36 weeks

The last week has been eventful! But first, let's talk about baby's development. Sean is about 20 inches long, and weighing in now about 6 pounds- babycenter.com compares him to a crenshaw melon. At the end of this week, he will be considered "full term" and docs will give the go-ahead to let labor go at anytime after that. Most of his systems are fully developed at this point, aside from him lungs, and his digestive system will kick into gear once he takes his first suckle at breast or bottle.

Momma is definitely waddling at this point, mostly due to the fact that hormones have cause all of the joints and ligaments to loosen, preparing for labor. And he has definitely gone through the "lightening" stage- dropped lower in my abdomen. Breathing is somewhat easier (sometimes) but I think my belly is noticeably lower that it has been, and my pelvic bone sure can feel the difference!

Now as for the chain of events that happened this week, I'll start by explaining Braxton Hicks, in case you aren't real familiar with what they are. They are basically false, or practice, contractions that most women experience, usually later, but at any point in pregnancy. Typically they are painless, but somewhat noticeable, because your belly gets hard as a rock and it can make you stop in your tracks and say "what was that?" At least, that's how they are for me. They are not signs of true labor, because they are usually intermittent, irregular, and tend to go away when you relax, drink water, take a warm bath, etc.

So on Wednesday, I was having these type of contractions all day. They seemed regular in the morning, and then sort of spaced out throughout the rest of the day. But, as I said, they don't hurt, so it was hard to tell if they were still there when I wasn't focusing on them. Also, my pelvis was hurting tremendously that day, and I literally felt like he was falling out of me. It seemed to worsen when I would have a noticeable contraction. So I called my doc to make sure I wasn't experiencing real labor. They told me with any regular pregnancy, they would have me go home from work, relax, drink water, and pay attention so I could time the contractions to see if they were still regular. But, because I still showed placenta previa on my last ultra sound appointment, they were concerned if it was true labor, and didn't want me to wait. So they advised me to go to the hospital and let them monitor me for a few hours, so they could see if it was real labor or not.

So we did that Wednesday night- they didn't want to check for dilation because of the placenta's location as well, so they just hooked me up to the belly monitor to measure contractions. I only had about 2-3 in the 3 hours we were there, so they checked to make sure I wasn't bleeding or leaking amniotic fluid, ran a few tests and sent me home. The next day was my regular OB check up, so my doctor said that it's still a bit early, and that baby boys lungs tend to develop slower than girls in pregnancy, so he really doesn't want to jump the gun and have a c-section too early. But he also doesn't want me to progress into real labor, because then we risk placental rupture, hemorrhaging, etc. So, he scheduled me for amniocentesis screening on Monday. With that they will also do another ultrasound. So they can check the placenta's location again, while testing to see if our baby's lungs are developed enough- if they are, they will probably scheduled the c-section sooner than later, because I will be considered full term in a week. If his lungs aren't developed yet, I am sure they will just be monitoring me to ensure I don't go into real labor, and wait it out a bit longer (probably 38 weeks). If the placenta has moved, then I think they will just allow everything to go naturally.

That last option sounded ideal to me weeks ago. But I have been mentally preparing myself for surgery since my 20 week appointment. If they tell me at the last minute that I am clear for normal delivery, I will be a little confused and a little bummed. It would be better to not have surgery, I think. But I have not mentally prepared myself as much as I should have for labor. So that will be difficult, and slightly scary for me.

The amnio test itself does have a possible side effect of inducing real labor- the nurse I spoke with said to go ahead and bring my hospital bag just in case. They will monitor me for a bit after the test is done, and if there are no signs of labor they will send me home and call later with the results. If his lungs are developed enough, and the placenta still has not moved, we could possibly be welcoming our little baby into this world sooner than we expected!! Part of me wants this to happen the most- I am so tired of being pregnant, and I feel like we are as ready as we will ever be, so why not? But I also don't want him to come out before he is ready, just to have to spend time in the NICU. So I have been thinking and praying about it all, and talking to little Sean about it. Hopefully he will help make the best decision for us both, and I will be sure to keep everyone posted!

On a lighter note, yesterday was my last day at AT&T!! For now, anyways. Until my leave of absence runs out. That makes me feel better- I can now get a few more things done before Sean arrives, and have time to sleep during the day. Booyah! We had a lady from the state come and help us install the carseat on Tuesday, that was pretty cool. Yesterday, Mike finished the letters for Sean's name and hung them over the crib. Our friends got us a cool under the sea crib toy, we were both pretty excited about that. Also, we got the frame for the glider chair from Mike's mom. Now we are waiting on cushions- they ship separately, and I think Mike said they are supposed to be here later this week. All we really need to get for his room now is blinds, and we are about done!

