Ultrasound and Doctor Appointment

FINALLY I got to the doctor after a week of being snowed in and missing appointments.

The ultrasound was first at 8: 30am. It went just fine. They said the baby is currently 8 pounds 7 ounces (approximately). She is head down (yay!) and is still a girl. :) We didn't get any new ultrasound pictures because as the technician said "she's big and she's right up against the glass in there." Meaning she's just to cramped to get a good picture of. No problem, we'll see her in color very soon.

We then went over to my doctor's office. My appointment wasn't until 2:20 but they said for me to come by right after the ultrasound and they'd try and work me in. Luckily they could so I was seen pretty quickly. My doctor did the Strep B test and an exam to check my cervix. She also looked over my ultrasound results.

My uterus is measuring 38cm which is only now a little bigger then it should be for this week. But I am 3 cm dilated and 60% effaced. She doesn't think I will make it to my due date but didn't think I would go this week either. As for her opinion on baby's size? She just said she feels certain this one will be bigger then Belle.

So all is well with Moya, and we're now officially at the "any time now" phase. ... here we go!

Belly Picture - 37 Weeks

37 Weeks!

Nursery Phase 4

Finished the dragon mural today. Need to do a lot of organizations till of all the toys and stuff but the painting is done finally. Yay!! I think it turned out pretty well. You can't really see in the picture but there are little stars in the sky. Also the moon I bought lights up.

Nursery Phase 3

Well the plus side of being snowed in is that I've been able to get a lot done on Moya's room. Today I finished the tree and the dragon. Tomorrow I'm going to do the leaves and the stars and that should be the end of this side of the room. The other side I'm not sure how much I'm going to do yet.

Oh and the dark blue I was going to do behind the tree... yeah that didn't work out. The spray paint I got for it I tried and it looked horrible so I just painted over it. I actually think this will look good. In the day it'll look like a dragon in the tree in daytime and then at night the stars will glow (I have glow in the dark paint) and it'll look like night.

Belle also did her dragon for the room too. I let her paint a small area for Moya. She said this is the dragon in the tree's mommy looking up at her baby in the tree saying "what are you doing up there." She also made a dragon light switch cover which is the dragon's dad apparently, which you can kinda see here. Both very cool and very sweet. :)

Weekly Update - 37 Weeks

How your baby's growing: Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, her lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

How I am feeling: Stressed and annoyed. We're still snowed in! My doctor appointment is at 8:15 monday morning. It is supposed to be 42 degrees today and rainy. I'm hoping that will make it possible for me to move my car up the hill. But being this pregnant and snowed in is not enjoyable.

Aside from that... in the negative column I feel large, moving around gets more difficult every day, I ache after trying to sleep, and I can feel my cervix changing and probably starting to dilate a little which can hurt some from time to time. In the plus column I can still feel her moving a lot and despite all the negatives still have a decent amount of energy.

Only 3 more weeks till my due date!

Belly Picture - 36 Weeks

36 Weeks

Nursery Phase One and Two

The Concept: I let Belle help come up with an idea for the mural for Moya's room. It was a debate between Dragons and Kung Fu Panda (or rather a Panda theme). :) In the end the dragon won out. I also wanted to add kind of a night/stary sky element to it. So here is what we came up with.

Phase One: We cleared out Gaga's stuff and moved her downstairs.

Phase Two: Painted the blue base color and put the crib together so I know where to start the mural.

Snow

Pretty? Yes. What you want to see out front of your house when you are 36 weeks pregnant? Not so much.

It first snowed Wednesday night. Then again last night along with heavy wind. This morning it wasn't just new snow but a nice crusty layer of ice over all the snow. It was weird... like a candy coating over a white fluffy desert. It's snowing again now too.

I'm supposed to have an ultrasound and prenatal appointment on Tuesday morning but I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen. I know I've got time before my due date but prenatal care is also important. Anyway, I'm nervous. I love snow and any other year I'd be totally fine with this. But right now I'm just wishing it would stop snowing.

Saturday it is supposed to warm up to 41 and get warmer a little bit more every day after that. So I'm hoping I can make an appointment for the doctor next week and make it too it.

