Week 29

About Baby: At 29 weeks, our little girl is starting to bulk up which means she is getting more crowded in there. We will know her measurements and weight on Monday so I will do a follow up post after that appointment. In the next 11 weeks, she will more than double her current weight which is probably close to 3 pounds right now.

How am I feeling? Pretty good. After running errands for a few hours I feel exhausted, but I know that is normal. I also seem to have very little patience for crowded stores. Sleep is still the challenge, although it is nice to be able to sleep in as I can make up for the constant up and down at night. I scheduled a prenatal massage for Sunday and hope that will help with my hip pain.

Movement: I feel my little girl several times throughout the day and it is usually pretty easy to get in 10 kicks/movements within an hour for my kick count. Today I have been on my feet running errands and have not really relaxed which makes it harder to feel her. When I go to watch TV, she is sure to start in. I love feeling her move!

Updates: We had our first non stress test today. They hooked me up to a monitor that tracked her heartbeat. I was able to sit for 10 minutes watching the heartbeat go up and down between 139 and 165 which is normal and what they were wanting. And I got to hear it the entire time. What a sweet sound! We have our next growth scan (ultrasound) on Monday so we are looking forward to seeing our sweet girl again.

Food: I love the holidays because I have been able to eat both our family recipe stroganoff and turkey with the trimmings without heartburn! Still eating lots of apples. I can't seem to get enough of them. Even though I have been eating a lot, I seem to have actually lost weight over the last couple of days. This is normal based on what I read. I am around 10 pounds total gained so far and doctor is very happy with that.

Prepping for Baby: Little Alexandra got all kinds of goodies for Christmas. She is going to be so well dressed! The first baby shower is coming up very soon on January 6th. Then by mid January we should have the nursery set up (at least the crib and changing table). Right now everything is stored in bins and bags in the bedroom that will be her nursery.

Here is our bump photo for today. I had to use my tripod and for some reason the camera had a really hard time focusing. At least this one photo came out nice!

A Merry Christmas

She is not even here yet and already Alexandra is getting spoiled by her two grandmothers! She got several cute outfits (including a little dress and pajamas), a stuffed bear, stuffed bunny, blanket, a few books and even an ornament for the tree with her name on it. Here are a few pictures from Christmas!

We had an OB appointment on Christmas Eve and all is well. Her heart beat measured between 151-156. It is now time to go to every other week appointments so our next appointment is on January 7th. We have an ultrasound on New Year's Eve so that is our next thing to look forward to.

Week 28

Third trimester is officially here! Hard to believe that we are under three months to go! I am once again posting a few hours early since tomorrow is the official day I turn 28 weeks!

About Baby: We had an ultrasound on Wednesday. Our little girl was measuring ahead at 29 weeks 1 day. I was technically 27 weeks 5 days at the time. Her heart rate was 143 bpm and she weighed approximately 2 pounds 5 ounces. She had her legs up by her head so maybe she is going to be a gymnast some day! Almost everything is now developed and she is just putting on weight and adding brain cells to make her smarter. She would have a better than 90% chance of survival if born now (which she is NOT allowed to do)! Here is her picture from Wednesday!

How am I feeling? Pretty good. I am sleeping better. I bought some new braces for my wrists and that seems to be helping with the numbness. The hormones are definitely making me more emotional too!

Movement: Dave finally got to see and feel her kicks. On Sunday night we were watching TV and she was kicking like crazy. We sat and watched as my tummy moved several times. It was pretty funny to see. I love the fact that I feel her many times per day. It is very comforting.

Updates:  I also forgot to mention last week that I am slightly anemic so have to take extra iron. I have an OB appointment on Monday, which marks the start of my every other week appointments. I scheduled the hospital tour for Dave and me, as well as child birth classes. We are going to be extremely busy in February! We also have booked a photo shoot with a friend of ours to take some maternity photos at 32 weeks.

