Baby This Week | 34 Weeks

Let’s hope my child doesn’t actually look like this, lol!

The Facts – Baby is taking deep breaths this week. The eyes can blink and are open when it’s awake and closed when asleep, and the pupils dilate and constrict in reaction to light. Baby is about 18 inches and weighs about 5 pounds.

Baby This Week | 30 Weeks

30 Weeks Pregnant

Folks we are officially in the 30s!  The 8th month is right around the corner and I have roughly anywhere between 7-10 weeks left until baby is here!
The Facts - Baby is measuring close to 15 1/2 inches long and weighs about 2 1/2 - 3 lbs. He or she now almost fills up my entire uterine cavity, and baby’s arms and legs have grown much plumper, thanks to the continued growth of subcutaneous fat!  By 30 weeks, little one’s eyelids open and close. However, he or she will keep his eyes closed for most of the day though. When baby’s eyes are open, they will be able to track light inside of my womb, though baby’s vision isn’t “perfect” or 20/20. Lanugo, or fine hair that once covered little one’s body, will start falling off this week.  In the coming weeks, the volume of amniotic fluid in my belly will decrease as your baby continues to gain weight and take up more space.  Baby’s brain continues to develop at a rapid pace this week as well.  Another interesting fact: baby’s grip is now strong enough to grasp a finger.
Baby - I can tell little one is running out of room.  I feel this kid from right under my boobs to way down low and all in my ribs, even going around to my back.  The movements this week, while stronger, have changed since last week.  I feel really strong kicks, but they appear to be slightly more infrequent than last week.  This week its more all over movement and rolls.  This kid is getting settled in and I'm pretty sure is head down.  The stronger movements are definitely higher up, and lighter movements down low, but definitely still noticeable.  Baby is more active at night as well lately and early in the morning.  This is different from previous weeks when baby tended to be more active only when I was hungry or in the evenings.  Little one seems to like salty foods versus sweets, which is so funny since I have such a big sweet tooth.  Baby seems to respond to savory dishes, rather than sweet ones.  I'm okay with that, hopefully this kid won't get my picky appetite.  Little one is still very interactive, so if I poke or mash my belly he or she will usually jab or kick back.   The same thing happens if I lay on my side, baby will start jucking and jiving in there.  It's so cute!
Me - I really think my appetite is picking up this week.  I feel like I have been all day every day this week.  Unfortunately the portions are still child-size, but at least I'm feeling inclined to eat more instead of having to make myself.  Sleepiness is in full effect for sure, which is why I think I have started to eat more.  The more I eat, the less sleepy I feel and I'd rather stuff my face than feel sleepy.  I am really liking Reese's Peanut Buttercups this week.  I didn't know those bad boys had 5g of protein in them!  I did know that they are one of the most fattening candy bars out there.  I haven’t been into candy very much at all while pregnant, and I'm really only eating like one a day so far.  I'm not concerned, just surprised that my affinity for candy has returned all of a sudden.  Weight is up 1 lb from last week, so that puts me at 140 lbs pushing 141 lbs. I have gained slowly, but surely and I'm very happy with that.  Still no sign of stretch marks, thank goodness!  However, my belly is itchy again this week, so I have been slathering on the moisturizers.  Hair, skin, and nails are looking good...not major or drastic changes. No signs or swelling and I'm still wearing my rings and such. 
Hubs -  As usual Hubs likes to talk to the baby and provoke it by shaking my belly (lightly).  However, baby is starting to fight back at the most funniest times like bedtime.  One night baby was literally kickboxing on hubs' back.  The other night I turned over and was the little spoon and Hubs put his hand on my belly and the baby was going wild in there.  I love that he can feel the baby and interact with it.  Its so nice to see him bonding with our child already. 
The excites builds!  See ya back next week for 31 weeks – eekk! 8 months pregnant, can’t believe it, but I love it!

Happy bumping!
xxoo,

2nd Trimester In Review

Since I’m officially in the third trimester, I though I’d post a review (in pictures) of me throughout the second trimester.

I have been doing updates on my blog since 17 weeks, so I’ll spare you an entire recap on the trimester. You can always read through what was going on in each weekly update.  I also have a Youtube channel where I post weekly update videos, so you can see me live and kinda in person there.

All in all, the second trimester wasn’t bad at all.  I’ll say that I didn’t really have the whole honeymoon affect that they talk about.  Your supposed to get this great boost of energy and feel great, but I pretty much felt the same as I felt in the first trimester. The major differences were appetite increase (although not much!), my growing belly (pretty inevitable), and no nausea - I think I only threw up once during the entire trimester and that was because I got car sick.

I’m looking forward to riding out the rest of this third trimester and I am so excited for baby to get here in October.  I’m so happy to be able to take you all on this journey with me.  Stay tuned for weekly updates and other baby-themed posts as I progress through the next 12 weeks.

