Week 32 - 12/30/07

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.Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

How your life's changing:To accommodate you and your baby's growing needs, your blood volume has increased 40 to 50 percent since you got pregnant. With your uterus pushing up near your diaphragm and crowding your stomach, the consequences may be shortness of breath and heartburn. To help relieve your discomfort, try sleeping propped up with pillows and eating smaller meals more often.You may have lower-back pain as your pregnancy advances. If you do, let your caregiver know right away, particularly if you haven't had back pain before, since it can be a sign of preterm labor. Assuming it's not preterm labor that's ailing you, you can probably blame your growing uterus and hormonal changes for your aching back. Your expanding uterus shifts your center of gravity and stretches out and weakens your abdominal muscles, changing your posture and putting a strain on your back. Hormonal changes in pregnancy loosen your joints and the ligaments that attach your pelvic bones to your spine. This can make you feel less stable and cause pain when you walk, stand, sit for long periods, roll over in bed, get out of a low chair or the tub, bend, or lift things.

Change in decor...

So, since Target had delayed the delivery on our crib bumper until Feb (and this has already been pushed back twice...which was making me nervous) we decided to return the entire set and pick out a new one (also from Target, but with most key pieces immediately available). Attached is a photo from their web site of the new set. It is much brighter than the old set...but I think it has a really cute, cheerful vibe. Once this arrives we'll be able to pick out our paint color and get the nursery prep underway!! We made progress to that end this weekend when we relocated the office furniture into our bonus room (thanks for your help with that, Jim!)...so we're getting there!! Hope the furniture comes soon...

Week 31 - 12/23/07

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. Visually, your baby may track moving objects with the eyes. When she blinks, the eye's iris responds to light and dark. The lungs and digestive track are nearly mature, although the last few weeks in-utero are still important for lung development.

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOU: At this point you may be quite eager for your pregnancy to end and your baby to be born. Aches and pains, along with feelings of anxiety, may increase at this time. Some women may become frightened by their own lack of maternal feelings. This is a common and natural emotion that many pregnant women experience. For some women, bonding won't occur until birth -- or even later. The final weeks may begin to drag.

Week 30 - 12/16/07

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.)

Doctor Appt Update

If you were hoping for something exciting, you'll be disappointed. The appointments these days are fairly routine and very quick (I'm not complaining...I suppose this means there's nothing wrong and all is progressing normally). So, I'm on track with weight, apparently my hemoglobin levels are "awesome" -- I think this is iron and it's something they look at because it drops in a lot of women in pregnancy...mine, however, is good...guess I'm eating enough meat :-)
Baby's heartbeat good, my growth good, my blood pressure good...
No complaints. Back in two weeks and hopefully the report will be very much the same! Feel like I'm in the home stretch now!!

I thought this was funny

Study: Why Pregnant Women Don't Topple
By SETH BORENSTEIN AP Science Writer

WASHINGTON — With all that growing weight up front, how is it that pregnant women don't lose their balance and topple over? Scientists think they've found the answer: There's are slight differences between women and men in one lower back vertebrae and a joint in the hip, which allow women to adjust their center of gravity.
This elegant evolutionary engineering is seen only in female humans and our immediate ancestors who walked on two feet, but not in chimps and apes, according to a study published in Thursday's journal Nature.
"That's a big load that's pulling you forward," said Liza Shapiro, an anthropology professor at the University of Texas and the only one of the study's three authors who has actually been pregnant. "You experience discomfort. Maybe it would be a lot worse if (the design changes) were not there."
Harvard anthropology researcher Katherine Whitcomb found two physical differences in male and female backs that until now had gone unnoticed: One lower lumbar vertebrae is wedged-shaped in women and more square in men; and a key hip joint is 14 percent larger in women than men when body size is taken into account.
The researchers did engineering tests that show how those slight changes allow women to carry the additional and growing load without toppling over — and typically without disabling back pain.
"When you think about it, women make it look so very damn easy," Whitcomb said. "They are experiencing a pretty impressive challenge. Evolution has tinkered ... to the point where they can deal with the challenge.
"It's absolutely beautiful," she said. "A little bit of tinkering can have a profound effect."
Walking on two feet separates humans from most other animals. And while anthropologists still debate the evolutionary benefit of walking on two feet, there are notable costs, such as pain for pregnant females. Animals on all fours can better handle the extra belly weight.
The back changes appear to have evolved to overcome the cost of walking on two feet, said Harvard anthropology professor Daniel Lieberman.
When the researchers looked back at fossil records of human ancestors, including the oldest spines that go back 2 million years to our predecessor, Australopithecus, they found a male without the lower-back changes and a female with them.
But what about men with stomachs the size of babies or bigger? What keeps them from toppling over?
Their back muscles are used to compensate, but that probably means more back pain, theorized Shapiro, who added: "It would be a fun study to do to look at men with beer bellies to see if they shift their loads."

