38 Weeks

From Baby Center:

Your baby has really plumped up. He weighs about 6.8 pounds and he's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). He has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold his hand for the first time! His organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If he's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If he's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time he's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after he's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

For many women, the next couple of weeks are a waiting game. Use this time to prepare your baby's nursery or to take care of necessary tasks you may not get around to for a while after your baby's born. Take naps, catch up on your reading, and spend uninterrupted time with your partner while you can.

Some swelling in your feet and ankles is normal during these last weeks, but call your practitioner without delay if you notice excessive or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles, more than slight swelling of your hands, any swelling in your face or puffiness around your eyes, or have a sudden weight gain. Also let her know immediately if have severe or persistent headaches; visual changes (such as double or blurred vision, seeing spots or flashing lights, light sensitivity, or a temporary loss of vision), intense upper abdominal pain or tenderness, or nausea and vomiting. These are symptoms of a serious condition called preeclampsia.

Note from Jen:


Well, we are two weeks out from seeing our little guy. Our c-section is scheduled for 07-08-09, hopefully at 10:11 :) The doctor said that since I am not dilated at all at this point, we should make it to the due date no problem. We are just hoping that Van decides to stay in until then and not give us any surprises.

This week was our 9th anniversary and we celebrated by going to the Del Mar Fair, riding an elephant and getting a prenatal massage! (Yes, I said riding an elephant... I am sure Kenny will write a post about that later this week!) Last night I had my first massage ever and it was very relaxing. I still am having upper back pain and swollen/ painful feet, but at least the massage felt great for a while. I wish I could go every day!

I am enjoying my time off here at home and we pretty much have Van's room all ready and our bags packed for the hospital. I still feel like there is a ton to do, but am trying to take it easy so I don't accidentally go into labor!

38 weeks.. only 2 more to go!

9 Years!

Then:



Now:

Smartest dog ever

I woke up this morning and Pilot was sitting at my feet reading Tolstoy's "War and Peace". I asked if he wanted to go for a walk. His answer: well, I think his look says it all.

Don't Judge Me

I had a trip today for a friend of mine in his Bonanza. The passengers were some of his employees checking out a job site. I have flown them several times now and we have gone to Thermal Airport in Palm Springs every time. On my first visit I was directed to a small Indian Casino as the nearest "decent" restaraunt around.

I took the crew car and followed the directions to a small single story building that looked more like an light commercial/industrial building than a casino. I thought twice about it and decided to go ahead and try it out. Turns out that they have an extraordinarily tasty turkey club sandwich (which comes with avocado - yum!) and a reasonable batch of iced tea. And budget priced as well.

Unfortunately, you have to fight your way through a smoke-filled casino to find this hidden treasure of tasty turkey. I have managed my way through every time sans any temptation whatsoever. To put it plainly, I hate gambling. I enjoy the numbers and odds and cards and all, but not when it comes to giving them my hard earned money.

Thrice have I cruised through the den of inquity without nary a tinge of temptation to drop a few coins into a slot machine or plunk down a buck or two on the black jack table.

Today ended that streak.

How in the world did it happen you ask? I know not.

I had finished my tasty-as-ever club sandwich and was on my way out, when Satan's temptor reached out from a penny slot machine and grabbed me. I felt instantly ashamed and remorseful as the machine cooly wisked my ten dollar bill into its ever starving mouth.

I thought, "Just push the cash-out button and walk over to the desk and leave" but something about those blinking frogs would not let me go. I punched in my bet and gave the handle a pull. Another wave of guilt and remorse washed over me. A bigger one hit when I did not win "the big one."

Suffice it say, I played it for several more minutes, basically losing more than I won. Fortunately it was only penny slots so winning and losing was really a matter of nickles and dimes.

Then it happened. Jeremiah the Bull Frog came over the speakers. I thought to myself, "This is it, I am gonna hit it big now." Just in case you missed it above, I was playing some machine that featured "kiss the magic frog" and win! Why did I choose that one? Only Satan's temptor knows.

I punched in my bet and pulled the handle. Flashing lights, loud noises and ding... nothing!

I punched in my bet and pulled the handle. Flashing lights, loud noises and ding... nothing!

I punched in my bet and pulled the handle. Flashing lights, loud noises and ding... nothing!

