Week 34

We have a baby shower on Saturday and I am very excited to see all my friends!

About Baby: At 34 weeks, Alexandra can recognize and react to simple songs. I guess I better start singing to her...and not just what is playing on the radio. It must be time to start learning some songs like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. I can't remember all the words. I know....pathetic! And another big problem - I can't sing! I tried tonight and it was painful! Maybe I need some singing lessons? Alexandra is now mature enough that if she were born early, she would be preterm rather than premature. This means most likely no stay in NICU. I am still hoping she continues to "bake" until at least March 1st. Estimates say that she should weigh around 5 pounds now!

How am I feeling? Good except for the cough that still won't go away. Sleep is becoming more of a challenge due to the continuing numbness. I bought a new brace to see if that will stop me from waking up with a numb arm/hand. It has been quite painful to deal with until it calms down and I can go back to sleep. I have yet to figure out a solution since it does not seem to correspond with which side I am sleeping on. The numbness is also a problem in the morning and is making showering and styling my hair more difficult. Fortunately it goes away within an hour or so of waking.

Computer work is also making my neck quite sore. I had a prenatal massage on Sunday and that helped a little, but my neck is just super tight.

I do have to say that pregnancy has been fantastic for my hair - it seems more full than before and it seems to style easier too! My nails also grow faster. Both of these are benefits that I would love to be able to continue to have after Alexandra arrives!

New Symptoms: I have noticed how I can see the indentation from my socks after a day of work and knew I had a little swelling in my feet. But today at lunch, I looked at my feet and my ankles were swollen. Hello water retention! I asked the doctor and found out it is very normal. My blood pressure was 111/69 today so that is good. I will just have to make sure to put my feet up more! Let's hope the warm weather continues so I don't have to stuff my feet into closed toed shoes! If the swelling continues, it could put me out of work at an earlier date, but I will discuss that with my OB on February 7th.

Movement: I am continuing to enjoy her little movements and I know that I will miss those once she arrives. Some times I tap my fingers when she kicks and she will respond.

Updates:  On Monday I had a non-stress test and Alexandra was sucking her thumb during the quick ultrasound. It was funny to see! She had her fingers in her mouth again today and I got a picture of it. The technician who does the scans says she is a beautiful baby! I can't wait to see her little face when she arrives!

Food: I can finally eat most foods again without coughing. I have never had any strange food cravings or food aversions and count myself lucky. Most foods just either will cause heartburn or don't sound good. I eat a lot of chicken, which I hear from most of my friends was something they could not stand when pregnant. Guess I am lucky!

Prepping for Baby: I have made some progress this week. First, I selected a pediatrician for my girl. His name is Dr. Steven Deterville and he came highly recommended by one of the nurse assistants in my OB office. There are actually two pediatricians in the office which will be more flexible for me once I return to work. I have read some comments from patients and they are all very positive. I look forward to meeting him! Second, I contacted my insurance and found out they will cover 100% of the cost of a breast pump. I just need a prescription from my OB and to contact an in network medical equipment supplier. This is great news as the best pumps cost around $300. I am excited to finish the nursery next week!

This weeks bump photos:

And a bonus comparison shot - 24 weeks vs. 34 weeks where you can really see the change! Grandma Janet says, "Alexandra has needed more room in recent weeks!"

Look for my next post to be Sunday after the baby shower!

Week 33

We are just 50 days away from our due date!

About Baby: At 33 weeks, Alexandra is keeping her eyes open when she is awake. What a strange and interesting world she must see in there. She is also coordinating breathing, sucking and swallowing. Weight-wise, she should be over 4 pounds now.

How am I feeling? Better! I went back to work on Tuesday after taking 4 days off the week before. My head cold is virtually gone. I still wake up with a stuffy nose, but that is also part of pregnancy. I still have this darn cough though. It has gone from a painful dry cough to a little wetter, deeper cough, although there is still nothing in my lungs. The biggest challenge this week has been numbness in my left arm. It has not only awakened me in the middle of the night, but taken me several minutes to get under control. The strange thing is this occurs more when sleeping on my right side than my left!

Movement: Some days Alexandra moves more than others. I have felt baby hiccups several times which is a good sign that she is practicing her breathing. As I type I feel some twitches in the area where her bottom is....I really have no idea what she is doing in there!

Updates:  I had an OB appointment on Wednesday and Alexandra is doing well. I had lost 5 pounds from my last visit on January 7th, putting me at a total gain of just 9 pounds. Today was another non stress test and the ultrasound tech said she is a beautiful baby! I've gotten a few photos of her face, but the quality is not wonderful so I won't be able to post.