35 weeks

We're almost there!! At 35 weeks, baby Sean is still about 20 inches, and weighing in well over 5 pounds, about the size of a honeydew. While he isn't gaining much length at this point, he is gaining weight, a.k.a body fat. Right now, average babies are about 15 percent body fat, by his due date he should be about 30 percent. His kidneys and hearing should be fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. At this point, he is really just staying in there to get more body fat so he can keep warm outside the womb, and continue to allow his lungs to develop before he takes that first breath of real air.

As for me, I am so done with being pregnant LOL! And Mike apparently is too. I don't think I complain too much, but physically I am soooo ready to have my body back. I thought I was pretty much done with the whole swelling of the feet thing.... not so much. Now they actually seem to swell more when I am asleep, as opposed to before, when being in bed all night was my only relief to swelling. Also, my uterus is apparently up under my ribs at this point, which I can definitely feel! Baby is usually pretty good about not kicking me too hard or too often in the ribcage, but when he does it always startles me!

I have my 36 week appointment scheduled for Thursday (35w5d), and then I think we will schedule an ultrasound for my 38 week appointment. My placenta is still not in a safe place for normal labor and delivery, so he wants to check it once more closer to my due date. If it's still not out of the way enough to allow me to dilate safely, I believe they will schedule a c-section at that point, which I understand will be that week. So we may be welcoming Sean into this world in the first week of February if that is the case!

This next week, I have my last day of work to look forward to!! I am working Monday through Wednesday, scheduled off Thursday, then Friday will be my last day! I also scheduled half of a paid vacation day on Friday, so I only have to be there for 4 hours, yey!! I am so looking forward to being able to take naps during the day, and have that extra time to get everything ready for our new arrival. I am just crossing my fingers and praying hard that Mike can work a little more before the baby is here... My little bit of income was not much, but it was something, and it will be non-existent from Friday until the baby comes, and even then, I think for short term disability I only get 60% of my pay. So if you think about it, our financial situation could use your prayers!!!

Overall, I think we are both so ready to welcome our son into this world. I know we are in for a big surprise, and a lot of sleepless nights, but we are also in for the next lifetime of experience being parents, and I am so thankful for that!

34 weeks

Our growing baby boy is about 5 pounds and about 20 inches long at this point.... about the size of a cantaloupe. His organs are almost fully matured, with the exception of his lungs- they will continue to develop until birth. His testicles are descending into his scrotum at this point, and his fingernails have grown to reach the tips of his fingers. It's nice to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks with no other health problems generally do just fine- they may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and have a few short term health problems, but in the long run generally do well as full term babies.

I have been doing pretty well this week- went to the doctor again on Thursday for our bi-weekly appointment. He prescribed me some generic prilosec to help with the heartburn pains I have been having- earlier it was just acid reflux, and it seemed pretty bad, but Tums usually knocked it out temporarily, and it was nothing compared to what I have now! I am still just as hungry as I was throughout this pregnancy so far, but if I eat large portions of anything, there is no room for it so I normally throw it up, or it just hurts as I can feel it sitting in my rib cage- our baby is taking up the space where my stomach usually is. So I am forced to eat very small portions often throughout the day, and I can no longer enjoy anything spicy or too acidic. I have been having oranges, lime flavored things etc because I simply cannot cut those things out of my diet. But no more salsa, tomato sauce, etc until this clears up.

In other news, my good friend Katie, who was one of my preggo buddies, due January 10th, had her baby Luke on January 1st! He is a healthy 6 pounds, 1 ounce, and about 18.5 inches. He is a beautiful baby, and I got the pleasure of being able to hold him when he was less than 12 hours old! I am so excited for her and Carl, as we have been going through this pregnancy together, it's so exciting to know that her waiting has paid off! And it is reassuring to me to know that the end is in sight, and soon Mike and I will be celebrating the birth of our own baby boy : ) Luke and Sean I'm sure will be good friends, along with the other babies that our friends are due to be having in 2010. Now I am just a bit nervous- holding my friend's newborn baby makes everything seem so much more real, and I feel like there is so much left to do to prepare for the arrival of our little one, and not enough time to do it all!

33 weeks- Merry Christmas!!

At 33 weeks, our little growing baby boy is getting to be big! He now weighs about 4 1/2 - 5 lbs and his length ranges between 17.5-19 inches, about the size of a pineapple. According to thebump.com, he may grow up to a full inch alone this week! His body is still fattening up as he gains about a half a pound a week, and his bones are starting to harden. His skull will continue to remain soft and not fully fused together- this allows him to pass through the birth canal, and it will continue to be fairly soft after birth, to make room for his growing brain through childhood.

