Wednesday, September 24, 2008

29 Weeks

According to Babycenter: Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

Your baby's very active now. Your practitioner may ask you to spend some time each day counting kicks and will give you specific instructions on how to do this. Let her know if you ever notice a decrease in activity. You may need a nonstress test or biophysical profile to check on your baby's condition.

Some old friends — heartburn and constipation — may take center stage now. The pregnancy hormone progesterone relaxes smooth muscle tissue throughout your body, including your gastrointestinal tract. This relaxation, coupled with the crowding in your abdomen, slows digestion, which in turn can cause gas and heartburn — especially after a big meal — and contribute to constipation as well.
Its about time we are back to some produce that I actually recognize! This kid is getting huge!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Tired Puppy

What do you get when you take a Bella to boarding/day camp while you are out of town?That's one tired pup! Seriously, I have no idea how she got herself between those pillows either!

LA Trip

So we spent last weekend in LA as sort of a last pre-baby trip and it was great! The weather was perfect and we spent most of the time eating - with just a little bit of exploring, shopping, and swimming thrown in the mix. Good thing baby clothes are so small because we found a couple of places with great deals that we HAD to buy. Yep, had to!

So of course we had to try Pink's Hot Dogs and they were... meh. I mean, that was a really long line for a hot dog with Costco grade ingredients slapped on. But it was definately an experience to be had!

We had breakfast at Beachcomber one day - literally right on the beach! So nice and the food was great. It was sort of in a state park though so Doug had to drop me off and park across the highway and take a shuttle back to the restaurant.. weird!

Pinkberry - amazing! I wish I'd had time to go back and try the coffee flavor too!

Sprinkles Cupcakes! So good - although, I think Kara's in SF is better.

Rodeo Drive - just for fun.

Sitting outside a movie theater waiting to see My Best Friend's Girl. It was good!

Oh and of course we also had to have In N Out Burger and Sonic while we were there. Can you tell eating is easier for me then walking a lot nowadays?!

Monday, September 22, 2008

Cutest Baby Purchase Ever

Ok, I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I pretty much hate those ugly holey Croc shoes on any adult that is not a chef, doctor/nurse, or gardener. But I love LOVE them on babies! Since we happened to run into a Crocs store in SeaTac, Milo is now the proud owner of these adorable shoes:
Believe me, this kid is going to be better dressed then either of his parents. I am quite sure of that.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

28 Weeks

So Milo has become quite the ham in the last couple weeks. Not only can I feel him constantly, but I can also see him constantly! In fact, sometimes his movements are so huge that it looks like an alien is going to bust on out of my tummy - its pretty entertaining!

Ahh pregnancy, the only time its ok to stretch horizontal stripes over your belly! Although, they are starting to get a little deformed, aren't they?
According to Babycenter: 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.

You're in the home stretch! The third and final trimester starts this week. If you're like most women, you'll gain about 11 pounds this trimester. At this point, you'll likely visit your doctor or midwife every two weeks. Then, at 36 weeks, you'll switch to weekly visits.

Around this time, some women feel an unpleasant "creepy-crawly" sensation in their lower legs and an irresistible urge to move them while trying to relax or sleep. If this sensation is at least temporarily relieved when you move, you may have what's known as restless legs syndrome (RLS). No one knows for sure what causes RLS, but it's relatively common among expectant mothers. Try stretching or massaging your legs, and cut down on caffeine, which can make the symptoms worse. Ask your caregiver if you should try iron supplements, which can sometimes relieve RLS.

Holy crap - it looks like an actual baby!

I guess this is a Chinese cabbage... but I've never seen one before so we'll have to believe that google images is telling the truth!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Talk about timing..

So, I was walking back from the bathroom a few minutes ago, feeling particularly dumpy - you know, its the end of the day, my outfit is not one of my favorites, my hair is not looking so good - and as I am literally thinking that I can't wait to get home and put on sweatpants because I feel so icky one of the receptionists stops me. This is a different one from the other day, she's kind of new and I've never really talked to her. Well, she stops me and says out of no where and says "You look so cute pregnant! You just have the cutest little round bump!"

Seriously, even though I hear it from Doug all the time, its nice to hear it from a stranger every so often, and her timing could not have been better!

But, I'm still going to put sweatpants on when I get home... ;-)

Monday, September 15, 2008

The Stay-Puff Marshmellow Stef

AKA The Joys of the 3rd Trimester

So, before I got pregnant I wore I size 7/7.5 shoe. Now, I wear an 8.5/9 shoe. Currently, my feet are so swollen that the size 9 I am wearing today feels like its going to cut off my circulation.

Oh and my previously size 6 fingers are now being strangled by my size 8 fake ring set.

I am also now ordering a size larger in shirts, otherwise the world will get a lovely view of the bottom of my pasty, veiny belly.

And to add insult to injury, my pants have also become a size larger, and now I buy them with the dreaded full belly panel. Seriously, I was in full on denial about this one until I got a pair of hand-me-down pants in a size larger with said ridiculous panel. I was shocked to find that not only did they fit me perfect but the big ugly panel is actually really comfortable. WTF?!

Damn you Cousin T!! You should have kept your pants to yourself!

Friday, September 12, 2008

"Sooo, what's up?!"

I just had the cutest conversation with the receptionist at my work. And yes, I'm a terrible person because I can't remember her name right now even though she knows my name with the gazillion people that work here. So lets call her R, for receptionist, shall we?

