Our Girl - 34 Weeks

Only 35 days until C-Section day! Hooray!!!

How your baby's growing:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

from (http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-34-weeks_1123.bc)

Abby and I are having one of those crazy, forgetful kind of days. Luckily I've remembered to take Abby and bring her back on all the errands we had to run. Now is just our regularly scheduled Wednesday clean up before our bible study meets here tonight. I need to get some serious mopping done on this floor, but I have a feeling that is going to have to wait until a day when Steve is around to help out with that.

Abby's feeling pretty good today. I'm pretty sure she woke up about 1 hour before she decided to grace me with her presence this morning. I finally went upstairs to see why she wasn't up yet and she was in her room playing with her doll house. Apparently she isn't a big breakfast eater... must be she gets that from her dad.

Our Girl - 33 Weeks

How your baby's growing:

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him 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 his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

from (http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-33-weeks_1122.bc)

We had another check-up today. Everything was good and growing on schedule. There have apparently been a ton of really sick people around town lately and the doctor had admitted three kids around Abby's age to the hospital, so we are hoping to avoid whatever it is that is making the rounds.

Abby and I have almost survived our first day of our little stretch with Steve. He made it safely to Chicago around 3 this afternoon and Abby and I have been missing him already. Abby is all off schedule, didn't take a nap at all today, and is still going strong at 8:40 p.m. I'm hoping that means she will sleep in for me, since there won't be any alarms going off in my room tomorrow morning. Although she seems to have a knack for waking me up early. This morning Abby woke me up at 5:30 a.m. to tell me "Abby is tired." It's one of those things where you don't know whether to laugh or be upset that you have to crawl out of bed at 5:30 to go put her back into her own bed and turn her Veggie Tales c.d. back on. She didn't even want cuddled or anything, she just wanted to tell me she was tired. What a girl...

And... to keep today even more interesting, Abby wore a skirt under a dress today. And I had to take her out in public with her skirt on under her dress. Luckily they were both denim and the skirt didn't peek out too much. Unluckily, she got food on the dress (which was on the outside) and had a diaper leak on the skirt and tights, so I get to do double the laundry for today. Oh well... at least she has a little bit of spunk and independence.

Our Girl - 32 Weeks

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.

Apparently I've been doing a lot of laying on the couch (and with good reason), since Abby seems to have decided it looked like a fun thing to try. I've been having some major joint pain, mostly in my right hip and jaw. According to the web it's probably caused by the hormone relaxin, which helps loosen joints to aid in delivery. Unfortunately, I don't really need those joints to be loosened for a c-section and there seems to be an imbalance in the levels, because my joints never hurt like this when I was expecting Abby.

Abby and I went out for a lunch date with her friends Autumn and Little Abby. She had a great time at play land and finally went high enough to get down the slide (she had some major mommy assistance). We've been working very hard on breaking Abby of her recent habit of not listening to mom and dad. Today it took 3 tries to get her into her bed for nap time. She's also been asserting herself with Maize, which can be funny but also probably isn't too safe. Yesterday she was dragging Maize around by the collar (see pictorial evidence). Luckily we picked a very gentle dog, because I think any other dog would have taken a bite or two at Abby for all the abuse. It may make bringing home Baby Sister an exciting adventure. I'm really hoping that Abby will decide to be a helper/protector instead of a boss/aggressor.

And.... only 49 days until the scheduled c-section. Let's hope for a few days less :-)

Our Girl - 31 Weeks

How your baby's growing:

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He'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.

from (http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-31-weeks_1120.bc)

We had our checkup this week. Baby's heartbeat was 144 beats per minute. Abby was excited to listen to her baby "sing." We also got a tentative c-section date (the surgeon just has to okay it) for April 7th. If we can make it that long.

Our Girl - 30 Weeks

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.)

from (http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-30-weeks_1119.bc)

Our Girl - 29 Weeks

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. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his 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.

from (http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-29-weeks_1118.bc)

Baby Sister is still really active - I thought I might get ripped in half last night with all the activities she was preforming. I hope this isn't a sign that she will have major day/night mix ups when she is born.

