34 Weeks

The most ANNOYING thing about pregnancy....having to pee ALL of the time. Every two hours at night. At times, every 20 minutes during the day. Having to stop and stand perfectly still while at the store because I am terrified if I take another step I will have the most embarrassing experience of my life. I'm over it.

Had our 34 week check up this morning. Baby V is still cooking perfectly! I measured right at 34 cm and our boy's heart was at 135 bpm. She listened to his actual heartbeat and then checked the placenta which pulses at the same rate as the heart. It was a neat little learning experience and interesting to hear the difference between the two.

It amazes me how they are able to clearly distinguish which parts are what just by poking around at my belly. He is still head down (Yah!!!) and apparently 'rolled up in a tight little ball' according to Jen. She helped me feel his back, butt, and a leg which he kept kicking back at us...he was not happy with all of the poking around ;) To my surprise, she did a quick ultrasound on the "oldest operating ultrasound machine in Denver" so unfortunately the pictures weren't very clear but it's always fun to see our little man. And Baby V is definitely STILL a boy! I have had a weird feeling lately that he was going to come out a she but today was good reassurance for me.



I hit the +20 lbs mark this week. In all honesty I am very surprised (and thankful) with how my body has responded to pregnancy. It is so true that everyone is different when it comes to pregnancy and you really can't predict how your body is going to handle it. But I think I have been very fortunate...no excessive weight gain, no stretch marks, no swelling, no acne. All of the things I was expecting, I have been very lucky in avoiding. I can honestly say that I have enjoyed my pregnancy and I am amazed at how quickly the past 34 weeks have gone.

That being said, the anticipation is starting to drive me nuts and I am willing our boy to make an early appearance ;)

Lindsey

33 Weeks

Over the past week my sleep has gone from good to terrible...to the point where I dread going up to bed because I know it's going to be frustrating. Months of flipping from side to side (because you can't lay on your stomach and your not supposed to sleep on your back) has left my body sore and my belly is now big enough that I am just uncomfortable. Last night I got myself situated with 3 pillows, 1 body pillow, my boppy, and a pregnancy wedge for under my stomach. I was super comfy UNTIL my right side went numb and it was time to switch to my left side...which requires moving the body pillow, boppy, and wedge to the other side. Sleep has just become a production! AND THEN...having to get up every 2 hours to use the bathroom is just icing on the cake. If I survive the next +/- 7 weeks (figures crossed for less than 7 weeks!) I will have plenty of practice being sleep deprived :(

My awesome husband made me an amazing breakfast in bed this weekend after a rough night...


I am up 19 lbs (which makes Justin very happy, too happy in my opinion). The scale goes up a little more each day and I hit my scary number yesterday. I know, I know...this is all a part of pregnancy and an absolute necessity. It's just a hard transition and I am really hopeful that the emerging double chin is not permanent fixture ;)

We have our last childbirth class tonight! It has been informative and I really enjoy the fact that it gets Justin involved and thinking about what lies ahead of us. To be honest, I don't think either of us got everything out of the class that we would have liked and I think the primary reason for this has been the instructor. But it has given us the broad strokes and has stimulated thought which has encouraged me to do a lot of independent research. There is just SO much information and while there is no way for us to know it all or have all of the answers I think we have a pretty good start.

I have been going to prenatal yoga on Sundays and I think it has been great for me. I get to spend an hour or so really focusing on my breathing and working through the 'painful' parts. Yoga helps me really focus internally and I believe it will be helpful getting me through these last few weeks of pregnancy.

I have been trying to not jump the gun and get things done too early but as Justin reminded me last weekend, we have reached the point where we need to start really preparing. So, I washed Baby V's bedding and I think the nursery is just about done...We need a rug, lamp, and small table but other than that we are good to go! I will put pictures up soon. I would like to start washing the newborn clothes, blankets, etc. this week. I went to Babies R Us today and picked up a breast pump and a few other little necessities. Babies are EXPENSIVE!!! I am really trying to be conservative with my purchases and only get the things that seem to be necessary for the first few weeks. I have a feeling a lot of things are going to be trial and error and I don't want to get too much of something I am going to hate down the road. God forbid our little man come this early but if he decides to make an early appearance...we are ready!



This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) 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 conehead-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.

Lindsey

32 Weeks

I look at the belly picture from 2 weeks ago compared to this week and it is unbelievable...and scary that I have 8 weeks to go. Can I possibly get ANY bigger?!?!? My innie has officially become a full outtie!



I had an appointment with the midwives yesterday. I am measuring at 31 cm and Mary said that Baby V was weighing in right around 4 lbs (which seems like a lot to me considering how much time I have left!) and that I was having a 'picture perfect pregnancy'. His heart was at 130 bpm and he is still positioned head down. Our little man continues to move like crazy and while I haven't had any direct hits to my ribs yet, some of his kicks and punches are getting a little painful/uncomfortable at times.

I have been getting up to use the bathroom at least 3-5 times a night for sometime now but I have reached the point in my pregnancy that at times during the day I have to run back to the bathroom less than 5 minutes after my last visit. Super unpleasant especially when I am at the store! I have also started to get heartburn almost every night like clockwork and fatigue is starting to rear its ugly head during the day. I have had a wonderful, uneventful and healthy pregnancy but I have just about peaked.

Justin called me Monday afternoon and told me we were invited to Gov. Hickenlooper's inaugural dinner on Tuesday night...the attire? Dressy Western?! Considering I am 8 months pregnant, I thought it was going to be impossible to find something to wear. This forced me to finally go shopping for maternity clothes which I desperately needed and luckily I found something "country". Justin found my old "L" belt buckle that I wore in horse shows when I was little to add a little Western to his outfit :)



By now, your 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. 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.



Lindsey

31 Weeks

Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays! Now that the hustle and bustle is over with I am on a new mission...keep busy! I am in the home stretch of this pregnancy however I am afraid that the next +/- 9 weeks are going to go by at a glacial pace. So I have been brainstorming, making lists, and trying to organize a calender so that I have plenty to look forward to and I don't go crazy.

I joined a "pregnacy group" last August which has been a great way to meet other women who are expecting. I started co-organizing with another girl in November(I know, very out of character for me!) and I have met several other women due right around the same time. Some of the other women will be stay at home moms also and it will be wonderful to have some friends in the same situation with babies around the same age.

In addition to the 'moms group', I have plenty of little projects around the house I would like to get done while I still have time to myself. And while I think we are just about set for Baby V's arrival (per Justin, I will contiunue to call him Baby V until he has made his first appearance) I still need get a few final things and organize everything. I also need to look into and sign up for a breastfeeding class sometime in the next few weeks. My goal is to get the essentials done in January and leave February to easy projects.....this quote from Finding Nemo keeps going through my head "just keep swimming, just keep swimming."

Baby V is doing well! He is getting big and starting to give his mama lots of heartburn :( I believe he is still head down judging by his daily hiccups and this position has lead to lots punches to the bladder...a very strange and uncomfortable sensation! I must admit that it totally freaks me out when I have a hand on my belly waiting for him to kick and a little knee or foot rubs firmly against the area under my hand. It is a very 'alien' experience and suddenly reminds me that there is actually a tiny person inside of me! I know when pregnancy is over, I really will miss his kicks....but definitely not the shots to the bladder ;)



This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) 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.