Happy bumping!

xxoo,

Baby This Weeks | 27 Weeks

27 Weeks

Alright party people, we are in for the home stretch!  This week officially marks the 3rd trimester, 27 weeks!  At least according to my What To Expect phone app, so I'm gonna go with that.  Either way we have reached a huge milestone with only 13ish weeks to go and I couldn't be more grateful.

Baby about 14.5 inches long and weighs just about 2 pounds. This week, baby's brain is developing quickly. Little one's eyelids, which have remained closed up until this point, begin to open, they actually started to open last week and now his retinas can begin to form. The retina contains specialized photoreceptor cells that respond to light, called rods and cones. Cones in particular help us perceive color.

Baby's skin is still wrinkly; but by 27 weeks, he or she basically looks how they will look when I give birth to them.  The sounds baby hears are muffled (thanks to the creamy coating of vernix covering those ears), he or she may recognize both mine and my husband's voices.  This is a good time for me (and Hubs) to read and even sing to baby (or rather, my belly)  Fun fact:  If Hubs presses his ear to your belly, he might be able to hear the baby's heartbeat.  Also, baby's taste buds are very developed now too (with more taste buds than he or she will ever have outside the womb, actually). 

Baby - This little guy or girl is getting stronger by the day.  Baby is supposed to be on a sleep plan now, but appears to be awake a good portion of the day, especially in the morning now.  Seems like baby likes to sleep after we eat and in the early afternoon, but I can't really pinpoint it right now.  Although I do know they move in their sleep, so just because they're moving doesn't mean baby is actually awake, just that baby is active.  He or she appears to be a wild sleeper like me, if that's the case, lol!  Baby's kicks and movements are getting higher and higher, sometimes in my ribs, high on my sides, and high smack in the middle, under my sternum.

 

Me - I'm now at a whopping 137-139lbs (depending on what time of the day it is).  That means I'm about 13-15 lbs up from my pre-pregnancy weight of 124-126.  I think I have done a really good job gaining weight, well probably mostly baby, but hey that's what I'm supposed to be gaining.  That means with 13 weeks to go my overall weight gain should be around 26-28 lbs.  I know my PA wants me to gained between 30-35, but I'm totally content with the 25-30 lbs gain.  The last few days I have had some discomfort, which I think its mostly attributed to my uterus stretching and growing.  Today, Tuesday, so far I actually feel pretty good.  As I sit here and type this, I can feel little one kicking and jabbing me and it feels great!  No signs of pre-term labor, swelling, stretch marks, or anything else weird going on.  Rings are still on, but I'm growing out of my cammies super fast, so I think I will have to switch over to the maternity ones very soon.  My belly is really itchy, so I know its going and is measuring at around 33".  I fully expect that by the end of the week that it will measure around 34".

Hubs -  Doing good as usual.  He loves feeling the baby and even likes to provoke it at times.  I can say that I think this kid will totally get us back once its born, because we mess with it all the time. ;-) When I asked Hubs if my belly look bigger he always tells me yes, but sometimes I think he's just saying it to say it.  Nonetheless, he always brings the reality to the situation, reminding me when I say I'm fat, that I'm actually pregnant.  This guy's been through it with me and this pregnancy, so I give him props for being a real team player all the time.

Until next week folks....

Happy bumping!

xxoo,

Baby This Week | 25 Weeks

Baby is the size of a cauliflower this week, yep that's right a whole cauliflower!  That means that he or she measures about 13.6 to 14.8 in and weighs about 1.5 to 2.2 lb.  Baby is packing on some serious weight since last week.  Over the next few weeks, baby will continue to grow in mass, developing muscle and acquiring more fat.  During this week the nervous system is rapidly developing and baby even has a sense of equilibrium.  Does that mean that baby can get dizzy?  Maybe he or she doesn't, since there's no gravity in there.  He or she does know which way is up or down at this point.  Another cool thing is that baby is growing hair, everywhere that is.  Make me wonder how much hair this little one with be born with.  I don't ever have heartburn, but who knows!  Baby's hands are fully developed by this week, fingerprints and all! Also, the structure of the spine is beginning to form (33 rings, 150 joints, and 1000 ligaments)!  It's all so amazing!

 

Baby - Just like the previous recent weeks, baby is extremely active, like all the time!  Even though they say that at this point babies sleep 80-90% of the time, it doesn't seem like this little one does.  Kick, jabs, and movements overall have gotten stronger.  It seemed like last week I felt movement pretty high up, but the past few days I've felt it down low.  This probably means that baby flipped, which he or she will continue to do until about 36ish weeks, when they start running out of room.  At night this kid likes to poke me in the ribs and during the day it likes to play with my bellybutton. Its so funny and cute!

