4 months

Fashion: Hattie is in between sizes pretty much. 3 month clothes are too short and 6 months clothes are too long. It's hard to find things that fit just right. But mostly we're quickly transitioning to 6 month things and just folding sleeves and cuffs when needed.

Health: She weighs 14 lbs, 13 oz. She was gaining 2 lbs per month but has slowed down. Her little pudgy wrists and ankles are thinning out a tiny bit. I don't want it to happen! She finally moved on from ear infection town. It took three rounds of antibiotics (final one being shots of Rocephin), but she's good now. She seems so much happier now. As am I. Her congestion was the worst! I couldn't be happier to have that be done and gone. Girlfriend can BREATHE! :)

Zzzzz: Well, I was going to say she sleeps through the night like a champ still but she is going through some changes now that I hope don't last long. I think she's having a brain growth period and she's so alert and curious and excited about the world. I am tired but I can't get mad when I'm greeted with such huge smiles when she wakes me up in the middle of the night. BUT... we are going to work on transitioning her to her crib in her room and also from the swaddle. I don't want to do either, but both are inevitable so may as well start the work now. I can sleep when I retire, I guess.

Nicknames this month - Baby Bear, Buzzy Bee, Sweet Face

Fitness: Hattie has awesome neck and head control. She's strong! Tummy time = rolling right over from her tummy to her back. So we do other things to strengthen her head/neck like have her spend time in the Hop 'N Pop we just got ( http://www.smartplayzone.co.uk/product-detail.asp?prod=1344 ) and basically just hold her while she sits up. Speaking of... that's ALL she wants to do. No more laying down for this girl. She can't do it on her own, but she's getting there.

Eats: She's up to probably 30 ounces of formula per day. She has been acting funny with bottles and sort of grazing on them so it takes longer to feed her. Hoping that stops soon as feeding her takes a super long time right now.  - This is from last update and hasn't really changed. She's gaining weight though and has wet diapers so we just go with it.

The Spoken Word: She is a loud one now.  'Talks' all the time. She also now makes a sound that sounds like "Aah aah!" over and over like a monkey. It's so stinkin' cute. She also lets us know when she's not happy by telling us in that little voice and adding a little scowl. There's no mistaking when she isn't into something. Girl has opinions.

Things Hattie Loves:  Chewing on her wrist or my knuckle, grabbing her feet, her teething links, holding hands, the piggy rattle that hangs in her car seat, seeing babies on TV (she smiles at them), touching EVERYTHING,  'eating' cloth books, watching football on TV.

Things Hattie Hates: Being woken up (I guess what baby does, but sometimes it has to happen!), waiting for a bottle. Hmm... not much else. She is such an easygoing one right now. :) We are hoping that continues. She's so happy!

1 and 2 month pics

Because I forgot... :)

She doesn't look that different, does she?

3 months old!

Hattie is three months old!The difference between 1, 2, and 3 months old is colossal. I love this age already.

Fashion: Hattie is wearing size 3-6 month clothes now in many cases, but sometimes they're too big. It's amazing how different brands' clothes fit. It's tricky to try things on an infant, so we usually have to go ahead and guess if it'll fit and if not, re-dress her. Which I leave up to Mike if possible because girlfriend does NOT like to put her arms in and out of sleeves.

Health: She is probably somewhere close to 13.5 lbs now. Not sure as her last well visit was at 2 months and we don't have another one until December.  I think she may be teething as she continuously wants to chew on things and drools a ton. When she chews on my knuckle, I wonder what I'll get when it comes out of her mouth. She gums HARD!


Hattie had her first ear infection already. :(  Hoping it's her last. She has been congested for 3 weeks now also. Poor little one.

Zzzzz: She sleeps pretty darn great. And a LOT. TenderCare says she's the best napper in the room (4-5 naps per day, some as long as 1.5 hours!). She sleeps through the night most nights at home, only occasionally getting up once to eat and then goes right back to bed. She has been doing this since 2.5 months. I consider myself VERY lucky and don't take it for granted at all. It's actually hard to get her up in the morning. Like Mama, like daughter. :)   We're transitioning her to the crib slowly. We started out in the Rock n Play and transitioned to the cosleeper a couple of weeks ago. We're not ready for her to be in the crib yet though! We love having her in our room. We're also going to start transitioning her out of swaddlers. We tried one arm out a few weeks ago and she woke herself up too much with her arm jerking around, but it seems like her arms are more calm now so we're going to try it again starting this weekend.