Mommy has been doing pretty good this week. My sweet husband has taken to sleeping on the couch, which has allowed me to get almost a full 8 hours of sleep each night (minus the bathroom break of course!) I guess our full sized bed is just running out of room with my humungous belly! My feet continue to swell, and sometimes I am having Braxton Hicks contractions, but not too often. I am definitely getting some stretch marks now, unfortunately, and my biggest complaint is usually that I am just plain uncomfortable and huge! But it was fun to think yesterday, as we woke up on Christmas morning, about 12 months from now when we will be pulling a 10 month old baby out of his crib to open the presents that Santa brought : )

Our baby room looks a bit more complete now, we have the crib put together, which is a huge eye opener to us first-time parents. Kinda helps to make it real! I am looking forward to the glider that the Skinner side of the family will be pitching in for- now we are looking for some sort of dresser and nightstand to put in the nursery as well. Here is a link to the facebook pics we have accumulated of Sean's room in progress.

Christmas was nice this year. Mike was home for it, which is always wonderful. I also appreciated it a lot, because I am very used to having a full house, and both of our roommates went to Seattle this year for Christmas, so I probably would have been a bit lonely and even jealous if Mike had not been here. We got up in the morning, opened the presents that my parents sent us, and went to making breakfast- stuffed french toast, yum! Then we showered and got ready to go see the movie Avatar. We got there early, to find out they were opening late for Christmas. So we went back to our house with our two couple friends that were hanging out with us for the day- Tiff and Dan, and Katie and Carl. We watched some movies, the boys played video games, and I made some crock pot chili to sit while we went back to catch the 3 o'clock showing of Avatar. After the movie we just came back to our house to relax and enjoy the rest of Christmas. I spent the end of my day watching Mike play his game on xbox as I fell asleep on the couch. It was a very relaxing day, just like it should be : )

Last week I made a gingerbread house with some friends over at Kylie's house. Mike was still offshore, so we unfortunately didn't make the 2 story plantation style home he was drawing up blueprints for : ) But we did have fun, and took some pictures while we were there- here is the link to my facebook album.

32 weeks

This week, Baby Sean is weighing close to, or maybe more than, 4 lbs., and measuring about 17-19 inches (depending on what you read!). Pick up a large jicama to get an idea of what his weight is like. I'm supposed to be gaining about a pound a week from here until the due date, and about half of that goes right to him. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least some respectable peach fuzz) and his skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth. His head is down at this point, as it's probably the most comfortable for him as he continues to run out of space, and it's the direction he needs to be in to be delivered normally.

As for Mommy this week, I have all the typical 3rd trimester complaints- my ankles and feet are both swelling like crazy, and unfortunately I never get any full relief from it. My lower back and hips ache constantly, especially when I am sitting or lying down for long periods of time, and I tire very easily when walking or doing anything physical. I am starting to feel pretty useless at this point, and I am not sure what I will do because we still have 8 weeks to go! I was able to get the laundry basket out of the bedroom and I'm working on a second load to wash right now. I've been trying to keep up with the housework- it's easier when Mike is offshore, I try not to make too much of a mess by myself, and I don't feel like I have anyone to impress so the house is allowed to get a little dirty : ) I already told Mike if it bothers him that the house needs to be vacuumed or toilets cleaned that he is more than welcome to do so, but because his son is constantly kicking and pressing against my lungs it's getting to be more difficult for me to do it by myself!

Today I mailed out Christmas cards, went to Babies R Us and bought our stroller/car seat combo, and went to Target for groceries. I was able to spend about $25 less than I had originally anticipated, so that made me super happy- that money goes towards filling up the gas tank! I cannot wait until January 1st- Mike should have a decent paycheck coming in and I won't have to keep stressing about the cash flow in our bank account. We are crossing our fingers that his work stays steady through all of January, that way he can be home with Sean and I after the birth for a month or two (or three if we are lucky!) before he has to go back to work. It's a risky bet to make- his job is so seasonal and winter is usually very slow.

