Nursery Tour

Here's an updated tour of the nursery with some of the new items from the baby shower...

8 Months!

8 MONTHS PREGNANT!

This week your baby weighs almost four pounds and could be up to 19 inches long. And though that's a head-to-toe length, your baby is actually back to a curled-up position (you try standing up in those cramped quarters!). At 32 weeks pregnant, you're likely feeling tapping and squirming instead of your baby's signature rocking and rolling. That's because, while comfy, your baby is a bit tight for exercise space right now. Your baby has also probably settled into the head-down, bottoms-up position in your pelvis in prepartion for birth. That's because the fetus's head fits better at the bottom of your inverted, pear-shaped uterus. It also makes it easier during childbirth if your baby comes out head first. Fewer than five percent of babies prefer the bottom-down (or breech) position by full-term. Don't worry if your baby hasn't assumed the head-down position yet. There's still a good chance he or she will flip head-side-down before birth — even in the tight confines of your uterus.

While your baby is still getting nourishment through the umbilical cord, it won't be long before you'll be bringing on the breast milk or formula (and soon after, the mashed carrots and peas). In anticipation of that momentous transition to mouth feeding, your baby's digestive system is all set and ready to go.

And because your baby is accumulating more fat, his or her skin is finally turning opaque (like yours), which means those see-through days are over. Though weeks away from D-day, your baby's looking more and more like a newborn.

And speaking of that big day, hope you're resting up for it — because your bambino certainly is. In preparation for that big first date with you, your baby is sleeping like a baby — with sleep cycles of 20 to 40 minutes long (which would also account for the decrease in movement you're likely feeling these days).

 

56 days until we get to meet McKenzie Ann Clough!

Baby Shower!!!!!!!!

Our baby shower was held on Sunday, September 26, 2010 at the Hopkinton Country Club.  The shower was so much fun and beautiful!  The decorations were so detailed and pretty!  The cake was delicious and the food was superb!  We got so many gifts, we can't believe it!!!!!!  The best part was spending a nice day with so many wonderful people!  McKenzie is a very lucky baby and we can't wait for everyone to meet her!

Check out the pictures from the shower!

31 weeks 1 day!

31 Weeks!

Week 31 of Pregnancy: Activity in the Womb

As far as growth goes, your baby's still on a roll, measuring an impressive 18 inches and weighing in at more than three pounds. At 31 weeks pregnant, you can still expect your baby to gain at least three to five pounds, possibly more, before you two meet.


Your baby's brain is working overtime these days, developing faster than ever. Connections between individual nerve cells are growing at a frenetic clip, and your baby can now perceive information from all five senses. Sure, your baby can't smell anything right now, but that's only because he or she is still submerged in amniotic fluid and needs to be breathing air to get a whiff of anything. Lucky for you — and your baby — yours will be one of the very first scents your baby breathes in, a scent that will quickly become his or her very favorite.


So what's your little dove doing all day while you're busy feathering your nest for his or her arrival? Making faces, hiccupping, swallowing, breathing, pedaling with little hands and feet along your uterine wall, and even sucking his or her thumb. In fact, some babies suck their thumbs so vigorously while in the womb that they're born with a callus on their thumb (what a little sucker!).


9 WEEKS UNTIL WE GET TO SEE OUR BABY!

30 Weeks 4 days

Today we had our first appointment with the midwife!  She was awesome!  She is one of 10, so the odds of getting her on "the big day" is slim to none, but it's nice to know how they operate as a group.

Well, it's happened...I've broke even from my prepregnancy weight.  Today I weighed in the same I did the day I found out I was pregnant!  I've officially gained 0 pounds overall.

Baby's heartrate was in the 130s again and she has moved head down!  We were pretty sure she was breech last appointment and maybe that's why I was measuring ahead.  Today I measured 31 weeks, which I will be on Thursday.

She also said that baby is pretty low in my pelvis and that's why I've had to pee so much more lately!!  Even though baby is low, the midwife said she hasn't dropped yet.

Good News!

I PASSED MY THREE HOUR GLUCOSE SCREENING!  NO GESTATIONAL DIABETES!  BRING ON THE ICE CREAM...ok not too much!

30 Weeks!!!!!!!!!!

TEN WEEKS LEFT!

Here we are at 30 weeks pregnant, with only 10 weeks left!



Week 30 of Pregnancy: Fetal Brain Development

Until now, the surface of your baby's brain was smooth. Now that little brain is taking on those characteristic grooves and indentations, which allow for an increased amount of brain tissue as your developing baby prepares for life outside your womb.

Your baby's height and weight haven't changed much in the past week, but the big news is your baby's brain gain. Until now, the surface of your baby's brain was smooth. Now, your fetus's brain is taking on those characteristic grooves and indentations. The reason for this change in appearance? Those wrinkles allow for an increased amount of brain tissue — a necessary change as your developing baby prepares for life outside your womb, and the street smarts he or she will need.



