Holy Moly!! 30 Weeks!! Emma and Daddy got to celebrate their Birthday's together yesterday!! Daddy is almost 30 too haha! Emma and Mommy had to leave early for work yesterday so we didn't get to see Daddy much in the morning but we both left him a Happy Birthday card. Emma did a pretty good job writing to Daddy but had a few misspelled words here and there haha. Since we didn't get to spend much time with Daddy in the morning, we made sure to make a special stop on the way home for a little Birthday surprise after dinner...who doesn't like carrot cake!

Emma and I hope you had a good Birthday Daddy!

It has been a crazy week of work this week so I am really looking forward to the weekend, although it's going to be a busy one. Saturday I am heading to a local park in Baltimore to help clean up one of the gardens with some folks from work and then Sunday is our March for Babies! Too bad it's supposed to rain all weekend!

We got our AC fixed and our refrigerator is going to be fixed but not until Monday. I have been feeling okay lately but I can definitely tell that my body is starting to have a hard time with the extra little one. The heat this past weekend and week really got to me and I started to swell and have a really hard time sleeping. The heartburn has definitely kicked it up a notch as well and now it's an every night occurrence. I woke up early this morning in tears with a leg cramp (I think Wes thought I was in labor haha) so I am trying to stay a little more hydrated this week. Emma has been moving around like crazy and is definitely doing cartwheels! She has taken quite a liking to kicking Mommy in her ribs. So much that my right side of my ribs is pretty much just permanently sore now.

How Is Emma Growing?

Emma is about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds. 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 my belly. 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.

Childbirth Class, Refrigerators & AC!

What a combination for a post huh? Childbirth classes, refrigerators and air conditioning ha!

Busted Refrigerator: Check!

Busted Air Conditioning: Check!

Unhappy, Exhausted and Swollen Pregnant Mommy: Check!

Well, no luck so far with the refrigerator, we are still eating our meals out of the cooler which makes coming up with meals/lunches for work quiet difficult! Next, our AC unit broke..and what perfect timing, during the span of 90 degree days in April! A refrigerator and AC unit...only like the two most important appliances to a pregnant lady...both broken in the same week! What are the odds?

On a lighter note, Wes and I went to our first of three Childbirth classes last night and I really enjoyed it (not sure Wes had as much fun though haha). I was a little nervous about the birthing video circa 1997 but I actually made it through without passing out! As soon as I saw that TV being rolled out I quickly reminded Wes how the last birthing video I watched didn't go over so well and I had to hand off the infant I was holding to him because I was about 0.5 seconds away from hitting the floor! The best part of the class was the last few minutes where we practiced our first set of breathing exercises. It was actually really relaxing just leaning on Wes and concentrating on breathing, and imagining that we were about to meet Emma. I could have stayed there, on my little bean-bag all night long!

Weekend Update!

We hope everyone had a great weekend! Our weekend started off pretty good with another successful doctors appointment on Friday afternoon. My regular doctor reviewed the sonogram results that we were a little concerned about, heard the heartbeat again and measured the belly and thought everything looked right on track! He said that I would have had another sonogram anyway at about 36 weeks, so he asked me to call the Fetal Assessment Center back and reschedule for four weeks, not two. He also said that I passed my three-hour glucose test!! Yeah!! So all in all, a good start to the weekend! Looks like I'll be heading to the doctors every two weeks now!

After the appointment on Friday, I went right home and pretty much almost immediately fell asleep on the couch haha. After about an hour nap, I woke up, ate dinner, and then went to bed. I tell you, it's all I can do to stay awake until 8:00PM on Friday nights! Ha!

Saturday morning was pretty relaxing, nothing too exciting happening. I did a little cleaning and the grocery shopping in preparation for Wes's friend Mike to come up and watch the NFL Draft and for our neices to come spend the night! After having a pretty productive morning, I headed down to Port Republic to check out Dana's soccer game (great job Tiny!!). After a quick stop at Brian and Mary's, the girls and I were off to dinner and movie...and a 3D movie at that! We got home kind of late so it was straight to bed for the girls and Lala! Haha!

Sunday was hot outside, but not too bad in the morning. The girls woke up nice and early (holy moly) so we made some pancakes while Uncle Wes was still recovering from his night with Mr. Mike. :) After breakfast and a few more activities, Brian and Mary stopped in with baby Robert for a little while and then headed home with all the little ones. Shew, Aunt Lala was worn out! Of course my next step was to try to recover and take a nap haha. After about an hour and half, I woke up way too hot and swollen, so I begged Wes to turn on the AC!