I guess I forgot to mention I had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday. Everything was pretty good- I told him I was getting a lot of dizziness and shortness of breath. Part of the reason is my lungs and diaphragm are running out of room, so I am literally getting less oxygen to my brain sometimes ; ) He also ran some blood work, and said everything was normal but my blood sugar was a little high. He advised me to eat often, every 2 hours or so, and try to find low carb/high protein snacks so my blood sugar doesn't spike and then drop, which may be what's causing the dizzy spells. I got also my doctor's approval at our appointment on Wednesday to leave my work at 36 weeks, so January 15th will be my last day, woohoo!! That way I can be home resting/nesting until the baby is here, and at that point I will be on a short term disability for 6-8 weeks, with some pay. After that I am allowed up to a year off with leave of absence, no pay. I am not sure when I will schedule to go back to work, or if I will stay for long when I return. Ideally I want to find something where I can work from home, but I guess all of that will fall into place when it needs to.

31 weeks

So at 31 weeks our countdown truly begins.... we're all single digits now! 9 weeks until our due date of February 13th, and 5 weeks until they'll consider us full term! If you remember last week, they estimated our baby at about 3 lbs, 8-9 oz at the ultrasound on 12/3. Well, according to all the baby sites I read about pregnancy, at 31 weeks our baby should be somewhere between 3.5-3.8 lbs. So he is ahead of the game! Which makes me happy, hopefully it means he is healthy! Babycenter.com says to compare his weight at this point to 4 navel oranges- so we'll call it 5 just to compare. I'll tell you, my belly feels a lot heavier than 5 oranges LOL! But there's a lot of fluids, etc. in there as well, so it's to be expected. At this point in pregnancy, he can turn his head back and forth, and all 5 senses are in working order, but he won't use smell until out of the womb. His brain is making connections with all those senses- tracking light, recognizing different voices, and (lucky for me) he is putting in normal sleeping periods. I notice he isn't quite as active allllllll day as he was for the last few weeks. He is still very active during the times that he is! But I actually get a break here and there, where he must be sleeping. I wonder what he dreams about?

This past week I have been bargain shopping. We had our baby shower last Sunday, and it was wonderful. We got lots of nice things, and I am sure we will still be receiving gifts here and there, but afterwards it made my nesting brain make a list of things we still need to get before his arrival. I have been accumulating coupons and shopping for the best deals I can, since we are broke as a joke, we need to save as much as we can, while still preparing for Sean to be here in possibly less than 2 months. We got our mattress last week with a 15% off coupon, and I ordered a breast pump online with a 20% off coupon. I also used a great deal suggested a long time ago by my friend Sarah at jilliansdrawers.com for cloth diapers. You buy a whole variety of newborn cloth diapers for $150, try them out for 21 days after baby arrives, and if you don't like them at all, you send them back and they refund you $140. You only have to pay that $10 difference plus shipping. It's an incredible deal, and eliminates the number one problem I have heard about moms trying out cloth diapers- they think they know what they want, so they buy a bunch of one kind of diaper, and they don't fit right or they don't like the way they work so they give up. I really want to try it out, and hope it works, but I am realistic in saying that I have never done it before, so we will see once it is a reality. I just think about 6 months from now, while all the other moms are still buying Pampers at $25 a box, I will be content with our cloth diapers that we already have, never needing to buy more unless I want a new color, etc. And that landfill of dirty diapers that I see in my head is lowly decreasing in size, which makes me feel oh so much better.

This week we will be getting our crib, and next week will be the stroller/car seat combo, with the help of Mike's parents and mine. I am so excited to think about getting everything ready, but man, who thought babies needed so much different stuff!! The good news..... Mike went offshore last night!!!! Woohoo!!! Now our fingers are crossed that he stays out there for several weeks LOL. He has no idea how long this job will last, so let's hope it's not just 1-2 days. Even that would be helpful at this point, but we'll still hope for the better.

Here is a link to my facebook album with shower pics (I didn't feel like uploading them all to Blogger...) and here is my belly pic for the week. Mike isn't here, so after several attempts at a good picture, this was the best I could take by myself LOL.

30 weeks

Just as a disclaimer, at this point in the pregnancy, the updates I have been doing may vary a lot more for each baby, as development can vary so much. But just for fun sake, I will keep doing them anyway: D

At 30 weeks, our baby is about the size of a cabbage (our very own cabbage patch kid!) weighing in at about 3 lbs and getting close to 16 inches long. His skin is becoming more smooth, but his brain is getting more wrinkly, increasing the surface area making more room for that essential brain tissue. Now that he can regulate his own body temperature, he is shedding the downy body hair called lanugo which was previously keeping him warm.