Food: I discovered the secret to warding off heartburn (at least for now)....Mylanta and hot water. Dave made his yummy chili this week and I knew it would bother me so I tried what my OB had suggested - and it worked! I feel hungry more often. I just ate dinner and am still hungry - time to go get some more apples!

Prepping for Baby: Little Alexandra is going to be a well dressed collegiate baby. She has onesies from University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University and Cal Berkeley! So she is ready to represent my school, Dave's school and her Grandma Janet's school! I have been told that there will be presents under the tree for our little girl this Christmas. Her grandmothers are already spoiling her!

Fun Story: I unveiled her name this week to my students, but I did so as the very last question in a practice quiz for their final exam. I have yet to see my 2nd period (due to finals schedule) who were the ones most inquisitive as to what her name would be. It will be interesting to see them Friday and whether or not they say anything.

I have multiple photos to share this week!

 The cute puppy dog is the first present that I bought for Alexandra. It has a rattle in its tail!

I found this cute bear ornament with her first initial on it so will be adding that to our tree!

 Just a fun photo of me in front of our dog/cat themed tree (mostly dog)!

Week 27

This is the last week of 2nd trimester and time seems to be flying by at this point. With so much to think about and do, I wonder how I will get it all done!

About Baby: This week, our little girl continues to practice breathing in amniotic fluid and she has signs of brain activity! She weighs over 2 pounds and measures between 13.6 and 14.8 inches long. She can now open and close her eyelids which had previously been fused. And she can move her head from side to side as neck muscles become more flexible.

How am I feeling? Pretty good. I have slept better this week although there is still a lot of tossing and turning at night. I find I am more emotional. The last two times we have watched Undercover Boss, I have teared up when the boss revealed who they are and started giving away cash to people.

Movement: There are some days where she is more active than others, but I guess that is normal. I started doing kick counts this week even though I don't have to do it until 28 weeks. I found an app for my phone that makes it really easy. The other night when Dave and I were watching The Voice on TV, it felt like she was dancing! She must have liked the music. We will definitely have to start playing different types of music to see what she seems to like best. I think my little girl has the hiccups, which is apparently very common in developing babies as they learn how to breathe. It felt like a rhythmic pulsing and after reading a few websites, I think it was hiccups. A new sensation - how amazing!

Updates: I failed my one hour glucose test on Monday. Apparently this happens to about 20-25% of women. But the good news is that 66% of women who fail the one hour pass the three hour so I am cautiously holding out hope. My number for the one hour was in normal range for the one hour part of the three hour test. And I spoke with some other women who scored higher on their one hour than I did and passed the three hour. I can't get in to take the three hour test until after Christmas since I do not want to take a day off work. I am going to walk a lot between now and then and try to watch the sugars, except for a few Christmas treats.

Last Sunday I tripped and fell. Other than a little soreness and bruised ego, baby and I are fine. I saw my OB on Tuesday and little girl was playing hide and seek with the doppler, but she had a nice strong heartbeat. Because of the fall, I get an extra sneak peak at her next week with an ultrasound on Wednesday morning. I am now at the point where I will be seeing the OB every other week until about 36 weeks when I go to weekly appointments.

Food: Nothing different in this area. Still limited on what I can eat due to heartburn.

Prepping for Baby: I have not had time to do much for baby this week, but we have a name for her. After much discussion, consideration and input from friends, family and students, this little girl will be called.......Alexandra Suzanne! Dave and I both love the name Alexandra and there are so many different alternatives for nicknames including Ali, Alex and Lexi. Her middle name is Suzanne based on family tradition. Going back to my great, great grandmother Eliza, the first born daughter has gotten the name of the mother as their middle name. I am excited to carry on the tradition. We decided on Suzanne instead of Susan as we felt it flowed better, but still honored the family tradition.

Funny Story: Pregnancy brain has set in. The other night, I put my phone away in the carrier where the keys are kept and my keys in my purse before I realized what I had done.

