Wow, Time flies....

34 weeks. We are really in the home stretch.

Much has happened since the last time I posted, things here have been really busy :)

My OB appointments are going well, everything seems to be right on schedule. My weight gain is good, my belly measurements are good, and she has been head down now for about 3 weeks.

The movement at this point is pretty intense. Todd and I can sit around and watch my belly morph and move back and fourth... it's really quite exciting :)

We finished our prenatal classes which were immensely helpful. I am less scared about the delivery now than I was before, and I'm even going to make a valiant attempt at a natural birth (I know that these things don't always go as planned, but I'm going to give it a go.) We really learned a ton, and I have to say thanks to Lorraine at http://www.birthtobreastfeeding.ca/ for the amazing classes she put together.

A couple of weeks ago I had a surprise baby shower put on by Todd's mom and aunt. We are so incredibly spoiled.... I can't even begin to process how generous everyone was, and I can honestly say that We are completely stocked up save for a couple of small things, and our little girl will truly want for nothing thanks to the generosity of our family and friends. Here are a couple of pictures:

























































































And finally, the nursery is well under way. I won't get into too much detail on that right now, because it probably deserves it's own post... I'm HOPING we'll be able to start moving furniture in and decorating by the end of the week.

Baby's now the size of a honeydew!
Baby can recognize and react to simple songs...time to start practicing your lullabies! In fact, baby will recognize frequently sung tunes after birth and probably find them soothing. Less cute news: She now urinates about one pint per day. Get the diapers ready!

3/4 done!

So I'm 30 weeks this week. Which isn't really a milestone I suppose, but it is in my head :) Based on a 40 week gestation, that puts me at 75% done!

My OB appointments are every two weeks now. They're quick in and outs... pee in a cup, get my blood pressure taken, get on the scale, measure the belly, listen to the heartbeat and I'm done :) The last two appointments have involved a well meaning but not highly talented med-student. He's having a hard time with the belly measurements and finding the heartbeat, and my doctor was visibly less patient with him this time then last. He seems to be doing a lot of guessing. I somehow don't think that Obstetrics or Gynecology are in his future :)

Anyhow, everyone is still healthy. My weight gain is right on track (albeit on the low end of the track, but I had a little extra padding to start off with) My BP is fine and they never say anything about my pee, so I'm assuming it's all good. My belly was measuring at 29cm which is fine I'm told and though baby kicks the Doppler every time, her heart-rate is perfect :)

I am definitely feeling pregnant. My ever increasing belly is starting to make it difficult to do things like bend over or sit in certain positions. And I can only sleep on my sides now since it was discovered that babies heart rate drops when I lay on my back (and laying on my stomach is out for obvious reasons). I have a hard time breathing, get heartburn fairly frequently, have to pee non-stop and every time she moves lately it feels like she's taking an organ with her for the ride.

But I'm loving every minute of it :)

Even though the biggest stretch is done, I am growing more and more impatient to meet her. I can't wait to see what she looks like and find out what kind of personality she has. 67 (or so) more days....

And of course according to www.thebump.com:



Baby's now the size of a squash!
As baby's skin smoothes out, her brain just keeps getting more wrinkled. All those grooves and indentations increase surface area, meaning more room for that oh-so-essential brain tissue. She's also adding some brawn -- her grip is now strong enough to grasp a finger.

27 weeks, and some big news!

So we had several busy weeks which didn't leave a whole lot of time for blogging, so I apologize about that!

Todd and I joined his family for a weeks vacation in Disney. It was every bit as magical as I remember it being last time :) From a pregnant lady point of view, I actually handled the walking better than I thought I would... I did get very hot one day, thankfully there were plenty of air conditioned areas for me to go in and cool off. We adjusted our game plan the following days, retreating to the hotel during the hottest part of the day for a swim and hitting the parks again when things had cooled off a little :) I did find that by the end of the week I was swelling pretty badly. This was probably a combination of all the heat, walking, and sodium in the food. I was back to "normal" again a couple days after I got home.

A couple of days after we got back I had my next scheduled OB appointment. At our request, he did a quick ultrasound to see if he could determine the sex. Our little Muffin was FINALLY in the right position, so he was able to confirm that we are in fact having a little girl! We are exited to finally know, and that we don't have to refer to her as "it" anymore.

