28 weeks - Feeling quite pregnant...

Hey all!

28 weeks!

I think this week is the turning point. I finally look pregnant all the time! The belly has shape-shifted into more of a bump, instead of an awkward pooch. It's especially bump-like when I'm sitting down, making a great place to rest my cup or mug. Welcome to third-trimester :)

Third trimester has arrived with a growing list of awkward pregnancy symptoms. In the last two weeks, I've developed an itchy bumpy rash all over my belly, thighs, and backside (I'll ask my doctor, but I'm pretty sure I have PUPPPS). It's pretty annoying, but it's nothing serious and it should go away after Zoie is born.

However, I'm still extremely thankful that I completely skipped morning sickness! My grandma told me recently that she didn't experience morning sickness with any of her 4 babies, and my mother didn't experience any morning sickness with her three. Hooray for good genes!

Another awkward symptom is early lactation... It's really time to buy some nursing pads. I had an embarrassing moment yesterday at the coffee shop - thank goodness I was wearing a black shirt!

Lastly, I've been dealing with a hernia. I woke up a few weeks ago with an olive-sized lump on my groin (omg, do I have cancer?), and my doctor said I have a hernia! Simply a bit of muscle that is stretched and torn, which allows part of my intestines to poke through. Pretty weird, huh? Apparently it's not uncommon during pregnancy. It doesn't hurt, but sometimes it feels a little sensitive. The worst part is that I'm not supposed to lift anything over 25lb... easier said than done! Well actually, the worst part is that I'll need a small surgical procedure to repair the hernia after Zoie is born. Boooo...

Anyways, my trip here in the Northwest has been wonderful. I've been fortunate to visit lots of cool places, see tons of my friends, and enjoy time with my parents. Not to mention, we've been spoiled with sunshine! This weekend I'm headed up to Vancouver BC with some of my best buds from college, I can't wait!

At 28 weeks of development, Zoie might look like this:



How far along are you? 28 weeks (thus begins my third trimester!)
 
How big is Baby? Little Zoie is growing SO fast. From now until 35 weeks, she'll be gaining almost 1 ounce per day (28 grams). Today she should be right about 2 and 1/4 pounds. She's about 14.8 inches long, though I'm guessing she's a bit shorter.

Weight Gain? I weigh about 145. These are numbers I've never seen before! This is weird! (But not weird at the same time...) Weight gain = 13.5 pounds

Gender? We're having a girl!

Maternity Clothes? I've definitely switched to mostly all maternity clothes. Except coats, sweatshirts, sweats... My regular clothes just aren't long enough! Even if they stretch over the belly, my regular shirts proudly display my waistband.

Sleep? It's not quite the same without my hubby... but sleeping in my old bed in my high school bedroom is kinda fun. I'm still sleeping pretty well throughout the night.

Movement? Lots of movement! My friends and parents have all been able to feel her move, it's so fun! It's becoming easier to press my hand into my abdomen and feel actual limbs move, which is a pretty weird sensation. Just the other night, I felt her hiccuping for the first time! Funny little rhythmic jumps in my belly.

Food Cravings? Still enjoying all food, but the best food (beverage) all week? Masala Chai during dinner at my favorite Indian restaurant - with unlimited refills! I think I drank several pints of the sweet spicy creamy goodness.

Labor Signs? Nope, nothing this week. I saw the TINIEST baby the other day, whose mama said she was born more than 4 weeks early! Poor baby! I feel inclined to remind Zoie to STAY IN THERE!!!

Belly Button in or out? Not terribly different from last week, but it's continuing to look strange. It looks like a tiny nose poking out of my belly.

What I miss? I miss my husband! And my puppy. It's a little sad being away for 16 days while he's back at home - I sooo wish he could be here enjoying the Northwest with me.

Best moment(s) of the week? I had a great time at my baby shower on Sunday! My girls here organized a little get-together to celebrate Zoie, and afterwards we went to a Mariners game (which we won - yay!).

