Sunday, November 29, 2009

UPDATE 11-29-09

Last Monday night I was woken up several times with contractions and had them continually through Tuesday afternoon (although they were not the 5-6 minutes apart like the doctor wants them to be). I called my doctor to see who would be on call over Thanksgiving and described the contractions. I had gone in last Thursday and was dialated to a 1 and 0% effaced. Due to the fact that I had already started dialating, he had me come in Tuesday afternoon to see if I had made any progress. I was then a 2 1/2 and effaced 75%. When I left he said, "I will see you at your next appointment Monday afternoon if you make it that far, however, I think I will be hearing from you before then. You probably will not make it through the weekend." Of course we were SUPER excited. Well, it's now Sunday and I am still having the irregular contractions that are random times apart. They are stronger and are now in my back, however, they are still not the 5-6 minutes apart and my water has not broken yet...so we will see...

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

37 Weeks (9 months, 1 week) Pregnant - Baby Large Mouth Bass

Not a very attractive comparison, but they say she is the size of an average "large mouth bass." I am so glad I am not having a fish for a baby...ha ha!
Your baby is officially baked this week! That means you could literally give birth at any given moment. (Monday night I had several contractions off and on all night and a few at school Tuesday during the day so I called my doctor and he had me come in. Last Thursday I was dialated to almost a 1 and was effaced 0%. Yesterday afternoon I was dilated to a 2 1/2 and effaced 75%. To have the baby you have to be dialated to a 10 and effaced 100%...therefore, when I was leaving, my doctor said, "See you Monday at your next appointment, however, I think I am going to hear from you before then. I would not be surprised if you have this baby in the next few days." As I type this I am counting contractions. To go to the hospital my water has to break or my contractions have to be 5-6 minutes apart for at least an hour....so it might be soon! We are sooooooo excited!) A terrifying, exciting and overwhelming concept, all rolled into one. Your partner is undoubtedly having the same emotional roller-coaster ride, so be sure to share your feelings and enjoy these last weeks (days?! hours?!) together.


You made it! Your baby is considered full term at the end of this week. So kick your swollen feet up and swig back a glass of lemonade. All that hard work has finally paid off!At your checkup this week, your doctor or midwife may do an internal exam to see how things are progressing. We're not gonna lie to you, an "internal" can hurt like hooey. (It did not "hurt," however, it was extremely uncomfortable...lots of pressure is the best way to describe it I guess.) But hey, it ain't labor! While she's in there, your practitioner will check three things: dilation (how open your cervix is), ripeness (how soft your cervix is) and effacement (how thin your cervix is). For baby to come on out, the cervix must be open to 10 centimeters, as soft as the skin on the inside of your mouth and 100 percent effaced.

Huge news this week: You're carrying a full-term baby! If you were to go into labor today, all systems would be a go. Woohoo! Even though you can't wait for the little bambino to quite literally rear her head, keep in mind that your bun benefits from every day in the oven. Other ticker-tape-worthy developments:Baby's growth slows down dramatically this week, which is great news for your birth canal. Her bones are still soft and pliable and will solidify after she's born. More great news for your birth canal.So if she's all cooked and ready to go, what the heck is she still doing in there?! She's busy practicing for "life on the outside," working on her breathing, sucking, sleeping, gazing and peeing abilities. The only thing she can't practice yet is her ability to scream at the top of his lungs when she's hungry—but she'll do plenty of that in a few weeks.At this point babies vary in size, but the average length is between 19 and 20 inches and most babies weigh approximately 6 pounds. About the size of an average largemouth bass caught in Minnesota by your cousin Earl.

We will keep everyone updated as we know more. Most likely we will text everyone when she is here and then either Eric or my mom or his mom will be making phone calls to relatives. Until then...