Nicknames this month - Nugget (since she was born), Nugsy, Little One, Pretty Girl

Fitness: Hattie is getting better at tummy time. Which is good since she has a mild flat spot on the back left side of her head and we're trying really hard to correct that. She actually loves sitting up so we sit her in our laps facing us and she has awesome neck strength then. I wish she liked tummy time on the blanket more because I'd like her to work on rolling over. Right now, she just chews on the blanket when we try that. ;p   We also sit her in the Bumbo seat but that freaks her out after a couple of minutes for some reason, so we limit her time there.

Eats: She's up to probably 30 ounces of formula per day. She has been acting funny with bottles and sort of grazing on them so it takes longer to feed her. Hoping that stops soon as feeding her takes a super long time right now.

The Spoken Word: She is 'talking' a lot now. She makes an 'oooooh' sound that melts our hearts. Her little voice sounds so sweet.

Things Hattie Loves:  Chewing on cloth diaper burp cloths, bath time, ceiling fans, Baby Einstein DVDs, lamps, car seat cat, sitting outside and listening to the noises of the world, snuggling with Mama after eating, smiling at Daddy.

Things Hattie Hates: The Nosefrida (so do Mommy & Daddy), being hungry and having to wait for her bottle, waking up from a nap, when the ceiling fan stops spinning, being in the car most times (ugh).

Picture!  (Hungry baby = challenging photo shoot)

She's here! (Well, she has been here for 12 weeks. Oops!)

Hey there. I had a baby! :)  Yaaay!

Sorry for the lapse in blogging. Let me tell you, I had NO idea how tough it would be to do anything else when I had the baby. When my friends who all had babies disappeared during their maternity leaves, I was all, "Hmph. They could totally still be in touch with me. What the heck?"  Well, now I know what the heck. During my time off, it was a miracle if I was able to eat three meals a day and DEFINITELY something to call the Pope about if I got a shower daily. Anyway, I'm back at work now and can git to blogging again.

And here she is!  

Hattie Elizabeth Petruska

But I guess we should start with my birth story since that's sort of where we left off...

At week 39.5, I went in for my scheduled c-section. We were scheduled to have it at 1 PM so we headed to the hospital a couple of hours before that. I was SO ready. The girl was starting to wrap her feet around my right rib cage and scratch my back with her toes. I was also feeling lots of Braxton-Hicks that day so I was doubly ready. We checked in at around 11:45 AM. The desk clerk told us there were a few emergency c-sections ahead of us and we'd have a delay. Oh boy. We settled in to the chairs in the waiting room and waited for our name to be called so we could get to having our kid. Tick tock, tick tock..... three hours later (!!!!!), we finally are called to go back. Which is a good thing because my B-H were getting stronger. Finally we get put in a triage room and I'm hooked up to a fetal monitor and a contraction monitor. Yeaaaah.... my contractions were 2 minutes apart! Eeps!

Well apparently it was a full moon (Literally. The moon was full.) and it was one of their busiest nights in a long time, so we kept on getting bumped by emergency c-sections and regular ol' natural births. I didn't go back to the OR until 7 PM! Needless to say, we were ready. Let me tell you... having a c-section is a strange experience. First of all, there are like 15 people in the room. I couldn't keep them all straight. I think my Uncle Leon was there. I can't be sure. I had three anesthesiologists. For that, I was very thankful. They were SO helpful. They did a great job giving me a spinal and helping me feel calm. The one basically just sat near me and put his hand on my shoulder. Which was very comforting because Mike couldn't be in the room until after the spinal was administered. Finally, I was numbed up and Mike was in the room next to me. Then my OB showed up. The show was starting! They told me what was going on for the most part. There was some, "You're gonna feel some pressure." and "Things are going great!" Then about maybe 20 minutes into it, while we were talking to the anesthesiologists about the show Amazing Race, I believe, the OB shouts, "Here's your little girl!" and all of the sudden a crying baby is raised above the curtain between us and the Doctor. And then taken away. Wha?! No drum roll? No "We're yanking your baby out from behind your ribs now!" If we blinked, we may have missed seeing her. ;p   It was very surreal. I felt like I was dreaming. We heard her crying over in the corner and then she was brought over and placed in Mike's hands. I was able to kiss her little head but not much else since I was tied down to the gurney. And she wasn't HUGE like the OBs kept saying. She was definitely healthy at 8 lbs, but not the 9.5 lbs they predicted. Pfft. So... they closed me up. There were some hairy moments during that process in which I thought I was seriously going to die. I thought, "I got to this moment and NOW I go?!" There was intense pressure and I couldn't breathe. I kept asking, "Um, what's happening?" and the OB finally told me that they were having a bit of a tough time getting everything tucked back in. WHA?!?! OMG. Finally everything was in it's rightful place and I was wheeled to ICU because all of the full moon emergency people took up the L&D rooms. Hmph. I finally got to look at our daughter. She looked sorta swollen and bruised, but beautiful. Amazing. Again, a very surreal feeling. But holding her made me feel like a Mom. It just was a feeling that all of the sudden filled me up. Nothing else in the world would ever matter as much.

