be the most immature couple.  I got the giggles bad and he didn’t help the situation.  I think it is good that we can joke about some of this stuff though because a lot of it makes me nervous to begin with!
Last but not least, washing all the bedding and setting it up!  It looks sooo pretty!

Looking forward to:  The 3D/4D Ultrasound Saturday!!!  I will post pics ASAP of Baby C after our appointment.
Cravings:  No new cravings…I have no imagination at all!
Symptoms:  I still have the same problems if you want to call it that…my rib ache has seemed to disappear, but hands have been getting numb more & more.  It is just a really weird feeling!
Pictures: I don’t know, I am looking pretty large in this pic!



Brinkley & her new bed!




Monday, August 1, 2011

Week 30!

Baby's Size:  The baby is 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 my 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.)
My Weight: I have an appointment on Friday August 5th, so we will see how much I have grown in only 2 short weeks.  I am not optimistic because we were in NY this past weekend and I ate massive amounts of yummy pizza!!!
Maternity Clothes: No new clothes…the only thing I am looking for now is a comfy hospital outfit because I can’t imagine I need any more maternity clothes at this point! 
Movement: Lots & Lots of movement!  I can’t wait to catch some of the movement on the Flip Cam we received as a shower gift!
Sleep: This past week has been kind of rough.  I am use to falling asleep quickly and staying asleep for long periods of time.  I have been struggling to stay asleep through the nights because of bathroom breaks or my mind thinking of a zillion things!  Also, when I try and move to a different position it feels like my body is going to break!  It just hurts to move once I have been in one position a little too long.    
What I miss: I’m not missing a whole lot this week….just the same old stuff.  Best Moment this week: The NY Baby Shower!!  I had such a great time at the shower and received soo many wonderful things for Baby C!  Justin’s mom, her friend Debbie & Nana did a phenomenal job with all the planning, decorating, ordering, etc.  It couldn’t have been a nicer day!  I am overwhelmed by all of the nice stuff we received…Baby C is clearly already spoiled! 
Looking forward to:  This Saturday because we start Baby Classes!  Justin and I are thinking they aren’t going to be the most fun/informative classes, but we will go and see what they have to offer and at least spend some time together.  I’m also excited to do laundry…sounds weird, but I want to wash all of the baby clothes we received at the shower and put everything away.  I also can’t wait to get the bedding out and set that up!  It sounds like this weekend may be a little busy!
Cavings:  I still haven’t had any real cravings, but I did soak my mac & cheese with soy sauce this week.  It sounds weird, but it was really yummy!
Symptoms: Still the same symptoms…but nothing out of the ordinary for a pregnant woman.
Pictures: Below are a few pictures from the shower this weekend…Enjoy!


The BEAUTIFUL cake & Invitation


My sister Amanda & I...she was a HUGE help!

Adam, Gannon, Justin & I
Shelly, Amanda & I...both sisters were great little helpers, I think I'll keep them around!