31 weeks

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.

That's no joke, he definitely does move a lot and I love it! I think I'm really going to miss being pregnant. I love having him with me all the time and I love that I can feel him kick and it's just between us. I'm excited to meet him and see what he looks like, sounds like, his disposition, etc but for now, I'm happy having him all to myself.

Next doctor's appointment is next Monday so I'll have an update on next week's post.

New Year's Eve is tomorrow. I can't believe what a year it's been! I've been seriously beyond blessed. It's been exciting and I can't wait to see what 2010 brings for our new little family. I know after all the blessings we've received this year that God will get us though whatever next year brings.

We generally celebrate low key, at my parents house with lots of snacks and just hang out. Perfect for this year! Nick is sick so even more fitting that we stay in and take it easy.

30 weeks!

Wow, only 10 more weeks - 70 days to go!!!

Your baby's 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 your 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.)

As for me....

I'm feeling fine still, no new symptoms this week. All ready for Christmas! We're spending Christmas Eve with Nick's dad, Christmas early morning at our house, Christmas later morning at his mom's, and Christmas afternoon/evening with my parents. Whew. I'm glad I booked a prenatal massage for Saturday! It will be my first one, I need it so bad and I'm so excited.

Sunday we'll do the outdoor maternity pictures. I saw some proofs from the indoor session, they're okay, it's me, not the photographer - I'm making some ugly faces in some of them. But I'm really excited to do some outdoor candid ones, hopefully it's not too freezing!

Snow day!

We got major snow on the east coast today. It originally put a kink in my plans but we rearranged and I loosened up :). We were going to have maternity pictures today, finish Christmas shopping and then put up our tree. Instead we rescheduled the pictures for next week, went Christmas shopping last nigh. So we put up the tree today and I made cookies.

Nick's last measurement at 6 pm was 18 inches. It's now 7:30 and STILL snowing. It's been snowing for 24 hours.

First, here's the snow!

This is Nick's car covered with snow, all you can see is the mirrors sticking out. You could still see a little bit of mine. This was at 4:00 or so...

And then our tree! Normally it's more full but Nick was in charge of what was going where and he evenly dispersed them better than me and cut me off when I wanted to put more. I'm happy with it though b/c they're the ones that are most special to both of us (most of the ornaments we didn't use were ones from me growing up - mental note to get some from his parents!)


So that was our snow day! I really don't see how it will get all cleared out for work Monday! I've got one more present to buy - for my BIL, I need to wrap 2 more of Nick's and my dad's and I'm ready! I can't believe it! It all came together last night really.

Recap

This was posted on the third trimester board of The Bump and I thought I'd do it here too.

At more than halfway (72% I think) pregnant, here's a recap of where I am so far and how I got here. Still a ways to go I know, and I'm happy for him to stay inside until week 40!

I'm currently: 29 weeks, 2 days pregnant!

When did we find out I was pregnant: June 27, 2009 at 4 weeks 3 days pregnant. I tested the day after our 11 year anniversary of being together. I just knew it was going to be positive because I had been charting but still couldn't believe it was real. It was the first pregnancy test I had ever taken. (See very first post in this blog!)

How long before we got pregnant: I stopped taking my BCP at the end of March, we were pregnant two months later!

How I told DH: I tested very early in the morning, about 6 am or so. I got back in bed, woke him up saying "hey, look" and showed him the test. He sleepily said "yay!" He knew I was testing so it wasn't a total surprise. He thought it was funny that I did it so early.

Weight gained to date: Honestly, I don't know - I haven't asked how many pounds. The doctor today said I was doing great with my weight though.

Any Contractions? Have had Braxton Hicks for several weeks now - since like week 20 or 21.

Any Stretch Marks? Only on my butt so far! Which I'm kind of okay with because no one other than Nick will ever see that!

Belly Button: Barely passes as an innie, mostly flat. It flattened out much earlier than I expected. I'm dreading when it pops out. I'm pretty sure I'm going to put a bandaid over it. Very weird since I've always had an innie and I've read it takes a while for it to go back in!!

Best part of pregnancy: Feeling Campbell move, he moves soooo much at night when I'm relaxing. I will certainly miss that.

Worst part of pregnancy: Hip pain, not being able to sleep on my belly.

Complications: None yet!

Nesting: I wouldn't call it nesting, mostly stressing that things aren't done. I think after the showers I will be able to next more, there will be things to wash and get set up.

Favorite Ultrasound: I've had 3. Many women only get 1. But my favorite was probably the first one. What a relief to see and hear that little hearbeat and see the blob that would be Campbell. It was like I could let out a breath of relief b/c I knew this was real!

The Name Game: Campbell is Nick's paternal grandmother's maiden name and James is my dad's name - it's also my MIL's father's name. Nick's step mom thought of using Campbell, I suggested it to Nick and he said, "Okay, Campbell James" and that worked for me!