Week 29 - 12/9/07

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.

Picture of the Mommy

Dad - since you haven't seen me with my pregnant belly, I'll post a pic. This one is about a month old but is the most recent I have. I'll have Matt take a new one of me today and I'll post that later...so you can compare the difference a month makes.

A Sweet Surprise

In the past week or so, the physical effects of pregnancy have started catching up with me a little. Having a harder time getting up from a seated position, getting leg cramps, starting to feel a little tired from time to time, more trouble getting comfortable...
I guess Matt has noticed. Last night when we got home from dinner I was hanging my coat up in the closet. I turned around and he was standing there holding a envelope with ribbons on it...I recognized it immediately. I opened it and started crying...it was a giftcard for a 1 hour prenatal massage from Natural Body Spa...my favorite day spa!! Matt for some reason associates my crying with sadness...so I had to explain that sometimes I cry when I'm happy, too!! Can't wait to be pampered and enjoy a little relaxation :-)

Bedding

You guys might be wondering what the baby's bedding looks like. It may be a little tough to figure out from this photo, but it's the best I can do (copied from Target's web site). I have all the pieces already except the bumper, which has been on backorder for months (and they keep moving the ship date back). Supposed to get that at the end of December. Just hope it gets here before the baby at this rate!!

Week 28 - 12/2/07

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.

Jamie the Pincushion

Today I had my 3 hour glucose test.

For this round, they tell you to not eat anything after midnight. As soon as you get to the office they prick your finger and take your "fasting" glucose level. Then, you drink a gross, sugary orange drink that is twice as strong as the one you had last time. Go sit and then come back in an hour to have your finger pricked again.

After I drank the solution, I fought the urge to puke for the next hour. Drinking that much sugar on an empty stomach (when you're used to having breakfast bright and early in the morning) made me feel really queasy. But I kept it down because I knew if I didn't I'd have to re-test and drink that thing again.

Second prick -- good news. Passed.
Go sit again for another hour and then get pricked again. If this one is good, then I can go home.

If not, sit for another hour.

Drank some water (nurse told me I could), started to feel a little better (less pukey). Read some magazines and prayed for a "pass" on the next prick.

Third prick...good news!

"Ms. Jamie, you are free to go home."

Sweet!

By now I was starving, picked up a bagel, headed to the office and celebrated that I was negative for gestational diabetes...and can continue to eat normally without worrying about watching carb and sugar intake!!

Is it possible to look cute in a gut strap?

So there are a lot of things that you expect when you become pregnant: weight gain, fatigue, nausea, worry. Despite this, I still had visions (delusions?) of myself as a cute, fit, energetic and sane pregnant lady (those visions are gone, by the way). But there are plenty of things that no one tells you…things you find out along the way. And let me just say, I think even the most self-confident person is a little thrown off their game by carrying around a bunch of excess weight, even if it is all “baby weight.” This entry is dedicated to some of the things I’ve experienced firsthand that I wasn’t prepared for (and admittedly, some of these are weird).

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – What? I thought this was reserved for people who type a lot or play tennis. I had no idea that having a baby in my belly could cause cramping in my hand and numbness in my fingers 24/7. My doctor assures me this is normal…that all the excess fluid (nice) of pregnancy somehow presses on the nerves in your carpal tunnel and causes all of these symptoms. Nothing I can really do about this except for sleep in a wrist brace, which theoretically is helping but is not in the least bit attractive.

Back Pain – OK, if I had thought long enough about this I would’ve probably figured out that back pain is part of the equation. Mine’s not too bad yet, but it is becoming a little uncomfortable in the lower back region. I mentioned this to my doctor yesterday and she said, “This is totally normal. You are carrying a bunch of extra weight in the front that your body isn’t used to, so you naturally adjust your posture to compensate and this puts strain on your back. You can always get one of those maternity belts for support.” Lovely. Just what every woman wants to hear. Your gut is so big that your back muscles can’t support it on their own. Matt affectionately calls these maternity belts “gut straps”…we saw them in Babiesrus and laughed about them. I will not break down and get one of these. Not yet at least.

Sleeping – Yeah, yeah, I knew that sleeping would probably be tougher and tougher as I got bigger and bigger…but I didn’t know that you are basically “forbidden” to sleep flat on your back (because your growing uterus supposedly presses on some major artery that supplies blood from your bottom half to your heart and back again). And yes, you guessed it…I am usually a back sleeper so I’ve had to adjust to trying to sleep on my side. I basically flip from one side to the next at least 10 times per night, which doesn’t make for very restful sleep. I guess this is getting me used to the sleepless nights once Baby is here.