Food: It has been easier to eat this week despite the cough. I have enjoyed some quesadillas this week and still love the raspberry sorbet!

Prepping for Baby: The nursery is coming together. My mom helped me on Tuesday night. We washed clothes and put things away. I will have to finish after my baby shower on February 2nd. Here are some photos of the work in progress. Some of the wall decorations will be changed out and there are still things that need to be removed.

 

I have also started organizing for what I need to take to the hospital. So far everything I have packed is for Alexandra, but I did purchase some nursing tank tops today.

This weeks bump photos:

Dave took some fun photos of me on Sunday after our maternity shoot. Here are my favorites:

And a bonus comparison shot - 23 weeks vs. 33 weeks wearing the same shirt so that you can see the change in my bump!

Week 32

Less than 2 months to go now until the big day! That is if Miss Alexandra cooperates and arrives on or before her due date of March 15th.

About Baby: At 32 weeks, Alexandra should weigh close to 4 pounds. Her skeleton has completely formed, but her bones are still soft and pliable. She has moved into the head down position in preparation for her journey to the real world. I read on one website that she is sleeping in half hour segments. I certainly hope she sleeps a lot longer once she arrives!

How am I feeling? Despite being on antibiotics for 7 days, I still have the cough and it is impacting my ability to eat very much. In fact, I have lost 6 pounds since my OB appointment on January 7th. On Monday, the cough seemed to be getting better, but a head cold took its place. I spent all day Tuesday in bed and took 3 days off work total. I went back to work on Thursday, but found it to be a struggle and may take Friday off as well. I have been in regular contact with my OB and they are not concerned thankfully. I have an appointment next Wednesday.

Movement: Alexandra has been moving a lot this past week. I think it is partly due to the fact that I have been very inactive and thus am not rocking her to sleep with my movements. It has been very nice to feel her move more. Part of that movement must have been her flipping around since she was breech last week.

Updates:  I had my 4th non-stress test and Alexandra seemed to be doing very well. She had her hand over her face for the quick ultrasound, but the tech said she looked great. 

Food: Food is very hit or miss this week due to the coughing. What I can eat one day, gives me problems the next. I have eaten a lot of applesauce to keep some food in me. I am drinking tons of juice - my new favorite being peach mango V8 juice introduced to me by my mother-in-law. Thanks Sara! One night Dave brought me some raspberry sorbet, which I thought for sure would bother my cough since it is cold. Wrong - it has been absolutely heavenly. One of the few foods I can eat without a problem. I certainly hope it stays that way.

Prepping for Baby: We have furniture in our nursery thanks to Dave's dad coming to California and working hard for 2 days to get it put together. There is a crib, changing table, dresser and glider chair. Next week my mom and I are going to spend some time organizing, putting away things and figuring out decorating. Dave and I know that we want a tropical theme and some of the decor in the room already lends itself nicely. Here is the crib:

What I am looking forward to this week: We have our maternity photo shoot on Sunday. One of our fellow Toastmasters is a professional photographer and has agreed to do this for us.

And of course, this weeks bump photo taken by Dave! 

Week 31

One more week until we enter the 8th month. Wow! That is hard to believe!

About Baby: At 31 weeks, Alexandra is having major brain and nerve development. All 5 of her senses are fully developed now. Her irises can even react to light, although when she is born her eyesight will be poor at just 20/400. She is gearing up for a growth spurt and is going to be gaining 1/2 pound per week from here until she is born. Everything is fully developed except her lungs, which need a little more "baking" before she enters the world. She is approximately 15 1/2 inches long and space is getting more crowded for her.

How am I feeling? That cough that I had is still hanging on and got worse with going back to work. After coughing to the point that it hurt during work on Thursday, I went to urgent care and got a prescription for an antibiotic called Omnicef (also known as cefdinir). I have to take it for 7 days but the coughing should subside. It was getting painful! Alexandra does not seem bothered by it so that is a good thing. Going back to work this week has definitely taken a toll and I find myself more tired. I am looking forward to relaxing this weekend, especially given the cough and doctor's orders to rest!

Movement: Alexandra is still a calm baby (which we hope continues once she is out in the real world). I am easily getting in the required kick counts every day, but she often goes a long time between kicks. She does not seem to have a specific time though and likes to keep me guessing. I am thankful that she is not hurting me, but would like to feel more regular kicks and movements for reassurance, especially while I am coughing and on antibiotics. I know that her kicks is something I will miss when she arrives.

