32 weeks - Infant Massage Class & Memorial Day Weekend!

Howdy everyone!

32 weeks!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! I love this holiday - always a great time to enjoy spring. James and I hosted a BBQ get-together last night, with amazing burgers and wonderful company! Even several of our neighbors came over, we had quite a crowd.

This evening, James and I went to an Infant Massage class at the hospital. There were about 4 pregnant couples, and we all practiced on fake dolls. It was a little cheesy, but we learned some good techniques! There are sooo many positive effects from practicing infant massage. It promotes bonding with mom & dad, helps the infant to feel safe and loved when touched, and can help with gas/constipation problems. Our teacher talked about how we can start massage the day our baby is born, and continue as long as our growing child enjoys it. A full baby massage (arms & hands, legs & feet, chest, back, and head & face) takes about 30 minutes. If the baby enjoys baths, afterwards is a great time for a relaxing massage. We learned a special massage if the baby is fussy with gas or constipation, which is a great tool to have when the occasion arises!

On Thursday, I had another appointment with my doctor (at this point, we have appointments every other week!), and things continue to look really good! She was supportive of my desire to have a natural birth, but said that it's policy to induce labor (using the drug Pitocin) if the pregnancy extends beyond 42 weeks. That gives me until August 6th... hopefully Zoie isn't that late!

In other news, we get to have another ultrasound at 36 weeks! Since Zoie measured a little on the small side at the last ultrasound (which put her into the 33rd percentile, a bit below average), my doctor said it's routine to take her measurements again at 36 weeks. My doctor did mention that since I'm not even in the average 50th percentile, it's normal for my baby to be a little smaller.

Here's our girl at 32 weeks of development:


How far along are you? 32 weeks along today - only 8 more weeks to go! Only 56 days!
 
How big is Baby? Baby girl is now about 3.75lb, and measures about 16.7 inches long! She might be a little shorter though. She feels HUGE in my belly!

Weight Gain? After our delicious BBQ yesterday (and a 1/2lb cheddar-stuffed burger...) my weight this morning was 148.6! That means my weight gain is about 17 pounds. Whew.

Gender? Our little Zoie Elizabeth is a girl!

Maternity Clothes? All the time! And I'm finally ready for summer... I found maternity shorts! I ordered a zillion shorts from OldNavy.com, and there were two winners among the bunch (mailed the rest back). Now if only my spider-veins would go away, I would enjoy wearing them just a teenie bit more...

Sleep? Sleep has continued to be pretty good! My hips get sore from sleeping on my side, but the pillow-between-the-knees trick relieves most of the pressure. I can't wait to sleep on my back again!

Movement? Lots of movement! My doctor said right now through 36 weeks is when Zoie will be the most active during the pregnancy. I'm so curious as to what she's doing when she's flailing around in my belly - the sensations can be very weird!

Food Cravings? I was craving a really good hamburger last week, and yesterday I got my fix! James makes the most amazing burgers with sharp cheddar stuffed inside. SO GOOD! Other than that, fruit has continued to be delicious. Mangoes, strawberries, grapes, lemonade... can't get enough!

Labor Signs? Nothing that I noticed this week.

Belly Button in or out? The out-poking seems to have plateaued a bit. Hopefully it stays this way!

What I miss? Definitely missing my old body a little more. As my belly grows bigger, my abdominal muscles pull apart (my doctor said it's called diastatis). Sitting up, shifting around, and changing positions are all much more difficult! I'm starting to wonder how I'll ever push out a baby if my abs feel so weak. Perhaps I should try more ab exercises, but it's so discouraging when it feels like your muscles simply don't work.

Best moment(s) of the week? So many awesome things this week! James' sister had her baby boy on Wednesday, and he's the cutest! We can't wait to meet him. This weekend was wonderful, because James had Friday and Monday off. Friday night, we saw The Great Gatsby! Highly recommend it, we both really enjoyed it. We spent Saturday in Kansas City, doing a little shopping and exploring. I swear, the whole city smells like smoked meat! Monday, we had several of James' coworkers and our neighbors over for a good ol' American BBQ party.

What I am looking forward to? Tomorrow James has his Daddy Basics class at the hospital (we're taking a lot of baby-prep classes if you haven't noticed! Haha), so I'm looking forward to hearing about it! This weekend, we get to see some Army friends and their new baby girl as they road-trip to Colorado. Wow, next week will begin JUNE. In June, we can say (with fingers crossed) that we're having a baby next month!

Cheers,

Martha

31 weeks - Breastfeeding class & Update on Zoie's room!

Hey everyone!

31 weeks!