Another big change at 30 weeks pregnant: Your baby's bone marrow has taken over production of red blood cells (before, tissue groups and then the spleen took care of producing the blood cells). This is an important step for your baby, because it means he or she is better able to thrive on his or her own once born (with a little TLC from you, of course).



So it's in with the new (brain cells, red blood cells) and out with the old (lanugo). Much of the lanugo — the soft, downy hair covering your baby's body — is beginning to disappear now because both fat and the brain are regulating your baby's body temperature (so no need for that furry coat anymore). But you may see a few leftover strands of fur on your newborn's back and shoulders.

70 DAYS UNTIL WE MEET OUR BABY!

29 Weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well here we are at 29 weeks pregnant! 

Unfortunately, I failed the glucose test, so I'm heading back to do the 3 hr glucose test on Thursday.  In 17 days we are heading back to Goldenview Ultrasound to see baby again! 

Week 29 of Pregnancy: Baby Fat

Your baby is almost 17 inches tall now, nearly as tall as he or she will be at birth. But that three-pound weight will likely more than double — and may even come close to tripling — by delivery time.


At 29 weeks pregnant, your baby is almost 17 inches tall now (nearly as tall as he or she will be at birth), and close to three pounds (a weight that will likely more than double — and may even come close to tripling — by delivery time). His or her wrinkled skin is smoothing out as more fat is deposited under the skin surface. This fat, called white fat, is different from the earlier brown fat that your developing fetus accumulated. Brown fat is necessary for body temperature regulation while white fat (the fat you have, Mom) actually serves as an energy source.



Which explains why your energizer baby feels so…well…energized! Space in your baby's living quarters is now at a premium, so you'll be feeling jabs and pokes from elbows and knees mostly. But those kicks will be more vigorous than before (and also less erratic) because your baby is stronger and excitedly responding to all sorts of stimuli — movement, sounds, light, and that candy bar you ate half an hour ago.



Luckily, your baby doesn't have teeth yet that would need a brushing after that sugary treat, but it won't be long before you'll need to buy that first baby toothbrush! You'll recall that your baby's baby-teeth buds formed weeks ago, but now the buds for permanent teeth are forming in his or her gums as well.
And back to those kicks, who's counting? Actually, you should be. Now's a good time to start doing a kick count twice a day to make sure baby's doing just fine (plus, it's a good excuse for a rest). Lie down (preferably after a snack) and keep track of your baby's movements. You're looking for at least ten movements in an hour's time (don't forget to count movements of any kind — kicks, flutters, swishes, rolls, and so on).

29 Weeks Pregnant Pic

Test Results

Welp, I failed the glucose test by ONE point!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  So now I have to do the 3hr test (11 hours of fasting). Wicked bummer!

Although I was borderline anemic...doctor says I don't need to take any addtional supplements. So that's good.

Today I started school and found out two kids have chicken pox in kindergarten!!  I haven't seen someone with chicken pox in years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I've never had chicken pox, so I'm trying to avoid getting it, although if I was exposed it's too late now!  Cross your fingers that I don't get chicken pox at 24 and pregnant!

Oh and that I don't end up having Gestational Diabetes!!

7 Month OB Appointment

Today we had our 7 month OB appointment.  Here are some highlights:

• I've gained 3 lbs since last month, but still 3 pounds away from breaking even at my prepregnancy weight.
• Blood Pressure was 112/70!
• My fundal height measured 30 cm, which shows I'm measuring slightly ahead.
• Baby's heartrate was 138 bpm
• I did the glucose test and will get the results on Tuesday.
• I also got my Rhogam Shot!
• Bad news is I have to wear a maternity support belt because of cramps I've been getting when walking.  I hope this will be the solution!

We got back in 2 weeks, so look for another update!

3rd Trimester!!!!!!!

WOW!  Today marks the start of my third and FINAL trimester.  I am also, now, officially 7 months pregnant!  I will update again tomorrow, as we have our OB appointment and Glucose test tomorrow morning.

28 Weeks Pregnant

Your developing baby, who this week weighs in at about two and a half pounds and stands — or rather lies — at almost 16 inches (measured head to toe) has added blinking, coughing, and more intense sucking to his or her growing bag of tricks.

Are you dreaming about your baby? At 28 weeks pregnant, your baby may be dreaming about you, too. Brain wave activity measured in a developing fetus shows different sleep cycles, including the rapid eye movement phase, the stage when dreaming occurs.

By now, your baby, who weighs in at about two and a half pounds and stands — or rather lies — at almost 16 inches (measured head to toe) has added blinking to his or her growing bag of tricks. (Outside in the real world, blinking is necessary to help keep foreign objects out of the eyes.) Other impressive new talents being added to your baby's roster in the womb include coughing, more intense sucking, and, perhaps most important, better breathing.
The good news is that babies born this week, though premature, have an excellent prognosis because their lungs have reached the point (for the most part) of maturity — so you too can breathe a little easier now. Of course, it's still best if a baby doesn't check out of that uterine hotel just yet — there's still a lot of growing and maturing to do over the next 12 weeks.

12 weeks until we meet our little one!