thirty one.

latest wee stats:
*heartrate - 165 bpm

me stats:
*poundage: +6 pounds from last visit (in case you didn't catch it, that was only two weeks ago. yikes) that puts my total at 25 pounds. i am very uncomfortable.

*sleep: a somewhat decent night's sleep with my friend tylenol p.m

*crazy meter: off the charts. i am the proverbial emotional roller coaster over here. one minute i am laughing hysterically. a maniacal giggle monkey. then i am exhausted. i have cried twice for no reason and we won't talk about my grump level. herschel deserves a gold star for his efforts although at our last doctor visit i looked up to catch him side-looking at me with a mixture of fear, curiosity, and caution. hilarious.

Week Thirty-One

• The rate of physical growth slows down just a bit, but even though she doesn't get much longer, she will gain a lot of weight the rest of the pregnancy.
• Fat continues accumulating. This layer of fat turns her skin from red to the rosy pink she will have as a newborn.
• Calcium, phosphorus and iron are being stored and his bones are growing and hardening.
• Your baby is 16.2 inches (41.1cm) long and weighs 3.3 pounds (1502gm)
• His brain enters another period of rapid growth, producing hundreds of billions of new nerve cells!
  
• She may move to the rhythm of music.
  
• Lungs are the only major organ left to complete development. Remember, that while you may be anxious to meet your little one that these last few weeks can be vital - with each day increasing your baby's ability to breathe on her own.

don't cry weebaby.

okay. i didn't want to but i've promised berry too many times and never came through so here's some belly pics from 4 months to now.

now entering from stage left: hippo-mama.....

4.5 months

5.5 months

7 months

Week Twenty-Nine

• Your baby's head is in proportion with body now. He appears more like a newborn each and every day!
• Fat continues to accumulate under the skin -- only now preparing for entering the *real world*.
• Your baby's brain can control primitive breathing and body temperatures.
• His eyes can move in their sockets. Soon he will be able to follow a blinking light.
• Your baby is increasingly sensitive to changes in light, sound, taste, and smell! Various studies show that your baby may indicate preferences (or disdain) for particular tastes or odors at this stage
• He is also moving from side to side, but probably still is head up. In the next few weeks, he will move to the head down birthing position.
  
• Her length is now approximately 15.2 inches (38.6cm) and weight is 2.54 pounds (1153gm)

Week Thirty

• Did you know your baby is nearly three pounds now?
• His head is getting larger to accommodate a period of rapid brain growth. our wee is a smarty pants.
• A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him. As he grows and fills your uterus, the amount of amniotic fluid will decrease. Funny, you certainly won't feel any lighter!
• She spends more and more time practicing opening and closing eyelids. Her eyes can move from side to side, following a light source. She may even reach out to touch the light.
• Early lanugo is beginning to disappear that served to protect your baby's skin from the water in the womb. Your little one's own hair may begin to appear.
• Toenails are entering their final growth stage.
• Bone marrow is now in charge of red blood cell production. These red blood cells will continue to service your child's body by transporting oxygen and removing the wastes (carbon monoxide and other gases).
• Your baby has the capability now to produce tears -- yes, within the womb.
• By the end of this week, your baby is now 15.7 inches (39.9cm) long and weighs 2.91 pounds (1319gm).

hello third trimester.

latest wee stats:
*heartrate- 150 bpm
*activity status - ritalin level. this kid is bouncing off my walls.

latest me stats:
*blood pressure -112/60 mmHg
*poundage-to-date - 19 pounds! what? i have gained 6 pounds since my last visit one month ago...my sweet tooth is making up for lost time.
*activity status - a mix of zombie like behavior and short bursts of delerium induced activity.
**let's just say that if you wake up in the night and you need someone to talk to....i'm up.

at our visit today, herschel was full of questions, the best one dealing with pregnancy and toxoplasmosis and how far i needed to stay from the litterbox... i need to remember to show him that diploma i received a few months ago... he must not have seen it yet. he must now address me as dr. chambers for the next week.

he also tried to get me to hijack the ultrasound machine in the exam room, knocked my shoes off of my feet, told me i would be getting a flu shot at my next visit, and suggested that the ovaries on the counter-top model of the female anatomy was an ear.....and he's all mine.

Week Twenty-Eight

• Eyebrows and eyelashes are now very noticeable!
• Hair on baby's head is growing longer. Some babies are born with almost none at all, while others appear to be ready for their first haircut!
• Eyes are completely formed now.
  
• Your baby's body is getting plump and rounded. Most of that increase is muscle tissue and bone. Fat will be added during the third trimester.
• Muscle tone is improving. Preparation for the Olympics feels like it is taking place in your womb! yes. shotput.
  
• Lungs are capable of breathing now (but baby would still struggle and require medical attention if born now)
• He or she can recognize your voice now and will often calm to it later on!
• Your baby weighs in now at 2.2 pounds (1005gm) and is 14.8 inches (37.6cm).