Another week has gone by, and it's been HOT here in Kansas. In the 90's! Luckily, the past few days we've had a break from the heat by enjoying some rain, thunderstorms, and tornado warnings. We even slept in our basement one night when we were under tornado watch! Thankfully, the storm passed, and all is well. At least we got a fantastic lightening show! We don't get cloud-to-cloud lightening much in the Northwest, so for me it was a real treat!

On Saturday morning, James and I went to another class at the hospital: Breastfeeding Basics! I was a little skeptical since it was 3 hours long, but it was awesome! Even James enjoyed it. I mean, the whole concept is pretty fascinating. The science behind how milk is made and released, the hormones involved, and the way a woman's body creates exactly the right type of milk for her baby blows my mind! Did you know that during the hot summer months, a woman's milk will contain a higher water content to make up for the baby's perspiration?

Our teacher also gave us some good information regarding breast milk storage and bottle-feeding. I definitely plan on pumping and storing some milk to let James feed Zoie with a bottle, and to give myself a flexible schedule when friends and family take care of her. Guidelines for safe milk storage? Fresh milk can last 4-6 hours at room temperature, 3-8 days in the refrigerator, or about 6-12 months in the freezer (if kept super cold). Once your baby has started to drink from a bottle, she up to 2 hours to finish or the milk needs to be thrown away. If you're pumping a little bit at a time over several hours (the "leftovers" after feedings), you can combine these portions as long as you cool them separately in the fridge before mixing. Our teacher did warn us about pumping too much though (especially pumping out a daily "feeding" in addition to what the baby eats), because we can trick our brains into overproducing milk. There's a fine balance between collecting some extra and becoming a milk factory!

I'm excited to use our Comotomo Natural Feel bottles with Zoie! We've been calling them boobie bottles. I hope she likes them!

In other news, we've been making some good progress on Zoie's room! Walls are painted, curtains are hung, and details are starting to fall into place! Stay tuned, I'll add pictures tomorrow when I can take some daylight photos.

--- New photos! ---

Zoie's Room!

Thonet style Bentwood rocking chair

Play area next to Zoie's bed

Cloth diapers & inserts on right, wipes & some disposables on the left

 Large bin for cloth diaper laundry, small bin for wipes & liners

This little girl will be well-dressed :)

Bassinet co-sleeper for the early months - it fits into bed with us!

Maya wrap, diaper bag, and Boba 3G carrier

Photos of me & James

We're going to add an acrylic mirror (17 times more resistant to shattering than glass!) above her cube shelving unit so she can play with her reflection once she can pull herself up. We also need to add a little more artwork and photos to her walls, and perhaps a mobile above the rocking chair. Maybe cute alphabet cards lining the walls along the ceiling? Also, James' mom picked up one of these pink IKEA lamps for us during her visit in Maryland - it's going to look so cute on Zoie's dresser! One of our last nursery items to purchase is a Foscam video monitor. It's a surveillance camera with night-vision, 2-way audio, and pan/tilt control. Best of all, we can set up secure remote viewing via the internet! Babycam on my iPhone? Yes please! James could even see Zoie while he's at work if she's playing/sleeping in her room. Also, it's about half the price (even 1/3 the price!) of many baby video monitors.

Our little girl is growing fast, only 9 more weeks until we get to meet her! Here's her latest development at 31 weeks.



How far along are you? 31 weeks! Almost exactly 2 months until her due date!
 
How big is Baby? Zoie should be a little over 16 inches long, and weigh about 3.3lb (she feels heavier every day!). I can't imagine her being a whole 8lb by the end of the next two months...

Weight Gain? Morning weight today was 146.8lb, which was my exact weight last Tuesday! Weird...

Gender? GIRL!

Maternity Clothes? All the time, except a few regular tops. My workout clothes still fit decently. I just ordered a ton of maternity shorts (hopefully some fit, and I'll mail back the rest!), because I just realized not a SINGLE store in my city sells maternity clothes!

Sleep? Sleep has gotten a lot better this week! We got our air conditioning fixed on Friday (apparently we had a burned out wire in our AC unit), which has made life so much better. Also, the itchy rash that has plagued me the past 4 weeks has been disappearing! I hardly itch at all now. I can't pinpoint the solution, but I started using Neosporin colloidal oatmeal cream about a week ago. It actually soothed the itching sensation, and probably gave my skin enough time to heal! I'm SO HAPPY to not have itchy skin anymore!

Movement? She still moves all the time! It amazes me how high in my abdomen she kicks. Sometimes it tickles, sometimes it actually kind of hurts. She gets the hiccups pretty regularly!

Food Cravings? I've been craving a really really good hamburger. I've already had two this last week, but they weren't good enough! No seasoning, not juicy... not satisfying! I need James to make me one of his famous cheese-stuffed burgers. Mmmm....