I had my one hour glucose test this week as well, and will likely get the results next Monday at my next OB appointment. We've also registered for our pre-natal classes, which start in July.

On the baby front, The third trimester is just week away. I'm feeling more and more distinct movement, and can usually "tell" how baby is positioned. My belly looks different on a day to day basis depending on how she's sitting :)

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So according to www.thebump.com:

Baby's now the size of an eggplant!
Baby's lungs are going through some major developments these days, which (combined with the opening of previously plugged nostrils) means he's now able to practice inhaling and exhaling. The lack of air in your womb means every "breath" is filled with amniotic fluid, but hey -- it's progress.

24 weeks

The past week has marked some obvious changes. For one, I now LOOK obviously pregnant (pics coming this week). To the point where I was chased down by a new dad in Walmart asking how far along I am. It's starting to get uncomfortable to sleep, but once i find a good position I'm out :) My hips hurt, I can't eat big meals because my uterus is pushing on my stomach, I get short of breath really quickly and my legs/feet are starting to swell. I'm also CONSTANTLY hungry.

However, even with all of that, I'm still feeling better than I did throughout my first tri :) I suppose I just feel pregnant.

Todd and I are heading to Disney on Friday with his family for a week! I can't wait, but I'm a little bit nervous about the heat, and all the walking and slowing people down.

No new vegetable this week, baby is still a papaya. But here's what the bump says about the development:

Baby's now the size of a papaya!
Baby's skin is becoming more opaque as the fat starts to pack on. And, thanks to the formation of small capillaries, her newly thick skin is taking on a fresh pink glow.

Feeling pregnant

So, we're a little over the 22 week mark. I apologize for skipping week 21... for those of you who are following the fruit size, last week was a banana ;)

A couple days ago for the first time a complete stranger asked how far along I was :) I guess I'm looking pregnant!

And I'm feeling more pregnant too. Aside from some light headedness, I feel great. Baby and uterus have migrated south mind you, giving my tummy and diaphragm less room. As a result I get short of breath really quickly, especially after a meal.

I'm feeling baby throughout the day now, and it's getting much stronger. Before the southward migration Todd and my mom got to feel some good kicks!

I had an OB appointment yesterday, and got some really great news! My placenta has moved up and it's right where it should be! He also cleared me for Disney, which is about two and a half weeks away! He did a quick ultrasound to see if he could determine the sex for me, but low and behold baby was sound asleep and in the wrong position ;) He said he'd try again next time :)

I'm getting nursery fever. I think that's going to become a priority when we get back from Disney.

So, 22 weeks and feeling great. I'm enjoying it because I know that soon the weight will really start to pack on and I'll get progressively more and more miserable, lol. I'm calling this my honeymoon.

And for those of you who are still interested, according to www.thebump.com:


Baby's now the size of a papaya!
Baby's settling into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.

20 weeks, ultrasounds and other updates :)

We had our anatomy scan last week and it was so much fun. We got to see little feet, and arms and legs and even a little bum.

Of course the muffin was playing coy and had their legs crossed the whole time :) Tech said she was leaning towards a girl but couldn't guarantee nothing was tucked up in there. Most of us have been leaning towards a girl since the beginning of this pregnancy, whereas last time I was strongly getting boy vibes. Of course, "vibes" aren't a good enough reason to go out and start buying either pink or blue, lol, so for now we continue to wait! We were thrilled to see all the limbs and heart and other important things in there though, knowing the sex would have just been a bonus.

My next OB appointment is on Thursday, and we should be discussing the results of the scan at that time. I'm looking forward to knowing whether or not my placenta has moved up at all, though I'm not really stressed either way.

Baby has been moving TONS this week, and I feel like I'm getting bigger by the day.

So here are the pictures of our adorable little monkey :)









































And from www.thebump.com:

Baby's now the size of a cantaloupe!
Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had via amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you'd like your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

19 Weeks!

So the countdown to the anatomy scan is officially on :) 4 more days!

Until then, here is what baby's up to this week :)


Baby's now the size of a mango!
Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil, and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.