Our Girl - 28 Weeks

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.

from (http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-28-weeks_1117.bc)

Just for fun yesterday I measured around my belly. It was 45 inches. Wow... that is big. At this point in my pregnancy for Abby I was 44 1/4 inches, so I'm not that much bigger than before, but a whole lot more uncomfortable.

Our Girl - 27 Weeks (and a day)

How your baby's growing:

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) 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, your baby's 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.

From (http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-27-weeks_1116.bc)

Our Girl - 26 Weeks

If a full night's rest has become elusive, welcome to the (sleepless) world of pregnancy insomnia. Between heartburn and leg cramps, bathroom runs and that big beach ball beneath your nightie, it's no wonder your body's having trouble calming down and drifting off. But there are lots of tactics to try that should help keep you in bed (and asleep!) instead of pacing the floor; these include daytime exercise, a daily dose of fresh air, and limiting fluids before you hit the hay. What's up with your baby? She now weighs a full two pounds and measures nine-plus inches. And this week, her eyes, which until now were developing under fused eyelids, start to open. Of course, there's not much to see in there, but if your baby spots a bright light (or hears a loud noise) near your belly, you may notice an increase in fetal activity. (Hey, I'm in here, Mommy!)

from (http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/week-by-week/week-26.aspx)

We had a check-up today. Baby's heart rate was 138 and she was moving all around. Everything is right on track according to the doctor. We had the re-test for the glucose challenge test, so hopefully that will come back normal and the gestational diabetes will be a thing of my past :-)

Abby had a really fun afternoon playing with her best friends Autumn and Maddie. She didn't even cry when I dropped her off at Autumn's house and left. She is really growing up fast!

Our Girl - 25 Weeks

Your Baby

By the time you reach pregnancy week 25 your baby probably weighs in at more than 1.5 pounds and may be almost 13.6 inches or longer! Most babies' length and weight tend to vary from this point on in your pregnancy week by week. Keep in mind that while some babies are born a mere 6 pounds, others weigh in closer to 10 pounds! Most babies average about 7-8 pounds at birth.

Changes In Your Growing Baby

Your baby is working diligently on putting on weight during pregnancy week 25 and as you continue your pregnancy week to week. About the time you approach 25 weeks pregnant your baby's spine starts to mature and blood vessels form in the lungs. If you were to peak inside at your baby you would also find her nostrils developing by pregnancy week 25. By the end of 25 weeks pregnant they will even open!

from (http://www.pregnancy-weekbyweek.com/pregnancy-week-25.htm)

Our Girl - 24 Weeks

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

from (http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-24-weeks_1113.bc)

Abby, Steve and I are all packed up and ready to hit the road when Steve leaves work. We decided to leave tonight instead of waiting for tomorrow. We really don't want to deal with any winter weather and we are hoping that Abby falls asleep and rides better tonight than she would during the day tomorrow. Unfortunately Abby woke us up at 4:45 a.m. and stayed up, so it is going to mess with the schedule I had planned for her (which included a nap right about the time we were going to leave). So we just have a few things left to gather and we will be on our way.

P.S. Grandma Mary and Grandpa Scott - we are joining the slumber party at your house tonight since we are going to be pretty late and Grandpa Roy and Grandma Yvonne have to work tomorrow. Just so you know :-)

Our Girl - 23 Weeks

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

from (http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-23-weeks_1112.bc)

Here is our daily snow update for Grandpa Harley:

The snow on the deck this morning was above my knee (or in Abby terms up to her armpits). Roughly 20 to 21 inches. In the yard it is probably more like 17 to 18, since we've had to clear a trail for Maize on the deck, so there is a bit of extra snow accumulation where we've tossed the extra snow.

Our Girl - 22 Weeks

How your baby's growing:

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

from (http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-22-weeks_1111.bc)

I went in for my regularly scheduled check-up this afternoon. Everything is going well and baby is growing right on schedule. She was super active while we were there, so it made getting her heartbeat a little tricky, but Dr. Mackie managed and it was a healthy 144 bpm. We are going to be repeating the glucose challenge test next visit and also doing the rhogam shot (boo!). And then we will be scheduling a visit to the surgeon's office to set a c-section date. We are all looking forward to Abby's "baby sister"!