We went to the doc on Thursday, and had another ultrasound. No good pics, unfortunately- he is a bit too big to capture very much in one screen, which is a good thing! I was 29w5d at my appt., but he was measuring at 30w3d- about 3 lbs. 8-9 oz. So our little man is growing healthy and strong! His head is about as far down into my pelvic bone as he can get- I am starting to feel the results of that. They were trying to get a good look that the placenta and my cervix, and his big head was in the way most of the time! They did see that the placenta moved a bit since my 20w U/S, but not quite enough. Doc says he still considers it placenta previa, just meaning that the placenta partially covers my cervix. He recommended one more U/S at 36 weeks, since it is almost out of the way, and it if continues to be stubborn, it just means I have a scheduled c-section instead of a normal delivery. In the meantime, I am on light duty activities for the most part, but I can continue to work until 36 weeks since it's just a desk job.

My sleep schedule is constant now for the most part- I wake up about every 3 hours. I am guessing that will be Sean's schedule when he gets here, I can't see any other reason why I can't sleep more than 3 hour at a time without waking up! He kicks a lot now, to the point where my stomach looks like there is an alien trying to break out inside! I was even telling Mike that I think he has somehow bruised parts of me on the inside. He will kick, and at first it doesn't bother me, and then he will kick another spot and it feels so tender it hurts. But I am so happy and excited to think about meeting this little guy, in as little as 6 weeks, or hopefully no longer than 10 weeks!

In other news, Mike was sweet enough to cater to my needs of having Christmas decorations up soon after Thanksgiving. He hung the Christmas lights on the house on Monday night with Josh, and then we picked out a tree and put that up in the living room. I was too exhausted to do much on Monday (I actually stayed home from work that day because the exhaustion was too much to handle) but then when I went back to work on Tuesday he got the tree all decorated for me! Our living room is a little short on space now, but it's beautiful. I have been listening to a lot of Christmas music, especially instrumental (my favorite). I broke out the Tchaikovsky and the Nutcracker, and have been listening to that full blast in my car. They say having your baby listen to classical music helps with brain development- I don't know if it's true or not, but it calms me down and I like it, so that alone must be good for him.

Today Mike and I are off to Lamaze- I am so glad my friend Katie (who is 35 weeks tomorrow!) and her hubby will be there with us. Mike and I went to the hospital tour and birthing basics class on Tuesday, and it was waaaay too crowded for my liking, and I could feel the tension from Mike as he tried to not look like he wanted to run away screaming. So hopefully having some friends there will help make it more comfortable. Tomorrow is the baby shower and I am so excited! But the only problem is that it is at my house, and due to my extreme exhaustion, I have not been cleaning house much- and I am embarrassed to think about having so many people here unless I clean up a bit. I am going to see how much I can get done when I get home today, like a quick vacuum and tidying of the living room, and the rest will just have to wait.

29 weeks

11 weeks until the due date, 7 weeks until we're full term.... I am ready to be done with this pregnancy!! At 29 weeks, our baby is about 2.5 lbs or so, and longer than 15 inches (about the size of a butternut squash). He is almost at what his birth length will be, but he will at least double, if not triple his weight by the time he is due! His muscles and lungs are developing more and more, and his head is getting larger to make room for his growing brain.

This week mommy has been busy! For Thanksgiving, and we had about 20 people at our house for dinner! It was nice though- all we made was a baked 20 lb maple glazed turkey, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin dessert bars, green bean casserole, apple cider, and stovetop stuffing. Everyone else made everything else! Mashed potatoes, fried turkey, more stuffing and yams, pecan pie, corn casserole, cranberry sauce.... all of it was so yummy! It was nice, because a lot of our friends are recent Louisiana transplants, so for most of them it was their first Thanksgiving away from their families... Mike and I, on the other hand, have celebrated 4 Thanksgivings here now, and are kind of used to the idea of doing it on our own. I am hoping next year we will be able to fly Sean to see some family for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, but we will see!

Mike also made some shelves to put in Sean's room- for books, toys, etc. They look very nice, I am very happy with them. It was hard to decide where to put them, since we have no furniture yet, but I think they will be fine where they are at, and we have our shower in a week, so hopefully we will have some things to put in his room at that point! I know it is a bit early for me to be "nesting" but I am so anxious to get everything done!! I am pretty sure that is why I am not sleeping well. I always feel like there is something more to do, not just in the nursery, but all over the house. It never feels clean enough, and there is always a project that needs to be finished. I am really trying not to overdo it, because my energy levels literally cannot handle it, but my brain can only take so much lying down!

Here's my 29 week belly shot. It's cold outside, so I feel like the layers make me look fatter than I really am, but oh well.

