39 Week Update!

How far along? 39 weeks - I'm still convinced we'll be holding out to at least 40 weeks (though I wouldn't complain if it was a little earlier)!

How big is baby?  7 pounds/20 inches!  About the weight of a mini watermelon.

Weight gain? 41lbs - No weight gain since last week!

Symptoms? Swelling, definitely had a few contractions lately.

Sleep?  Yuck!  Up at least 2-3 times a night to use the bathroom.  Thank goodness for naps.

Food cravings? Still anything cold, lots of popsicles and ice. 

Movement? Slowing down some this week.

Gender?  It's a boy! 

Clothes?  Maternity Pants and maternity tops and regular cardigans. 

What I am looking forward to? Almost there.  My Dr. doesn't check your progress until 39 weeks, so we'll see how it looks Wednesday at the appointment.

 

What am I missing? Standing, and sitting like a normal person.

Milestones?  Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

Other?  We unboxed the carseat and put one base in the car.  We also put together the strollers and checked them out as well.  

 

38 Week Update!

How far along? 38 weeks - I'm pretty sure we'll be holding out to at least 40.

How big is baby?  6.8 pounds/19.5 inches!  About the length of a leek.

Weight gain? 41lbs I've gained quite a bit in the last few weeks, the Dr. says it's all water weight given the 90+ degree temperatures we're having.

Symptoms? Exhaustion, swelling, heartburn, a few Braxton Hicks.

Sleep?  Ok.  Definitely getting worse.  Up to use the bathroom at least 2x/night.

Food cravings? Basically anything cold, lots of popsicles and ice. 

Movement? Still lots, I took a movie the other day and it's rather amusing to watch.

Gender?  It's a boy! 

Clothes?  Maternity Pants and maternity tops and regular cardigans. 

What I am looking forward to? All done with work, now to relax and get some things done.

 

What am I missing? Somedays, just the sense of feeling 'normal'.

Milestones?  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? 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.

Other?  Finally hung up the pictures in the nursery and took some photos to share.  I also have my bag packed.

37 Week Update!

How far along? 37 weeks - Full Term!

How big is baby?  6 1/3 pounds/19+ inches!  About the length of Swiss Chard.

 Weight gain? 37?lbs I'm not sure that this is right . . . . . 

Symptoms? Exhaustion!  Still some swelling.  Holy heartburn, really really bad regardless of what I eat!

Sleep?  Ok.  Definitely getting worse.  Up to use the bathroom at least 2x/night.

Food cravings? Still love ice (so weird) and popsicles/freeze-pops.  Has anyone tried the Strawberry Lemonade from McDonald's?!?!  Yum!

Movement? Still lots.

Gender?  It's a boy! 

Clothes?  Maternity Pants and maternity tops and regular cardigans. 

What I am looking forward to? Friday is my last day of work!

 

What am I missing? Somedays, just the sense of feeling 'normal'.

Milestones?  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.

Other?  We made about 9 different meals for the freezer, plus some meatballs this weekend!  We are stocked up for when baby arrives!

36 Week Update!

How far along? 36 weeks

How big is baby?  6 pounds/18.5 inches!  About the weight of a crenshaw melon.

Weight gain? 37?lbs I'm not sure that this is right . . . . . 

Symptoms? The swelling has started.  My feet and calves a little, definitely my fingers.  If I don't put my feet up at all, then my ankles are not pretty at night. 

Sleep?  Ok.  Nothing special

Food cravings? Still love ice (so weird) and popsicles/freeze-pops.  Now, I like to make 'slushies' and put some juice in the fridge for a few hours!  Yum!

Movement? All over.  He is definitely rolling around in there a ton.

Gender?  It's a boy! 

Clothes?  Maternity Pants and maternity tops and regular cardigans. 

What I am looking forward to? Marcy will be in town on Thursday!  Yeah!  We're going to make some meals to freeze I think and not sure what else.

What am I missing? Somedays, just the sense of feeling 'normal'.

