So Hot

I've been having the WORST hot flashes for the past month. They tend to last at least half an hour and I am the crazy pregnant lady who is sitting in a bra and shorts with the windows open in 40 degree weather sweating like a pig. It is HORRIBLE. I will never have a summer baby if only for this reason. It truly is out of control. One of these days, I'd also like to not have heartburn. In case anyone is taking requests out there.

Baby P is starting to get so big his movements are more painful than playful lately. That makes me kind of sad. We are getting so anxious to meet him that these last 8 weeks are going to take forever. I am so thankful for a textbook, easy pregnancy and I hate to think that I am starting to want it to be over. I will miss having him move around inside of me once he is here, but the desire to have him here with us is overwhelming any remaining bliss I have about the pregnancy.

We have picked a pediatrician and all I need to do is call them to ensure they are taking new patients. The process was easier than I thought. Luckily, the practice is on call at the hospital we are delivering at, so his actual doctor will get to do his in-hospital check up which I am satisfied with. It's not the only reason I picked this place, but it is a nice benefit.

As excited as I am that this is my last week of my MBA program and I graduate on the 15th after 2 1/2 long years of going to school at night while working, I am sad I won't have much on my plate except waiting for Baby P to come. I'm afraid that will really slow things down to not have much to distract myself. But if the last 32 weeks have flown by like they have, I'm sure these last 8 will as well, school or no school.

32 Week Appointment Recap

Real quick appointment today. Blood pressure was 110/60 and I gained 2 lbs for a total of 25 lbs so far. Heart rate looked good and he was measuring right at 32 weeks for the fundal height. Back in 2 weeks!

Thankful

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with some family in town. It's amazing to think that next Thanksgiving Baby P will be joining us in his highchair nibbling on turkey. It blows my mind.

We had our maternity pictures done today and I am so excited to see how they came out. It was a great experience. I can't wait to share the pictures with everyone. We will have her do our newborn pictures as well.

I have an OB appointment tomorrow. I'm very curious to see how the baby is measuring. Last appointment he was measuring a little over a week ahead. Everyone feels he will make his appearance early, much closer to my original due date of January 15th instead of my actual due date of January 26th. I tend to feel the same way. We'll have to see - he's in charge!

I washed all of his newborn and 3 month clothing yesterday and that made things feel very real. Outside of some diapers, wipes, and a diaper bag - we are all ready for Baby P to be here. We're in the home stretch!

31 weeks

From Babycenter:
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.

Test Results

I passed my 3 hour glucose test!! I am so relieved!!!

30 weeks!

From Babycenter:
Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

Glucose Test

The 3 hour glucose test today really knocked me out. I had a hard time keeping myself from throwing up for the first two hours of the test. I am exhausted and feeling really off. I find out the results on Monday. I've mostly been napping this afternoon and am trying to get the energy up to prepare for my absolute last presentation as a MBA student which I give this evening on pregnancy discrimination. Looking forward to feeling more normal as I go into the weekend. I'll get a 30 week bump watch picture up tomorrow.

Sunny Orlando

Orlando is treating us well and everyone is happy and content. I started my glucose test diet yesterday and I am already sick of carbs and sugar. It's really rather extreme. It also keeps the baby going 24/7, so sleep is at a premium at the moment. He got his first bit of hiccups the other day which amused me to no end. I also found a tiny, tiny little stretch mark right where his big ol' head is.

For the last month or so, I've been feeling fine but slowing down and feeling tired and sluggish at night. Now, I feel that way all the time. My hands and feet continue to swell even just lying down and I have trouble getting comfortable and moving around. We have 10 more weeks to go until my due date, but I am very much looking forward to this little guy being here and not kicking my rib cage quite so much.

Glucose test is on Thursday morning, so by lunchtime I should know whether or not I have gestational diabetes and what the course of action is from here on out if that is the case. Looking forward to getting this done and over with and moving on. I can't believe I am already on my 2 week appointments. It's all feeling pretty surreal that a beautiful baby boy is coming to join us in just a few weeks.

Baby P in 3D

We went back for our 3D appointment today and ended up with some great shots of the little man.





Click here for more pictures!

We also have a DVD of the whole session. Once I break that up and put it up on YouTube, I'll post it. Here's some 4D videos from the ultrasound place.

Videos:

Nursery Pictures

I think we are about done! I didn't take pictures of the new shelves that we put in - mostly because a bunch of junk is stuffed up there right now and it doesn't look very nice! Thank you to everyone who gifted us items for the nursery. It really feels like home now.

Starting to slow down

My heartburn is acting up again, horribly. Nothing I seem to do will get it under control. I've actually thrown it up a few times which is pretty gross. I also go through periods where I am super hot. It's 40 degrees out right now and I have the air conditioner blasting and I'm sitting in shorts and a tank top. These hot spells last for a few hours at a time.

Baby P's kicks, knees, punches, and elbows are getting so strong they take my breath away sometimes. He always reacts whenever the husband starts talking. It's the cutest thing. Nothing gets him moving like lying on my side next to the husband while he is telling a story. It melts my heart the little one loves to hear his daddy's voice. He also is obsessed with music. Every time I put any sort of music on he starts squirming around.