Some of the most surprising things about pregnancy: 1) friends who have been pregnant NEVER tell you all the annoying symptoms. You really only ever hear about morning sickness - they don't tell you all the other crap and I'm not buying that it's because they forget it existed. 2). The original poster mentioned this too, but that the pregnancy "waddle" is more from the pain and not the weight! 3). Strangers and coworkers really are more willing to do things and cater to you than you would think.

Rules

I recently read an article in Pregnancy Magazine by a dad who I think maybe wrote a book, not sure if he actually published it though, but it's something like, Rules for My Unborn Son. They had a couple exerpted in the article and one was numbered 300 and something, so he had a lot but I was thinking it was a really cute idea and want to do something like it. I figured this is as good a place as any so I'll occassionally be posting them here, as I think of them.

They range from serious to silly, one that he had that I loved was "always make time for your mom on your birthday, it's her special day too." So true, I give my mom a little present on my birthday just to say thanks for having me! :)

Another one was "when in doubt, wear a tie".

If you have any good ones, let me know!

29 weeks!

How your baby's growing:Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your 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 your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

For me:

I had my 29 week appointment today, it went great. Campbell is measuring right on track for now, which is great! I was also told that I do not have gestational diabetes (I had the 3 hour test earlier this week because I failed the 1 hour test) - very good news!

I also had a couple of maternity pictures taken, they were indoors, just me - Nick will be in the outdoor ones (which were rescheduled for next weekend because of a major snow storm we're getting this weekend). I'm anxious to see them, I'm sure they're better than the ones I post here! I'm not super excited that many of them are bare belly (I don't think my bare belly is cute) but I wanted them done to document the time and how I looked.

28 weeks!

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

As for me, I found out Friday that I failed my 1 hour glucose tolerance test (slightly elevated numbers) so I have to take the 3 hour test. I really was kind of surprised that I failed so I'm a little mad. I'm positive I will pass the 3 hour test, thinking positive here! So on Tuesday I'll be sitting in the doctor's office for 4 hours with no food :(. I'll bring my laptop so I can do some work.

Friday I'll have my next appointment since I go every two weeks now. Saturday we're having maternity pics! I'm very very excited! We're getting an amazing deal, a friend who has started a photography business is doing them, she charges very little because she does it as her passion and she does good work! I can't wait to see how they turn out. A lot of people suggest doing them later (I'll be 29.5 weeks) but I didn't want to take the chance of being too uncomfortable, unhappy with my looks, too much colder, etc so we're doing them now. I should get the proofs back the first week of January so I'll definitely share them!

Here are my pictures for this week. NOW, note that I had just woken up from a nap after work when we took them so I look terrible!

27 weeks!

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 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. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

As for me, not much change. We went for my monthly check up and had the glucose test, let's hope everything comes back normal and I don't have to go for the 3 hour test! We also learned that I'll now go every 2 weeks! I can't believe we're at the point now! Its kind of nice though, I know I'll be more closely monitored, it feels like I have a new question or symptom right after my monthly appointment.

Still having Braxton Hicks and heartburn but it's all manageable. The BH are scary but I try to be rationale.

We got the nursery furniture delivered, we just have to put it together and we got the mattress and everything so we're ready to get it set up! Have to paint and clean the carpet first though...

I had a realization that while it's surprising this is happening so quickly and there's a lot of work to be done around the house (finishing a bathroom, setting up the nursery). I'm definitely ready for the change this will bring to our lives. I was reading some posts on the Nest and the majority of the ladies were talking about how they didn't want to give up their freedom and I realized, I DO! I want all the changes that this baby will bring to our lives. I know I'll miss some of the get up and go mentality but we aren't really like that anyway. It was just really comforting to come to that realization; I've been waiting to feel like I'm giving something up (and other fears that people have before having kids) and realized, I should stop waiting because I know I'm not going to feel that way, we're ready! (thank goodness, right?! He's coming anyway!).

I got up at 5 the morning this was taken, this was like 6:30 or 7:00 so cut me some slack.

I look crazy in this one...

26 weeks!

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take two to three days.

Happy Thanksgiving! This time next year I'll have a little one to chase around on Thanksgiving - so weird! My mom is just itching to go buy toys on Black Friday tomorrow for Campbell to use next year, she's crazy!

We ordered the crib and dresser/changer - they'll be here on Tuesday! We also ordered and received the bedding and mattress and changing pad. It's coming together! We need to clean the carpets and paint in the nursery and then we can start getting it together!

Pretty much the same is going on with me, no new issues/symptoms! One week away from the 3rd trimester!

25 weeks!

How your baby's growing: head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. He's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

As far as I'm concerned, I got some good news from the doctor this week. I had my follow up ultrasound and my placenta has moved up and I'm "cleared for vaginal delivery". Such amazing news. Thank you God. Barring any last minute complications that may come up, I won't have to have a c-section. I do accept that anything is possible, I'm just glad to not have to worry about it and all the other complications that can come with a low lying placenta right now.

We're going to register tomorrow, I'm really excited! It will be nice to have that down! My mom and I are hopefully going to start clearing out the nursery on Sunday and finish up the day after Thanksgiving b/c you know I won't be out shopping with the masses!