Milestones?  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. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of his first bowel movement.

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.)

After this week's appointment, he said that baby is heads-down.  Though my bp was a little high so they'll keep monitoring that.

Other?  We finished our registry this week and bought the rest of the items that we wanted/needed.

35 Week Update!

Lookin' a lil tired and rundown after a day of wedding festivities and driving the drunk ppl home!

 
How far along? 35 weeks - 35 Days to go!!! (Though I'm more counting the 14 more days of work!)

How big is baby?  5.25 pounds/18 inches!  About the weight of a honeydew melon.

Weight gain? ??lbs I ate a lot at the wedding this weekend, I have no idea!

Symptoms? Hip pain/discomfort towards the end of the day.  Tiredness and some finger swelling.  Other than that feeling pretty good.

Sleep?  Ok this week.  More (more) pillows!

Food cravings? Still love ice (so weird) and popsicles/freeze-pops.  Now, I like to make 'slushies' and put some juice in the fridge for a few hours!  Yum!

Movement? All over.  He is definitely rolling around in there a ton.

Gender?  It's a boy! 

Clothes?  Maternity Pants and maternity tops and some regular cardigans. 

What I am looking forward to? Still no pictures, looking forward to taking a look at those. 

What am I missing? Somedays, just the sense of feeling 'normal'.

Milestones? 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. 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.

Other? Happy Mother's Day to my Mom and MIL!  My husband was sweet enough to get me a Happy Mother-to-Be's Day gift to help pack for the hospital!

Vera Bradley Weekender bag

34 Week Update!

How far along? 34 weeks

How big is baby?  4.75 pounds/18 inches!  About the weight of a cantaloupe.

Weight gain? 32lbs

Symptoms? Exhaustion.  I cannot keep my eyes open!  Still some rib pain. Indigestion and heart burn this week.  Finger swelling.  My fingers are looking a little chubby and I cannot wear my rings depending on the time of day and what I've been doing.

Sleep?  Ok this week.  More pillows!

Food cravings? Love ice (so weird) and popsicles/freeze-pops

Movement? All over.  He is definitely rolling around in there a ton.

Gender?  It's a boy! 

Clothes?  Maternity Pants and maternity tops and some regular cardigans. 

What I am looking forward to? We should be getting our pictures back in the next day or so.  Really looking forward to seeing them.

What am I missing? We are going to a wedding this weekend and I think that might make me miss a glass of wine or 2 again.

Milestones? 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.  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.

Other? Burp clothes and blankets were a bit too much for me all at once.  I will work on them a bit more gradually.  Also, here's a few shots of the play quilt I finished (added bonus of a few glimpses of the nursery).

33 Week Update!

Whoo terrible picture this week!

How far along? 33 weeks

How big is baby?  4 pounds/17 inches!  About the weight of a pineapple.

Weight gain? 31lbs

Symptoms? Exhaustion.  I cannot keep my eyes open!  Still some rib pain. Indigestion and heart burn this week.  Finger swelling.  My fingers are looking a little chubby and I cannot wear my rings depending on the time of day and what I've been doing.

Sleep?  Ok this week.  Still under my ribs on my left side, so I'm pretty limited to my right side and that's about it. 

Food cravings? Love ice (so weird) and popsicles/freeze-pops

Movement? All over.  He is definitely rolling around in there a ton.

Gender?  It's a boy! 

Clothes?  Maternity Pants and maternity tops and some regular cardigans. 

What I am looking forward to? I've finished quilting his play quilt and I'm hoping to finish the binding today.  I bought some fabric to make some other blankets and burp-clothes as gifts for others who are having babies, so I'm hoping to get those done too.

What am I missing? We went to a wedding reception with an open bar on Saturday and boy did I miss wine!  It was torture to watch him pour all of those glasses, mmmmm wine.  :-)

Milestones? 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. These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Other? We took our pictures last week.  She said that it would be about 2 weeks, so still 1 more week to go before we get to see them.  Today at our childbirth and childcare class we get to tour the women's center, which I am definitely looking forward to (though not the video they're going to show).