We finished up the weekend with a nice surprise of having our refrigerator stop working and so off we went to Target and 7-11 for a giant cooler and a few bags of ice. Just what we wanted to do at 9:00PM on a Sunday night. Cross your fingers for us that it is something simple and we don't have to be buying a new refrigerator anytime soon!

So all in all we had a pretty good weekend! Wes and I are off to our first childbirth class tonight then it's Wes's Birthday on Wednesday! So this is a pretty big week!

Happy Friday!! New Belly Picture!!

Hi Everyone! Happy Friday!

It is absolutely beautiful outside today and looks like it is going to be a nice sunny weekend! Since I wasn't feeling too cute and woke up on the wrong side of the bed on Wednesday, we didn't take our weekly belly picture, so we caught up today with a 29 Week and 2 Day shot. Enjoy!

Shamus wanted to show off his belly picture too. :)

Response to Additional Sonogram...

First of all, thanks to everyone for the kind comments and emails! I was definitely in a bit of a panic yesterday but have finally calmed myself down. :) It doesn't take much to send me into a pregnancy panic, so it's pretty much a daily occurence now-a-days haha.

I spoke to the front desk at the Fetal Assessment Center today because the doctor was not in today, but she was kind enough to get my chart and try to figure out why we were being asked to come in again, after we were told that we were all set. Luckily, there was nothing on the chart about any potential problems with Emma's size or health (shew!). Basically all it said was that the doctor has the final say whether a patient comes back for additional sonograms or not and that it's not up to the technicians. Deep down I still think there is a reason why they want us to come in, but that response at least calmed me down so I could function until my appointment tomorrow afternoon with my regular doctor. That will give ma a chance to ask a few questions after he has been able to review the sonogram report.

I still have a sinking feeling that she is measuring small, just because the technician estimated her weight at 1.5 pounds (granted, that was almost two weeks ago) but most of the websites estimate a baby's weight at this point of about 2.5 pounds. But, we will see what the doctor says tomorrow and go from there! So far, I am also assuming that I passed my 3 hour glucose test because I still haven't gotten any calls...so fingers crossed!

From 0 to Panic In 3 Seconds Flat...

Want to know how to send a pregnant woman into a panic in no time flat? Just have the Fetal Assessment Center call out of the blue (where we have had all of our sonograms) and request another sonogram in two weeks after being told that we wouldn't need any more sonograms.

Apparently, the doctor at the Fetal Assessment Center reviewed our sonogram report and has asked us to come in again on May 12th for another fetal growth check up "to keep a close eye on things". Umm...excuse me? What?

Cue rapid heart rate and panic attack thinking something is wrong with Emma. The technician at the desk didn't know anything additional information so I will be sure to call back to find someone who does!

Weekly Update - 29 Weeks! Emma Is A Squash!

Today...Emma turns from an Eggplant into a Squash!! Happy 29 Week Birthday Baby!! It absolutely astounds me that we now only have 11 weeks left until we get to meet our little girl. It also makes me completely stressed out because I really want to be ready just in case she makes her debut early...so I plan on being ready for her by 36 weeks, which only gives us 7 more weeks to prepare! I know there is a really small chance she will come that early (and hopefully not so she will have time to develop fully) but since both Wes and my brother Brian came a month early, I'd rather be prepared. But we will see how that goes...that's the plan at least.

I have been feeling pretty good lately, although I think I may have had my first run in with Braxton Hicks Contractions last night! I'm not really sure because it was nothing like anything I have felt before (which makes me think it was Braxton Hicks) but whatever it was, Emma was going crazy. So on top of the BH, I was getting some serious kicks to the ribs! Things are just now starting to ache a little more, become a little more swollen, etc. I find that at night and in the mornings my rings are getting tight, my tailbone is starting to hurt when I sit on the floor or on a hard chair, my feet hurt much faster during the day (mostly on the weekends when we are more active), etc.

The cravings have actually been pretty subtle lately...even my brussel sprout craving! Although now that all the snow ball stands are open in the area, I think that may be my next target on the next hot day. :)

How is Emma Growing?

Although many websites say that Emma now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds, she actually weighed about 1 1/2 pounds at her last sonogram, so that's a question I have for my doctor on Friday, but she 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, I'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in Emma's hardening skeleton each day.