What I am looking forward to? It's been such a fun week with my friends and family. Tulip fields, glass art exhibit, Seattle Center, farmers market, shopping, restaurants, Mariners game... we've done so much! I'm looking forward to another busy & exciting week before I return to Kansas.

Cheers,

Martha

27 weeks - Hello Seattle!

27 weeks!

I’ve arrived in the great Northwest, and it feels so good to be back! Green trees, crisp mountains, beautiful beaches... it's wonderful. Sunny blue skies are a treat, since it was snowing in Kansas when I left this morning! 

Next week will begin our third trimester in pregnancy. Zoie will be here (hopefully!) 3 months from today! Only three short months to finish prepping for our baby to arrive. Wow.

James and I finished painting the nursery this weekend, and it's really coming together! The walls are now a pretty aqua blue color. Once I sew some curtains (coral and white), I'll post some photos of the room.

In other baby news, I passed my Glucose Screening Test! Thankfully, my body rocks at processing sugar. It's kind of a funny test that involves 12 hours of fasting, a tall cup of syrupy fruit punch, and 3 blood draws. I celebrated not having gestational diabetes by going home and enjoying carbs :)

This week was also our second class at the hospital - Infant CPR! It was actually kind of lame, and it focused more on common-sense first aid for children. However, I will not forget - if an infant has no pulse and isn't breathing, perform 30 chest compressions (using two fingers) and 2 breaths! At least having this bit of emergency training makes me feel more prepared to be a mom. I still feel like I should have a license or something to be a parent - there's so much to learn!

Here's an update on Zoie's 27th week development:

How far along are you? 27 weeks today. These weeks are suddenly flying by!
 
How big is Baby? Zoie should be close to 2lb, similar to a head of cauliflower. She’s about 14.5 inches long from head to heel (though I think she spends most of her time scrunched up in a ball).

Weight Gain? My current weight is about 143, so that’s 11.5 pounds gained over the last 27 weeks. Sometimes I make James pick me up just to reassure me I’m not an elephant yet…

Gender? Zoie Elizabeth is a GIRL!

Maternity Clothes? I’ve packed all my maternity items for my trip to Seattle! It’s hard to predict my body change for the next two weeks, so I want to make sure I have lots of comfy clothes. Of course, I’ll enjoy some shopping while I’m here…

Sleep? Sleep is ok, but getting a little more tricky. I’m definitely experiencing more pregnancy symptoms. My head gets congested every single night when I lay down, which turns me into an awkward mouth-breather if Kleenex isn’t doing the trick. Also, sometimes I wake up with mild leg cramps! These just happened in the last week or two.

Movement? Her movement is so funny! Sometimes it tickles (i.e., the spot right above my hip, usually if I’m lying on my side). She’s getting so big that I can feel her entire body move when my hand is on my belly. She has periods of crazy activity and periods of sleep, but I can’t figure out if she has a schedule.

Food Cravings? Milk, dairy, cheese, and anything creamy.

Labor Signs? I think I might have had a Braxton Hicks contraction! I’m not really sure. It was on the plane, so I was a little cramped anyways. I felt my lower back muscles tense up for a few moments, and then release.

Belly Button in or out? It’s continuing to look strange as it stretches and pushes outward. I had an in-betweenie belly button anyways, so it might pop out more than those lucky women with true innie belly buttons!

What I miss? I do miss my old body. I don’t mind my new shape, but pregnancy does strange things! I have random skin rashes and dry patches, just discovered some spider veins yesterday, and my legs are a bit swollen around my knees. It’s painful if I sit back on my heels from kneeling, because the skin/muscle around my knees feel pinched! It’s SO weird.

Best moment(s) of the week? Today! It was SOO good to see my parents and some of my best friends. We all have much more catching up to do over the next two weeks!

What I am looking forward to? Spending time with my parents and my friends! I can’t wait to walk around Seattle, hit up Pike Place Market and my favorite shopping areas, visit the blooming tulip fields, go to a Mariners Game, watch a dance performance, eat at my favorite pizzeria, and visit the first Spring farmers market.