My protector, Miss Maya!

32 Week Update!

Holy cow, can't believe I didn't post at all last week.  Life was boring or super busy!

How far along? 32 weeks

How big is baby?  3.75 pounds/16.7 inches!  About the weight of a large jicama.

Weight gain? 29lbs

Symptoms? Still some rib pain. Indigestion and heart burn this week.

Sleep?  On and off this week.  Still under my ribs, so I'm pretty limited to my right side and that's about it. 

Food cravings? Still lots of ice (so weird) and popsicles/freeze-pops

Movement? All over.  He is definitely rolling around in there a ton.

Gender?  It's a boy! 

Clothes?  Maternity Pants and maternity tops and some regular cardigans. 

What I am looking forward to? Finishing the play-quilt I started.  I have the top pieced and I have basted it (my least favorite thing to do).  All that's left is quilting and binding.

What am I missing? This week not too much really.

Milestones? 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.

Other? Baby Shower #2 was this weekend in NC, my family and friends once again spoiled baby chapman.  Mom and grandma came to visit and we washed tons of baby clothes and blankets and diapers and everything!  It's all put away.  The nursery is coming along, but I want to show it all at once I think.  Looking forward to pictures on Tuesday.

31 Week Update!

How far along? 31 weeks

How big is baby?  3.3 pounds/16 inches!  About the weight of 4 naval oranges.

Weight gain? 28lbs - I think I was really up more last week but the scale fluctuated 2lbs every day last week!

Symptoms? Definitely some sore hips this week as well as a sore back.  He is definitely finding his way up to my ribs on my left side when I lay down, wowzers, it hurts!  My fingers are swelling a little, can't tell if it's because of pregnancy or the weather.  I'm hoping the weather!

Sleep?  Much better this week than last.  Still under my ribs, so I'm pretty limited to my right side and that's about it.  1 or no trips to the bathroom this week each night, better than last.

Food cravings? Still lots of ice.

Movement? All over.  He didn't stop the other night.  It was cool, but kind of annoying, I was trying to sleep!

Gender?  It's a boy! 

Clothes?  Maternity Pants and maternity tops and some regular cardigans. 

What I am looking forward to? Mom and grandma are coming this week, so excited!  Baby shower #2 is next weekend.

What am I missing? Definitely sleeping on my stomach.  At the party this weekend, I was missing the chance to have a sip of some margaritas!  Everyone said they were yummy!

Milestones? 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.

Other? The glider is put together.  We got curtains today to put up too.  Baby pool!  Our house is finally 100% inhabitable.  All of the rooms have been cleaned up and everything put away.  Feels great to have that out of the way!

30 Week Update!

How far along? 30 weeks

How big is baby?  3 pounds/15.7 inches!  About the size of a head of cabbage.

Weight gain? 26lbs 

Symptoms? Sore back and hips a little.  Also, extremely exhausted, like all I want to do is sleep (but I can't).  Bathroom, bathroom, bathroom!

Sleep?  The last few nights have been rough.  Up to go to the bathroom at least 1x if not 2x a night.  It hurts my ribs to sleep on my left side after a while.  It's like he is sitting right there on them.  I'm thinking if I had a recliner that would be the best place to sleep.

Food cravings? Ice Water, ok I really just want to chew on the ice.

Movement? All over the place!  Just watching my stomach is kinda cool sometimes.

Gender?  It's a boy! 

Clothes?  Maternity Pants and maternity tops and some regular cardigans. 

What I am looking forward to? This week we're going to put together our glider.  Mom and grandma are coming next week, so excited!

What am I missing?  Sleeping on my stomach!  Maybe a random glass of wine!  Other than that everything is great.

Milestones? His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his 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. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

Other? We've been working on putting things away in the nursery. Lots to do!  Baby pool is still open for entries!  I also cut some fabric this weekend to make a nice play quilt since I had some extras.  Hopefully I can work on that this week.