Baby is getting big now! I can feel his kicks (or punches, I guess) in my hip bones now, but he seems to stay away from my ribs so far. You can tell he is running out of room- when he is moving around a lot, my whole stomach moves like a wave, it's pretty neat looking. I am anxious for this upcoming week. We are doing a birthing basics class at the hospital, along with a tour, on Tuesday. Then on Thursday we have our appointment, where we will have another ultrasound to see if I still have placenta previa. Saturday is Lamaze for most of the day, and then Sunday is our baby shower!

I am hoping the Christmas lights get up on the house by the end of this weekend, and I can't wait to get a tree. Mike still hasn't been to work yet in about 6 weeks, so I am worried we may not be able to afford one, but we will see. Money is super tight now, with my decreased work schedule and waiting for offshore work, and of course baby on the way. I am trying with all of my heart to trust that things will all work out, just like they always do, but sometimes that seems highly unlikely, or even impossible.

That's all for now- next post will include ultrasound pictures, so look out for that!

28 weeks

Welcome to the third trimester!!! We are finally in the last leg of the pregnancy, and it's sure to be a doozy! Mommy is supposed to gain about 11 pounds this trimester (I gained more than that in both the first and second I think, so I am a little worried about the third- fingers crossed I don't gain too much!) and baby will probably gain 3-4 times his current weight by the end of it all!

This week baby is about 2.25-2.5 pounds, and about 15-16 inches long (about the size of a chinese cabbage). He is developing billions of neurons in the brain at this time, and his lungs are still getting stronger as the weeks go by. If I haven't mentioned it by now, his eyes now have eyelashes, and he has recently begun to experience REM, which means he may already be dreaming as he sleeps.

I went for my "28 week" checkup on Thursday, even though my weekly mark is always on Saturdays. I had my glucose screening then, which I assume went fine because I never got a call about my lab work, and no news is usually good news : ) The doc says everything is still great, his heartbeat was about 138, and after poking at my stomach a bit he said he is already moving into "position" which means his head at the bottom and his legs and booty are up top : D We scheduled an appointment for 2 weeks from Thursday (I will be going every two weeks from now until 36 weeks, then I will be going once a week until birth) and at my next appointment we will do another ultrasound! I am excited for that- we were only supposed to have the one routine ultrasound at 20 weeks, but since my placenta was partially covering my cervix at that appointment, they need to check it again and make sure it moves out of the way. Which means I get a few more snapshots of our precious baby boy!

When I posted my blog last week I got a little bit ahead of myself and may have been a bit too cocky- I mentioned how everyone around me (especially Mike) was getting sick and how proud I was that I avoided it.... Sunday night my throat was itchy, and my eyes watering, and my nose stuffy/runny- I ended up calling in sick to work Mon, Tues, and Wed : ( I am feeling much better now, but let me tell you, being sick while being pregnant is no fun at all!

This week my lovable husband finished painting Sean's room, I love it! I cannot wait to get the new carpeting, and get furniture in there, it will feel like a real bedroom! My friend Katie said the other day (she is 5 weeks ahead of me and just had her baby shower) that now that they have everything they need, technically they would be ready for their son to make his appearance any day now! And that just hit me- once we have everything we need to get started, and the bedroom put together, we should be ready for him to get here- all this time spent planning and anticipating, and the day is almost here! I can't quite grasp it yet.... But here are some pics of the room- one before, a few in progress, and then a few of the final product!

This is a pic of when our friend Doug was living in this room-

he was going for a "lounge" theme....

This is with the blue primer on top, and the first coat of the dark color on bottom, with trim still primed but not painted

Here we have all the trim and color complete, but the chair rail is not up yet, and the outlets are not the new ones.

These ones start the final product- Mike's mom and dad sent the picture on the wall, and the sailboat on the windowsill is Mike's, it's his first gift to his son : )

27 weeks

The final week of the second trimester- I can't believe how quickly it has been going by! I was looking through my collection of baby bump pictures, and I remember thinking I was sooo huge at like 10 weeks LOL. Well, I think I am in for a surprise as baby will probably be getting much bigger as the third trimester approaches.

This week, according to my collection of info from babycenter.com, thebump.com, and whattoexpectwhileyoureexpecting.com, our baby has been sleeping and waking at regular intervals, practicing opening and closing his eyes, and developing those lungs by "breathing" the amniotic fluid. At this point (with lots of medical assistance) his lungs are developed enough for life outside the womb. He is about 2 pounds this week, and about 14.5 inches long from head to toe, comparable to a head of cauliflower.

