Appointment today

Baby's heart rate = 132 beats per minute (much lower than it usually is, but still well within the normal range).

My blood pressure = can't remember the exact numbers, but it's fine.

Fundal height (uterus) = 36.5 cm .... usually one cm for every week, so a bit big since I am 35 weeks. At my last appointment (3 weeks ago), the measurement was 32 cm, so a big jump!

Weight gain = 38 pounds!!!! That is so much ... I don't even know what to say about it! Actually, yes I do ... I am going to have to work really hard to get rid of it all!

Baby is still head down, but it's back is now on the left side with the feet and arms on the right side. The baby is lying kind of sideways, but it's back is facing too much towards my back (for an optimal delivery position). So, I am not supposed to lay on my back at all anymore ... only on my left-hand side to encourage the baby to shift a little more so it's tummy is facing my back. I can also go swimming and float with my belly down to create more of a hammock for the baby to fall into ... that actually sounds kind of nice right now!

35 weeks!

Week Thirty-Five

The average baby weighs almost five and a half pounds now.

Most babies born now will survive and without many long-term problems.

Fat accumulations plumps up the arms and legs this week. These layers of fat will help him regulate his body temperature. They also provide those cute little dimples on elbows and knees!

Her hearing is fully developed, so be sure to talk to your daughter. Do you find yourself speaking in a high-pitched tone? That's okay since some studies show babies respond better to higher pitches.

It's getting crowded! Your baby is now taking up most of the uterus and you may even feel like your chest has run out of room! Soon enough though, baby will move down and you'll be able to breathe easily again (just not walk so easily! Ha!).

Your baby is 18.2 inches (46.2cm) long and weighs 5.3 pounds (2383gm).

Maybe it is all part of the preparation...

We are not getting ANY sleep these days! It takes me so long to get comfortable and when I finally do, the baby starts kicking up a storm and I have to move or I have to get up to go to the washroom or the alarm goes off.

Sandy has been a good sport about the tossing and turning ... although, he did call me a "floundering fish" last night!

Maybe this is nature's way of preparing us for the extreme lack of sleep that is sure to come our way one day soon.

Busy little bee ...

Both me and the baby!

This weekend I painted the front and back stairs, finished the roman shade for the baby's room, touched up all the trim in the house, vacuumed and mopped all three floors, did six or seven loads of laundry, cleaned both bathrooms, scrubbed the blinds, made muffins, and took Ryder on lots of walks! It was a busy weekend, but it feels great to have accomplished so much.

Tonight I was lying on the couch and Sandy was sitting on the carpet beside me talking to the baby. The little one started going crazy .... kicking and moving around all over the place! It was really nice to see all that movement because the baby has been kind of quiet the past couple of days. We were laughing so hard because whenever Sandy rested his head on my tummy, the baby karate kicked him in the side of the head.



*** On a separate note, my Grandpa underwent a major surgery today and came through successfully. We are very grateful to still have him with us....he's a tough one!

Week 34!

Week Thirty-Four

Your baby acts completely like a newborn, with her eyes opened when awake and closed when sleeping. You may also find her settling into more of a routine for sleeping & awake times.

She has learned to blink. She can also see more clearly when there is a bright light on your stomach and probably has the outline of all your organs memorized!

Antibodies from your blood are being tranferred to him. These immunities continue to build until birth. Then breastmilk will add even more protection against disease.

Your baby may have already turned to a head-down position in preparation for birth. If he is your first baby, he may be settling into the pelvis with his head pressing against your cervix.

Fingernails have reached the end of the fingertips now. She may scratch her face even before she is born!

Your little one's length is 17.7 inches (45cm) and weight is 4.7 pounds (2146 g).

oof!

I make that noise a lot these days. As the baby grows, it takes up more and more room (makes sense right? :) Our little baby has been head down with its bum up around my rib cage/diaphragm since the beginning. This is great news for a successful delivery, but it is also starting to get really uncomfortable!

The baby likes to push its little bum up and out (often!). So, there I'll be going about my daily business when all of a sudden, "OOF!" The right side of my belly goes way out and is rock hard...the baby's bum is right there...being pushed out as far as possible. Obviously, the baby really likes to do this because it happens A LOT.

It's still pretty cool to see the movement, but I feel like my torso needs to be a lot longer to accomodate this particular move. I wonder what it's going to feel like over the next couple of weeks as the baby gets even bigger!!!

33 weeks 5 days

That's how far I am today. And, here is the crazy part .... a good friend of mine had her baby 6 weeks ago when she exactly this far along. Her due date is actually tomorrow! She spent two weeks in the hospital with her baby boy but he is home now and doing well. When he was born, he weighed 5 pounds and now he is up around 7 pounds. We are very happy for their family.

At the same time, I can't believe that is about how big our baby is right now!!! Until this little one is actually born, I think I will still be in a bit of denial about the fact that we are really and truly going to have a baby!!!