Thank You & Glucose Test Update

Hi Everyone! I wanted to thank everyone who has donated to our March for Babies walk! It is greatly appreciated and Wes and I are looking forward to the walk coming up on May 3rd! So thank you again!

Well, I had my three hour glucose test today and boy was that a long morning. With nothing to eat or drink since midnight last night, I arrived at the doctors office a few minutes before 8:30AM to get started. Little did I know, that I actually beat most of the staff there haha. I went right in the back room, sat down, and gave my first vile of blood. The technician was really sweet and used infant needles (like the ones they use on babies in the hospital) since I was going to get pricked so many times ha. So, after the first vile, I got my sugar drink which was the same amount as last time, but twice as potent. Yikes. After chugging under the watchful eye of the technician, Emma started kicking up a storm haha. The drink didn't taste too bad but was much more sugary then before. So off to I went back into the waiting room for the first hour of waiting.

The day actually went by pretty fast. During the first hour I got to listen to the chatter of the arriving staff (who most didn't know I was there) so that was interesting. Then it was off to get pricked again. This was probably the most uncomfortable simple because of the sugar spike, you tend to get pretty nauseous. Sometime in between round two and three, I started to feel better as my glucose levels dropped, then it wasn't too bad. It was interesting to see all the other patients come and go and wonder why the girl in the corner hadn't moved haha. So all in all, not too bad. Being nauseous for half the time helped to curb the hunger pains haha. Then my mom met me there and we drove down the street for lunch at Panera Bread which did the trick! It's almost impossible to go to the doctors office to and NOT stop at Babies R Us (its right across the street), so off we were for a quick stop. Thanks for coming mom!

Then I headed home to get some work done and not have to take a full day off. The results should be in on Wednesday, and I have my next regular doctors appointment on Friday so hopefully I will hear something soon. Apparently, I just barely failed my one hour test, so the technician seemed to think that it may have just been something I ate that day, which makes me feel a little better. But we will know for sure this week!

March for Babies!

Hi Everyone...I wanted to let you know that Wes and I will be walking in the May 3rd March for Babies and we are looking for some help! We know how tough the current economy is and believe me, we are feeling the pinch too. But we think this is a really important cause and are looking forward to the event.

The mission of March of Dimes (now named March for Babies) is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. Today...too many moms and families know the heartbreak of having a baby born fighting to survive. We've joined March for Babies because the March of Dimes champions the needs of moms and babies both in our community and across the nation. The money we raise for March for Babies will help:

• Support all-important research offering preventions and solutions for babies born too soon or with birth defects.
• Educate women on things they can do to increase their chances of having a healthy baby.
• Provide comfort and information to families with a newborn in intensive care.
• Push for newborn screening and health insurance for all pregnant women and children.

Please help by donating today! It's easy, safe and secure - just click to make your donation. www.marchforbabies.org/lauraodom

Thank you in advance!!

Failed My Glucose Test!

Well, I got a call from my doctors office today saying that I failed my one-hour glucose test last week. :( So I am heading back to the office on Monday for a follow up three-hour test.

Apparently, different practitioners use different standards for determining whether your glucose level is too high or not, but basically if your blood glucose level for the one-hour test is between 140 and 200, you'll have to take the three-hour glucose tolerance test for a definite diagnosis of whether or not you have gestational diabetes. The person I was supposed to talk to was with a patient so I didn't find out what my level actually was (if I just failed a little, or by a lot...not that it matters, but for some reason in my head, it will make me feel better if I just failed a little).

So off I go on Monday to the lab at 8:30AM. When I arrive for the test, the technician will take a blood sample to measure my "fasting blood glucose level" (because you can't eat or drink anything after midnight) and then I will either drink a more concentrated dose or a larger volume of the glucose solution. Then comes the best part...I get three more arm pricks, as my blood is tested every hour for the next three hours, all while not being able to eat or drink anything. That aught to make me nice and light-headed. :(

If one of the readings is abnormal, I may have to take another test later in the pregnancy and if two or more of my readings are abnormal, I'll be diagnosed with gestational diabetes and will need to talk to the doctor about a treatment plan.

Weekly Update - 28 Weeks!