I went back to work this week- the previous week, if you remember, was like a vacation for me : D Back to reality at some point though. They have been offering a lot of "excused unpaid time off" this week at work, and I am already entitled to 10 hours off a week by my doctor, so it has been hard not to gobble it all up when it is offered! I have been so tired and achy, it's nice to be at home with the luxury of a couch, bed, etc. But we need the money right now, especially with Mike being home for the last 4-5 weeks, we need to get this nest egg ready!! This weekend we plan on finishing up the paint job in Sean's room, and then hopefully next month we will be installing the new carpet.

My feet have been swelling again (I knew it was too good to be true when they stopped!) and consistently, every Friday (sometimes the day before or after too) my belly is achy- I think that Friday is his growth spurt day, so my tummy feels stretched and sore. Cold packs have been helping for the swollen feet a little, and I have been trying to avoid salty foods, but it is harder than you think! My biggest accomplishment this week has been avoiding getting sick- Mike caught a cold over the weekend, and was stuck on the couch all day Monday, Tuesday, and part of Wednesday trying to kick it. And all I got was a scratchy throat and cough for a day or two, whoopee! Knock on wood it stays that way!! I think the worst thing I have been experiencing is the lack of sleep, even comparable to insomnia. I seem to fall asleep just fine, sometime between 9:30 and 11 pm usually. But right around 3 am is when I first wake up to go to the bathroom, and it is all downhill from there.... I am lucky if I can stay in bed past 6 am. Tossing, turning, achy hips, legs, feet, back, tummy, arms. Everything feels sore in bed at that point, and pillows don't help any more either. The only two nights I got a decent amount of sleep was after I ran a bath with Johnson and Johnson's bedtime bath bubbles. So I am trying to make a habit of doing that every night before bed.

Side note- remember my post from a month or two ago asking about the fruit in our backyard? Here is a pic of them now that they have ripened. I think they are satsumas, or some kind of tangerine. Whatever they are, they are delicious!!!

26 weeks

As baby Sean continues to grow, he is putting on the weight and inches. He is close to (if not already at) 2 lbs and measures about 14 inches in length from head to toes (about the length of an English hothouse cucumber). Eyes are starting to open, which means he may startle or react to light near my belly. And his nerves in his ears are more developed, which can also mean more activity in response to certain sounds. Also his testicles are starting to descend into his scrotum- it takes about 2-3 days for that process to complete.

This week mommy has been battling some swollen ankles (I know, again? But this time it is mainly ankles and not my entire feet!) and some major heartburn. The weight of the baby has really hit me harder than normal this week- my feet are exhausted, along with my hips. I've also been experiencing the belly taking up it's space- this morning I almost spilled my coffee because I bumped it with my belly while trying to sit at the kitchen table!

But this week has also been fun- I only had to work M-W this week, and then my parents flew into town Wednesday night, I have been vacationing with them here since Thursday. The are flying back home tomorrow, but we have enjoyed having them here. We celebrated my 26th birthday on Thursday, which was one of the best birthdays I have had in a long time- First, my husband made me breakfast (my favorite, french toast!) and then my mom and I went to get our nails done. Then we went to the mall, where I got a few fall maternity clothes and a new comfy bra from VS. Much needed, at this point, I will take what I can get to help with back pain. Then we went home, took a quick nap, and met up with a bunch of friends for dinner at the Olive Garden. It has been tradition every year in LA so far to have dinner there on my birthday, but up until this time it was always just me and Mike. The service there was great, and I got so much food and dessert it was almost too much to handle! My friends chipped in and bought me an ice cream cake too- not just any old ice cream cake, but they actually drove to the Dairy Queen in Rayne and got a real ice cream cake, with the yummy fudge chocolate center! I was ecstatic : ) Then we all just hung out and talked until it was late and went to bed. I felt so loved and special, it was a great day : D

25 weeks

Baby Boy is up to about a pound and a half now, and about 13.5 inches head to toe, about the size of an eggplant. He is starting to put some fat on those skinny little arms and legs now, and his wrinkled skin is starting to smooth out. His hair is starting to get some color to it, his nostrils (which have been plugged up until now) are starting to open, and his vocal chords are beginning to develop. Under his skin, capillaries are forming and filling with blood, and by weeks end, air sacs (also lined with capillaries) will develop in his lungs, getting him ready for that first real breath.

Same old, same old for Mommy this week- pregnancy is a little exhausting, and different symptoms are more prominent each week, while others become less noticeable. But I am so excited to think that in about 3 months is when we will be welcoming this baby into our world! As long as I keep reminding myself that, then it all seems more than worth it.