The rest of the story is pretty typical. We stayed at the hospital for a few days. Hattie had many visitors and was showered with love. I ate jello, pudding, many Italian ices. We had a photo shoot and the pictures were so amazing.

That's it for now.

38 weeks

How far along? 38 weeks, 1 day

Total weight gain: 12 lbs. I did decide this week that I'm having ice cream if and when I want it now, so maybe I'll pack on a couple of more lbs before 'labor day.'

Appointments: Just the bi-weekly NSTs so far. I do have a regular OB appointment on Friday.  The NSTs are fun because I get to hear her awesomely strong heartbeat, but she hides from the monitor device strapped ton my bump so the techs have to come in and chase her with it a lot. Little baby shenanigans! ;p

How big is baby and what's new with her? 

"Your baby's internal organs and systems are now fully developed. She's ready to enter the world. Her once spacious home inside your uterus has become cramped, and she has little room to stretch out her arms and legs."

 

Who knows how big our girl is. The 'normal' stats don't count for her. ;p   I bet she's a little bit over 8 lbs now.  Feels like she's 20 lbs of arms and legs pushing to get out!

Clothing? It's going to be another hot week. I'm over trying to find things to wear. I just want to wear mumus now. The focus now for me is purchasing some things that will be comfortable to wear post c section. I picked up some things at Old Navy this past weekend and a comfy nightshirt at Sears that won't scare away visitors if I'm wearing it when they come to meet her.

Sleep? So sad. I loooove sleep but right now, it's the worst time of the day/night for me. Peeing every hour still (thanks to being SUPER thirsty as soon as I get in to bed and having to chug water despite knowing the resultant 1000 bathroom visits). Turning over takes every ounce of strength I have. 

Symptoms? Heartburn is strong, but I've been eating foods that are safer for heartburn and they seem to be working, back hurts from lugging the bump around, general crankiness, congestion.

Picture: Thar she blows! ;p

  

37 weeks

How far along? 37 weeks, 2 days
I haven't posted in a few weeks because a) I got super lazy, and b) carpal tunnel reared its ugly head and basically crippled my hands.  

Total weight gain: Holding steady at 159. Thinking this is as high as I'm going to get weight wise. That will equal a total pregnancy weight gain of 12 lbs!  Props to the gestational diabetes diet!

Appointments: I've had a few. The most important to mention would be the appointment with MFM last week where we had a growth u/s and found out that the girl was measuring at 7lb, 6 oz at 36.5 weeks. The MFM doctor recommended definitely getting her outta there by 39 weeks because of her increasing size. I had an appointment with the OB the next day and she agreed about the 39 weeks deadline and actually recommended going straight to planning a c section. The reasons being the baby's increasing size and maybe more importantly (since size estimates can be off) due to my hemi issues. She said she doesn't want me pushing long at all due to the risk of the hemis (sorry -i know - ew!) getting bad like they were. They also mentioned the risk of shoulder displacement if the little one IS big and gets stuck. I don't like that risk at all. So we're scheduled for a c section on 8/1. If I go into labor naturally before then, we'll still do a c section. I feel like I should try for a vaginal delivery, but I also trust the doctors and agree with the risks so I'm putting those feelings aside and am feeling excited just to git 'er done and meet our daughter!!!


How big is baby and what's new with her? 

"Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel. (Our baby is measuring probably around 8 lbs now. She doesn't like to be average. :) )  Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz."

Clothing?  Just recycling the same ol' stuff. I don't want to buy any more maternity clothes with how close to l & d I am. But this 90 degree weather sure makes it hard to be this pregnant and have to find clothes!

Sleep? Peeing nonstop. Probably 4-5 times per night. Indigestion is a big challenge. Turning over ain't easy.

Symptoms? Heartburn/indigestion is so ridiculously strong now, ankles are super swollen, back hurts if I walk long at all w/o wearing the maternity support belt, I'm one drooling and snoring fool, and I feel congested most of the time. Hands are swollen too. I miss wearing my wedding rings! Carpal tunnel in both hands is feeling better thanks to cortisone shots. So happy about that one. 


Picture:   Blurry again. Not sure why. I cleaned lens of phone camera. Oh well...

34 Weeks

How far along? 34 weeks, 4 days

Total weight gain: I'm up to 159. I think that's a total gain of 12 lbs. Not sure because I lost some weight in the first tri, but it's about that.