Holy Moly!! Only 12 more weeks (give or take) until we get to meet Emma face to face!! Happy 28 week Birthday to her today! I am now officially 7 months pregnant...wow-za! It seems that Emma went through yet another growth spurt just like Mommy's tummy haha. She was especially active yesterday, pretty much all day, and decided to let me know that she didn't appreciate having to go to class last night by kicking me in the ribs for most of it. I think I made up for it though as she got to have some Easter candy last night after dinner. Shhh...don't tell my doctor. :) Here is this morning's belly picture!

How is Emma Growing?

By this week, Emma can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes (which I hope she gets from Daddy because he has the longest eyelashes in the world). With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through the tummy! She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

I think the animals are thinking that something is up with Mommy now...based on how I spent most of last night...what do you think?

Wireless Internet In Class...

Why didn't anyone tell me that there was wireless internet in the building where I have class every Tuesday night? I could have been doing a lot of baby shopping the past 12 weeks! Ha!

But both Wes and our bank account are probably glad I didn't figure this out earlier...

We Officially Have A Name!

Okay, so we can't wait any longer to officially introduce Baby O to the world!!

We decided on a name a few weeks ago actually, but haven't told many people since A) we wanted to make sure that was it and B) we had a few people that we really wanted to know first. :) I know a lot of people choose to keep the name to themselves until the baby arrives (which is great and more power to you), but I have a hard enough time not typing it in each blog and either putting Baby O, or the peanut haha. So it's only a matter of time before it slips anyway.

Since we have known for a while now, she is no longer Baby O to us, she has a name, and when we talk about her, we use it. In my mind, she was always our daughter whether she was just a cluster of cells, or only 15 weeks old, or even now at 27 weeks old. To me, she already has her personality, and many of her characteristics have been decided (from the big guy in the sky) we just don't know what she is like yet, and it is only a matter of time before we meet her and are able to get to know her. So, from now on, she is no longer Baby O or the peanut. She is....drum roll please.....

Emma Kathryn!

Wes and I have always loved the name Emma and it was always number one on our list. No matter what name we thought of that we liked, it couldn't compare to how much we loved Emma and it has special meaning to both of us. Emma is one of Wes's grandmother's names. Then it came down to choosing a middle name. We loved the idea of the name having meaning to both of us and to both sides of our families and so we decided to stick with the grandmother theme and go with Kathryn, who is my grandmother. It means so much to us to be able to name her after people that we love and that mean a lot to us and no matter what, we think the name is perfect. She has been our little Emma for weeks now, and I can't imagine thinking of her as anyone else.

Doctor/Weekend/Sonogram Update! All In One!

Shew! So many updates haha! I have been meaning to write an update everyday since last week but just kept getting sidetracked so finally, here we go!

Friday: I had my doctors appointment that was specifically for my glucose test and RH shot. The glucose test wasn't bad at all! I had to drink this orange sugary drink within 5 minutes, exactly one hour before I got my blood taken. I had to time myself and tell the office to at exactly what time I took my last swallow. Luckily, the sugar drink was actually pretty good! Ha! I have a love for flat soda (come to find out, so does my doctor haha) and it tasted just like flat, orange soda. The hardest part was having to drink it so fast. I tend to get pretty full, pretty fast so having the liquid slosh around on the way to the office was a little bad, but nothing that 5 minutes of sitting still wouldn't help. So, they took my blood at exactly one hour after I took my last sip and off it went to the lab. I haven't received the results yet, and probably will only hear from them if I don't pass. Next, I got my RH shot which I barely felt (I sure hope the epidural is that easy, although I am not holding my breath for that one haha). It did make me a little tired that night and I actually felt a little woozy on the way up to bed, but nothing a good night sleep couldn't cure. Since I was there, my doctor did a regular check up which also includes blood pressure, weight, hearing the heart beat and measuring the belly. I only gained one pound (woo hoo!), blood pressure was nice and low, heart beat was nice and strong, and the belly was measuring right on target.

Saturday/Sunday: This weekend was jam packed! I feel like I had to come to work to finally settle down and rest haha! Wes and I got up and started the day on Saturday with breakfast and a list of things to do (my kind of weekend day...I love lists haha). Wes went off to the food store first to do the weekly shopping and I started to prep the nursery for some painting! I taped off where we will be putting the chair rail molding and then continued to do some cleaning until Wes got back to look at the tape. He agreed on the height, so we finished the taping and painted the bottom portion of the wall. By the time we were done painting it was almost 3:00 and after that, we made our dessert for Easter dinner (Turtle Cheesecake YUM), dyed our Easter Eggs and finished cleaning. That's pretty much when I totally crashed on the couch haha. We woke up bright and early on Sunday, put on our second coat of white paint, and got a little bit of our tan color painted at well. Then we were off to my parents house for Easter dinner and finally got to relax for a little while. Wes finished up most of the painting today, so here is a picture of what we have so far!