 

Me - Not much so far, which is good!  Sleeping is becoming increasingly more uncomfortable and I'm still getting up at least once a night to tinkle.  My belly has really started to protrude and get heavier.  If I'm laying down, it takes me longer to get up or roll over to get up.  I can still run up stairs and walk pretty fast, but I have to slow it down a lot more than I used.  I do have a renewed sense of energy this week, so I have been taking advantage and getting things done around the house.  Still have my rings on, no swelling, heartburn, Braxton Hicks, or any other pre-term labor symptoms.  Outside of the normal discomfort, I'm feeling pretty good.  I'm picked up about 2 lbs in the last week and my belly is now 33" around. I have my first baby shower this weekend and I'm totally ready for the holiday to get here!  I'll be updating you all on how that went next week!

 

Hubs - He's been busy working, but takes time out to talk to the baby most every day.  Hubs keeps me grounded and makes me feel less insecure about my changing body.  We have been talking and planning even more for baby's arrival.  We still have a lot to accomplish before October, yikes!

 

Well folks, until next time!

Happy bumping!

xxoo,

Tenns

Baby This Week | 23 Weeks

Yep, that's right we're at grapefruit status now!

Baby's sense of movement is well developed by now, in that he or she can actually feel me move and even dance. Little one is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound.  Blood vessels in his or ler lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds baby can hear are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Baby even has fingerprints, and I guess toe prints too.  His or her skin is still translucent and wrinkled, but in the coming week fat will start to build and it will smooth out.  Ears, face, and eyes are steadily developing as well. 

Baby looks more and more like a miniature newborn this week.  The lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and tiny tooth buds are developing beneath the gums. 

Baby - Can we say movement!  This little guy or girl is a busy body.  I now feel baby moving all the time throughout the day.  Baby has moved even further up into my abdomen, with me now feeling movement under ribs.  This kid has some pretty strong jabs, something catching off guard and taking me by surprise.  I can tell that baby is getting stronger and bigger by the day.

Me - Sleepness nights!  The pregnancy insomnia has kicked in.  Normally, I'm not a big sleeper, but I usually sleep pretty rested throughout the night.  Now, not so much.  Between baby movements, having to pee, and just tossing and turning to get comfortable, my sleep has been less and less restful recently.  I have been sleepy a lot more, which is partly from the insomnia and partly from just pregnancy in general.  I'm thinking that baby is having a growth spurt and I'm really feeling the effects of it.  I've also been stuffy and sneezing this week, which could be allergies and weather change, but again with my immune system on double duty things are affecting me a lot more than usual.

Hubs - He's seeing and feeling the baby move a lot more.  Hubs is amazed every time.  He is still talking to the baby daily and telling it about life, himself, and me.  Its so cute!

Happy Bumping!

xxoo,

Tenns

Baby This Week | 22 Weeks

Baby looks more and more like a miniature newborn this week, how exciting!  The lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and tiny tooth buds are developing beneath the gums.  Baby's eyes have formed, but will remain sealed shut for another 4 weeks.  The irises (color part) of the eye still lacks pigment, so they still have a ways to go.  Baby is about a pound this week, maybe a little more, but is about the size of a spaghetti squash or papaya.  There are just 18 weeks left, so time is approaching rapidly for baby's arrival.  Its seems like the past two months have just flown by, its unbelievable!  22 weeks also marks the 6 month mark and things will soon be getting into high gear with development, weight gain, and growth.

Baby - Baby has been very active lately, getting stronger by the day.  I can feel baby all  throughout the day and night now.  Sometimes baby hits me with some pretty firm jabs.  They are very surprising and catch me off guard a lot of the time.  I used to think baby chilled out a lot, but that must have just been because I couldn't feel him or her that much.  Baby hangs out everywhere in my uterus, up high, down low, and on both sides.  Baby seems to favor the left side when I'm sleep, which I'm thinking is because my husband sleeps on my left and its warmer close to him.  Baby also likes to play with my bellybutton from the inside, pushing its out most of the time and occasionally moving so that it goes back in.  He or she is a pretty interesting little lad or lass and I can't wait to meet them.

Me - Well the belly has grown a pretty good bit from the last previous weeks.  Like I mentioned before, my bellybutton has completely popped out, at least most of the time.  I feel pretty good, except for the occasional aches and pains that comes with everything stretching and moving around.  Also, my belly has been itchy...all the time, but not to the point that I can't deal with it.  I have a lot of Palmer's that take care of that.  I have had some sleepless nights lately, which suck, so I hope that symptom will go away soon.  I could barely get off to sleep last night, much less stay asleep through the remainder of the night. My nails and skin look great on the other hand, so it all goes back to the law of compensation...can't have it all, lol!

Hubs - He's loving my growing belly and changing body.  He likes to talk to the baby through my belly and tell it silly things about me.  We are both working now, which is great for everyone, so overall he (& I) are in a better place.  Hubs is also super supportive of my blogging and vlogging efforts and encourages me to post and put myself out there.  He's an awesome guy, lucky to have him!

Happy Bumping!

xxoo,

Tenns