#27

Week Twenty-Seven

• Your little one's brain continues its rapid growth.
• Response to sound grows more consistent toward the end of the seventh month, when the network of nerves to the ear is complete. Your baby's hearing continues to develop, he or she may start to recognize your voice as well as your partner's.
• Lungs continue to grow and prepare for functioning outside of the womb. Each day in the womb greatly increases survival rates!
• He also continues to take small breaths and although he's only breathing in water and not air, it's still good practice for when he's born.
• Eyelids are now open more. Your baby can distinguish between light and dark.
• Retinas have formed.
• Average size is now 14.4 inches (36.6cm) and 1.9 pound (875gm).

grow wee baby grow!

but don't even think about......

now that's a fine noggin.

we snuck into school with our #1 accomplice lauren and got a good peek at wee with the reject ultrasound machine. we could only take a picture of the screen with our camera so image quality is less than stellar but there's no mistaking that wee has a fine skull.

what we saw:
*one fabulous wee baby head
*hands/feet/ribcage/spine/heart
*blinking
*hiccups
*mouth movements

all in all that is one cramped baby and i'm sure it is looking forward to a good stretch.

also:
...look at this.every kid needs a giraffe chalkboard ......i love it.

what should we name it?

the flat spot.

Week Twenty-Five

• The structures of the spine begin to form -- joints, ligaments and rings. These will protect the all important spinal cord which serves as the information transmitter for your child's body.
• Blood vessels of the lungs develop.
• Your baby's nostrils begin to open. There is a study out of Belfast that suggests babies at this stage have the capability of scent preferences!
• The nerves around the mouth and lip area are showing more sensitivity now. When baby is rooting for food later on, these will be valuable!
• His swallowing reflexes are developing.
• Dexterity is improving. Your baby can make a fist and would clasp objects placed in palm.
• Your child has now obtained an approximate length of 13.6 inches (34.6cm) and weighs 1.46 pound (660gm).

Week Twenty-Six

• Your baby may weigh about two pounds now (average is 1.7 pound, 760gm) and is 14 inches (35.6cm) in length
• To support the fetus's growing body, the spine is getting stronger and more supple. Though no longer than the span of the average adult hand, it is now made up of 150 joints, 33 rings, and some 1,000 ligaments.
• Air sacs in the lungs form now.
• Lungs begin to secrete a greasy substance called surfactant. Without surfactant the fetal lungs would stick together and couldn't expand after the baby is born.
• Although they've been sealed shut for the last few months, your baby's eyes are opening and beginning to blink this week. Depending on ethnicity, some babies will be born with blue or gray-blue eyes (which may change color in the first 6 months of life) and some will be born with brown or dark eyes.
• Retinas begin to form.
• Brain wave activity for hearing and sight begins to be detectable.
• Fetal brain scans show response to touch. If you shine a light on your abdomen, your baby will turn his head, which according to researchers, means his optic nerve is working.
• The nerve pathways in her ears are developing, which means her response to sounds is growing more consistent.
  

wee has definitely been on the move lately and the other night would not be still. i don't know what was going on in there. it is a weird feeling to lay there and feel something moving around in your belly which led me to think of 'alien' and i thought it must have been written by a woman but no, i googled it and it is not (my english teacher would have a field day with that last sentence). anyway, a weird feeling but i loved it.

the belly:
*first, let me say that i am looking the part. my belly is getting big and while it changes in appearance depending on how wee is at that moment, one thing that does not change is the flat spot. most pregnant women have that cute round belly with the outie belly button. i have a flat spot. sigh.
i have always wanted an outie ever since i saw my first one in elementary school and this pregnancy was my big chance. but no, i have the grand canyon for a belly button and i don't think the pregnancy belly button pop is in the cards for me. cute round belly? no. exaggerated beer gut? yes.
i blame my parents because i must blame someone.

i am still happy because there's a wee baby in there.

random stuff:

*this week i have averaged about three hours of sleep a night. it's great fun

*tonight i dreamed that i had a puppy instead of wee baby. it was a girl....papillon. i went to swaddle it and it turned into monkey (our cute kitten that turned into a tank with attitude) who does not liked to be touched anywhere other than her head so she kept biting me. once swaddled (i am persistent) it turned back into the puppy. i was excited about the new baby until i realized it was, in fact, a puppy. at this point i was just kind of like "oh man, i really wanted a regular baby". then i woke up.

*i have been tested for gestational diabetes. i am still waiting on test results but this is conveniently coinciding with the return of my sweet tooth. uh oh.

*did anybody notice that are less than 100 days left? i did.

sleepy time.

wee's got new digs... here's some pictures





and that mobile is shazam! so far i've resisted the urge to curl up in this fine crib but i don't know how strong my will really is. i should be monitored.

what! monkey face rug? oh yes. it was necessary.


i got this nifty thing from my mama. it is a big 'c' and it is super comfortable. i still get woken up by this and THIS! but things are looking up in the pillow department. thanks mom!

latest doc visit stats:
wee heartrate: 153 bpm
april poundage:13 lbs since it all began

********************************
Week Twenty-Four

• Bring on the bulk! Baby gains about 6 ounces this week. The weight is in muscle, bone mass and organs.
• His body begins to fill out with his appearance increasingly becoming more like a newborn.
• Taste buds begin to form. If mom drinks something strange or bitter, baby may be observed showing his distaste.
• Little creases have appeared on his palms. The muscular coordination of his hands has improved as he sucks his thumb.
• Over the next seven days the sweat glands will be forming in the skin.
• His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily.
• This week your baby is officially considered viable.
• Baby weighs 1.3 pound (600gm) and is 11.8 inches (30cm) long -- almost the length of a ruler!

check out that lanugo. wee baby probably has a bit of excessive lanugo going on if herschel is any indication. that combined with the heartburn i've been experiencing...not just a wives tale?