I punched in my bet and pulled the handle. Flashing lights, loud noises and ding... winner winner chicken dinner!

I hit the big one with Jeremiah the Bull Frog and Mr. Magical Frog. Whoohoooo!

I was up $13.88. And I ran. Take the money and run, I always say.

All in all, I hated the entire experience. Even the winning moment was fleeting as I took my sad little paper ticket to the pit, got my cash and walked my way back out the smoke house.

Probably the last time for me for a while. Sorry Las Vegas, no high stakes roller here.

37 Weeks

From Baby Center:

Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

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.

Braxton Hicks contractions may be coming more frequently now and may last longer and be more uncomfortable.

It may be harder than ever to get comfortable enough to sleep well at night. If you can, take it easy through the day — this may be your last chance to do so for quite a while. Keep monitoring your baby's movements, too, and let your caregiver know immediately if you notice a decrease. Though his quarters are getting cozy, he should still be as active as before.

While you're sleeping, you're likely to have some intense dreams. Anxiety both about labor and about becoming a parent can fuel a lot of strange flights of unconscious fancy.

Note from Jen:

Wow! I can't believe that I am full term and that he could really come at any time!

On Monday I had my doctor's appointment and we waited in the room for over 2 hours before we found out that she was at the hospital doing an emergency c-section and wouldn't make it. They tried to tell us just to come back next week, but I reminded them that we needed to find out if Van was still breech and they rescheduled us for later that day at 2:00 pm.

Despite our best efforts to turn the little guy, which even included going to a Chinese herbal shop last week and picking up Moxi Sticks (dried & rolled mugwort plant), he is still head up and the doctor said he is so far up it doesn't look like he will turn.



We are still doing the acupressure treatment of moxibustion (burning the moxi sticks by my toes for 20 minutes each night... they STINK! I have pictures I'll post later... moxibustion is too funny!) as well as other exercises, but it looks like we need to pick a birthday for our little guy. The doctor suggested 7-10 days before the due date. We are torn between scheduling the c-section before the due date or waiting it out until 07-08-09 and seeing if he decides to turn at the last moment. The only problem with waiting is that I could go into labor and then risk more of an emergency c-section than if we have it planned earlier. We need to figure this out soon!

Anyway, on Sunday we went to La Jolla and Sheree took pregnancy pictures of us. They turned out great and I am so glad that we have some good pictures of the pregnncy and not just our every two week photos.

Monday was my last day of work and because of the doctor fiasco, I ended up only working about 3 hours that day! I am now off on maternity leave/ disability. It is nice to be able to get things done at home during the day and not have to try to fit it all in after work. We are pretty ready for Van to arrive... we have the car seat and stroller, his room is pretty much all set up and all his clothes are washed, folded and organized. Now all we need to do is pick a date for our little guy to arrive :)

Here are a few pictures from our photo shoot on Sunday... I still need to edit them, but hopefully I will get the rest posted soon!

36 Weeks

From Baby Center:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath.

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 he's in a head-down position. But if he 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 him from the outside of your belly.

Now that your baby is taking up so much room, you may have trouble eating a normal-size meal. Smaller, more frequent meals are often easier to handle at this point.

On the other hand, you may have less heartburn and have an easier time breathing when your baby starts to "drop" down into your pelvis. This process — called lightening — often happens a few weeks before labor if this is your first baby. If your baby drops, you may also feel increased pressure in your lower abdomen, which may make walking increasingly uncomfortable.

You might also notice that your Braxton Hicks contractions are more frequent now. Be sure to review the signs of labor with your practitioner and find out when she wants to hear from you. As a general rule, if you're full-term, your pregnancy is uncomplicated, and your water hasn't broken, she'll probably have you wait to come in until you've been having contractions that last for about a minute each, coming every five minutes for an hour. Of course, you'll want to call right away if you notice a decrease in your baby's activity or think you're leaking amniotic fluid, or if you have any bleeding, fever, a severe or persistent headache, constant abdominal pain, or vision changes.

Even if you're enjoying an uncomplicated pregnancy, it's best to avoid flying (or any travel far from home) during your final month because you can go into labor at any time. In fact, some airlines won't let women on board who are due to deliver within 30 days of the flight.