I've been keeping up with my walks - about 2 miles at a time a few times a week. I am getting horribly slow and sluggish though. It's amazing to feel my body slow down. I also run out of breath very quickly as my lungs are getting squished. I found this really cool link that shows how much everything gets squished together as baby gets bigger. Still stretch mark free (knocks on wood) and still able to do my squats and lunges.

We are heading to Orlando for a work conference for the husband. We'll be gone from Sunday until Wednesday. I start my glucose test diet on Monday. I am looking forward to getting that done and over with. Hopefully it will make me never want sugar again haha.

I've got our newborn pictures set up and am working on getting a few maternity pictures done. Hopefully it will all work out. Looking forward to seeing the munchkin on Saturday for real this time.

29 weeks

From Babycenter:
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. With this rapid growth, it's no surprise that your baby's nutritional needs reach their peak during this trimester.

Appointment Recap

Today I had a regular OB appointment as well as my glucose test. I have gained 6 lbs since last visit which is right where I should be - a total gain of 23 lbs total so far. My blood pressure was good at 110/70 for the second month in a row. Baby's heart rate is great and he is measuring a week ahead! Doctor guessed he gained about a pound since last month.

The glucose test is a screening test for gestational diabetes. Basically I have to drink a really sugary drink (it tasted like flat orange soda), sit for an hour and have my blood drawn. It measures how quickly my body processes a large amount of sugar. My doctor "passes" anyone who has a reading of 134 or less. Mine came in at 145. Blah.

Basically that means I have to go to the diagnostic gestational diabetes test, which is a three hour test. They put me on a high sugar, high carb diet for 72 hours, and then I fast for 12 hours before the exam. They drawn my blood, have me drink a stronger drink, and then I get my blood drawn every hour for 3 hours for a total of 4 blood draws. If I fail two of the three blood draws (the fasting blood draw doesn't count - it's a control), they diagnose me with gestational diabetes.

My doctor isn't very worried, since my number was on the low end of failing and she said it takes a lot of people longer to process a large sugar shock, but it is still something to keep in the back of my mind. Most women fail the one hour and pass the three hour, so I'm not horribly worried. It's going to be a long morning though!

If I did get diagnosed with gestational diabetes, it's nothing bad, nothing preventable, or anything like that. It just means that Baby P can grow large and they need to keep an eye on him. Depending on the degree of gestational diabetes I have, if I have it at all, they would put me on a special diet and monitor Baby P's size more carefully. All symptoms disappear after the baby is born and there is no adverse impact to the baby except he can grow larger than a normal baby his size. He may need to be delivered earlier or via c-section if that is the case.

So we'll have to see! I scheduled my 3 hour test for the 18th, and then go for my last 4 week appointment on the 29th. The doctor had me schedule all of my two week appointments, so I scheduled through the end of the year. I can't believe we already are on the 2 week appointments! I need to find a pediatrician next, and we need to decide 100% if we are doing cord blood banking. We are already pre-registered at the hospital and I am working on a birth plan and getting together a list of stuff to pack for the hospital. I am still convinced Baby P will be a January baby...we are in the home stretch!

Coming Home!

Here are the outfits we picked out for when Baby P leaves the hospital and comes home with us.

If he fits into the newborn size:



If he's a bit too big for the newborn size:



I've been doing a bunch of reading and finding very conflicting stories as to whether or not a baby can wear onesies until his belly button heals. I am not in good shape as far as newborn and 0-3 month size t-shirts go, so I am very curious. I think I'll ask my doctor one of these upcoming visits.

Just for fun

It is the oddest feeling in the world to lean forward and feel a foot in your ribcage.

Just for fun, I've added a poll to the sidebar so people can vote on Baby P's weight. I've gotten a few opinions so far, and frankly, they scare me!

Preston is obsessed with me lying on my side. Every single time I lie down, he starts going crazy. As long as he hasn't flipped back to breech, I am getting a lot of elbows lately. If I poke along my ribcage, I'll get a foot or a knee. It keeps me entertained. I spend as much time lying on my side with my hand on my belly as humanly possible lately.

I can't believe we are just shy of 80 days away! I'm still feeling relatively good overall. My hands and my feet are still swelling, my appetite goes from ravenous to non-existent, and I feel like I am always moving in slow motion. Lately as the baby takes over my entire torso, I have bouts where I feel like I can't catch my breath because I can't expand my lungs. All totally normal, but still odd. I still get queasy at the smell of eggs, and I can't get enough hamburgers.

I am very much looking forward to school being done in the next few weeks. I should be 32, almost 33 weeks when I am completely finished. It should be just in time. I couldn't do it much longer without being completely miserable. Not working has really been a blessing. I've been keeping my eyes out for opportunities, but we'll see what ends up happening.

I cannot wait until we are totally done with the nursery. We still have to hang Preston's letters above his changing table and my mom is sending me down the hamper and light and I think everything will be complete. I love just walking into that room. We hung some pictures up last weekend and it really looks like a nursery now. I picked out a second outfit for him to wear home from the hospital if he is too big for the newborn size. I'll have to take pictures of both outfits.

Glucose test on Monday, blech! I also get measured to see how far along I am progressing. Last time I was right on schedule, so we'll see. Too bad there isn't an ultrasound scheduled! I'll have to actually be patient this time and wait until the 13th.

Oh, and I haven't seen my feet in at least a week.

28 weeks

From Babycenter.com
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 his head to his heels. He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.