Appointments: Just regular OB appointments. Oh and toss in an emergency appointment with the OB to see if the rash that I have on my trunk is PUPPS (Google it. Pregnant women don't want to have it.). The OB is "not convinced" that the rash is PUPPS. So... sort of yay! I am pretty convinced it is from using BioOil to help with the itchiness I was getting from my skin stretching.Google 'bad reaction to BioOil' and you'll find MANY posts on forums about pregnant women breaking out in bad red rashes after using BioOil. Oops. I have another OB appointment next week. Nothing exciting until the 36 week appointment with MFM on July 12th. We'll find out the timeline and method of delivery then. AAH!


How big is baby and what's new with her? 

"Your baby measures about 19.8 inches from head to toe and weighs about 5 pounds. Baby is probably settling into the head-down position, although it might not be final. Organs are now almost fully mature, except for lungs, and the skin is pink instead of red. Fingernails reach the ends of fingers, but toenails are not yet fully grown. Baby might have lots of hair. Movements are less frequent because of the tight fit."
 -  Our baby probably weighs a little over 6 lbs now. And she doesn't follow the standard of not moving as much. She's a busy little bee in there still. 

Clothing?  I picked up a few things at Motherhood for the hot weather but not enough. When it's 90 degrees outside, I just want to wear... well, nothing.

Sleep? Carpal tunnel pain now wakes me up several times a night. I sleep with braces on but they don't help much. Only laying on my back with my arms stretched out helps. But you're not supposed to sleep on your back so my nights are very confusing and restless now.

Symptoms? Carpal tunnel in both hands, rash that hopefully isn't PUPPS, exhausted, cranky, can't get comfortable no matter how I sit (especially at work), swollen ankles.

 
 Other: My shower was this past weekend. It was AMAZING. I can't believe how generous everyone was and how much love I felt. This baby is one lucky little one to have so many wonderful people in her life already. The planning that went into the shower was also unbelievable. Overall the best day by far for me in many many months.

Picture: --->

33 weeks

How far along? 33 weeks, 2 days

I took a couple of weeks off from blogging. I wish I could say it was because I was too busy having fun times, but not so much. But I'm back in business now!

Total weight gain: I'm actually not gaining. MFM doctor said to loosen up my GD diet a bit and try to eat more to see if I can gain some, but not to be concerned if I can't.

Appointments: So may appointments since last time, but most were with the ER and the colorectal surgeon. Nuff said about that. I did have a couple of OB appointments in there and one more growth u/s and an NST with MFM. The growth u/s showed that the little one was at 5.7 lbs at 32.5 weeks. Her tummy is still the only part measuring above the 95th percentile... not her head, legs, etc.  Which I'm happy about. But the MFM doctor did say that they'll have to see at my next growth u/s at 36 weeks how she's measuring. If she keeps on this weight gain trajectory that she has been on (1/2 lb per week now), they said they may have to induce me at 39 weeks or do a c-section. :/   I know, I know... everyone says the growth u/s measurements are notoriously wrong, but the MFM people are planning according to those measurements so I have no choice but to take them seriously. So the 36 week appointment will really tell us everything we need to know about her due date and delivery method. Aside from that, the little one is very healthy and so am I. My GD numbers are similar to someone without GD, the MFM doctor said. :)   Oh and she's head down and facing the left, which I'm really happy about and hope stays the same from here on out.

How big is baby and what's new with her? 

"This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (Or almost 6, like our little one) and has passed the 17-inch mark. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood."

Clothing?  I wore hang out clothes and pjs for 2 weeks which was great, but now I'm back at work and it's HOT outside and i need summer maternity clothes ASAP.

Sleep? No fun. I pee every 1.5 hours, my hips hurt, the weight of the bump pulls it down so I get wicked RLP a couple of times per night that wakes me up.

Symptoms? She has her feet firmly planted in or on my ribs. All day, she moves her feet and my ribs sort of move. It's freaky but also fun at the same time. I also feel her punch me down low a lot. The kicks and punches definitely are more uncomfortable now. But I welcome each and every one.  My morning sickness has returned a bit (Oh joy). If I don't eat every 2 hours, I get pretty nauseous. And super cranky. I feel bad for Mike. I say that a lot during this pregnancy. ;p   My hips hurt since they're still expanding. The maternity belt helps a bit with that. In general, I just feel big and uncomfortable. Often I just have a general feeling like I ate WAY too much. I feel large, but I definitely don't feel in charge. ;p

 

Other: My shower is this weekend and I could NOT be more excited!!! Celebrating the little girl with everyone makes me cry every time I think about it. It's not about me, it's about her. And I love that. I can't wait to see everyone there as I've been sort of a hermit through much of this pregnancy due to all of the symptom issues I've had.

Pictures: Bump is big.

How far along? 30 weeks, 4 days

Total weight gain: Not sure. I bet holding steady.