Note from Jen:

Feeling pretty good this week other than some back pain. I am pretty sure that is mostly being caused by sitting at my desk all day, so hopefully by next week it will go away since Monday is my last day of work!!!

I went into the doctor on Monday to have her fill out my disability paperwork and asked her to check to see if Van was still breech so I could know if I need to continue to do my exercises (you are supposed to stop if he has turned or risk flipping him back to breech). She felt around and said she was pretty sure that his head was down low since it seemed a bit harder down there and since she could hear his heartbeat better down lower. Needless to say I was so relieved and excited.

During the appointment I received a call from the lady who did our 4D ultrasound saying that we could come in on Tuesday and she would do a quick ultrasound to see what positions he was in... for FREE! We had called her up over the weekend to see if she could do a 5 minute ultrasound for us to see if he was breech and totally planned on paying for it. She is so nice and didn't want to charge us anything... she wouldn't even take the Starbucks gift cards we offered!

Anyway, yesterday afternoon Kenny and I went down to the ultrasound office and within a few seconds found out that Van was still snuggled into the exact same position he has been in for weeks... head still up with his feet in front of his face! All our hopes that we had built up the day before were dashed. He is still breech.

The good thing is that now I know for sure that I have a few days to get this kid to turn, so I will be doing anything I can. The other good news is that our 4D ultrasound lady said that if we do schedule a c-section, to come in to see her a few days before it is scheduled and she would do another quick peek for us just to make sure they aren't operating on me unnecessarily. She is so nice!

Other than the whole breech craziness this week, not too much other baby stuff has happened. We managed to go to Babies R Us last night without killing anyone, so that is a positive :) Only a few more things left to stock up on and then I think we are just about ready for Van to show up... well... as ready as we will ever be :)

The Baby Alert System

We have set up a Baby Alert System. We found a site that has an amazing feature that lets you send call blasts to members, so we figured we can set up different groups to alert friends and family abut any baby popping out news.

If you would like to be added to the Baby Alert System, leave a comment with your name, alert level desired and phone number or just email me and I'll add you.

We are thinking of having 5 Alert Levels:

Red- Call with any and all baby news. This means you will get a call when we are on our way to the hospital (whether it ends up being false labor or not). Please remember that this call could come at any time... day or night. Don't say we didn't warn you!

Orange- Call when we are admitted to the hospital. No false labor here, but still could be any time, day or night.

Yellow- Call when we are in the hospital, but at a reasonable time. We won't call you before 8:00AM or after 9:00PM. If we get admitted during the nighttime hours, we'll just schedule the call to be sent to your phone at 8:00AM.

Blue- Call once Van is born with all the normal baby details... weight, height, apgar, if he is a crazy hairy monster or not... Could be any time, day or night.

Green- Call once Van is born with all the normal baby details, but at a reasonable time. We won't call you before 8:00AM or after 9:00PM. If he is born during the nighttime hours, we'll just schedule the call to be sent to your phone at 8:00AM.

35 Weeks

From Baby Center:

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.

Your uterus — which was entirely tucked away inside your pelvis when you conceived — now reaches up under your rib cage. If you could peek inside your womb, you'd see that there's more baby than amniotic fluid in there now. Your ballooning uterus is crowding your other internal organs, too, which is why you probably have to urinate more often and may be dealing with heartburn and other gastrointestinal distress. If you're not grappling with these annoyances, you're one of the lucky few.

From here on out, you'll start seeing your practitioner every week. Sometime between now and 37 weeks, she'll do a culture to check for bacteria called Group B streptococci (GBS). GBS is usually harmless in adults, but if you have it and pass it on to your baby during birth, it can cause serious complications, such as pneumonia, meningitis, or a blood infection. Because 10 to 30 percent of pregnant women have the bacteria and don't know it, it's vital to be screened. (The bacteria come and go on their own — that's why you weren't screened earlier in pregnancy.) If you're a GBS carrier, you'll get IV antibiotics during labor, which will greatly reduce your baby's risk of infection.

This is also a good time to create a birth plan. Using our form will help you focus on specifics — like who'll be present, what pain management techniques you want to try, and where you want your baby to stay after you deliver. It will give you a starting point to discuss your preferences with your medical team. Childbirth is unpredictable, and chances are you won't follow your plan to the letter, but thinking about your choices ahead of time — and sharing your preferences with your caregiver — should take some of the anxiety out of the process.