Birth Date and Weight Poll

Mommy: Jan. 7th 8 pounds 12oz

Daddy: Jan 2nd 9 pounds

Gaga: Jan 9th 9 pounds 5oz

Grandma: Jan 5th 9 pounds 4oz

Papi: Jan. 12th 9 pounds 12oz

Belle: Jan 11th 8 pounds 6oz

Anna Cuneo: Jan 12th 9 pounds 2oz

Jon: Jan 12th 7 pounds 4 oz

Melissa: Jan 11th 9 pounds 1 oz

Linda Graves: Jan 12th 9 pounds 11 oz

Mareena: Jan 10th 9 pounds 4 oz

Dana: Jan 11th 9 pounds

Tracey: Jan 9th 9 pounds 4oz (21 inchs)

Keri: Jan 11th (8:03pm) 8 pounds 3oz

Monette: Jan. 14th 9 pounds 5oz

Crista: Jan. 21th 8 pounds 13oz

Rochelle: Jan 14th 8 pounds 2oz

Autumn: Jan 13th 8 pounds 12oz

Noelle: Jan 16th 9 pounds

Mary: Jan 19th 9 pounds 5oz

Jennifer: Jan 18th 8 pounds 8oz

Tanya: Jan 13th 8 pounds 6oz

Weekly Update - 36 Weeks

How your baby's growing: Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

How I am feeling: BIG. I feel big. Moya is still moving a round a lot despite the fact she must be running out of room in there. I wear out easier but am nesting so it is a battle constantly.

But mostly this week I feel nervious. We had a snow storm this week that has us snowed and another storm is coming in tonight. Now I know I still have 4 more weeks before my due date but being unable to get to the hospital easily if I went early makes me very nervous. I'm trying to not think about it, rest some, and also use the time to get things in order here... and constantly talking to Moya saying "don't come out yet please."

Belly Pictures - 35 Weeks

35 Weeks!

Weekly Update - 35 Weeks

from babycenter.com
How your baby's growing: 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 (pick up a honeydew 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.

How I am feeling: This last week everything seems to be getting harder and more uncomfortable. Definitely reaching the difficult phase of the pregnancy. And despite what the babycenter.com blurb says above Moya doesn't seem to have any problems still moving around like crazy and yes even doing somersaults. :)

Doctor Appointment

Went to the doctor this morning. Everything is going good. Blood pressure was great which was nice to hear. It was about at this point with Belle that my blood pressure started to go up. I was at 35 weeks with Belle when put on bed rest. I'm at 34 weeks right now. I am not counting myself out of the woods yet for it happening again but so far it is looking hopeful that I'll get to skip that crud.

Uterus is measuring 37 cm. Rule of thumb is that your fundal height should roughly equal the number of weeks you are. So I'm at 34 weeks which means I should be measuring 34 cm give or take a cm or two. So to be at 37 cm at 34 weeks is a tad on the big side. My doctor wants me to have another ultrasound to see how big this baby is. She asked "So how big was Belle again?" I told her 8 pounds 6 ounces. She said "Oh yeah well this one will be bigger then that." :) So... should we start the due date and weight poll now? :)

I go in on the 23rd for the ultrasound and next doctor appointment. I'll be a little over 36 weeks at that point. I'm glad to get another ultrasound. I know it isn't long now till we'll get to see her in person but I just love getting to peak at her in the womb.

Belly Pictures - 34 Weeks

34 Weeks!

Weekly Update - 34 Weeks

from babycenter.com

How your baby's growing: Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

How your life's changing: By this week, fatigue has probably set in again, though maybe not with the same coma-like intensity of your first trimester. Your tiredness is perfectly understandable, given the physical strain you're under and the restless nights of frequent pee breaks and tossing and turning, while trying to get comfortable. Now's the time to slow down and save up your energy for labor day (and beyond). If you've been sitting or lying down for a long time, don't jump up too quickly. Blood can pool in your feet and legs, causing a temporary drop in your blood pressure when you get up that can make you feel dizzy.

How am I feeling: Anxious! The nesting instinct is starting to kick in. We're moving things around so that we can get the nursery up and running. We'd been talking about it for awhile and I was all "Oh it'll take time, it doesn't matter if she comes before we're done." But now I'm suddenly wanting it all done NOW! Poor Brad spent most of the day organizing and moving stuff around. We've still got a lot to do but we're making progress.

I'm definitely getting into that final stretch uncomfortable feeling. Sleeping is very difficult and walking around isn't getting any easier. I've also started having those little cervix pains. Don't know exactly how to describe it but I had it with Belle. I think it is just my cervix slowly starting to get ready to dilate.