 Cheers,

Martha

26 weeks - Childbirth class and ultrasound!

Hello everyone!

26 weeks!

James and I had a couple of exciting events this week - another ultrasound and our first baby-prep class at the hospital! We've also had a lot of fun going to an orchestra performance and enjoying a fancy Casino Royale themed fundraiser party.

It was wonderful to see baby Zoie last night. My new clinic didn't have any measurements from my Alabama ultrasound, so they wanted to do their own anatomy scan (oh, darn!). Her anatomy looks perfect again, and we could see so much more detail in her body. Her heart, stomach, kidneys, bones... it's amazing to see everything in a baby less than 2 pounds. She wasn't as active this time, but instead cozily curled into ball trying to suck her fingers. We even saw her little mouth open and close, and she stuck her tongue out!

The ultrasound technician said her weight was on track, but her measurements are a little small for 26 weeks. It's possible her due date could be a week later. Who knows though, maybe she's just a smaller baby? Or she'll hit her growth spurt later? (I'm hoping for smaller baby come July!)

On Saturday, James and I went to the hospital to take our Childbirth Education class. It was 4 hours, and concluded with another tour of the Birth & Women's Center. We actually learned quite a bit from the class, the best of which included massage and breathing/relaxation techniques. I could've fallen asleep when James practiced his newly-learned hand massage...

The class also confirmed my desire to have a drug-free birth. Our instructor (also a nurse) personally had natural childbirths, and really talked up the advantages of not being tied to the bed during labor. We practiced different ways to use the exercise ball (or birthing ball, as they call it!) to relieve pain as you're progressing through labor. Sitting, swaying, hanging over the ball on the bed... there are all sorts of positions! The bed itself can incline into a sitting position, and has a bar you can hang onto to put yourself into a squat position. Not to mention easing contractions in the hot tub! I love the freedom and choices, all of which will be available to me as long as I don't take drugs...

Here's a few photos of our little Zo Bo!

Zoie's little face and hand by her head.

She's got some muscle on those baby legs!

And here's her estimated development at 26 weeks:




How far along are you? 26 weeks today (I'm sticking with my original due date!)
 
How big is Baby? She was measured at 1 pound 11oz yesterday! BabyCenter.com suggests 1.68 pounds, so she's exactly on track with weight.

Weight Gain? My weight today is 142.6 - about 11 pounds so far.

Gender? GIRL!

Maternity Clothes? A few more regular shirts ended up in the 130 box this week. They just don't look cute anymore on my bigger middle! Loving my maternity jeans and more generous tops.

Sleep? I don't think I've gone a single night without having to pee at like 3am. I try to move softly so I don't wake up Zoie, because her kicking gets really distracting from sleep! It seems that she sleeps during the night until I wake up in the morning to take Brownie outside (if it's my turn, haha), and when I crawl back into bed to snuggle with James, Zoie begins her morning aerobics!

Movement? She still moves all the time! We learned yesterday that the placenta is attached at the top of my uterus, so that might explain why most of the movement I feel is down lower in my abdomen.

Food Cravings? Dairy has been especially delicious, but still loving all food!

Labor Signs? Nothing yet. I wonder when I'll feel my first Braxton-Hicks contraction?

Belly Button in or out? I finally took out my belly button piercing, because my stretching skin was starting to make it feel sensitive. The inner part of my belly button is starting to peek out! A few more weeks and it might actually protrude... Oh boy.

What I miss? I miss being able to rely on clothes. We got all dressed up for the James Bond themed fundraiser on Saturday night, and the dress I had planned to wear did NOT look flattering. So I ended up wearing this blingin' gold sequin dress I bought for last Halloween (it was a size too big, so now it fit my belly perfectly!). To my surprise, I got like 5 compliments on my "beautiful dress" - it was $20 from Ross!

Best moment(s) of the week? The Childbirth Education class and Casino Royale night were my favorites. I love meeting new people and feeling more involved with my community!