Here is a bump photo I took this morning. It is pretty good considering how hard it is to take a decent mirror photo!

Week 26

About Baby: She weighs about 2 pounds now and is about 14 inches long. Her eyes will begin to open this coming week and she even has tiny eyelashes! She is practicing breathing using amniotic fluid so that she will be able to take that first big gulp of air in about 14 weeks.

How am I feeling? During the day I feel great. However, I am having trouble sleeping due to pain and numbness. If I sleep on my left side (which is recommended), I wake up with terrible hip pain and have to walk around to get it to stop. If I switch to my right (which was my more comfortable side before pregnancy), then I wake up with pain in my arm and my hand completely numb. Oh the joys of pregnancy!

Movement: I have definitely been feeling more regular movement throughout the entire day. Before it was only at night or a few isolated kicks. Now I notice her more. Of course because I said that she is super quiet today. Her favorite time seems to be evening, so perhaps she will be a night owl like mommy rather than an early riser like daddy! One can only hope!

Updates: I have my glucose test on Monday where I get to drink a really sugary drink, then wait an hour for blood to be drawn. I am hoping that I pass this one hour test and do not have to do the three hour test!

Food: I notice that I am hungrier this week, but still can only eat the same limited food items. I am very thankful for chocolate milk as it quells some hunger pains and helps with heartburn. The other day I made some snickerdoodle cookies and had to sample one. That was a big mistake as it gave me the worst heartburn imaginable. I wonder if it was the cinnamon?

Prepping for Baby: There is so much to do! In two weeks I will be on break and hope to check some things off my list like interviewing pediatricians and scheduling some classes. We have not acquired anything new this week.

Funny Story: My students are asking daily what her name is and since we have not chosen one yet, my 2nd period decided to help. The problem is that the names they came up with were just not acceptable. Here are some of their suggestions: Davina (to name her after Dave), DaSusan (a combo of Dave and Susan), Bretina (suggested by a student named Bret), and several others too awful to mention. Many of the boys in my class try to come up with female versions of their own names.

Here is our weekly photo taken by the lily ponds at the Huntington Library:

Almost Double Digits

Today I have 100 days to go, assuming little Lucky arrives on her estimated due date. That means that today is the last day of triple digits and I move on to doubles! It is hard to believe that I started with over 250 days to go and it sure does not feel like I have been pregnant for over 150 days, but I have.

We are almost to 3rd trimester and it is just a little over three months until she will be in my arms. There is so much to think about: classes at the hospital, talking with day care providers and interviewing pediatricians. I hope that I can check most of this off my list during my two week break.

Sleep is getting to be more of a challenge. The last few nights I have woken up with either pain in my left leg/hip or a completely numb right hand due to pain in my right shoulder. That means I am waking constantly to switch sides. I am seriously in need of a prenatal massage and plan to schedule one for my vacation time as well.

Yesterday was a great day for movement. I felt her consistently throughout the day and that was nice since I had barely felt her the few days prior. Fortunately, her kicks and pokes are gentle and she does not appear to be the ninja baby that many of my fellow March mommies are saying they have.

Week 25

Even though my official week changes on Friday, I found it easier to write this week's post a day early.

About Baby: Its hard to believe that I will be meeting her in just about 15 weeks! She measures somewhere around 13.5 inches long and weighs between 1 1/2 and 2 pounds. At this point she is putting on about 6 ounces each week! Grow baby grow! I just read that she has a sense of equilibrium and which way is up and which way is down. That is pretty amazing.

How am I feeling? I have been more tired this week, especially at the end of the work day. Now that it is cold outside and I have to wear socks, I am noticing that they leave indentations on my legs. Yesterday was pretty bad as I had swelling too. I keep checking today and it is better. Hopefully it was the socks and not the beginning of ankle swelling that is common with pregnancy.