This week at home we have been a bit busy- preparing for lots of guests, mostly. Doug came back to visit for a couple nights, Monday and Tuesday. He and Mike worked on priming the walls in Sean's room. We picked out some paint, and chair rail, and the new carpeting will probably get done next month. Mike's mom from Austin came into town on Friday, hung out with us for the day, and then went into New Orleans yesterday. Josh's friends from WA are here now, they just flew in yesterday. Now I am preparing for my parents to fly into town on Wednesday. I am really looking forward to seeing them, and also to the 4 1/2 day weekend : D

24 weeks

This post may be a bit short... I spent a lot of time on the computer last night and this morning organizing my pictures and putting up a blog post about our pumpkin carving yesterday.... so now I am tired of being at the computer, and I have lots of laundry to do today. So here goes!

So at 24 weeks, my uterus is the size of a soccer ball (goodness that seems so huge!) and to top of it has risen above my belly button now (which you can tell because my belly button looks totally different that it did before I was pregnant!) and our baby boy is about the length of an ear of corn, just about a foot long. He should have gained about 4 ounces in the last week. His brain is growing very quickly now ( I have been good about taking my fish oil/DHA supplements!) and so are his lungs- they are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree," as well as developing cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still very thin and translucent, but that will change soon.

As for Mommy, it is getting harder and harder to get comfortable, at any given time- sitting, laying down, standing. And I keep thinking "oh my goodness, can I deal with this for another 3.5 months?" My hips hurt at night- my body pillow helps a little, but we sleep in a full sized bed, so sometimes I think me and the pillow take up a little more than our fair share of the bed. And sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night on my back, with my arms up over my head. Not only am I not supposed to sleep on my back, but when I put my arms over my head they get very cold, because all of the blood leaves them, so they are sore in the morning. And it's difficult to breathe on my back. I can feel little pops in my lower rib cage when I breathe in very deep. Being pregnant makes me feel like my body is old and out of shape! But I am feeling pretty good other than that. I got a decreased work schedule approved by my doctor, so it has been nice to be able to go home early on some days.

That's all I got for now- Doctor appointment is this Thursday, as well as Angelia (Mike's mom in TX) is coming to stay for a night. I'll keep you posted!

23 weeks

Well compared to last week, not a whole lot of "new" development going on, I was a little disappointed.... all of my weekly update websites say pretty much the same as last week. Baby is probably between 11-12 inches this week, and weighing in at more than a pound. The only thing different that I read this week that excites me is that now is the time that baby starts putting on the chub.... he's gonna fatten up like a good baby should! It says that between now and then end of the month, Baby will double in weight : ) I am trying to think of that as a mother, and be very happy about that, and not think about it as someone who will be giving birth, which then it scares me a little LOL.

Just because the websites don't say a whole lot doesn't mean there isn't anything going on for us though! My belly is getting big enough now that my belly button looks different. I played some music the other day, with one headphone in my ear and one up to my belly..... Dream Theater Sean was kicking around a lot for. Not as much for Jimi Hendrix. Sean kicks a lot though- it's nice to know he is there, but sometimes it makes it hard to sleep.

I think I have come to the conclusion that soda is what makes my feet swell. I tried this theory out this week- no soda since Thursday, and so far no swelling. Knock on wood. Also it has been nice and cool out, which helps. But I really don't eat that much salty food, and soda has a lot of sodium in it. So that's my theory.

Josh's mom (grandma #4) sent us some clothes the other day. Between what she sent us, and what other people have been sending, what I already know Mike's mom has in Austin, this boy is going to be stylin! And the best news is, we probably won't have to buy clothes for a long time! Bonus!

This is our favorite outfit so far- jeans from Karen, shirt from Josh's girlfriend Abby, shoes from Josh, and Mike picked out the hat : )

Also, I went to get my hair done this week- as I am getting larger, it gets harder to feel "pretty." I just feel pregnant. So I told the man at the salon to make my hair beautiful, and I think he did! I love it, and he really listened to me when I told him I am low maintenance- the only things I know how to use are a round brush and a straightening iron, neither of which I can use well, and I hate using products. It's perfect! He put some blonde highlights in just the top/front, the rest he was able to match my natural color almost perfectly!! Which is great- I was getting so sick of my 3 inch natural roots with my unnatural hair color LOL.

Mike went to Pensacola, FL this week to visit our friend Doug- he took some pics, so I figured I would post some of those as well. We are planning to make a trip back there together soon. Lucky dog, it was so beautiful there, I was jealous I had to work. Bout a 5 hour drive, and he took his motorcycle. He is trying to fit in some nice long rides while he still can. After Baby gets here, it will be a little while before he can take a long trip away from home like that.

That's about it for our updates for now. I am so excited, we are almost into the third trimester!! I've signed up for birthing and baby classes already. Craziness!