Anyway, otherwise I'm doing okay really. And Moya is still moving around like crazy. I swear this kid is going to be a strong one.

Belly Picture - 33 Weeks

33 Weeks!

Weekly Update - 33 Weeks

from babycenter.com

How your baby's growing: This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

How am I feeling: Hard to get up after sitting down. Sleeping is painful. But otherwise pretty good. Oh yeah, and the colostrum has arrived!

Doctor Appointment

Had a doctor appointment today. Blood pressure good, measurement 33cm, heartbeat good. I did get another blood draw today. Apparently they lost the order for my anemia test last time so they had to do it now. No biggie.

So I go again in two weeks and then after that it is once a week! Time is definitely flying. I'm trying to enjoy all the belly-baby movements. While I can't wait to see her, this being my last pregnancy I will definitely miss feeling her wiggle in my tummy.

Oh and for future reference... don't ever make an appointment at 3pm on the day before Thanksgiving... traffic getting there was nuts!

Belly Picture - 32 Weeks

32 Weeks!

Weekly Update - 32 Weeks

from babycenter.com

How your baby's growing: By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

How am I feeling: Fine really. Hard to breath sometimes, or rather just a lot of shortness of breath. A little heartburn now and then but not to bad really. Sleeping is still a pain, but I don't expect that to change really until after she's born... when we really won't be sleeping! :)

Belly Picture - 31 Weeks

31 Weeks

Weekly Update - 31 Weeks

How your baby's growing: This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

How am I feeling: My only complaint is sleeping. I lay on one side for awhile and am fine and then after awhile my hip and butt hurt so bad it wakes me up. So I try and roll over which is not only a process but hurts in itself. Once on the other side it takes awhile for the pain to subside and I'm fine and go back to sleep... few hours later I do it all over again. After a few rounds of this both sides hurt and I have to get up for awhile.

Moya moves a lot, day and night, but it doesn't really bother me or keep me awake. I like knowing she's there.

Heartburn is starting to creep up but honestly it hasn't been that bad really. Not like how I had with Belle. And a few Tums seems to take care of it.

Doctor Appointment

Went in for a routine appointment today. Baby's heart rate is at 154, uterus measuring 32.5cm. All seems to be going well.

I asked her about the thigh pain and as I suspected she said it was just normal ligament stretching. She said the flip side is that normally means a quicker labor. So... more discomfort now means less later I guess? :)

I also asked about relief from my confused bowels (either everything moves to fast or two slow). She said I can take tums for the to fast and Citricil for the too slow. :)

Next appointment is on the 26th.

Belly Picture - 30 Weeks

30 Weeks!

Weekly Update - 30 Weeks

How your baby's growing: Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

How am I feeling: My inner tighs and pelvic area are killin me, but other then that I'm fine. Pretty soon I need to start figuring out what I'm going to do work wise after she's born, that's also giving me some stress. But I'm enjoying feeling her moving around so much and looking forward to meeting her. :)

Guess we need a new one!

Who knew that car seats come with an expiration date?! Go figure but apparently they do.

I was looking at the bottom of Belle's old car seat and noticed it said on there "Do not use after December 31, 2008." I called Evenflo today and yup, car seats come with expiration dates. It makes sense really. They do that because the safety standards change and this way it ensure (hopefully) that people are not using car seats that are no longer considered safe.

They do have a good shelf life... 6 years. But for those of us who waited a good amount of time between kids it means ya get to buy a new one.

The stroller we have that came with the car seat is still good however. BUT, the only car seat that would fit on in a safe way to it is another evenflo car seat. A model called the "Embrace Infant Car Seat." But looking at it online it didn't seem to have the best ratings.

So now the delima. I want to buy something safe above all else. But do I go ahead and shell out more for another travel system (carseat and stroller)? Or do I just get a car seat and make due with the stroller we have even though we couldn't use the car seat carrier with it?

The one I like is the Quinny 3 stroller and the Maxi-Cosi car seat. They fit together. But they also are oodles of money. The car seat alone is 170! The stroller is 550!!! Darn thing should be made out of gold for that price! The car seat also has some reviews saying how small it is. So maybe it wouldn't be a good choice when I just know I'll have a big baby. But then Melissa fit Noah in her's just fine and he was born bigger then belle.