Saturday, November 21, 2009

36 Weeks (9 months) Pregnant - Baby Breadbox


My Team: Me, Hope, Sarah, Sabrina, and Andi



Eric and I


With a mere 28 days to go (give or take a few), you're almost at the end—and the beginning of your new life. Finish up your final prep by stocking up on diapers, washing the onesies and making sure the nursery is good to go. Then, even if baby comes early, you're still ready. Of course, every new parent feels wildly unprepared regardless of how operational the nursery is, but at least you won't be diaperless!Wondering what's up with your body, your baby and your life this week? What you're thinking: "One hundred bottles of milk on the wall, one hundred bottles of milk. Take one down, pass it around, 99 bottles of milk on the wall ..." Your BodyJust when you think you can't possibly stand another day of your baby kicking your lungs and crowding your stomach, your baby will drop it like it's hot. (We found out this past Thursday at my doctor appointment that Brianna has already dropped and has her head right at my cervix..."as low as she can be" according to our doctor.) This process, called lightening, will probably make it easier for you to breathe, but with your baby's head resting directly on your bladder, you'll be breathing all the way to the bathroom. When your baby drops, you can rest assured that your pregnancy journey will be over within the next few weeks. Make sure to know the many signs and symptoms of labor so that you won't be caught with your pants down (both figuratively and literally). Your baby continues to put on weight at about ½ pound each week. This layer of fat will help your baby regulate his body temperature after leaving your climate-controlled womb. In fact, your baby will be 15 percent fat at birth (and you ... well that's another story). Even in the womb, your baby can listen, feel, touch and see. The only thing separating her from living in the outside world is a little thing called the birth canal. Other highlights this week:Her gums are firm with ridges that look somewhat like teeth, though her actual pearly whites won't start breaking through until she's between three months and a year old.Your baby has definite patterns of sleep and wakefulness—opening her eyes while awake and closing them while sleeping. Your baby will become alert and turn her head toward light and sound just as a newborn would—except when you put on that Celine Dion CD. Then the baby puts her hands up, turns away and gurgles, "Oh no you didn't!" Your baby is now around 18½ inches long and nearly 6 pounds—just about as big as a breadbox!
Wednesday (11-18-09) my kindergarten team hosted my work baby shower. (Those are pictures from it above). They did such a great job and the cake was AWESOME! Thank you guys for all of your hard work and for being such a wonderful team to work with!
We went for our 36 week appointment this past Thursday and Dr. Levy seems to think that she will be arriving a little bit early. I am dialated to a 1 but could sit there for a few days or even weeks. I am supposed to go straight to the hospital if my water breaks (no matter what) or if my contractions are 5-6 minutes apart. I had a few other signs of labor too that started Friday (not contractions and not my water breaking), but not something I want to post on here...maybe you can figure it out. HA HA! I called the doctor and told him and he said I am fine until my water breaks or I have contractions. This was just another sign of me dialating more...
After feeling around, he is predicting she will be "small" at about 7-8 pounds. I said, "ARE YOU KDDING ME??? THAT IS SMALL???" And he said, "Yes, our typical baby now days is 8-9 1/2 pounds." Wow...no thank you.
Eric and I have just been getting ready for her...washing clothes, the entire house, etc. HA HA! Our new fence is in the process of going up. I am hoping they will be done before Thanksgiving because it's no fun having to put a leash on and walk out with Caesar every time he needs to go to the bathroom.
Well, this week should be nice. I am only teaching Monday and Tuesday and then have Wednesday through Sunday off. (WOO HOO!) Wouldn't it be nice to have Brianna that Sunday the 29th? :) You never know right?

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Our Maternity Pictures (taken by www.hillaryannephotography.com)

Here are our maternity pictures done by http://www.hillaryannephotography.com/. We absolutely love them and hope that you enjoy them too. I put a lot more on Facebook, so if you like these, make sure to check out my Facebook page. 3 1/2 more weeks to go!!!!































Sunday, November 15, 2009

35 Weeks Pregnant - Baby Honeydo Melon


The baby monitor we bought...What a 35 Week Baby Looks Like...


Well, I failed once again at taking a picture this week. I have just been way too tired to think about it, but I am definitely taking some this coming week (since tomorrow I am 36 weeks). I am so far behind!

Eric and I did not do much this week besides get ready for Brianna. We bought the baby monitor with some gift cards we had. It is so neat! Eric and Chris (Susan's boyfriend) put it together and got it all ready. We LOVE how you can not only hear, but you can see what is going on in the crib (therefore if she is crying and okay, we can see it, not just wonder or have to go check on her and see she is okay) both during the day and at night. How awesome is that??? Eric and I also did the yard, did some grocery shopping, and then did a LOT of washing to prepare for anyone who is staying here to help us out when Brianna first arrives.

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (about the size of a honeydo melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Your uterus — which was entirely tucked away inside your pelvis when you conceived — now reaches up under your rib cage. If you could peek inside your womb, you'd see that there's more baby than amniotic fluid in there now. Your ballooning uterus is crowding your other internal organs, too, which is why you probably have to urinate more often and may be dealing with heartburn and other gastrointestinal distress. If you're not grappling with these annoyances, you're one of the lucky few.

From here on out, you'll start seeing your practitioner every week. (I start seeing him every week starting this coming week...aka 36 weeks.) This is also a good time to create a birth plan — like who'll be present, what pain management techniques you want to try, and where you want your baby to stay after you deliver. It will give you a starting point to discuss your preferences with your medical team. Childbirth is unpredictable, and chances are you won't follow your plan to the letter, but thinking about your choices ahead of time — and sharing your preferences with your caregiver — should take some of the anxiety out of the process. (We are doing this at my 36 week appointment.)