Food Restrictions – Everyone knows that you have to give up things like drinking alcohol for Baby’s sake. This was not a big deal to me. I haven’t really had a hard time with it at all (though I will admit that I’m looking forward to having a glass of wine sometime in 2008 after the baby arrives). However, I didn’t know that there are some foods you aren’t supposed to eat because of risks of bacterial infections which apparently you’re more susceptible to when you’re pregnant. Things like deli meat (ok, technically you can eat it if you heat it until it’s steaming hot but that just sound gross to me) and any soft cheeses that might not be pasteurized. You also aren’t supposed to eat too much fish because of mercury (my doctor explained to me that the bigger the fish the more mercury it has, because it eats smaller fish and accumulates more mercury. Makes sense, right?). I don’t know about you, but I am by no means a fish expert so I have no idea what size a fish is in nature. I just know what it looks like when its fillet is cooked on my plate. Supposedly caffeine is OK to have, but I have eliminated coffee from my diet (which stinks when I really need a pick me up due to lack of sleep) and the only caffeine I get is small amounts from occasional chocolate (like hot chocolate). I don’t need Baby Taylor to be jacked up on caffeine.

Memory Loss, Clumsiness, and Personality Disorders –
Why does building a human cause your brain to stop functioning like it used to? Maybe I’m just using pregnancy as an excuse, but I swear I am more forgetful, less sharp and generally less smart than I used to be. Perhaps my mind is preoccupied with thoughts of everything from nurseries to childbirth to poopie diapers.
Clumsiness is something I could’ve probably guessed if I thought long enough about the changes your body is going through. Admittedly, my shifting center of gravity has made me less than graceful. However, I’m not sure why it makes me drop things all the time?
I think Matt would agree that I have been a relatively sane pregnant lady. I try to be a good sport and still go out with our friends a lot for tailgating, dinner/drinks (yes, my drink of choice is now water and my permanent role is now designated driver). I also am still pulling my weight around the house and at work. However, I am not immune to the “pregnant crazies” where my hormones eventually take over and I become a demon-woman who either cries or snaps. But this has only happened a few times and I will say the episodes are short-lived. Sorry Matt. However, I can legitimately blame this on the hormones that are raging through my body in order to create your kid, so I hope you’ll cut me some slack. It’s weird to not feel in control of your own body, though.

Gas – Yes, this is a fact of pregnancy that I didn’t previously know about. I would’ve left this off the list but if I didn’t mention it at all I am sure Matt would call me out. I’m not, however, going to wax poetic on the subject.

And so there are just a few things that I didn’t expect when going into this crazy thing called pregnancy. I am not complaining at all, though…I have had a pretty easy go of it and am counting my blessings! As I enter this last trimester I get more excited about the baby’s arrival and anticipate that there will be more fun things to discover about pregnancy. I’ll share again at a later date if there are any that are amusing.

No more sugar for the sweet tooth?

Went in this morning for a routine doctor appointment...with one extra screening test: the 1 hour glucose screen for gestational diabetes. For those of you unfamiliar with the test, the pregnant lady basically has to drink a 10 ounce solution that is highly-concentrated with glucose (it's gross...it tastes like flat orange soda). Then an hour later they prick you finger and test for something (insulin, maybe?) and depending on your level, you either "pass" or "fail". If you fail, it just means that you have to go in for the 3 hour version of this delight...the 3 hour glucose test. I think the stuff you drink that day is twice as concentrated with glucose...should be delicious. Anyway, I hear that it's relatively common to "fail" test #1 then go on to pass test #2...but who knows? All I know is, with this new sweet tooth that I have acquired since being pregnant, if I have to go on a sugar-restricted diet for the next few months it will be a major bummer!! I will have my 3 hour test on Friday and will update you on the outcome.
The rest of the appointment was fine. My weight gain is on track. Baby's heartbeat is good...150s. My blood pressure is normal.
Starting now I will be seeing the doc every two weeks! Guess I'll get real familiar with the office and the baby magazines in the waiting room :-)

Registry

Matt and I started our baby registry yesterday at Babies R Us. You can check it out at Babiesrus.com or in store at Babies R Us.

It was quite a mind-boggling experience. It's hard to believe how such a little baby can need so many things!! We had a good time picking stuff out, but it's amusing because we are both sort of clueless about what to do with some of this stuff (and whether we need all of it)!!

Baby's Room...

Matt and I ordered the furniture for her room. We got most of the pieces in this photo, and the color is the same as the picture (classic chestnut). Hopefully it will last her a while; the crib converts to a full-sized bed!!

Baby Taylor's First Picture

This is the first photo of baby Taylor, taken on 9/11/07. It's the only glimpse we'll have of her until she's born! In case you can't figure out what you're looking at...this is a profile view. Her head is on the left. The glowing part in the middle is her abdomen and you can even see her ribs!!