What I am looking forward to? One week from today I'll be in the Northwest! YESS! That also gives me more incentive to finish some current house projects (painting, sewing curtains, building shelves...) before I leave. I'm also looking forward to taking an Infant CPR class with James this Thursday evening!

Cheers,

Martha

25 weeks - Hospital tour!

Hi guys!

25 weeks!

It's finally starting to feel like spring here in Kansas. Our grass is green! These naked Kansas trees (I might miss my Washington evergreens a bit...) are finally forming buds and just starting to bloom.

This week has been busy! I got to meet my new OB doctor on Thursday for my monthly checkup. Out of 6 doctors, she was the only one who had availability in July to deliver a baby. I was a little concerned about not being able to choose my doctor, but luckily, she seems pretty cool. July is going to be a busy month in the maternity ward!

Speaking of the hospital, James and I were able to take a tour of the Birth & Women's Center this weekend. We lucked out, because not a single patient was there! We met every single nurse and assistant working that day, checked out all the labor/delivery rooms, and the post-delivery rooms. I had some doubts about the hospital, because my ideal birth would be at home with a midwife. However, I was impressed with the atmosphere! Each labor/delivery room has a whirlpool hot tub and an exercise ball. I'm glad they encourage moving around and doing what feels good during contractions and labor, because my worst fear is being confined to the bed with IVs and monitors strapped to my body. The nurse giving our tour said as long as I refuse drugs to induce labor (Pitocin), I can do as I please. She also mentioned I might have to strongly remind my doctor that I don't want Pitocin, because the doctors want to keep labor and delivery moving along their schedule.

The post-delivery rooms are quite comfortable-looking, each with a double bed so couples can sleep together. They allow guests to freely visit between 12pm and 8pm, but morning guests are kept to a minimum. In the labor/delivery room, I'm only allowed 2 guests at a time.

It's crazy to think that once the baby is born, James and I are suddenly in charge of making health decisions for another human being! I'm all about research, and so my current project is exploring a plan for Zoie's newborn care.

When babies are born at this hospital, they're all given 3 things: eye ointment, a Hepatitis B shot, and a Vitamin K shot. So far, I think we'll decline all three. The eye ointment is an antibiotic to protect the baby's eyes from syphilis, gonorrhea, or chlamydia. I don't have any of these...Why do they give this to all babies? Nobody knows... The Hepatitis B shot is also a mystery. It's a sexually transmitted disease! Why does a baby a few minutes old need this shot? It can wait.

The Vitamin K shot is also very controversial. Since babies are naturally born with low levels of Vitamin K until their 8th day of life, this vitamin shot is given to increase blood clotting to protect against a special kind of bleeding called hemorrhagic disease of the newborn. However, newborns can also receive Vitamin K through breast milk if the mother has sufficient Vitamin K levels (1 cup of kale = 678% daily Vitamin K!). So, as long as Zoie has a natural birth without being pulled by forceps or yanked by a vacuum extractor, I don't see why she would need an unnatural level of Vitamin K shot into her. We will do more research and decide what is best.

Cheers to 25 weeks of development! 105 days until Zoie's due date :)



How far along are you? 25 weeks today! Only a couple more weeks until third trimester. Wow.

How big is Baby?  I can feel her increased size lately! Her movements can move my whole belly. She's about 1.5lb now, and 13.5 inches from head to heel.

Weight Gain? My mid-morning weight today is 141.5 - That's 10lb exactly!

Gender? Little baby girl!

Maternity Clothes? Some of my regular tops are getting quite snug. I'm wearing roomier shirts and feeling cute in my maternity tops!

Sleep? Still nightly bathroom trips (sometimes twice) and sleeping with a pillow between my knees so my hips don't get sore. I'm thankful to feel well-rested throughout the day!

Movement? Sometimes I'll lift my shirt and just watch the belly. James can even see my belly move from across the room sometimes! Her kicks and body shifts are getting really strong.

Food Cravings? Not exactly cravings, but food just tastes and smells really good in general. Especially the fresh apple pie in my oven right now... :)

Labor Signs? None so far.