Labor Signs? I'm almost positive I felt a Braxton-Hicks contraction on Friday as I was driving home! I felt my abdomen muscles tighten and cramp for about 30-45 seconds, and then the feeling disappeared. It didn't hurt, but it felt weird.

Belly Button in or out? It's poking out a little more, and a little more... Nothing extreme yet, thankfully!

What I miss? We're headed to Kansas City this weekend... I sure wish I could have some beer with my BBQ and a cocktail at a jazz club!

Best moment(s) of the week? I've enjoyed going on long walks every morning before it gets too hot during the day - just me, my puppy, and my audiobook! This sunny weather has been gorgeous. We've gotten together with a few friends, went to the farmers market, tried a new restaurant, and got some work done around the house. It's been a nice relaxing week.

What I am looking forward to? Tomorrow our new baby nephew makes his way into this world! I'm so excited for my sister-in-law! We wish her all the best :) Also, this weekend is Memorial Day weekend! James and I are going to drive over to Kansas City and do a little exploring.


Cheers,

Martha

30 weeks - Back to Kansas, good to be home.

Thirty weeks!!! No longer in the twenty-somethings... THIRTY!

30 weeks!

There are only 70 days until Zoie's due date! We're growing more and more excited about actually having a baby to hold in our arms. It was fun to come home on Wednesday night and hang up a dozen new outfits (all in varying sizes, it's perfect!) that our friends and family gave us on my trip. We also had a couple gifts arrive at our house, including our Baby Jogger City Mini stroller!! We got it in blue and gray, and we love it! We're so blessed by generous family.

The world of baby products is mind-boggling. It's something you don't really think about until you start prepping for your own baby to arrive, and then you suddenly have a million decisions to make regarding convenience, safety, budget, and personal taste. To anyone out there who hasn't discovered Amazon's universal baby registry, it's a very helpful tool for keeping track of the gear you need!

We're at the final stages of having all the essential baby supplies for Zoie! It feels good to be prepared well in advance. Dresser, rocking chair, bassinet, floor-bed (instead of a crib), baby tub & towels, cloth diapers & wipes & diaper pail, changing pad, breast-pump & bottles, diaper bag, baby slings/carriers, high chair, stroller, and a car seat on the way! Many more things, but those are the bulk of the items. Whew. Babies are expensive.

Our next task is to finish the nursery. I need to sew some curtains (and decide on fabric/color), find a cute lamp (we'll use a low-light bulb for nighttime diaper changes), and get some artwork and photos up on the walls. Perhaps an area rug as well? I'm convinced that adorable area rugs don't exist in baby-soft material. They're all stiff and scratchy!

Here's our girl at 30 weeks development:



How far along are you? 30 weeks! Only 8 more weeks until she's considered "full term", and 10 more weeks until we want her to arrive!
 
How big is Baby? Our Zoie is about 15.7 inches long, and weighs almost 3lb. Can you believe she's swimming in about a pint and a half of amniotic fluid? No wonder my belly feels huge!

Weight Gain? My mid-morning weight was 146.8 pounds - I've officially gained about 15 pounds. According to most sources, healthy normal women should gain about 25-35lb during pregnancy. If I continue to gain about 1 pound per week (1/2 of that pound will be Zoie's growing body!), I'll be right at 25lb for total weight gain. My diet has been high in meat, dairy, and vegetables (I sometimes try to limit my chocolate and treats!), so hopefully I'm growing Zoie the best I can. My exercise at this point is mostly long walks (sometimes jogs - the belly isn't impeding my comfort too much yet) and staying active with my puppy, working on house/lawn projects, cleaning, etc... and sometimes pregnancy workout videos!

Gender? Baby girl :)

Maternity Clothes? Yep, all the time. I'm on the hunt for cute comfortable maternity shorts! For shorts, I much prefer a demi-panel (the soft waistband that hugs below your belly) instead of the kind that stretches over your belly (way too hot!).

Sleep? I think it has begun... restless nights are starting to become normal. Between my itchy rash, only being able to sleep on my right side (Zoie almost always sits on my left side, so she tickles my ribs if I squash her by laying on my left!), and the rising temperature in our house (I don't think our air conditioner works very well...), sleep is not going well!

Movement? My gosh, she's a crazy active little girl. More often than not, she's shifting limbs around (which tickles and almost takes my breath away!) instead of just kicking. She has also been hiccuping more often, which is actually helpful to figure out her body positioning.

Food Cravings? Chocolate has been favorite in the past week. I even made brownies from scratch, they're so good!

Labor Signs? Nope, nothing yet.