But I can't afford it anyway so we need to look for an alternative. Looking online right now I see a couple potential options:

If we go the Travel System option here are a few that look promising:

1. Safety 1st Acella Sport Travel System : This one looks nice (online at least) and isn't too horribly expensive (146.80 on amazon). Good ratings. I'd need to see it in person first because one of the things I'd want if I get a new stroller is something that isn't huge and bulky.

2. Chicco Cortina Travel System : Looks from the picture a lot like what we have now. Its a bit more expensive (289 on babiesrus). Good ratings but I dunno... need to see it.

Another way we could go would be to, instead of a travel system buy a car seat and then a car seat frame stroller to hold it. For example:

1. Graco SnugRider Infant Car Seat Stroller Frame (48.80 on amazon with good ratings. Looks like it folds up nicely.) which wold work with either the Graco SafeSeat Infant Car Seat (116.22 on amazon) or the Graco SnugRide Infant Car Seat - Giselle (139.99 on amazon)

2. Kolcraft Universal Infant Car Seat Carrier (52.49 on amazon) Says that is fits most car seats.

So will need to do some hunting around soon. Not like we can go to the hospital without a car seat! :)

Belly Picture - 29 Weeks

29 Weeks!

Weekly Update - 29 Weeks

How your baby's growing: 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. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. To meet her increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because her 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.

How am I feeling: Okay. Getting pretty uncomfortable and had some, what I think were, Braxton Hicks yesterday. But mostly I'm doing just fine.

Doctor Appointment

I had a doctor appointment today. Dr. Johannsen was out this week so I saw a Dr. Callahan. She was nice. Everything is still going smoothly. The baby's heartbeat sounded good and the uterus is still measuring 30 cm which is fine too. The baby has moved since last week's ultrasound. She's now head down but not settled into the pelvic bone which is good at this point. She said we don't worry about the baby's position until 36 weeks.

I asked her about my blood pressure and when it started to go up with Belle. She looked back in my chart and found it was around 34/35 weeks when my blood pressure went up. That's good to know. Right now my blood pressure is doing just great. Hope it will keep up. She said that there is no real definite reason for why preeclapsia sometimes happens. They think it has to do with the placenta and well ya get a new one every pregnancy. :) So hopefully if that is the cause of it this placenta is nicer then the last.

She also confirmed that the glucose test they did last time came back negative so that's great.

I go back to the doctor on the 11th.

Belly Picture - 28 Weeks

28Weeks!

Weekly Update - 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.

How am I feeling: Well this is the start of the third trimester. That in itself is enough to freak me out! I knew this would go fast but it just seems like I blinked and now I'm in the final trimester! I'm starting to feel the urge to get things in order. I did up all the baby clothing laundry and am getting that put away and clearing out space in our room for the changing table and bassinet. Also am starting to get the hospital bags ready. I know it is still early but every woman I know who has put it off ended up having to send their husband home to try and guess what she'll need and throw it in a bag. I'd rather just not have to worry about that. :) Plus I want Belle to have stuff in her bag to make her feel more a part of the entire process.

Anyway, other then that I'm feeling fine. Just huge. Oh! I got the results back from the glucose test and they were normal! Yay! ... and thank god!

Ultrasound

Today was the ultrasound. Moya wasn't very cooperative but we still got some great pictures. The technician was really patient and great and did all she could to get all the measurements for the test and get us some pictures. She even broke out the 3D ultrasound equipment as you can see!! We weren't expecting that.

It was so amazing. We got to see her move in 3D. AND... We saw her smile!! Even the technician saw it so it wasn't just us silly parents.

She looked so cute and had the biggest ole cheeks! She looks like Belle did as a baby. Very strange to get to see her so clearly before she is born.

As for the test results. She's doing just fine. She weighs about 2 pounds 4 ounces right now and is in the 71 percentile. Right on target apparently. The reason I'm measuring big they said is because I've got a lot of amniotic fluid in there. They said that is fine too and that fluid will often increase right before the baby does a big growth spurt. She also said that since I have a history of having a bigger baby that I probably will with this one too. They said they expect my doctor to be sending me back for another ultrasound as I get closer to my due date. :) Fine by me!

We also asked her to double check the gender but of course Moya was keeping her legs together but the technician did say that from what she could see she didn't see any signs of um... boy parts. :) That she still looked like a girl to her and that if we got a 'girl' report last time then we're probably having just that, that they don't give people a verdict one way or the other unless they are really sure.

Anyway, so wonderful to get to see her again. And at least we know one thing about her already... she's gonna be beautiful, just like her big sister. :)