Appointments: Had an OB appointment this past Friday. Met another OB in the practice. They are all great so far. Yay. I'm measuring right on time according to the OB (via the tape measurer on the belly test).

How big is baby and what's new with her? 

"Your belly’s increasing size is a definite clue that your baby is getting bigger every day, weighing in at over three pounds now (she’ll be packing on the weight at a rate of half a pound per week for the next seven weeks). Also growing daily is her brain, which is actually starting to look like the real thing with those characteristic grooves and wrinkles. And now that your little genius can regulate her own body temperature and turn up the heat, she'll start shedding lanugo, the downy body hair that's been keeping her warm up until now." 

And seeing this picture makes me realize that the pressure causing the hemis makes sense. Her noggin is probably just pushing down on nerves down there like crazy! ...

 

Clothing?  I'm doing well after finding some clothes at the consignment sale and borrowing some more from good friends.

Sleep? Hips hurt. Hemis hurt worse. Sleeping, but it ain't easy.

Symptoms? This week and last were TOUGH. I actually skipped posting last week because I couldn't get my head in to it. So, first, I had so much pain from swelling and tendonitis in my wrist that I had to go to MedExpress. By wearing a splint for a few days, that went away ...thank God. The bigger problem turned out to be reoccurring pain due to hemis. I had to go to the ER twice over the holiday weekend due to the pain. A surgeon did what he could but said that they will have to resolve themselves. I am in pretty much the worst pain I've been in my lifetime and it may not end until after the little one is here. I'm praying that it resolves itself within the week, as the surgeon said could happen. Life is not fun while feeling this way. I'm super grouchy and just feeling down. The pain deflates my funniness and I'm like Fun Bobby on Friends after he quit drinking. I know it's a strange request, but if you pray, I could use some prayers regarding that business. It is really freaking me out.  Aside from those things, I'm having normal hip pain at night and some swelling in my hands. One cute thing that happens is when I take baths to help get relief from the pain, the little girl thinks it's time to swim. I can feel her in there squirming around like a fish!

Pictures:This is from last week. My face this week is too scrunchy and angry. I'm skipping this week's pic. The bump hasn't grown much anyway.

28 weeks

How far along? 28 weeks, 5 days.  

Total weight gain: Not sure. Feels like eleventybillion pounds this week.

Appointments: No appointments this week. Have an OB appointment next week. Nothing very exciting until our next growth u/s on 6/14.

How big is baby and what's new with her? 

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. (- and as we know now, my little one is measuring bigger so she may be closer to 3.25 lbs now) She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. (Awwwww!) 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.  

I know that she's head down now. Yay! Hopefully she stays that way.

Clothing?  Need more. I'm going to a huge consignment sale tonight that is supposed to include maternity clothes. Hoping to score big there!

Sleep? Same as last update: Hips are hurting while I sleep still. Peeing during the night count = 3.I now have to roll out of bed.

Symptoms? This week brought the worst symptom of 'em all. I ended up having to go to the ER for treatment to a 'roid. It was traumatic. I'm still not healed. ... Aside from that horribleness, my back hurts, hips hurt, RLP on the right side gets me good now and then, feet and legs are swelling a bit.Thankfully, indigestion seems to have calmed down even since last week.

Pictures: Comparison of 24 weeks and this week. Figured it was a good idea since I was wearing the same thing in that picture.

24 weeks...

28 weeks...

POP! ;p

27 weeks - 3rd tri!

How far along? 27 weeks, 5 days.  What to Expect says I'm in the third trimester, so I'm calling it as such. Yay!

Total weight gain: According to the OB today, I gained 1 pound since my last visit 3 weeks ago. Still only something like a 6 lb gain total. Yay again!

Appointments: We had a MFM appointment on May 9th and they did a growth u/s. Turns out that the girl is super happy and healthy in there. She's measuring above the 95th percentile for weight. She's around 3 lbs now. Oh boy! It apparently isn't due to my 'beetus since my blood sugar numbers have been excellent. She's just measuring bigger right now. That could slow down or it could not. I bet it doesn't since her tummy has been measuring at least a week ahead since 18 weeks. Not sure if I'll be induced as early as 38 weeks or not yet, but my OB did say that they won't let me go past my due date (8/5). They'll make that call as we go along in the next several weeks.  I go to the OB every 2 weeks now instead of every 4. And we have our next growth u/s and our first Non-stress Test with MFM on June 14th (I'll be 32 weeks).   Additional info from the appointments: She's head down now (yay!), heartbeat is great, my bp is excellent, I don't have low iron and therefore don't need to supplement that.  Hmm, that's all I think.

How big is baby and what's new with her? 