Our next step is to finish painting the second coat of tan color paint on the top half and to buy our chair rail molding that will cover the line between the two (I am still trying to convince Wes that little peanut would love crown molding too haha).

Monday: We got to see the little peanut again this morning during our follow up sonogram! She looked so big! It is such a change from the first sonogram where the technician had to search around for her. From the moment that little wand hit mommy's belly, she was starring us in the face! She was head down today which would explain all the kicks to the ribs mommy was getting yesterday haha. She measured right on schedule, just about to the day! She is about 1.5 pounds so far which is a little smaller then some of the websites say, but according to the technician it was right on track. The fluid levels looked good too so that was reassuring. The extra good news is that my placenta has finally moved far enough away from the cervix to no longer be a concern. The bad news is, that now that the placenta is out of the way, we didn't get any more ultrasounds scheduled so that may have been our last one. The best part of the sonogram was when the technician had her shot of her straight on to her face, she opened her mouth, and proceeded to stick out her tongue at her Mommy and Daddy! Haha! We have a funny one on our hands already haha!

All in all, we are doing well! We are heading to a day care center tomorrow for a quick tour and to meet some of the teachers. There is a long waiting list though so I don't know if it will be an option or not, but its at least a start! I have been feeling okay lately, starting to go downhill just a bit though as the belly gets bigger, the back has started hurting a little bit more. It's getting harder by the day to get up out of bed and off the couch haha but I was impressed because I could still file my toenails the other day which I wasn't expecting to be able to do haha. Of course the position I had to wiggle in was quiet a site.

We hope everyone had a great Easter and stay tuned for our weekly update on Wednesday!

Weekly Update - 27 Weeks!

You would think that I would be getting used to the idea of being one more week pregnant every Wednesday, but for some reason, I am shocked every time I write these posts! I still can't believe how fast time is flying by! Of course, I am sure it is about to slow down to a crawl really soon haha. I am 27 Weeks today, so Happy 27 Week Birthday little peanut! She is still about the size of an eggplant until Week 29 when the next fruit/vegetable will be revealed!!! Ha!

Overall I have been feeling pretty good lately. Although, for the first time today, my feet hurt pretty much immediately after getting out of bed, which is not a good sign for the day. I have started to feel some more aches and pains lately, nothing bad, just new sore spots like my tail bone and lower back. So far I haven't noticed a lot of swelling, but I am sure it is on its way! Things are coming along as we are continuing to work on the nursery and our list of things to do (which just seems to grow by the day and not get any smaller). Here is another belly picture from this morning. Please disregard the bad look on the face as I had class last night, so getting out of bed this morning was pretty tough haha.

How Is Baby Growing?

This week, Baby O weighs almost 2 pounds 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, her 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 I may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on (although I don't think I have felt these yet). Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so I am supposed to just relax and enjoy the tickle. Haha.

Great Weekend!

Hi Everyone!

We hope you all had a great weekend! We had some absolutely beautiful weather here and it was a nice change of pace! Of course today, we are back to the rain, but at least it is warm. We had a great weekend and a pretty productive one at that!

I met my friend Kim, who is due exactly one week after me on July 15th, for lunch and some catching up on Saturday and we had a great time! It is so much fun to be able to go through this process not only with a good friend, but with someone who is so close with a due date! Our poor waiter was probably frustrated when we just chatted for an hour before even ordering but we were on a roll! It was pretty funny how many similar stories and experiences we have had. I think my favorite of the day was how we both have to beg our husbands to go to be early with us because we are either exhausted or uncomfortable and get lonely if we have to go to bed early by ourselves haha! We tend to pay the price because although we get the company, we loose the remote and have to deal with the smell of beer (which when pregnant we both agreed...is not good). Haha! After a long lunch (and some delicious chocolate cake) we headed down the road to Babies R Us to share some of our wisdom with each other. Either that, or to at least tell each other how overwhelmed and confused we feel in that store haha. We couldn't help but make a few purchases and it worked out well because we have each been getting bits and pieces of great advice from other folks, so we were able to swap our advice and it worked out perfectly! The best part was buying our matching outfits for our two little girls that we agreed to dress them in and get their pictures taken. :) Overall, it was just a really fun day! Thanks Kim!