Note from Jen:

Well, 5 more weeks to go! Overall I feel great although my feet are getting pretty swollen by the end of the day and I am starting to waddle a bit :) Mylanta and Rolaids seem to be doing the trick at managing all the heartburn.

I went to my doctor's appointment yesterday and although it was really rushed, I did find out that I do not have Group B strep... so no antibiotics needed for me at delivery. Yeah! I also found out that my doctor will be here when I deliver and is going on vacation a few weeks after my due date, so we are good. She is going to Peru and is going to hike the Inca Trail, so most of the appointment ended up being us talking about the trip and giving her advice about the hike.

Van is still breech and I was given a few more exercises to do to encourage him to turn. If he decides to stay upright until my next appointment at 27 weeks, we have to schedule that c-section. He must like things planned as much as we do! Still hoping he turns, but whatever happens, happens. I am just thankful that we live in a time where c-sections aren't as big of a deal and it is not a risk to either of our lives that he is breech.

Anyway, our trip to Yosemite last week was a blast! I even made the hike up the Mist Trail all the way to Vernal Falls. Yep, I rock :) I'll post pictures and a rundown of our trip later this week or next.

As for baby stuff, this week I plan on packing up my hospital bag and finish up on my birthing plan. I am also getting together all the disability paperwork and finishing up everything here at work. The plan right now is to work until June 15th which just so happens to be my next doctor's appointment.

34 Weeks

From Baby Center:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder.

His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his 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.

By this week, fatigue has probably set in again, though maybe not with the same coma-like intensity of your first trimester. Your tiredness is perfectly understandable, given the physical strain you're under and the restless nights of frequent pee breaks and tossing and turning, while trying to get comfortable. Now's the time to slow down and save up your energy for labor day (and beyond). If you've been sitting or lying down for a long time, don't jump up too quickly. Blood can pool in your feet and legs, causing a temporary drop in your blood pressure when you get up that can make you feel dizzy.

Note from Jen:

Feeling pretty worn out this week, but we have been busy moving out of the hangar, packing for Yosemite and making sure we have all the baby stuff pretty much ready.

My feet and legs are starting to swell every day... my right more than my left. If I ask really nice, Kenny will rub them for me after a long day :) A little bit of sciatic nerve pain is back once again as well as the heartburn/ reflux. Overall, though I still feel pretty good considering that I only have a few weeks left.

I don't think Van has turned yet, but hopefully the time at Yosemite will help me relax and all the walking will get him into position. Not too worried yet.

Here is my 34 week picture (taken a few days early). We'll also be sure to take lots of photos at Yosemite :)

I couldn't resist hijacking Kenny and Jen's post to put up this slide show of Mommy and Van!
I will add a new photo every 2 weeks until we are holding our little Grandson in our arms!
Nana Jolene

33 Weeks

From Baby Center:

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.

As your baby fills out even more of your belly, lots of things might start to change: Whereas before you were sashaying, you may find yourself waddling. Finding an easy position to sit in — let alone sleep — is becoming more of a challenge. And bumping into chairs and counters is par for the course.

You may be feeling some achiness and even numbness in your fingers, wrists, and hands. Like many other tissues in your body, those in your wrist can retain fluid, which can increase pressure in the carpal tunnel, a bony canal in your wrist. Nerves that run through this "tunnel" may end up pinched, creating numbness; tingling, shooting or burning pain; or a dull ache. Try wearing a splint to stabilize your wrist or propping your arm up with a pillow when you sleep. If your work requires repetitive hand movements (at a keyboard or on an assembly line, for instance), remember to stretch your hands when you take breaks — which should be frequently.

Note from Jen:

Whew! I am tired. Probably because I thought this would be my last week of work, but I ended up telling them I'd work a bit more after we got back from our trip to Yosemite next week.

By the end of the day at work I am pretty tired... swollen feel, achy back, normal pregnancy stuff. Overall, it isn't that bad though. I have been very lucky.