"This week, baby weighs almost 2 pounds (Wellll... not my baby. ;p) 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 you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle."   She still feels like a very active Kung Fu master in there. I love it!

 

Clothing?  I got a few things at Motherhood last week (tshirts, a pair of shorts, a pair of capris), but I need more for the warmer weather. I'm getting tired of seeing myself in the same clothes over and over again.

Sleep? Hips are hurting while I sleep still. Peeing during the night count = 3.

 
Symptoms? Indigestion is bad now. I'm a burping machine. I'm taking Zantac twice a day (OB approved!) for it and it does help. Braxton Hicks are still happening, but only maybe once per day. Hips hurt, back hurts, feet are swelling.

Pictures: I look humungous in this picture! Big ol' bump comin' at ya!

26 weeks - Headed towards the third trimester!

How far along? 26 weeks, 4 days.

Total weight gain: I weighed myself on my scale the other morning and I think I may be up a total of 8 pounds now. I'll get confirmation next week at the OB office.

Appointments: May 9th, we have our first growth u/s at Maternalfetal Medicine to ensure that baby girl isn't getting too big due to da 'beetus. I can not WAIT to see her! I'm so curious about how she's positioned and hopefully we can see her kick when we get the u/s because I want to see that. She is such a kicker!  That same morning, I have a regular OB appointment.

How big is baby and what's new with her?

• She measures 14 inches long and weighs over 1.7 pounds.
• The feet are 2 inches (5cm) long. Hands are very active. (Yeah they are!)
• The baby's eyes begin to open around this time. Not much to see, though.

The fetal brain scan will show response to touch. Touching and playing with the baby is possible now, as they may respond to touch through the belly wall.  (I was just doing this with her. She definitely kicked my hand when I rubbed it in certain spots on the bump!)

Clothing?  Oh boy... weather's getting hot and I need clothes for it. I may be in trouble soon.

Sleep? Arms fall asleep from sleeping on them. Hips hurt when I sleep and wake me up. Peeing maybe 2-3 times each night. Still miss sleeping on my stomach so so so so soooo much.

Symptoms? Not really a symptom, but a 'what's going on'... She is kicking me and punching me and rolling around and doing the Cabbage Patch and Centipede in there. It's awesome. I love every single second of it. She's still not kicking when people put their hands on my belly though. She is being a bit more reserved in that regard. Mike did get to feel one thump though. :)           As for the not so fun symptoms, m/s has returned between the hours of 3 - 5 pm daily. :/   So not right. But I had a nice couple month reprieve from it so it's ok, I guess. My back and hips hurt a lot. I'm also having Braxton Hicks maybe once or twice each day.

Pictures: 

25 Weeks

How far along? 25 weeks, 5 days .

Total weight gain: Holding steady, I think. My bump feels bigger though so maybe up a lb or two from that. Honestly, I don't weigh myself at home. I just wait for the OB to do so at appointments. I would weigh myself if I were worried about gaining too much, but da beetus is keeping me at an ok weight.

Appointments: No appointments until May 9th - when we have the first growth u/s and another OB appointment.

How big is baby and what's new with her?
She weighs about a pound and a half and is about 13½ inches long—roughly the length of one of those recorders we all played in elementary school music class.

 

We've hit V week - the week at which the baby now has a good chance of survival if she were born now. That's not gonna happen of course. She still needs the remaining weeks to get all done and ready for prime time!

 

Her little hands are now fully developed, although some of the nerve connections to the hands have a long way to go. Dexterity is improving. She can make a fist. Exploring the structures inside my ute has become her prime entertainment. Fascinated by the amount of tactile stimulation a fetus gives itself; she touches a hand to the face, one hand to the other hand, clasps her feet, touches her foot to her leg, her hand to the umbilical cord. (I swear I can feel all of these things happening. Girl is BUSY.)

Blood vessels of the lungs develop. Her nostrils begin to open. The nerves around the mouth and lip area are showing more sensitivity now. Their swallowing reflexes are developing. She can hear sounds outside the womb and the brain cells are starting to mature also. (She seems to love listening to music. And Grandma already gave us the Sleep Sheep and she kicks like crazy when I play it and put it up against my bump.)

 

Clothing?  Still cool weather. Yay! Getting by with what I've got.

Sleep? Toss, turn, toss, turn, pee, toss turn, toss, turn, pee, toss, turn, pee....  (Same as last update)

Food Aversions? None. :)  

Symptoms? Back is killing me. I have to try to do yoga again. I gave it up after the first couple of months, but I really should do it to strengthen my back. I do feel really tired a lot now. My eyes feel red and tired often.  Nausea pops up here and there in the afternoon. SO not happy to see that return. It usually goes away if I eat some protein though. Still enjoying this time SO much compared to the 1st tri. Annie, Johnna, C, etc.... you were all SO right. It got better. :)   I thought you were all just lucky jerkfaces when you said that. So happy I was wrong. ;p

Pictures: A bit blurry. Sort of like how I feel today.