Updates: I passed my 3 hour glucose test and am so happy to report that I do not have to worry about gestational diabetes. I had my 3rd non-stress test and Alexandra seemed to be doing very well. At every non-stress test they also do a quick ultrasound. Alexandra was in her usual position with her legs over her head. My silly girl! She is breach and I can even feel her head when I cough. She has 9 more weeks to move head down and seems to be in no hurry at all.

Food: I am back to struggling with food. On Wednesday night I had a hamburger (no bun) and baked potato. My body did not like that and I woke up with bad acid reflux, despite having tried to preempt it with Mylanta!

Prepping for Baby: We received so many wonderful items at the Phoenix baby shower and now it is time to start putting the nursery together. The dresser, crib and changing table have arrived. The glider (chair) has been ordered and should be here soon. Next week, Dave's dad will be coming out to help put everything together. I am excited because that means I can start putting things away and setting up the nursery. I also need to make a priority to start putting together my bag for the hospital. A few ladies who are due in March have already had their babies so the reality is that Alexandra could decide to arrive at any time. I do, however, constantly urge her to stay put until March!

And of course, this weeks bump photo:

Baby Shower #1

I just returned home from a wonderful weekend in Phoenix where my mother in law threw us a fabulous shower at the Arizona Biltmore (Frank and Alberts Restaurant). Here are a few photos from the event. Alexandra got so many wonderful things and we are more prepared to meet her in just 10 weeks. We are so thankful to everyone who attended and made us feel so loved!

 With the grandmothers!

 Baby Einstein music turtle!

 A picture frame to keep track of her first year.

 A blanket to cover her carrier.

 Some U of A gear!

And a fun "bump" photo!

Week 30

We have made it to 30 weeks and are 75% of the way through our pregnancy journey!

About Baby: At 30 weeks, her skin is getting smoother and she is now strong enough to grasp a finger. We got to see her on Monday (New Year's Eve) and she weighed 3 pounds 1 ounce. Overall she measured about the 50th percentile for her gestational age which means she is perfectly average. Some parts of her seem to be growing faster than others, but all are in the normal range. Here is a picture of her face.

She still seems very interested in putting her legs over her head. I am happy she is so flexible and will make sure to get her involved in gymnastics, diving or something like that! Here is a picture!

How am I feeling? Good. I am enjoying the time off as I can relax more and thus feel like I am sleeping better. However, I have had a stiff neck since Saturday and keep trying to stretch it. I had a prenatal massage last weekend which helped a little and was very relaxing. I have felt Braxton Hicks contractions (which are practice contractions where my whole belly gets really hard for a short time but there is no pain). These are completely normal and it just feels funny. And I have a very annoying dry cough. It does not seem to get worse, but I am sure Alexandra feels her home shake every time I cough. I will ask the OB about it on Monday.

Movement: I love the fact that I feel movement throughout the day now and not just at night, although Alexandra seems to really like the night time. In that instance, she takes after her mommy's side of the family. Let's hope this means she likes to sleep in! I feel so fortunate that she is a gentle baby and has not given me any really hard kicks.

Updates: I had my three hour glucose test on Wednesday and will have my results at my next OB appointment on January 7th. The first hour was a challenge since I was hungry and thinking about how uncomfortable the waiting room was, but the second and third went faster as I settled into reading my book and listening to Rascal Flatts on my mp3 player. I have my second non stress test (NST) on Friday and think these will be pretty easy to do twice a week. I am still am holding at just 10 pounds gained.

Food:  The holidays helped with me having more food choices. I went back to eating scrambled eggs for breakfast, but have gagged on them several times. It is sad that what was once my favorite meal of the day is now the hardest and least enjoyable.

Prepping for Baby: The first baby shower is in Phoenix on Sunday and I am excited! Alexandra already has piles of items (mostly clothes) in our spare bedroom (that will be her's soon). I am anxious to get the nursery set up in a couple of weeks so I can start organizing and putting things away. I started contacting people for day care options and realize my biggest challenge is the time of day I will need to drop her off. Many don't start until 7:30-8:00 and I need to be in Temecula by 7:00!

Fun Story: I think 2013 is going to be the Year of the Baby. I currently have 3 other friends expecting babies in 2013 - one in February, one in April and one in August. It is cool to know Alexandra will have some other babies to grow up with that are close in age. It will be especially nice when we have parties with our friends and they can all play together.

And of course, this weeks bump photo: