28 weeks

How your baby's growing:

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

1. How Far Along? 28 weeks (as of this past Friday, April 22)

2. Total Weight Gain/Loss? Down 2lbs since last week. :-) Total gain 20 lbs. I must have been having a fat day when I weighed myself last week.

3. Maternity Clothes? Yes, please!

4. Gender? GIRL! :-)

5. Movement? Lots! It's starting to get weird- I can feel her limbs, I'm assuming arms and legs on the sides of my stomach now.  Sometimes her kicks, jabs, and rolls take my breath away. Hubs sees me wincing sometimes at night while I'm lying on the couch.  I think Baby Girl is finally starting to run out of room!

6. Sleep? Looking forward to sleeping on my belly once this pregnancy is over!!

7. What I miss? My energy. Although I feel great, I'm tired!

8. Cravings? Still LOVING fruits and veggies. Don't get me wrong, I still need a sweet treat after dinner (ice cream, pudding, a cookie, something!)! ;-)

9. Symptoms? Very sore and achy down below. I think it's just going to get worse.
  
10. Best moment this week?  Being able to work out 4 times.

Just a few tidbits.

-Today I'm officially 28 weeks- my weeks change on Friday's even though I typically don't post my weekly stats until Sunday/Monday. Grow baby, grow!
 
- I just got off the phone with my Doctor's office and I passed my Glucose test! Woo Hoo! It came back at 92- I guess anything under 130/140 is good. :-) My iron is on the low side of normal, which I totally expected. I always seem to border being anemic. Thank God I don't have to take any iron supplements! I'll just try to incorporate more red meat and iron rich foods into my diet.

-I have an official date of Graduation for my Master's Program! It's May 21st- so although I won't walk in the ceremony because I will be 7 months pregnant and we have scheduling conflicts (we have a wedding Friday night, my sister's dance recital the same day (Sat),  and then our Baby Shower on Sunday), it will be nice to finally have that diploma! It should arrive 3-4 weeks after graduation. I finished with a 3.79 GPA. Although I am super proud of my accomplishment since I worked FULL time at Forrester in sales while going throuhg the program,  I'm so bummed that it wasn't a 3.8. I think that you get a higher honor if you're 3.8- 4.0. I wonder if they round up? I think I'll still graduate Summa Cum Laude?

-I officially have passed all 4 of my MTEL (Massachusetts Teacher Education License) exams to be a licensed teacher in the state of Massachusetts! I have already put my application in with the Department of Education, and paid the application fee.  Apparently it will take 10 weeks to process (and I totally dragged my heels with submitting my paperwork), so I should have my license sometime in mid-June. :-) Exciting! If I wasn't due with Baby Girl 6 weeks before the school year starts, then I would have entertained looking for a teaching job for this year. However, with her being so little, I will stay home for the year. :-) Plus, I've heard from everyone that your first year teaching on your own is super overwhelming, so best not to try and juggle that and a newborn.

27 weeks--Welcome Third Trimester!

How your baby's growing:

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

1. How Far Along? 27 weeks! Some books say that your third trimester starts at 27 weeks, others at 28.  Since every book says that your first trimester ends at 13w3days- I'm going with your second trimester would end at 26w6days (which would have been Thursday). Either way, I'm close!!

2. Total Weight Gain/Loss? 22 lbs. My MW said not to panic because Baby Girl is going through a huge growth spurt right now, and weigh gain probably won't slow down until at least 30 weeks. Fabulous! I really want to keep it at 35lbs overall which could still be a reasonable number, but whatever happens, happens. I still have 3 months to go.  I'm trying to eat relatively healthy, and I'm back to working out 3 days a week. My body is gaining what it needs to.  I WILL loose it after she is born. :-)

3. Maternity Clothes? Yes, please!

4. Gender? GIRL! :-)

5. Movement? I can feel little Baby Girl's bum from the outside and I definitely know what position she's in. This week she has been the most active she has ever been, and I love it! T just got home from his business trip (he was gone for 6 days!!) and as soon as he saw my belly move this morning, he commented on how much different she looks from the outside now. It's definitely rolls of movement!

6. Sleep? Still using the one pillow in between my knees and it's been working!

7. What I miss? I'm starting to loose steam. I definitely cannot do the things I did pre-pregnancy as I am way more sore and tired.  I'm starting to know what my limits are though, and am listening to my body.  It's begining to get to the point in this pregnancy that I need to take it easy!

8. Cravings? FRUIT. FRUIT. and more FRUIT!! (Leaving this from last week because it's still the same!)

9. Symptoms? Very sore and achy down below. This is especially true after I work out at Barre class and have been on my feet for a while. :-( I spoke with my MW this week and she said that I should try to start taking baths at night to see if that helps with my aches.  

10. Best moment this week?  This week was rough because T was out of town the whole week. I missed him VERY much, it's just not the same when he isn't here.  I did my best to keep busy and planned lots of lunches/dinner dates with friends.  It was great to see my friends Allyson, Jocelyn, Tanya, Kirsten, Leah and Gina though. :-) Allyson and Jocelyn gifted Baby Girl with the cutest sleepers. This little baby has quite the wardrobe and at this point I'm going to have to change her multiple times per day to get through all of these beautiful clothes! If anyone is reading this is thinking about buying her clothes- she doesn't need anymore infant or 0-3 month sized clothes. :-) 

-Yesterday I had my gloucose test at the doctor. My appointment was at 10am but I went to the lab earlier to drink the orange drink, which was gross!!  When I went upstairs for my regular appointment I started to feel shaky and my heart was racing.  I hated it, it gave me anxiety because I was at the appointment by myself.  I'm not used to having that much sugar at one time. Here's to hoping that I pass with flying colors and do NOT have to go back for the 3 hour test.  I hear it's pretty awful because you can't eat for those 3 hours and you have your blood drawn 4 times!!

-At my appointment I met with a new MW, Erika.  She was very nice although I think I still prefer Beth as I'm most comfortable with her.  It was so crazy for Erika to be asking about whether we had chosen a pediatrician for Baby Girl (which we have talked about, but haven't set in stone) and what my birth plan was.  I can't believe how close we are! I explained that I definitely wanted to have an epidural for pain if I feel I need it and that I wanted just T and I in the Labor and Delivery Room.  I'm going to try and labor at home for as long I can, and soak in the tub, etc.  When we are at the hopsital I want to have our ipod docking station with us playing some music and for it to be as calm of an environment as possible. I'm not sure about visitors just yet- I'm sure that both sets of grandparents are going to want to be there to share in the experience (and we want them there!), but I just don't want to feel pressure of everyone waiting in the waiting room if I'm in labor a long time.  We may wait to call our parents until I'm pretty far dialated. Less waiting for them, and less pressure for us. I say that now, but we both may be such nervous wrecks that we call them right away, ha! :-)

DETOUR- Nursery!

After a lot of worrying and second guessing myself, I've decided that I wasn't 100% in love with the nursery theme that I had been going for.  Yes, I loved the lavender and loved the inspiration pictures that I had seen and posted here, but something just wasn't right.  Have you ever had the feeling of loving something for someone else, but you just can't picture YOU loving it for YOURSELF? Well, that was me with the Land of Nod crib bedding.  Only having lavender and white as colors (with the possibility of light green walls) in the room to use for decorating I felt pretty limited.  I worried that Baby Girl's room would feel too cool and modern and not really match T and my style completely.  I always had envisioned a warm nursery.  