 

 

 

6 months, y'all!

How far along? 24 weeks, 5 days .

Total weight gain: I've gained a total of 4 pounds so far. Not bad! Thanks, 'beetus diet! (even though I only barely like you)

Appointments: Had two appointments on the 16th. One with Maternalfetal Medicine and one with the regular OB. The MFM appointment went well. My 'beetus numbers are still great and being controlled by diet (no insulin), although my fasting numbers are creeping up there. I may have to take an insulin pill at night eventually to control that number. We'll see. We also scheduled the first growth u/s for May 9th. I'm excited to see the little one and how she's grown since 18 weeks!!   The OB appointment was good. I'm measuring a week ahead, but that's no big deal. But I feel it. Oof is my bump a BUMP.

How big is baby and what's new with her?

• She's now gaining around 3 ounces (90 grams) a week.
• Right now, she weighs about 1.3 pounds and is 12 inches long.
• The eyelids can be seen very clearly.
• If born at this stage is officially considered viable, they may well be able to survive. (YAAAY! What an awesome milestone to hit.)

Baby's weight is in muscle, bone mass and organs. The body begins to fill out with its appearance increasingly becoming more like that of a newborn. Taste buds begin to form. If mom drinks something strange or bitter, baby may be observed showing his or her distaste.

Little creases have appeared on her palms. The muscular coordination of the hands has improved as she sucks her thumb. Over the next week or so, the sweat glands will be forming in the skin. 

 

Clothing?  Many things are on 'repeat' in my wardrobe. I hate to buy more maternity clothes than I already have since it'll be getting warmer sooner than later and I can then wear some of the warm weather things that have been loaned to me. Tube top time!!!   ... jk ;)

Sleep? Toss, turn, toss, turn, pee, toss turn, toss, turn, pee, toss, turn, pee....

Food Aversions? None. :)  

Symptoms? RLP is pretty oucharific this week. Back is hurting. Stomach skin is stretching. Aside from that, not much going on symptom-wise.

Pictures: 

23 weeks - almost 6 months!

How far along? 23 weeks, 5 days

Total weight gain: I'll find out on Monday at my appointment. Don't think much of a gain though. Even though I feel like someone strapped a saucer sled on to my front side.

Appointments: Monday! (April 16th) OB and Maternalfetal Medicine appointments. YAY!

How big is baby and what's new with her?

Much of baby's development during the 23rd week of pregnancy focuses on preparing her for her first real breath once she is born. Here's what's happening this week:

• She probably weighs slightly more than a pound now, and she's about the length of an ear of corn.
• Her lungs develop rapidly this week as your baby prepares for birth.
• She is practicing breathing-like movements for practice, moving amniotic fluid in and out of her lungs.
• She actually looks like a baby! She still has little body fat and still is trying to fill out her wrinkly skin.

Clothing?  Still doing fine. Need a pair of dress pants though. Tried to wear a non-maternity pair this week with a belt and neither Baby P nor I were happy all day.

Sleep? Still sort of a drag. Seems to be getting progressively more and more uncomfortable. Oh boy. Makes me exhausted during the day. Zzzzz........

Food Aversions? None. :)  

Symptoms? Charlie horses in my thighs, still having pain in stomach where skin is stretching, back is sooooore if I take a long walk, still get a tiny bit nauseous if I don't eat every few hours. And this girl can KICK. Future soccer player? Dancer? This is what I picture her doing in there: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiehDcVZ-vA


Picture:

22

How far along? 22 weeks, 5 days
 
Total weight gain: Not sure. Is it bad that I'm just letting the OB weigh me at my monthly appointment? I'm not too concerned about gain due to the GD diet. Plus their scale reports such different numbers than my home scale that I can't be sure what's what.

Appointments: April 16th - OB and Maternalfetal Medicine appointments coming up. I can't wait!!!

How big is baby and what's new with her?

Little Miss P is measuring around 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound. She is starting to look like a miniature newborn. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Her eyes have formed, but her irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. Interesting milestones:

• Baby reacts to loud sounds.
• Baby starts having a regular sleeping and waking rhythm.  (Yes - she seems to be sleeping a lot when I'm at work. Wakes up on the ride home.)
• The mother's movements can wake her baby.
• Taste buds are forming on your baby's tongue.
•  Sounds from a conversation are loud enough to be heard by the fetus in the uterus. If you talk, read, or sing to your baby, it's reasonable to expect her to be able to hear you.