On Friday I went in to see the midwife and found out that if Van doesn't decide to turn soon out of this breech position, my only option is a C-section. I looked up a bunch of ways to try to turn him and have been trying pretty much every single one... laying on an ironing board (hips and feet above my head), flashlight on the tummy, ice pack on the top of the tummy, and acupressure points that included putting clips on my pinky toes! LOL! I go in to see the doctor the Monday we get back into town. If she doesn't have good news for me, I'm off to see a chiropractor, acupuncturist or even a witch doctor to get him to turn :)

I also found out that my doctor is probably going to be on vacation when I am due, so hopefully I will be able to find out who might be delivering this little guy so I can get to know her a bit before the big event.

Last week we also went on a hospital tour. It went really well and the rooms are amazing. They seem to be as comfortable as you can get for a hospital room and it will be nice to have all that space and not have to share a room. Here is the online tour of the birthing suite if you want to check it out- http://www.sharp.com/virtual-tours/grossmont-birthing-suite.cfm

For the last week or so I have been having Braxton Hicks contractions on and off. For me they seem to be basically sharp stabbing pains that squeeze by stomach and last a few seconds. Thursday night I had an upset stomach, cramping and contractions all night and ended up calling in sick on Friday. After my doctor's appointment that afternoon, I felt much better and drove up to surprise Mom for her 50th birthday! We ended up having a great weekend and it was good to relax and spend time with Mom, Dad, Jamie & Jeffrey (David and Kenny both worked all weekend).

They all got in on the action of trying to help Van decide to turn. This picture isn't the most flattering, but it makes me laugh. Here is Jeffrey trying to help his cousin...

Advice for the Parents-to-be

Thanks to all of you who already wrote down a bit of advice for us at the Big Baby Bash.

For those of you who weren't there, feel free to leave us a bit of advice in the comments that you think might help us as we embark on this new adventure! I'll add it to Van's baby book so we can look back on it later on :)

32 Weeks

From Baby Center:

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.

To accommodate you and your baby's growing needs, your blood volume has increased 40 to 50 percent since you got pregnant. With your uterus pushing up near your diaphragm and crowding your stomach, the consequences may be shortness of breath and heartburn. To help relieve your discomfort, try sleeping propped up with pillows and eating smaller meals more often.

You may have lower-back pain as your pregnancy advances. If you do, let your caregiver know right away, particularly if you haven't had back pain before, since it can be a sign of preterm labor.

Assuming it's not preterm labor that's ailing you, you can probably blame your growing uterus and hormonal changes for your aching back. Your expanding uterus shifts your center of gravity and stretches out and weakens your abdominal muscles, changing your posture and putting a strain on your back. Hormonal changes in pregnancy loosen your joints and the ligaments that attach your pelvic bones to your spine. This can make you feel less stable and cause pain when you walk, stand, sit for long periods, roll over in bed, get out of a low chair or the tub, bend, or lift things.

Note from Jen:

First of all, what is a jicama? Honestly, I have never heard of it.

Anyway, this week was super busy and super fun. We had Van's 4D Ultrasound, the Big Baby Bash and my work baby shower. Van also got his room painted by his Auntie Sheree. It is amazing! I'll post pictures of the Big Baby Bash and the room painting soon.

Earlier this week I was having a really hard time with heartburn and acid reflux, so much so that it would wake me up throughout the night. No fun :( I called the doctor and she recommended that I try Maylox before we try a prescription. Except for a few annoying side affects, it is working wonders. No heartburn for me!

I am starting to get Braxton Hicks contractions every now and then. They mostly happen when we are out walking Pilot and vary between a sharp pain and just a tightening feeling. Even though some of them hurt, it is still good to know that my body is just getting ready for the birth. Hopefully our little guy will start thinking about turning into position soon. He still has plenty of time I guess, but it would be nice to know that he is ready to go.

Let's Play a Game

Baby Van is on his way, will you be the one to guess the day?



We set up a game so everyone can join in the excitement and anticipation of Van's arrival.

If you entered in a guess at the Big Baby Bash, we have already entered it in for you, but feel free to change it if you suddenly feel differently :)

Click on the banner above or go to http://www.expectnet.com/games/VanWilliam and participate by entering your guess!

Van's Photo Shoot

The entire family came down on Friday for our little guy's 4D Ultrasound. We had a full house with me & Kenny, my parents, Kenny's parents, Uncle Eric & Auntie Sheree, Uncle David, Auntie Jamie & Cousin Jeffrey and my grandparents- Mema & Grandpa Earl.