Belly Button in or out? It's pushing outward a bit more. My belly button ring kind of sits on one side or the other, it doesn't hang down the middle anymore!

What I miss? I'm starting to feel slightly awkward when we go out to bars. The baby bump, trying to shout to the bartender that you want a pineapple-sprite (not a pineapple vodka!), and trying to dance with my balance slightly off. It's weird stuff.

Best moment(s) of the week? I had a great birthday going out for dinner with James and his parents, and his mom even baked me a chocolate chip cookie cake! We've also had fun hanging out with our friend Nate, who just moved here this weekend. With frequent moves and new faces with the Army, it's so nice have a good friend in the area.

What I am looking forward to? Only 2 weeks until my trip back to the Northwest! I can't wait to see my friends and family. Also, I just found out today that my doctor would like to do another ultrasound, because my ultrasound in Alabama didn't cover everything they wanted to see. YESS we get to see Zoie again!!! Monday at 6pm!

Cheers,

Martha

24 weeks - Only 16 weeks left! April, May, June... JULY!!!

Hey all!

24 weeks!

This week has been big in baby development! Since Zoie is now about 12 inches from head to heel, her body is finally starting to fill out. She likely gained 4 ounces in this last week! It's nice to know that part of my weight gain from here on is going towards her little body (not just mine!).

Also, at just 24 weeks, little Zoie has a good chance at survival if she were born prematurely. Modern technology is amazing. Of course, she better stay inside until she's good and ready :)

It's been hard to grasp just how long Zoie has grown, until I recently started feeling kicks/punches high in my ribs and low in my abdomen at the same time! She definitely responds to loud sounds, like when James and I went out to see G.I. Joe the other night. I was a little distracted during the movie because I was watching my tee-shirt dance.

More OB appointments this week! I had my "New patient" appointment this morning at my new Kansas clinic (and had another blood draw for a Hepatitis C test that my Alabama clinic didn't do, ugh). I get to meet my doctor for my 24-week checkup on Thursday. Also, the clinic is going to do the infamous 2-hour Glucose Screen in about 2 weeks. Bring on the sugar-drink and more blood-draws, huzzah! I didn't even know I was required to take this test. I don't have gestational diabetes... right?

Here's 24 weeks of baby growing:



How far along are you? 24 weeks, only 16 to go!

How big is Baby?  Zoie is now over a pound! Perhaps even 1.5lb. She's about 12 inches long, like an ear of corn.

Weight Gain? My morning weight is 139.6 - I guess last week's nighttime weight wasn't super accurate. Total weight gain =  8.1 pounds.

Gender? GIRL!

Maternity Clothes? Indeed. I'm always wearing my maternity jeans and capris, but mostly regular tops.

Sleep? I've started having to pee in the middle of the night again, but it's not too hard to fall back asleep.

Movement? Lots of movement! I know she's kicking and punching, because I can feel movement in two places at once!

Food Cravings? Still really enjoying citrus. I bought some lemon-flavored gum today, it's pretty awesome :)

Labor Signs? Nothing yet.

Belly Button in or out? Well, it's starting to widen a tiny bit. I can peer inside! It's going to look SO weird in a few months... oh boy.

What I miss? I want to go mountain biking! My bike sits lonely in the garage. The weather has been really nice, and there's even a local biking group that treks weekly around the lake trails! But, it's too risky with my special cargo...

Best moment(s) of the week? This Easter weekend was a blast! James even had a 4-day weekend, woohoo! It was a full weekend of friends, family, going to the farmers market, Easter mass, delicious brunch (ahem, homemade cinnamon rolls), Easter baskets with TONS of candy, and sleeping in.

What I am looking forward to? Tomorrow's my birthday! Today I'm 24 weeks at 24 years old, by next week I'll be 25 weeks at 25 years old :) Looking forward to an evening out with my hubby and in-laws, and blowing out a candle to welcome a quarter century of life.

Cheers,

Martha