On Sunday, Wes and I got up, had some breakfast and hit Home Depot nice and early. Wes has been dreaming of planting a dogwood tree in our yard and I have been desperate to start the nursery painting so off we went! After about two hours, and one exhausted pregnant mommy haha, we headed home and started on our projects. Wes went outside to start digging his giant hole and I started painting the molding in the nursery. Let me just tell you how hard it is to paint base molding with a belly! But eventually, Wes got his tree completely planted and I got the first coat on all the base, window and door molding and one side of the closet door done. Shew!

Hospital Tour Went Great!

Wes and I went on our official hospital tour last night and it went really well! We were a little nervous at first because our "tour guide" was about 20 minutes late but I thought she was great (although I think Wes thought she was a little weird haha). She was a retired Nurse and was really sweet. It turns out that, she will actually be our instructor during our Childbirth Classes that start the last week of April.

I have to admit that I was a little nervous going into the tour because I was half expecting to hear someone screaming while in labor and I probably would have passed out. I guess that's what I get for constantly watching baby shows and specials haha. I was really impressed though with the hospital and feel much more relaxed when I think about the big D-Day! We were able to walk into an actual delivery room and our tour guide gave us a good run down of everything in the room from how the bed works, to the baby monitors and warmer, all the way down to how the toilet works haha. It was actually pretty funny at one point because she brought all the mom's into the bathroom to show us the size of the shower and asked "Ok, so who here is going to go all natural?" There were about 7 of us on the tour and we all looked around at each other like "No Way Jose!!" haha! So she had a group full of epidural fans!! :)

The maternity ward was actually packed last night, they didn't have one room available and what impressed me was how quiet and calm everything was. We got a tour of the labor rooms, post delivery rooms, special care nursery, waiting rooms and even where the C-Sections occur (although we didn't actually go in that room). It was nice to have someone walk us through the different areas and say, ok, if this happens, the baby will come in here, if you need a C-Section, the father waits here until this, then he can join you, and the family can wait here, etc. All the rooms are single occupancy only and have plenty of space for family, visitors, etc. Apparently, we will be spending a minimum of 48 hours in the hospital after delivery, or 96 hours should we end up needing a C-Section (although I hope not). If you have a C-Section, you get a room with a view of the water. :)

So, all in all, it went really well and I feel very comfortable with the hospital that we chose. It was pretty surreal getting to walk through the exact rooms where we will get to meet the little peanut for the very first time!

Weekly Update - 26 Weeks! Third Trimester!

I absolutely can not believe that we are in our third trimester already!!! The first two trimesters absolutely flew by, but I have a feeling the third one isn't going to go by quite as fast (I hope not because we have a lot to do)! We are really excited because tonight is our hospital tour, although I am kind of feeling nervous for some reason! I have been feeling pretty good still, although every day it gets harder and harder to do the simple things as the belly gets bigger and bigger. We started taking weekly belly pictures as opposed to bi-weekly pictures as the belly seems to grow on a daily basis! The latest picture taken this morning is below.

PS: Remind me to quit wearing this shirt as it makes me look HUGE!! And yes, I have completely convinced myself that it is indeed the shirt, and not the 14 pounds that I have gained since pre-pregnancy. Haha! Ignorance is bliss!

We have also started our list of things to do before the little peanut arrives. This includes things like packing our overnight bags (I am first trying to make a list of everything that both Wes and I will need), finish our registry, finish the nursery, make sure we have arrangements for Shamus and Arby for D-day, interview and select a pediatrician, interview and select a day care, etc. The list tends to grow on a daily basis so we have a lot to do. Since both Wesley and my brother Brian decided to make their grand entrances a month early, for my own sanity, I would like to be all ready by 36 Weeks...which gives us exactly 10 more weeks to finish our to-do list. We will see if it actually happens or not, but at least we have a goal! I hope to have some updated nursery pictures after this weekend as this week and weekend is painting time!!

How is Baby Growing?

The network of nerves in our baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. She may now be able to hear both my voice and Wes's as we chat with each other. She's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of her lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when she's born and takes that first gulp of air. The little peanut is also continuing to put on baby fat! She now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches from head to heel.