Clothing?  Still doing well with what I have. Yay for cooler Spring weather!  I do need some more hang out pants though. The one pair of maternity yoga pants I have aren't enough.

Sleep? Not the funnest time ever. Can't.get.comfortable!

Food Aversions? None. :)

Symptoms? Ab muscles stretching = ouch. There is one area right down the middle of my entire stomach that aches a lot. Things are definitely stretching.

Picture:Looking bigger?

21 of them weeks!

How far along? 21 weeks, 4 days
 
Total weight gain: Still not sure. I'm afraid I'm not gaining any, but trying not to worry about it. I'm eating as much as I can within the boundaries of the GD diet. Even figured out that I can have some ice cream (Lactaid variety of course) and peanut butter as my before bed snack. Yahoo!

Appointments: Nothing until April 16th.

How big is baby and what's new with her?

Little Miss P now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. She's practicing martial arts in mah belly. She likes to move and groove while I am sitting down at work and when I'm driving (and singing to her during these drives). She also likes to kick around while I'm listening to my nightly meditation podcasts on my ipod. We have a zen baby! Oh and they say that her eyebrows and eyelids are present now. :)

 

Clothing?  Doing well with what I've got. It cooled down again around here so I don't need to rush out and get shorts and ts yet.

Sleep? Sleep is still frustrating. The pee breaks happen every 2.5 hours. New thing going on is that my hands are asleep when I wake up during the night. I'm praying that this doesn't evolve into full blown carpal tunnel. That would be a drag.

Food Aversions? None!

Symptoms? Nausea has backed off again. :)   RLP isn't bad. Back hurts a bit more now as my bump gets bigger. You know what I do all of the time? Burp. I'm a burping machine.

Picture: You can't really see my bump in this shirt. It's there though. :)   Hasn't really changed size since last week.

Halfway there! 20 Weeks

How far along? 20 weeks, 5 days
 
Total weight gain: Not sure. I haven't stepped on the scale for a few days. I feel about the same though. Round.

Appointments: We don't have any appointments until April 16th now. Booo. I love hearing the heartbeat of the baby girl!

How big is baby and what's new with her?

She is getting used to all of her developing parts. She is moving around (and I can feel it! Like a little fishie swimming around in there. Coooooooool.)  She measures about 6 inches, about the length of an eggplant, and weighs about half a pound.  (That seems big! I'm sure it won't once she's the size of, I don't know, a bowling pin or whatever comes next.) Her hair and nails continue to grow and her limbs are well developed.

 

Clothing?  Now in need of t-shirts, shorts, and capris. It's such a warm Spring already!

Sleep? Don't need to sleep with the maternity belt right now - just the Boppy wedge under the bump and a pillow between my knees and ankles. But I do need to readjust all of those things when I get up to pee every 2 hours. Pee often = prep for motherhood. Well played, evolution or biology or what have you.

Food Aversions? None. :)

Symptoms? Nausea has come back a bit most days between the hours of 3:45 and 6:30. Rawr. Hoping this doesn't last long. RLP isn't too bad this week - nor is back pain. I'll take it!

Picture: 

19 weeks!

How far along? 19 weeks, 5 days
 
Total weight gain: Gained 2 lbs total since my positive pregnancy test. I'm actually happy about that. Baby needs nutrients - as does Mom.

Appointments: Had an appointment today with the OB. Everything looks good. I'm measuring right on track, baby's heartbeat is strong and in the 160s.

How big is baby? She weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.  (Nobody wants a pickled baby!)

Clothing?  Got a bunch of (8) shirts at Ann Taylor Loft this past weekend. Their new Spring line includes tons of peasant style shirts and flowy shirts with elastic waistbands. I was a happy, happy camper to leave the store with so many shirts that worked. They won't work for the whole pregnancy since they aren't truly maternity shirts and the bump will poke out eventually, but for now they're awesomesauce!! 

Sleep? Sleep time has kind of stunk lately. My hips have been hurting and so has my growing belly. The round ligament pain is fierce right now. I figured out that sleeping with the maternity belt (Godsend!!!) on and using the Boppy pregnancy wedge works really well.  The 'getting up to pee' thing is sort of out of control right now. I'm up probably 4-5 times each night still doing that. I thought that slowed down after the first tri. No such luck!

Food Aversions? None that I can think of, except I'm very sick of nuts and peanut butter courtesy of the GD diet. And I have a strong aversion to NOT having ice cream lately.

Symptoms? Only have nausea maybe 1 time per week - maybe. :)    New things: Hip pain, Charlie horses in my thighs, wicked Round Ligament Pain on right side, back pain. Just lotsa new pains.

Picture: One from the front this time. The side one made me look like a circle.

 

She's in there allright. Growing big and strong. :)