Although I drank 3 glasses of coke before the ultrasound, Van was dead asleep and wouldn't wake up for anything. He was still in the breech position and his little feet and hands were up covering his face. After a bottle of water and some stretching on the floor (with the entire family watching!) I laid back down to try again, but he is a stubborn little fella and still refused to move! The ultrasound tech pushed and prodded on my belly and tried to grab his feet to move them out of the way. It was pretty uncomfortable, but we did manage to get some shots of his little face!

Once she finally got a clear view of him, she kept commenting on how much hair he already has and how well defined his lips were and how long he seems to be. She had to have said that 5+ times! She was never clear about if all that hair was just on his head or if we are going to end up with a baby Sasquatch!

Looking at his pictures, he seems to look like Kenny from the lips down and me from the nose up. And of course, will have tons of hair like both of us!

I can't wait to see him in person. Only 2 months to go!

Check out all of his pictures from the ultrasound at our Shutterfly account.

New Design: The Young Mommy Life

Tara is a 20-something momma who blogs about The Young Mommy Life. She contacted me a few weeks ago and wanted to update her blog to Wordpress.org as well as freshen up her look.

She was great to work with and I’ll most likely be frequenting her blog quite often as my very own mommy life is about to start in a few weeks!

31 Weeks

From Baby Center:

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.

Have you noticed the muscles in your uterus tightening now and then? Many women feel these random contractions — called Braxton Hicks contractions — in the second half of pregnancy. Often lasting about 30 seconds, they're irregular, and at this point, they should be infrequent and painless. Frequent contractions, on the other hand — even those that don't hurt — may be a sign of preterm labor.

You don't need to pack your bag yet, but start making a list of items to bring to the hospital.

Note from Jen:

Wow. 9 weeks left... down to the single digits. How crazy is that?!?

This week I have been having heartburn and acid reflux again. It doesn't matter what I eat, it just hits at random times throughout the day and hits in the middle of the night. Needless to say, I am not getting much sleep :(

My feet are also starting to swell by the end of the day. I am trying to make a point of wearing comfy shoes to work, but they pretty much swell no matter what so I still sneak in the occasional cute shoe anyway :)

Even with the heartburn and swelling, I am still feeling pretty good overall. On Friday I went in for my doctor's appointment and everything looked good. I was measuring at 29 weeks and she said that all there is to do now is just wait since everything is right on track.

No Braxton Hicks contractions yet... at least none that I can feel. Our little guy is moving around all the time throughout the day, but at least he is pretty calm during the night. Maybe he'll be a good sleeper?!? I can dream, can't I?!? :)

This Friday we are getting the 4D ultrasound done. I am so excited to see our little guy! I'll be sure to post pictures next week sometime.

New Design: OutDoor Afro

Rue over at OutDoor Afro has one goal in mind… to get more African American families out of the house and into the Great Outdoors!

She is obviously an outdoor enthusiast and an adventurous spirit and I tried to capture that in her new design. I had a great time working with her and the design was so much fun to work on.

From Rue:

First off, WOW — it was so thrilling to see how you materialized the concept in such a fun and accurate way to my description. You simply did a terrific job and I can see that working with you was the right choice. I really like the foxiness of the woman, the outdoor iconic accents, and how you changed Outdoor to OutDoor — Well done!

Oh and did I mention I just LOVE the site? :)

Thankful for...

Bad weather in Aspen on Saturday/ Sunday. Last weekend Kenny had another 4 day trip (he had one the weekend before as well). I was all prepared to sit on the couch and mope. Saturday night Danny & Tonita came over to keep me company and guess who ended up showing up as well... Kenny. The storm heading towards Aspen meant Kenny's trip got cut short and he flew home early and surprised me! Right before he got to the door, I received a cryptic text that read "Knock. Knock" and was so excited when a few seconds later he was really knocking at the door :)

Parents who love each other and have fun together. Mom & Dad are on an Alaskan cruise right now celebrating Mom's birthday. Today they are in Juno and said that the weather is beautiful! Just like we did in China, Mom & Dad are breaking away from the cruise tours and renting a car to head out on their own. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree :) It is so great to have parents who really enjoy spending time with each other and are best friends. Hope you guys have fun today!

