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 | 33 Weeks

We are durian fruit (whatever that is?!) status folks! I think I’ve seen this fruit in person a few times and I always have to touch it, lol.  I’ve never had it before though.  Maybe one day I’ll actually try it out.

Baby This Week | 32 Weeks

We are squash status this week people! Again, I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I have something that big inside of me. Nonetheless, let's get to it:

Baby This Week | 31 Weeks

Man oh man, with every week that passes it feels more and more real, yet still surreal.  We are at week 31, yep 8 months...its official we are rounding out the last two months.  Beats me why they say pregnancy is 9 months when it's really 10.  I guess they don't want women to feel like they are pregnant even longer than it already seems they are.

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,

Baby This Week | 29 Weeks

 

29 weeks

What in the world is an acorn squash?  I don’t know either, but apparently baby is the size of it this week!

The facts - Baby is about two and a half pounds and about 15-17" inches tall.  The adrenal glands are producing a chemical which will be made into estriol (a form of estrogen) by the placenta. This estriol is thought to stimulate the production of prolactin by the body, and the prolactin makes you produce milk.  This means if baby comes early, I'll still be able to breastfeed.

Baby's brain can detect rhythmic breathing and control body temperature, so he or she is less likely to need breathing assistance should they be born early. Little one is growing eyelashes, adding fat, and developing his or her brain. Because of brain wave activity, researchers have speculated that babies can even dream at this time! This week baby's head is in proportion with the rest of its body.  Even more so, baby's eyes can move in the sockets, and the muscles and lungs continue to mature. Bone marrow is now producing red blood cells, and fat continues to develop under baby's skin. Baby may even begin to settle into the proper birthing position, however, there is still plenty of time (and some room) for them to turn and flip.  Doctor's typically don't start being concerned with this until about 34-36 weeks.

Baby – Holy moly this baby is strong!  Strong and all over the place I tell you!  It literally feels like I have a large human inside of me trying to break out sometimes…what a minute, that’s exactly what’s happening.  Well, I  don’t know about the break out part, but this kid is getting bigger by the day.  I can feel noticeable body parts, although I can’t differentiate what they are yet when baby moves.  Lately, I have been feeling something really hard hanging out nearly my ribs, I’m assuming its feet or legs.  Baby is active about 75-80% of the time

Me - I am so behind the ball this week!  I have had a pretty emotional week, but I don't know if I can attribute it to pregnancy or not.  I'm leaning more towards not, because I just have a lot of external things going on that have me a little stressed right now.  Okay, now to get back on topic.  I have been exhausted, sleepy, unmotivated, and lazy...just being honest.  This baby is starting to pull from me like it did in the first trimester.  I'm also feeling a lot heavier and sleep is more and more uncomfortable and restless.  I can feel all the movements stronger, which gives me so much reassurance.  I still worry and put a lot of pressure on myself, but I'm trying to keep a balance.  I have totally fallen off my protein routine, so I plan to get back on that next week.  I have gotten completely bored with eating breakfast, or eating at all for that matter.  It's to the point where I pretty much hate eating.  I have to eat when I'm not hungry and when I do I can't even eat much, which stresses me out.  I do my best to snack and whatnot, but sometimes I still don't feel like I'm getting enough.  Even more so, when I see my weight at a standstill for two weeks it's frustrating.  I really feel like I'm just breaking down emotionally and just need a break from the routine and monotony.  My second shower is next weekend and I'm excited about it, but I'm also excited to just have some time off and away from the norm.  My belly hasn't been as itchy this week, which is a nice break, but I kind like it itchy, because it lets me know its growing.  Speaking of my belly, I'm pretty sure I'm pushing 35", although in the morning its always smaller. It's so weird, sometimes I feel like my bump is big and other times I feel like its small.  Nonetheless, I know there's a baby growing in there, so that's all that matters.  I still can't really tell what position baby is in, but I am feeling movements in different areas than previous weeks.  I'm pretty sure baby changed positions, but to what and where, I couldn't tell you.  I know there is still plenty of time for baby to flip into any position, so I'm not too overly concerned.  Each passing week brings more and more anticipation for this little guy or girl to get here.  I'm really getting stoked to get this kid here, but not for 10ish more weeks!