Girlie Girls

Well... Abby's baby is a good wiggler, kicker, and flipper. SHE also knows how to do the touchdown symbol already (we saw her do it at least 3 times). That's right... Abby is getting a little sister. She was very excited to see her baby on the ultrasound and was actually pretty good for the hour long scan. I'm not sure that ultrasounds normally require an hour, but with the amount of flipping our ninja was doing it took a long time to get all the measurements and pictures they wanted. And we found out this will be a second large headed child (her head was measuring one week ahead of schedule). Must be this will be another big brained child.

Now it is on to the big project - picking a name for the baby girl. We had our boy name set in concrete, but we haven't quite figured out what to call a little girl. We would be happy for any good suggestions, but remember that the initials need to create a word (like Abigail Grace Obreiter - ago). That certainly complicates the process, along with the fact that I have tons of cousins and all of our favorite names have been used by at least one of them. Abby suggestions so far include "Boy" and "Maize".

Our Baby - Week 19

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby 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.

from (http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-19-weeks_1108.bc)

Today Abby says our baby is a boy. She has been talking to the baby a lot, so the baby will probably know her voice very well by the time it arrives. And it will probably know the words "no" and "time out" too since Abby has been having a very defiant week this week. Hopefully it is just a product of the two teeth that are coming in right now. Or maybe it's something in this house, since Maize has been growling at Abby a lot more lately. It may be time to get out of dodge for a few days.

Our Baby - Week 18

How your baby's growing:

Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

from (http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-18-weeks_1107.bc)

We had our monthly checkup for Baby O. this morning. Everything was progressing on schedule and we are hoping that the glucose tolerance test comes back good so that I don't have to start testing my blood sugar daily. We have our next ultrasound on November 30th, so we are hoping that Baby O. cooperates and we can find out the gender (along with making sure that all the organs and systems have developed properly). Unfortunately, my back and hip pain is only going to get worse and Dr. Mackie didn't seem to think there was much that could be done to prevent it, short of doing less activity. And since Abby isn't on board with the less activity idea, I guess I will be having a sore back and hip until Baby O. arrives.

Our Baby - Week 17

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

(from: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-17-weeks_1106.bc)

Next Wednesday is our next OB appointment. I get to take the lovely glucose tolerance test and we will be setting a date for our 20 week ultrasound. We've had several people we know recently who have been unable to determine gender from that ultrasound, so we are praying that Baby O. cooperates and Abby can settle on a name for her new baby. Last night's choice was Boy Sister.

Our Baby - Week 16

How your baby's growing:

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

Our Baby - Week 15

How your baby's growing:

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")

See what your baby looks like this week.

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:

You've probably gained about 5 pounds by now (a little more or less is fine, too) and are well into the swing of your pregnancy, but you may still be surprised by an unexpected symptom now and then. Actually, I've only gained 2.2 pounds according to the Wii fit, which I hadn't used since July (whoops), so I guess some Halloween candy is in order. And maybe some pumpkin pie... If your nose is stuffed up, for instance, you can probably chalk it up to the combined effect of hormonal changes and increased blood flow to your mucous membranes. Stuffy nose... check. This condition is so common, there's even a name for it: "rhinitis of pregnancy." Some pregnant women also suffer nosebleeds as a result of increased blood volume and blood vessel expansion in the nose.

(from: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-15-weeks_1104.bc)

Our Baby - Week 14

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy cover of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

(from: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-14-weeks_1103.bc)

In other news... we had our 14 week checkup and things were looking good. Abby and Steve came too, so Abby could learn that not all trips to the doctors office result in shots and other pain. She even warmed up enough by the end to give Dr. Mackie a high-five. And she was pretty impressed by the baby's heartbeat - which was 144 beats per minute. We will be checking in again at 18 weeks and will have to do the glucose tolerance test that visit, so I am not looking forward to that fun, but I figure we might as well get it out of the way.