Aunts & Uncles & Cousins for our little guy. It is going to be so much fun having so many people around who love us and our little boy. Auntie Jamie & Uncle David are getting things ready for our Big Baby Bash next weekend... I can't wait to see the cake! Last time I saw Jeffrey, he kept pointing to my belly and saying "Baby" and asking to play with him. Now I hear that he is referring to our little guy as "Cuz". Danny, Tonita & Isabella are a major part of our lives because they live so close. I am so thankful that they are nearby and even after Izzy was born, they still manage to make it over weekly for Survivor night :) Matt & Kelly are adding another little boy cousin to the mix in September! I can't wait until they are all a bit older and there are the 5 boys and poor little only girl Izzy, wreaking havock when we all get together! Uncle Eric & Auntie Sheree are spending the day today in our soon to be nursery painting up a surprise for our kiddo. If it were left up to me I'd just leave everything painted the same color and just have the decals on the wall. I am so thankful that they don't mind the work of painting and wanted to do this for their nephew! I can't wait to see it!!!

30 Weeks

From Baby Center:

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus.

His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face.

You may be feeling a little tired these days, especially if you're having trouble sleeping. You might also feel clumsier than normal, which is perfectly understandable. Not only are you heavier, but the concentration of weight in your pregnant belly causes a shift in your center of gravity. Plus, thanks to hormonal changes, your ligaments are more lax, so your joints are looser, which may also contribute to your balance being a bit off. Also, this relaxation of your ligaments can actually cause your feet to spread permanently, so you may have to invest in some new shoes in a bigger size.

Remember those mood swings you had earlier in pregnancy? The combination of uncomfortable symptoms and hormonal changes can result in a return of those emotional ups and downs. It's normal to worry about what your labor will be like or whether you'll be a good parent. But if you can't shake the blues or feel increasingly irritable or agitated, talk to your doctor or midwife. You may be among the 1 in 10 expectant women who battle depression during pregnancy. Also let your caregiver know if you're frequently nervous or anxious.

Note from Jen:

Sleeping is getting tough. I cannot stay in the same position for long and have to get up a few times throughout the night. Pair that along with the bouts of heartburn that sometimes hit in the middle of the night and you can be sure that I am pretty tired throughout the day. I still think that the lavender sleep oil is helping a bit, but I am pretty convinced that this is just a part of pregnancy that I have to deal with and can't make 100% better.

I don't feel off balance and clumsy physically like Baby Center says, but I do get out of breath easier. My brain is a bit off as well. I have locked my keys in the car twice in the last few months and this weekend completely misread the directions when I was trying to make brownies. Really, how can anyone screw up brownies??? Well, I did. I swear the package said to add 3/4 cup of water. I remember thinking, "Wow, that seems like a lot." Well, apparently I was only supposed to add 1/4 cup of water. I still don't understand how my pregnancy brain could actually switch numbers around on me!

Our little guy is moving around all the time and it is fun to actually be able to see him move from the outside. I am not able to tell what body part is pushing on me at the time, but everyone says that pretty soon I might be able to tell the difference between his feet, knees, head and hands. I keep trying to get a video of the crazy movements on my belly, but our kiddo seems to be a bit camera shy. He'll be moving like crazy, but as soon as I turn the video on my phone he stops completely. Hopefully he won't be too camera shy next week because we are going to do the 4D Ultrasound next Friday!

Last Thursday I loaded up my computer, movies and books and headed out to do my 3 hour glucose screening. I was there for about 4 hours total and received 5 holes in my arms (which have since turned into bruises) where she drew my blood every hour. The reason I have 5 is because on the last draw she stuck the needle in and nothing happened. She proceeded to move it around inside of me trying to get some blood flow, but by then I think my body just said no because she couldn't even get a drop. She switched arms, did the needle search again and finally hit a vein. I was so glad when it was all over and I could go home to eat and sleep.

Last night the nurse called me with the results and... I passed! Whoo hoo! I am so glad that I don't have to worry about changing my diet or taking insulin shots or anything.

Well, we are getting down to it... only 10 weeks left until my due date. Time is going by so fast! There is so much that we still need to do and the next few weeks are packed with doctor's appointments, ultrasounds and baby showers. Sometime in there we need to schedule our hospital tour and think about packing our bags for the hospital and making a birthing plan. Whew! So much to do!