Hubs - Not much really going on this week.  He is mainly eager like I am for baby to get here.  We are still working out everything job and moving wise, but things are looking up.  We are simply just in a period of transition and I know we will soon have more certainty.  Hubs is interacting more with the baby, and usually gets nudged back by it with he pokes and prods at it.  He is still keeping me moisturized and sends me to bed at night when I try to stay up too late.  I say we both keep each other on track.  As much alike as we were, we are completely different.  In part because he has that Y chromosome that makes him do stuff that just doesn't make sense to me at times, but I'm pretty sure he feels the same way about me sometimes.

It's 30 weeks next week folks!  Less than 3 months left and so exciting!  Until then...I'll see ya 'round.

Happy bumping!

xxoo,

Baby This Week | 28 Weeks

28 Weeks Pregnant

Oh my goodness, here we are again!  Another week of pregnancy completed.  I can't believe little one will be here in just 12 short weeks! 

At this point baby weighs 2 1/4 pounds about the size of a large eggplant and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. He or she can blink their eyes, which now sport lashes. With eyesight developing, baby may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. Little one is also developing billions of neurons in their brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.  The hair on baby's head continues to grow. Muscle tone in little squirt's body steadily develops, and even though baby's lungs are now capable of breathing air, it would be difficult for him if they were born now.

Baby - Can we say super duper active this week!  I mean, I know I say this every week, but this little guy orgirl is getting stronger by the day.  Its the craziest thing, because I thought I had a pretty laid back little squirt in there, but nope!  To my pleasant surprise this baby is hyper like me, and a night owl too.  I'm really starting to think this baby doesn't sleep.  I can feel him or her all the time, and everywhere, up high, down low...all over the place.  I love it though and it is so reassuring, given the fact that I have no way of knowing what's going in on there outside of what baby tells me from the inside out.  Like me, this kid likes to eat and it the most active when its time to eat.  After eating, baby calms down a little, but a few hours later its back up and going.  I'm also starting to see baby's personality which is really funny.  I simply just look at my belly and laugh sometimes when I see the movement, because I seriously wonder what baby is really doing in there.

Me -  I have been good, good and tired lately.  Well more like sleepy in the afternoons.  I have been napping most days or dozing off.  Its like return of the first trimester tiredness.  Fortunately, its not that bad and I'm still able to function.  My belly as always is itchy, but that just means I'm applying more Palmer's to it.  No stretch marks yet, yay!  I'm still growing gradually so, I'm hoping that will be my saving grace.  My belly was measuring 34" last I checked and I'm up to 139-140 lbs, which makes my overall gain about 14-16 lbs.  With 12 weeks to go, I should gain no more than 30 lbs, so I'm happy with that.  I'm also still not having any signs of preterm labor, thank God! I do think I've been having some Braxton Hicks lately.  They mostly happen when I need to tinkle, so I try not to get into a tight.  It also helps the more active and mobile I am.  If I'm sitting or lying down for a long time I tend to feel the tightness.  Speaking of sitting down, I notice when I'm at work, sitting in my office chair for long periods of time makes my hips hurt.  I'm not sure if it bad ergonomics or what, but it gets really uncomfortable.  Overall, things are pretty uneventful, and I hope it stays that way.

Hubs - We celebrated his birthday yesterday by going for Cold Stone Creamery.  He had chocolate topped with strawberries (fancy I know, right?!).  It was nice to spend the day together and he was able to spend sometime harassing the baby too, lol!  He like to wiggle and poke my belly to make the baby move.  Most times the baby kicks him back.  He has even gotten kicked in the face by the baby, because he will be up close to it talking to the baby and the baby will kick.  Its so funny!  Hubs also told me that the other night whilst I was asleep, he placed his hand on my belly and the baby was moving all kinds of crazy.  I think he thinks its as funny as I do.  We're both getting more and more excited for baby's arrival!  The only thing we need to figure out is where we are going to be living, but that's a whole other conversation for another time.

Until next time...

 

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