Movement: I am now feeling her soft kicks many times per day. The other night I woke up at 3:30 and there she was giving me several kicks as she obviously was also awake. She just gave me a small kick as I am typing this as if she knows I am talking about her. Last weekend when I was on the plane headed to Phoenix, she gave me several big kicks and they were hard enough that I could see them! That was pretty cool. I am waiting for her to start the strong kicks when Dave is nearby so that he could try to feel her, but she has not cooperated yet. The best time to feel her move is in the evening. She is always awake and active in the 7-9 PM range.

Updates: I had my monthly OB appointment on Tuesday and got to tape record little one's heartbeat. That was so cool because when I met up with Dave for dinner, I played it for him because he had not been at the appointment. Apparently it is possible to hear her heartbeat from the outside now, so I will have to have Dave test this theory out by listening closely with his ear to my tummy. Next up is the glucose test to check for gestational diabetes. I really hope that I pass the 1 hour so I do not have to go back for the longer 3 hour test.

Cravings: I have the same craving week after week: apples. I can easily eat a bag of Fuji apples in one sitting. At least it is a healthy snack. My favorite food lately seems to be a chicken salad from Chili's. I am eating it at least once a week and think I could eat that even more often.

Prepping for Baby: The crib and changing table have both arrived and are in our garage where they will be staying until Dave's dad comes to visit in January. I have several things on each registry now and hope to finalize them this weekend.

Here is this week's official bump photo. I think Lucky definitely had a growth spurt this past week as I see the difference in my bump between photos at week 24 and week 25!

Appointment

Today I had my monthly OB appointment and little Lucky Charm is doing well. Her heartbeat was 152 and I asked if I could record the sound. I was able to record for about a minute. It is now on my phone and I can listen to it any time I want. I got all kinds of goodies from my doctor including some formula, plus important paperwork like recommended pediatricians. That may be my task for winter break! The results of the fetal echo came back normal! Little one's heart is perfect! One more month and then I start going to appointments every other week. Once I hit January, life is going to get pretty busy between bi-monthly OB appointments and bi-weekly non stress tests.

Week 24

About Baby: Our little girl is looking more and more like a baby every week! We know from the exam on Monday that our little girl weighs more than 1 pound 4 ounces. Her skin is now less opaque and has a pinkish tinge. I just read that she may already have a preference for her right or left hand. That is impressive. Dave is a lefty and I am right handed so it will be interesting to see what she ends up as! I continue to be amazed by this little miracle growing inside of me.

How am I feeling? Good. A little more tired this week, but perhaps that is because I am on vacation and can finally relax for the week. Also, heartburn continues to be a problem.

Movement: It is still sporadic. As I type this she is kicking me and has been for the past hour. It is not constant but steady. I have yet to figure out a regular time of the day she is awake. She is keeping me guessing!

Updates: We had our growth scan on Monday and she measured perfectly! On Tuesday I have my OB appointment. Next up is scheduling my glucose test.

Prepping for Baby: We ordered a crib and it arrived on Wednesday. We won't be setting it up until after Christmas though. We have started the registry process, but still have more to add. There are so many things that this little one needs.

Here are two photos for an added bonus!

Ultrasound

We had another ultrasound today. These are known as "growth scans" because they take measurements of everything from her skull to femur. Our little girl was measuring perfectly based on her March 15th due date. Her heart rate was 149 bpm and she weighs 1 pound and 4 ounces! Wow - she is getting so big! Starting December 28th, I will be going in for twice weekly non stress tests (NST) and will be continuing to get growth scans every 6 weeks. There are some perks of being an older mom - they pay a lot more attention and I get lots of sneak peeks at my girl! Here is today's photo. This is the first profile picture we have where you can see her little nose and lips. Her arm is up and she appears to be kicking towards her face. She has been pretty calm the last 24 hours with very little movement that I have felt so it was fun to watch her kick her legs up towards her face during the ultrasound. Dave had not gone with my to the last appointment, so for the first time he got to see her adorable little feet.