R: I've been meaning to talk to you! How are you?
S: Good!
R: So, I swore I would never ever ever ask anyone this every again....
S: Ok... (I totally knew where this was going btw, but I thought this game was fun! Ha.)
R: but I always watch you walk back and forth so..... Anything new with you?!
(incidentally, the walking back and forth is the 8 million times per day I go to the bathroom and walk past her desk)
S: Uh, no I don't think so...
R: No new.... additions to the family or anything like that?
S: Oh, well maybe.
R: (confused look)
S: No, I'm kidding, I'm due in December!

She looked so relieved... and then told me how she once asked the most obviously pregnant person ever - very thin with just a big belly - and she said she wasn't pregnant so she didn't want to ask me! So I could have told her outright, but its much more fun to play this game. And she was a very good sport! And it was very nice of her to pretend that she didn't notice that I pee roughly once an hour when I told her that should have been her biggest giveaway.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

27 Weeks

Holy crap - we are officially in the 3rd Trimester now!

According to Babycenter:
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.

The second trimester is drawing to a close, but as your body gears up for the final lap, you may start noticing some new symptoms. Along with an aching back, for example, you may find that your leg muscles cramp up now and then. They're carrying extra weight, after all, and your expanding uterus is putting pressure on the veins that return blood from your legs to your heart as well as on the nerves leading from your trunk to your legs. Unfortunately, the cramps may get worse as your pregnancy progresses. Leg cramps are more common at night but can also happen during the day. When a cramp strikes, stretching the calf muscle should give you some relief. Straighten your leg and then gently flex your toes back toward your shin. Walking for a few minutes or massaging your calf sometimes helps, too.

Umm, I feel like this week's produce is huge compared to the last couple weeks!

Freaky!!

Today I saw Milo kick from the outside for the first time - and it is crazy! It was so hard that it really surprised me how dramatic it looked!

I was sitting in a meeting at work, and clearly Milo was getting bored with it. I can't blame him one bit!

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Baby Shower!

This Saturday was my baby shower in Buffalo!  There was lots of people, tons of food, cheesecake, and chocolate covered Oreo favors.  Need I say more?  And rain held off until the very end, when we were saved by the tarps.

People!

The Grandma's getting the food ready.
Opening tons of gifts.  We have 2 gigantic suitcases filled with things and so many gift cards to buy the rest!  We are so lucky - everyone was very generous!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

New Furniture!

I do love new furniture deliveries!

Six months after we moved in we finally got around to finding a coffee table!

And Milo's rocker recliner is here! I'll be lucky if I can keep Doug from spending every waking minute relaxing in this thing even before the baby the comes!

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

26 Weeks

Somehow my lovely husband always manages to catch a double chin on me. Thanks! I blame the fact that he is always laying down when he takes pictures. Sit up next time!
According to Babycenter:
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.

Are you rushing around trying to get to childbirth classes and prepare your baby's room while still taking care of all your other daily tasks? Make sure that you also continue to eat well and get plenty of rest. Around this time, your blood pressure may be increasing slightly, although it's probably still lower than it was before you got pregnant. (Typically, blood pressure falls toward the end of the first trimester, and it tends to reach a low at about 22 to 24 weeks.)

If your lower back seems a little achy lately, you can thank both your growing uterus — which shifts your center of gravity, stretches out and weakens your abdominal muscles, and may be pressing on a nerve — as well as hormonal changes that loosen your joints and ligaments. Plus, the extra weight you're carrying means more work for your muscles and increased stress on your joints, which is why you may feel worse at the end of the day. Walking, standing, or sitting for long periods, as well as bending and lifting can all put a strain on your back. A warm bath or hot compress might bring relief. (Some women, though, find cool compresses more comforting.) Try to maintain good posture during the day, avoid activities that require bending and twisting at the same time, take frequent breaks when sitting or standing, and sleep on your side with one or both knees bent with a pillow between your legs, using another pillow (or wedge) to support your abdomen.
Turns out there are very few pictures of Hothouse Cucumbers on the internet. Probably because if you don't know what they are live in a cave and therefore do not use internet.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Double Digits!

Thats right, as of today we only have 99 days to go! I had my 26w appointment today and had to take my glucose test, which was not that bad tasting but brought back fond (yeah right) memories of the 1st trimester and feeling pukey for hours at a time. A little McDonalds for lunch took care of that though!

Also, my doctor measured fundal height today for the first time, which is something like the length from the bottom of your belly to the top of your uterus. Typically the number of cm should equal the number of weeks you are. Well, at 26 weeks I was 29.5 cm! Luckily for us, at this point the measurement isn't super accurate yet so it won't mean a whole lot right now. But, it would seem that Milo is going to be a big boy at this rate!

So, with 99 days to go what have we got done so far?

Well, this past weekend Doug and Tommy painted the room and we got the crib all set up!We ordered our rocker recliner...And, I picked this giant pile of adorable up at Babystyle today. Please to meet the Porter the Puppy chair. He looks a lot like Bella, don't you think?
Silly me picked him up before I ate lunch to he sat across from me in a booth at McDonalds. Thank goodness he was at least wrapped in a clear plastic bag or I would have really looked like I bought the farm! And then I dragged him back to work with me where he sat under my desk and played guard dog all day. He might look like Bella, but I promise you, he is much calmer! ;-)

Cubicle Guard Dog