Belly Button in or out? Definitely poking out a bit, maybe like 1cm. If my button gets too out-of-belly, I'm going to strap it down with some tape or a band-aid!

What I miss? I miss not having itchy skin. Especially now that it's getting hot outside. I've been trying every cream and remedy! They offer some relief, but if this is PUPPPs, this rash won't go away until after Zoie is born.

Best moment(s) of the week? Lots of awesome moments! My favorite was stepping off the plane on Wednesday and seeing James waiting for me (literally - it's that small of an airport!). Coming home to a clean house and a fresh bouquet of flowers was pretty awesome too! We also spent a wonderful Saturday with James' parents to celebrate Mother's Day - saw the new Iron Man 3 and went out to dinner at Harry's (one of the nicest/best restaurants in town!). James even got me a little present for my first almost-Mother's Day :)

What I am looking forward to? Well, I'm going to "Military Spouse Appreciation" Bingo on Friday night! (Hehe, how cheesy does that sound?) And on Saturday morning, James and I are going to a breastfeeding class at the hospital (okay, he's not exactly looking forward to it...). It's 3 hours long, so hopefully it's worthwhile. Also, next week, my sister-in-law in Maryland is going to have a baby! We're SO excited to see pictures and Skype with our new baby nephew! I can't wait to hold our babies together, they'll be cousins only two months apart!


Cheers,

Martha

29 weeks - Bumpin' out!

Hi everyone!

29 weeks!

These past two weeks have been busy for Zoie. It feels like she has doubled in size! Even my parents and friends are surprised at my size difference during my 2 week trip here in the Northwest. Some of the regular clothes I had packed in my suitcase no longer cover my tummy, so I'm glad I packed every maternity item I own.

Zoie's movement seems to be getting more and more intense! She's putting pressure on my bladder, which gives me constant mini-sensations of having to pee while she's squirming around. If I give into the sensation, my trip to the restroom is disappointingly unproductive. Since her movement is so strong, it's been fun letting her kick the hands of my friends and family! I can only imagine how full of life she's going to be once she's born.

This week, Zoie is putting more fat onto her little body. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to develop, and her hearing has improved greatly! She definitely responds to noisy situations - like the movie we saw last night at our local theater, she was squirming and shifting around the whole time! Her bones are also hardening, so it's important for me to get enough calcium. Here in third trimester, her bones are taking in about 250 milligrams of calcium each day! Luckily, I love drinking milk :) Go ahead Zoie, I have plenty of calcium for the two of us!

Here's our little girl's development at 29 weeks:



How far along are you? 29 weeks - wow, only 77 days until her due date!
 
How big is Baby? Zoie should be just over 15 inches long, and weighs about 2.5lb - about the size of a butternut squash!

Weight Gain? My morning weight was 146. Every week I'm gaining something! Weight gain = 14.5 pounds.

Gender? GIRL!

Maternity Clothes? Yep, mostly all maternity clothes (a few regular shirts still work) - I need to find some maternity shorts and skirts quick! It's going to be hot soon. I could use my BeBand with my regular shorts (and I probably will) but it's not as convenient or comfy.

Sleep? Sleep has still been pretty good. Sometimes I wake up and start to itch my rash (belly, back, legs, arms...), and it's hard to stop itching and fall asleep again!

Movement? Still tons of movement! I can tell she's getting bigger, she's kicking higher and higher in my abdomen and low by my hips. She stuck a foot (I think) into my ribs when I was slouching the other day, it definitely made me sit up straight for a while!

Food Cravings? Mango has been especially delicious. I've rediscovered how amazing the flavor is! Anyone try the new Tootsie Pop flavor wild mango berry? It's incredible. I wish I could buy a huge bag of JUST that flavor!

Labor Signs? Nothing in this last week. It makes me wonder, was that really a Braxton-Hicks contraction I felt two weeks ago?

Belly Button in or out? It has been noted that my slowly-protruding belly button can be felt when people touch the belly! Who knows how far it'll go...

What I miss? I miss not having to be careful about lifting heavy things. This dang hernia! I would be happy to sling a heavy carry-on over my shoulder when I travel home to Kansas, but anything over 25lb could worsen the tear.

Best moment(s) of the week? Spending the weekend in Vancouver BC with some of my best college buddies was so much fun! We had beautiful weather, explored the city and enjoyed some amazing food, and supported our friends running the half-marathon on Sunday. I had missed my friends so much!

What I am looking forward to? Seeing my husband and puppy back home in Kansas! It's been a wonderful, refreshing, much-needed trip to visit my friends and family, but it'll be very nice to be back in my home with my hubby :)

Cheers,

Martha