Week 23

About Baby: Our little girl is growing so big. She is more than 11 inches long now and weighs just over a pound! Her hearing is becoming better and she can hear what I hear (although it is more muffled). It is time to start reading stories to her! Most of her vital organs are well developed. Her lungs still need more development. We are now just one week away from Viability Day, after which she would have a chance to survive on her own if I went into pre-term labor. Don't get any ideas little one, you are not allowed to make an appearance until March!

How am I feeling? Great! I still have lots of energy and am only slowed down by heartburn. I find my diet even more limited as the smallest bit of spice or garlic makes me feel ill. Bland is my friend!

Movement? My Lucky Charm is moving a lot more. I feel several kicks per day, although it is still sporadic and I have yet to determine her waking/sleeping patterns. I am eager for Dave to be able to feel her kicks from the outside, but it has not happened yet. I am sure it will be soon!

Updates: Our next appointment is on Monday, another ultrasound. I love getting sneak peeks at her. I am hoping that we will have results from the Fetal Echo-cardiogram at that time as well.

Prepping for Baby: We have been so blessed by our friends and our little girl already has several outfits and items for the nursery. This weekend we will begin the registry process and I am overwhelmed by how many things such a small creature needs!

Here is our photo from this week:

Babymoon

We took a "babymoon" trip to one of our favorite cities - San Francisco. It was a nice chance for the two of us to get away together before our little girl arrives. One of the highlights was a visit to Muir Woods which is shown in the three bottom pictures. It was so peaceful and beautiful! We will definitely make sure our little one loves nature and visits many national parks in her lifetime.

Week 22

About Baby: My little girl weighs almost a pound and is around 11 1/2 inches long. She has started regular sleep cycles and is even dreaming. I wonder what little babies dream about? I am feeling more movement and noticing certain patterns of times when I get kicks. The research says she sleeps 12-14 hours per day. I wonder what she does the rest of the time? Studies also say that she can hear everything going on in the outside world.

How am I feeling? Really good. So far they have been correct about feeling more energy in 2nd trimester.

Week 21

About Baby: My little girl is now 10.5 inches long and weighs about 12.7 ounces! She is getting so big. Her taste buds are now developed and she can taste what I eat through the amniotic fluid that she gulps every day. I hope she likes the chocolate milk, bagels and apples I eat daily!

How am I feeling? Pretty good. I have had aches in my side for the last day or so. I think it is just normal stretching, but it is annoying. I have been really tired this week and am looking forward to sleeping this weekend.

Movement? Yes....I have felt little pokes and one big kick. The little pokes are becoming more obvious and I can even feel them from the outside some times.

Here is our photo this week:

"Bumpkin"

Today is Halloween and here is what I wore:

My students asked if I was the pumpkin or my baby. I told them it was the bump....so they said it was a "bumpkin!"

Today during school, I was talking to some students about my little girl when she gave me a full on major kick! It was just one, but there was no mistaking it. I felt several softer kicks last night - about 8-10 in the span of a few minutes. This was the first time I could feel her move from outside.

Week 20 - Half Baked

About Baby: I can't believe we are already at the half-way point! My little girl is now measuring 6.5 inches long and is either the size of a small banana or a cantaloupe. She weighs more than 10 ounces! From now on she will be measured from head to toe instead of crown to rump, so she is really 10 inches long! Wow!

How am I feeling? Good. Having trouble sleeping as I have to change sides constantly in the middle of the night. I also have noticed that I am more short of breath this week. I went for a nice walk this morning and it felt good. I definitely have a lot more energy than I did in the 1st trimester.

Movement? Still sporadic movement. I think I may have felt a kick this morning, but it was just once and it happened so fast that I cannot be certain. I am very ready to feel her more regularly!

Here we are at 20 weeks!