So what did I do you ask? Well, first I started harassing T for his opinion on what we should do to which he told me that he would be fine with whatever I chose- new bedding or keeping with the original plan.  Then, I asked my mother her opinion on changing the color bedding to pink. She said that she liked it better in lavender rather than pink. At that point I figured that I'd just have to move along with the original plan and stick with the lavender bedding until......I happened to click on the Pottery Barn Kids website. Lo and behold they had JUST posted their new spring/summer nursery bedding collection.  Oh no, this couldn't be good, I thought to myself. And just like that I fell in love with new bedding.  Bedding that had everything I was looking for- warm tones, a white background, and lots of different colors/patterns to use in different decorations, it wasn't all pink (per T's once request), and wasn't too bright or flashy for a sweet baby girl's nursery.  

I immediately texted T and told him that he was going to kill me, but that I had found bedding that I loved more than the Land of Nod bedding.  *Keep in mind that my MIL had already ordered our baby shower invitations that had Land of Nod printed on them as one of our registries.  T told me to just go ahead and order the new bedding set immediately (it wouldn't ship until April 14th since it was so new) and to forget about the cost (we originally had hoped we'd receive it for the shower). T also said not to worry about the fact that our Land of Nod registry would essentially have nothing but a few random odds and ends left on it after I remove the With a Flourish old bedding set, oh well! So that's exactly what I did!

Currently we are still waiting for the new bedding to ship, but I am just so excited about it and am certain that I've made the right choice. We are going to do the walls in the nursery a light yellow and all pink accents (pink changing pad cover, rocking chair cushion, and curtains).  Once all of that is done we are going to decide what color to paint the bookcase that will go in Baby Girl's room. I love that we can do pink, blue, green, or just stick with the white to match her crib and dresser.

So without further ado, let me introduce to you the new bedding!!!! (Please don't let the crazy wall decals and busy picture deter you from seeing how pretty the bedding actually is.  Just look at that girly 3 layer dust ruffle! I DIE! :-)

  

26 Weeks

Sorry there is no bare belly shot this week, but it's a little difficult to pull off while in a dress! ;-)

How your baby's growing:

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

1. How Far Along? 26 weeks!

2. Total Weight Gain/Loss? 20 lbs.

3. Maternity Clothes? Maternity jeans and regular shirts. My wonderful husband just ordered me some Hudson maternity jeans and I cannot wait for them to arrive! :-) 

4. Gender? GIRL! :-)

5. Movement? Baby Girl is rolling all around. I used to feel her on one side or the other of my belly button, or down below, well now she is getting so big that I can feel her on either side at the same time! It seriously looks like I have a little alien in my belly from the outside.  T and I just sit and watch my belly move in bed- so cool!

6. Sleep? I've got a new system now- I am just using a regular pillow instead of the body pillow in between my legs and I'm doing better.  I still am up at least once a night for a potty run!

7. What I miss? Not being sore. :-/

8. Cravings? FRUIT. FRUIT. and more FRUIT!!

9. Symptoms? Very sore and achy down below. 

10. Best moment this week?  Seeing our precious baby at the 3D/4D ultrasound. I'm going to do a whole post on that separately! :-) Also, I went to my mom's house and was able to go through all of my baby stuff (from when I was a baby) and came across some awesome stuff! My mom saved all of my infant stuff from the hospital, my Baby Book, and coming home outfit- so fun! Baby Girl will get to wear the little mint green cardigan that I came home from the hospital in too! My mom also had a tub of clothes from when she and her twin sister were babies. My mom's christening gown was in there and in fabulous condition- I am so thrilled! Baby Girl is going to honor her Nana and wear that same gown 55 years later. Amazing, right?!

Grampy's Surprise 75th Birthday Party

We had my grandfather's surprise 75th birthday party last weekend and it was such a fun time! Grampy was surprised and was so thankful that we all came out to celebrate him! A few people were missing: my Uncle Tom and Aunt Rosie were picking up my cousin, Thomas, who was away in Florida for Spring Training for his high school's baseball team, and also my sister who had a dance competition. Here are some pictures from the party:

The handsome birthday boy arriving!

Surprised!

The awesome birthday cake for the golf lover!