I also registered for some of the pregnancy classes we are going to take: Infant CPR, Home with Baby and Beginning Breastfeeding. I'm just waiting for 2010 dates for the Childbirth preparation classes at the hospital we're delivering at (right now it's only at the other hospital).

I've still had Braxton Hicks contractions and they still freak me out but I'm trying to monitor them.

So, here's me:

24 weeks!

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

And here's me:

I've been feeling okay. I had several braxton hicks contractions on Sunday and was totally freaked. I really want to get everything around here in order so I feel more prepared. I want nothing more than for this baby to stay inside 'cooking' for the next 16 weeks so please God, let him stay inside. I will honestly be okay if he's a week late too!

We plan to get rid of somethings this weekend so we can start moving stuff out of the nursery so we can get it set up. Next weekend I want to order our furniture and hopefully register too.

Today we had to go for another ultrasound b/c the last ultrasound showed I have a low lying placenta which can change so we had a follow up to see if it's risen. God I hope it has.

You should SEE the pictures we got! Although they weren't looking at the baby, she did give us a few shots of him. One of them looks JUST like Nick. It looks like they took a picture of him, morphed it into an ultrasound type picture and printed it out. It scares me to look at it! It's crazy!!

Halloween

Oh yeah, I want to show off our pumpkins from Halloween - okay, really just mine - can you guess which one it is?!

It was Nick's idea but I carved it, he did the scary one - okay, scary to me.

23 Weeks

Today I'm 23 weeks pregnant.

I can say that my complaints have gone up! I have heartburn all the time, doesn't matter what I eat or don't eat. It comes and goes all day. I have started taking Tums which aren't that bad - I expected the worst.

My lower back hurts and my hips kill when I sleep. We're getting a new mattress in the next week or so and I think that will really help.

Campbell is kicking a ton, mostly at night, when laying on the couch or laying in bed. I love it, it's so fun. Many times it so hard I can see it on the outside. Nick's still the only person who has felt him kick. He loves it too.

This is what Babycenter has to say about what Campbell is up to at this point:

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

And here is meeeeeee:

22 weeks

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

I'm sorry but doesn't this spaghetti squash look pretty freaking big?! I can't believe this! So at our ultrasound 2 weeks ago she said he looked to be about 13 oz. so we're definitely ahead of what babycenter says the typical baby is right now. I'm sure he'll level out but what can I say, we have an overachieving baby!

Here's me, this picture is ugly. I need to start viewing them right after he takes them so I can demand a redo.







I'm excited b/c I ordered some more clothes, 2 pairs of pants, a skirt, a dress and a blazer and they came in today! I like the pants b/c they're not too long and I can wear with flats which I plan to do a lot more of since I almost fell down the stairs at work when my heel got caught. It was THE SCARIEST thing. I think I'm done with the clothes unless I see some shirts I need to have. I definitely have enough bottoms. Maybe a new pair of shoes wouldn't hurt too :)

21 weeks

He's as big as a carrot!

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

And I'm big too :). Isn't it crazy how much bigger I look bare bellied!? I may need to stop showing those! I'm happy I got some new clothes in from the Gap, two of the tops look like they'll be better for me once I'm bigger. My friend gave me TONS of maternity clothes and I am so thankful, I don't know what I would do if she hadn't! Why in the world are they so expensive?! Oh right, b/c they can, they know we have no choice! The only thing is most of her pants are too long for me so I do need to get a pair or two of pants.

Me at 20 Weeks

I think I look smaller, at least in the covered belly shots

20 weeks and it's a...

Boy!

Little baby Holbert is 20 weeks old today.

How your baby's growing:Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)

He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

We had our ultrasound today! We found out that 'it" is a BOY! So nice to know for sure! From what we could see (obviously untrained eyes) he looks like everything is healthy! Thank you God. That is all I ever wanted, no matter what. I'll feel a little better once I hear from our doctor that she's reviewed the images and everything looks okay. The tech really can't tell us any of that stuff but she didn't seem alarmed by anything. She was really great, we were blessed, I've heard bad stories before. She told us what everything was and explained stuff to us.

Without further ado, here is his profile!

We're still working on the name. It will likely be Campbell James but we're still keeping our minds open.

I'll post my 20 week belly picture later tonight probably.

19 weeks - with picture!

Baby is a tomato! I don't like tomatoes so this is the only one you'll see me excited about :)

How your baby's growing:Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

Okay, now, b/c I am in shock over how big I look from the front, bare belly, you'll get a shot at this - I can't believe it. I look totally different in these two pictures! Here's me at 19 weeks!

We have our "Big" ultrasound on Wednesday which is also the 20 week mark so you'll get a photo and a gender (if baby cooperates and shows us!). I'm praying everything looks okay with our little one. Wednesday can't come soon enough.

17 and 18 week photos!

Here's what I looked like at 17 weeks!

And today, 18 weeks!