Well, I will update this after our 36 week appointment. I also have my work baby shower Wednesday so that should be really fun! I am really looking forward to this week. :)

Saturday, November 7, 2009

34 Weeks Pregnant - Baby Little Human

First of All - If you were not able to see Brianna's sonogram (and you want to), make sure to check it out in the previous blog. (Aunt) Susan posted it for us a few days ago.
34 Weeks Pregnant34 Weeks Pregnant
What a baby looks like at 34 Weeks Pregnant...
Sorry that I am SUPER FAR behind for this week. I am almost 35 weeks (on Monday), but I figured that since it's Saturday, I still have a little bit of time left to write my "34 Weeks" journal...so here it is:


By 34 weeks pregnant your baby is now 4.7 pounds and just shy of 18 inches long!! More so than ever before your baby resembles a miniature being from pregnancy 34 weeks on. Your baby is continuing to grow and fill out during pregnancy week by week. In fact, that is her primary job during pregnancy at 34 weeks and beyond. Not much changes from 34 weeks pregnant and on except your baby is adding valuable meat to her bones. Keep in mind that the weights presented each week in our week to week guide are only estimates. Some babies will weigh in a bit larger and others a bit smaller. (Supposedly she is in the 48 percentile so she is a little on the smaller size.) Some babies will also be longer or shorter. Every baby is unique. There are many factors that make estimating the weight of your baby challenging as you continue pregnancy week by week. Many women like to get an estimate about how big their baby is during their prenatal visits. However, most estimates can be as much as 1 to 2 pounds off in either direction. There are many reasons for this. It is difficult to guess how much the baby will weigh combined with the placenta and amniotic fluid. Even with ultrasound your healthcare providers best estimate may be off. Ultrasound however can be a valuable too to help predict the weight of the baby. (At our last sonogram they said that they are estimating she will be between 6-7 pounds when she is born if she is born on or around her due date.) During an ultrasound your healthcare provider will take many measurements to help estimate the baby's weight and size. Among the more common measurements include the diameter of your baby's head, the circumference of the head and abdomen and the length of your baby's femur. Estimates are more likely to be within ½ to 1 pound when an ultrasound is used.


Some women also start wondering when their baby will 'drop' sometime after week 34 pregnancy. Dropping is the term that refers to the process whereby your baby's head enters the birth canal. It generally occurs in first time mothers a few weeks before delivery. In moms who have already given birth, it may not happen until a day or two before labor begins. When you do drop you should notice a change in your abdomen. You might notice your baby is resting lower. You might also notice that it suddenly becomes easier to breathe, in part because you have 'lightened' your load and now have more room available in your upper abdomen. (I am ready for her to "drop" so that I can breathe!) It is also common to start feeling some pressure in the lower area after the baby drops. Some women worry that their baby might fall out. Talk to your doctor if you feel the pressure is severe. Your healthcare provider can check to see exactly how low the baby's head is. (We will start checking dialation at my next doctor appointment - aka 36 Weeks Pregnant.) Usually everything will be fine, you simply need to adjust to your baby sitting a little lower than you are used to.

As for us, things have been super busy. Not only have we been packing my suitcase for the hospital, installing our carseats, buying last minute baby stuff (diaper cream, diapers, etc.), but we are also about to start the process of building a new fence in about 2 weeks (max). :( I will take pictures and post them once the new fence is up! As for my work, we were able to FINALLY hire a 5th kindergarten teacher. The only downside is that the girl we chose to hire as our 5th teacher was the person who was going to do my long-term sub position while I am on maternity leave (but I am SUPER HAPPY to have her on our team too...she will be great)...but Eric and I prayed and I think our prayers have been answered. I can say more after this week once ssomeone gets approved. I am going to interview one more girl and then decide between the two. I know that with either, my little munchkins will be in good hands. :) Until next week...

Thursday, November 5, 2009

32 Weeks Sonogram of Brianna

Thank you (Aunt) Susan for posting this for us!

Here is Brianna's 32 Week Sonogram. We had to have a 3rd trimester sonogram to make sure that Brianna is growing (since I am measuring and looking about a month behind on my belly size). Luckily everything is okay and she is healthy as she can be measuring in the 48th percentile and weighing about 3 pounds, 13 oz. :) She is projected to be between 6-7 pounds when she is born. You can really see her face and personality in this sonogram. Make sure to check out her little lips and how she does the sucking motion (they called it "practicing for when she arrives").