Favors- they were chocolate bars

Aunt Ellen, Uncle Dick, Uncle Bob, and Grampy

Uncle John, Joe, and Aunt Barbara

My dad hosting trivia about Gramps!

Kath and I :-)

Dad, my brother Connor, and I

Aunt Nancy, Dad, Kath, Connor and I

Dad and Kath

The Soon-to-be Parents!

25 Weeks

How your baby's growing

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

1. How Far Along? 25 weeks!

2. Total Weight Gain/Loss? 18lbs (only have gained 3.5 lbs since my last doctors appointment which was 4 weeks prior). I think the weight gain has finally started to slow down! :-) Let's keep it that way. I'm really trying to keep to my 35lb goal.

3. Maternity Clothes? Maternity jeans and regular shirts. Just got the most awesome maternity workout pants and top from Gap Maternity. Thank goodness! I've been so uncomfortable at the gym.

4. Gender? GIRL! :-)

5. Movement? Baby Girl is VERY ACTIVE! She moves all the time.  I LOVE it! Such a fun part of pregnancy. I'm just dying to know what she is doing in there!

6. Sleep? Better. I'm getting more used to sleeping on my sides.  Such a pain to have to flip over in the middle of the night when my hips start to ache, but such is life!

7. What I miss? Being able to be on my feet for long periods of time. I think I'm starting to waddle a little bit, too!

8. Cravings? Hmmmm....this week I've been getting the Cobb Salad from Daily Harvest. Something about the lettuce, avocado, bacon, and hard boiled eggs with their sour balsamic dressing is totally doing it for me! Oh, and I've still been indulging in my Cold Stone Creamery ice cream nightly. Just a scoop will do ya!

Oh, and an update on the frozen banana hunt at Trader Joe's-- still nothing! I really need to not be so lazy and make them myself.  Maybe this week I will!

9. Symptoms? Just the typical aches and pains I've previously mentioned. Nothing new. I had my appointment at the OB on Thursday and again asked about the pressure, she assured me what I'm feeling is totally normal.

10. Best moment this week?  Going to the doctor for my regular appointment. This time my mom came with me and we got to hear the baby's heart beat again. Nice and strong! She was measuring perfectly (right between 24 and 25 weeks) and all is good.  Thank God she's not way ahead of where she should be for size.  From this point on I start my bi-weekly appointments until 36 weeks and then after that it goes to weekly appointments. Crazy to think that at my next appointment (about 2 weeks from now) I'll be starting my THIRD TRIMESTER!!!!!! Yikes! Time is just flying! There are days where I cannot wait to meet this little lady (more days than not), but then there are days where I'm just nervous about becoming a mom! It can be so overwhelming.  At my next appointment I also have to do the glucose test, get a rhogam (sp?) shot because I have O negative blood, and have some more blood work done. I'm nervous! This next appointment I am also meeting a new mid-wife. Beth (the mid-wife I typically see) suggested it might be a good idea to meet other midwives/doctors in the practice as there is a chance that she may not do my delivery.

-I also received all of the information that needs to be completed and sent back to the hospital to get my registration paperwork started in case Baby Girl wants to come early! This is all such craziness! Having to fill out paperwork that asks for "Mothers" and "Father's" info makes me die thinking about it! T and I are going to be PARENTS! :-)

-I know I previously mentioned that I was sick with a sinus infection this past week, but boy did it get the best of me! Geez! Something about being pregnant must have made the recovery a lot sloooower! I got the Z Pack on Friday and felt absolutely TERRIBLE until Tuesday/Wednesday.  I'd say I'm at about 90% now.

-Also worth mentioning: T and I are electing to do a 3d/4d ultrasound on Monday to get some great shots of Baby Girl. We both cannot wait to see what she looks like in there! I'm hoping she is comfy cozy but that she cooperates! I wonder if she has hair already or if she looks like T or I. I'll be sure to update with a few shots. :-)