Movement & My Bump

Since Saturday night I have been feeling her move a lot more often and even some semi strong pokes. Its strange that just in a couple of days she seems so much more active. I am sure it is just that I can feel it more. If I went by my original due date of March 11th, today would be exactly 20 weeks, so it is not surprising. The pokes feel like jolts of electricity.

Here are some pictures of my bump.The first picture was taken in Phoenix on Saturday and my little bump really shows. The second picture was taken today (just two days later) and I feel like my bump shows even more.

 Saturday  

 Monday

I shared my news with my students today and they were so excited! It feels great to let this secret out! 

Week 19

About Baby: My little girl is now the size of a mango, and probably even bigger. I had an ultrasound on Tuesday and she measured 19 weeks 1 day at that point. The doctor said she was 9 ounces! Her heart rate was 145 so it has stabilized. I have an anterior placenta, meaning that it is located in the front, but off to the left side. At the ultrasound, they gave me a cute picture of her foot:

Its hard to believe that I am almost 1/2 way! This week, my little girl's brain is working overtime developing the five senses and she has developed a protective coating to guard from wrinkly skin due to amniotic fluid.

How am I feeling? I have been a little tired because of several late nights in a row. I am trying to do more sitting at work, but sometimes have lower back pain so it feels good to stand. My allergies have been driving me nuts this week - lots of sneezing and a stuffy nose. Fortunately I can take Benadryl!

Movement? Yes - and I even think I felt some pokes or kicks tonight. Nothing very strong, but it felt different than the gentle rolling I normally feel from her. Soon I should be feeling stronger kicks and there will be no doubt that it is my sweet girl.

Here we are at 19 weeks!

I am wearing maternity clothes full time now and they are so comfortable. The challenge is I now have an extremely limited wardrobe. Once it gets cooler, I will buy some fall/winter long sleeve tops, but right now it is so hot I am living in shorts and t-shirts!

Week 18

About Baby: We have made it to 18 weeks and my little girl is the size of a sweet potato! She is more than 5.5 inches long and growing all the time...in just two weeks she will be as long as a cantaloupe.  The websites that I read tell me she is kicking, punching, yawning, rolling and even hiccuping - although I still feel very little of her movements. Occasionally I feel a wave like motion which I am convinced is her. I am looking forward to feeling her kick for the first time!

How am I feeling? Good. I seem to finally have more energy, but the heartburn has not improved. One of my friends tells me that means that my little girl will be born with a full head of hair.

Here is my bump photo from today. This is the first week that it is really impossible to hide that I am pregnant, although my students still have not said a word. I have a feeling that this coming week the big secret will be revealed!

Week 17

Today is the beginning of week 17 and our little girl is the size of an onion. That means she is about 5 inches long. Her unique fingerprints have formed and her cartilage is turning into bone.

Physically I feel pretty good. I still get headaches and heartburn. It does not seem to matter what I eat, heartburn sets in so my food choices seem very limited. I definitely have a little bump, although it is not very noticeable to the world. Here is my week 17 bump photo taken at the Duck Pond in Temecula.

Anatomy Scan

Tonight we had the anatomy scan at 16 weeks 4 days. Baby was measuring normal on everything. We also found out that baby is a GIRL and we are absolutely thrilled because that is what we wanted!! Her heartbeat was 142 and she measured a few days ahead at 17 weeks 1 day. We have an ultrasound photo of her little face because she was looking right at us. You can see her skull and eye sockets clearly.

As the ultrasound tech did all the measurements, she went so fast that it was hard to tell what we were seeing. Fortunately she would tell us - leg, kidney, heart, etc. We go back for our next ultrasound in 4 weeks and a Fetal Echo in 5 weeks where they look just at the heart. Now the fun begins - picking out a name for our sweet little girl and designing her nursery!

Our Family is Growing

Welcome to our blog! We are expanding our family in March 2013! Because March is the month of St. Patrick's Day, our little one is called "Lucky Charm" for now. Soon we will know whether baby is a girl or boy and then we will have an official name. This is where we will update those who want to know how things are progressing.