34 Week Portrait

This picture was taken at yesterday's office visit. It's of the Bean's face, on the left side of the screen. It's eyes were open, although you may have difficulty seeing that. Surprisingly, Mike and I both got "girl vibes" when we saw this picture. Who knows??

Weekend Recap

I had a very eventful weekend. Last Friday night was Girls Night with the high school girls. I decided to go ahead and host this month so I wouldn't have to worry about it with a newborn. It was a great time. Kim brought little Grayson, just 6 weeks old. She was adorable, although I had difficulty figuring out how to hold her with my big baby bump. It was nice to see how the dogs reacted to her also. I've been so worried about jealousy or them jumping on a baby or something. But after a lot of sniffing, they seemed okay. Of course the true test will come when mommy is breastfeeding, but we'll just have to work it all out.

On Saturday I cleaned and watched UK beat Vandy in double overtime. It was a nail-biter, but turned out great!

Sunday was my girlfriend shower, hosted by Margo and Amy at my house. It was wonderful!!! They did such a nice job. The food was yummy, the games were cute, the decorations adorable, and of course the guests were the best part. I just love getting together with the girls in any setting, but especially when we're celebrating my Bean! We received so many nice gifts that I can't wait to use. Thank you to everyone who attended, and a special thank you to Margo and Amy, who I love so much!

34 Week Update

I had my 34 week ultrasound and appointment today. Mike was unable to go so Mom went with me. As usual, the Bean kept us entertained. The Bean is now too big to flip around for us, but "he" did keep us entertained by opening and closing his eyes and sticking his tongue out. He is still breech and today had both his feet up by his head. At this time there is technically still enough amniotic fluid for him to turn head down for birth, but the doctor admitted there isn't much. They will begin checking my cervix for dilation next week and will continue to monitor the baby's size and the quantity of amniotic fluid. All those factors will come into play in determining whether or not I'll need a c-section. Additionally, the baby's heart rate was 137.

In mommy news, my uterus measured 33.5 cm and I gained two pounds. I've been experiencing nausea again, although not with the same intensity as the first trimester. Luckily I still have my "magic pills" to combat that. I continue to have occasional dizzy spells, but we think it's due to fluid in my ears from my allergies. I wake up frequently during the night, about every 2-3 hours, and sometimes don't fall back to sleep for several hours, if at all. That has led to some extreme cases of fatigue. I'm also dealing with back pain, occasional swelling in my feet, and good old constipation. I feel incredibly attractive, let me tell you!

Breastfeeding class

We had our breastfeeding class last night and Mike was a little nervous beforehand. He asked what happens there. I told him I'd probably have to pull out my boobs and he'd have to act as the baby and try to get milk from them to make sure they work. Oh, that face was priceless! He called again yesterday and "really" wanted to know if I had to show my boobs. I told him I probably would, but just me, so everyone could admire my chimp titties.

The class went well and we received some good information. I feel a lot more comfortable about asking for help if I need it. I was also happy to know I will be able to breastfeed immediately after the baby is born. I didn't know how that worked, but knew I wanted to do that so Mike and I can bond with the baby as soon as he/she is born. I will make that wish known as soon as we get to the hospital. I've always envisioned those first moments after birth being a very special time for Mike, me and the baby. I picture us holding the baby together and soaking in all the emotions of seeing our baby for the first time. I was glad to know that nursing immediately is actually recommended. I can't wait to bask in the miracle of what we've created and enjoy those first few moments that will be unlike anything we'll ever experience again. Then everyone else can come take over the Bean!

Beautiful Bean

Here are the Bean's latest photos. The top photo I absolutely love. It's of the nose and mouth as you are looking up at the Bean. The arrow on the photo points to the tip of the nose and the perfect little nose holes and mouth are just underneath. The second is of the profile. The Bean chose that moment to pucker up into the Zoolander, just like daddy does!

Many of you commented about all my "he" references in the last post. No, we didn't find anything out, it's just that nobody we know believes this baby is a girl, and I hate using "it" all the time. So it seemed easier to refer to the Bean as a male. Won't we all be surprised if little Mia shows up?!

33 Weeks/8 Months

We had an ultrasound this morning. Because of my asthma, I will have ultrasounds every week from here on out. The Bean was active as ever, but is too big to run and hide like he used to! He measured 5 lbs 4 oz, mostly due to his big head (fabulous!). That put him in the 77 th percentile for size and if he ends up being a normal sized baby, the due date is projected at February 11. Of course we know due dates are only best guesses, and they will do all the measurements again in 3 weeks to see where we stand. If the measurements are off, or if Bean is simply a bigger baby, he may still arrive on February 25. My uterus measured at 33 cm so it's likely we're on target with the February 25 date.

All his organs looked great, so there are no effects from my asthma at this time. He is still breech, sitting with his head on my upper left side and his bottom on my lower right, facing my right. He was Indian-style at the beginning of the ultrasound, chilling with one hand propped behind his head. Later he wanted a snack, and pulled his toes up to his mouth. Yummy! As long as he's turned prior to 37 weeks, we don't need to be concerned with his breech position just yet.

I've had some dizzy spells this past week so they drew blood to test for anemia. I've had no weight gain since early November, still holding steady at a total of 21 pounds. My big fat baby must be wolfing down all my calories!

The size of Bean has freaked us out just a little bit, making us realize how quickly this could all happen. We'll be heading to the OB office on Wednesday night for a lactation class, and going ahead and ordering the changing table this week. Not too much longer, no matter when he comes!!

Happy New Year!

Yesterday was certainly light years away from New Years' past. Mike and I both worked. We tried to listen to the UK basketball game as we worked, but found ourselves distracted by our jobs (can you imagine?). Regardless, they somehow pulled out a win. We both got off early and met at the house. We went to Jimi and Jaime's house to watch UK play football in the Music City Bowl. I left during the game to meet a group of friends at a sushi bar for dinner, then returned to see the end of the game, where we pulled out a win. Mike and I hung out there for the evening. Jaime is pregnant also, so we played with her daughter while the guys drank and played video games upstairs. Jimi and Mike had heard about the "pencil test" at work, which is supposed to determine the sex of your babies, so they decided to test it out on Jaime and me. The test said Jaime's first child would be a girl (which is true) and the second will be a boy. The test also said I will have a girl, quite contrary to the opinion of anyone and everyone who sees me. Quite interesting. We stayed there until about 11:30, when we were simply too tired to hang out any longer. We got home about 11:55, changed into our pajamas, kissed at midnight, and went to bed.

Today we slept late, then I moved to the couch where I proceeded to finish an entire novel. Mike cleaned out our future workout room in the basement that currently houses his second reef aquarium. He used one of the closets downstairs to organize his supplies, so now my treadmill will fit into the room. Not sure how much use that will get in these next two months, but it's nice to know it's ready when I am.

Tonight I made brownies and Mike went to the store and bought ice cream and milk to accompany them. We sat on the couch in front of the fire and listened to the wind howl outside. A perfect New Year's Day. If only I weren't turning 35 tomorrow...