Watch Me Grow - Week Forty Four (and a half)

I can't believe how late I am with this weeks post. I didn't even have a chance to take a photo until yesterday. Yikes! So, this weeks update is more like 44.5 weeks considering she will be 45 weeks old on Saturday (in three days).

Week 44 was a bit challenging in terms of eating solid foods. It appears that Kaitlin is on somewhat of a food strike. There are a few things here and there that she will eat (thank god for oat cakes), but for the most part she just throws everything on the floor. She will usually eat carbs (oat cake, toast, cheerios) and protein (yogurt, turkey meatballs, hamburger, etc) but that's about it. She won't even eat her favorite super ripe bananas. I've had to give her pureed fruits and vegetables at almost every meal, but she doesn't really like eating them from a spoon. I know the whole throwing-everything-on-the-ground is her learning and exploring and pushing boundaries but it's hard not to get frustrated. Especially when I have taken the time to make and cook whole, organic foods for her - and then they end up all over the floor and walls! But every now and again she will surprise me and wolf down everything that I've put on her plate and she is still drinking a ton of formula, so I know she is still getting nutrition.

Also during week forty four Kaitlin had a visitor! Our friend Heather from NY came to visit and Kaitlin - as usual - loved the extra attention. She was a little unsure of her at first, but after a while warmed right up to her. She even let her babysit without any tears! Well, until we got back home - then she was all tears! I don't know if she was crying because she missed us or because we were home...

Forty Weeks

Well friends...here we are. My last weekly photo. The last time you are going to have this pregnant belly all up in your face.

I had my 40 week appointment today and my doctor confirmed that baby girl hasn't budged at all in the last week. She sure is stubborn - hmmm I wonder where she gets that from?? If she doesn't come on her own this week (which doesn't seem likely at this point, especially since this is my first pregnancy) we will be induced over the weekend. 

We are kind of disappointed that we will probably have to be induced - it seems a little anti-climactic after all this time we've spent waiting for her arrival. BUT as long as she is healthy and the delivery goes well then I am a happy mama (to-be). And let's face it - since I am a little type-A I am glad to have a plan and a date when we know she will be here!

My biggest fear is that I will have to have a c-section. I have always been nervous about that possibility but statistics show that when you are induced your chances of having a c-section are increased (by something like 40%). I am trying not to read too much into it and I know a lot of ladies who were induced and had perfectly normal vaginal deliveries. So, staying positive and staying relaxed is my goal of the week.

And who knows...maybe that will encourage her to come out on her own :)

So - stayed tuned this weekend and next week for our first photos of our little one!!

Thirty-nine Weeks

Thirty-nine weeks and three days to be exact. And zero progress from last week. 

I just got back from my weekly doctors appointment and while everything is still going A-O-K, there hasn't been any progress from last week (or the week before, for that matter). Which is fine, technically it's still early - but boy are we anxious for her to get here! I think most first time moms are convinced that their little one is going to arrive early (inexperience? wishful thinking?) and then many of them don't. I've been trying to remind myself that the due date is really just an estimate, not a concrete date, and that if she arrives anytime between now and next weekend and is healthy we should consider ourselves extremely blessed.

(and actually my original due date was May 15th, but shhhhh - don't tell the baby that) 

I have been going on walks every day to try and encourage her to move down, whether this is in vain or not I'll never really know. Either way, it makes me feel better and I get to explore our neighborhood - both of which are awesome. I've taken the last week really easy and am starting to get antsy, so I think I'll be starting up some small projects around the house. If nothing else it will focus my attention on something other than her arrival and cross a few more items off our to-do list.

While we are so excited for Baby C to arrive, I can't help flip-flop between supercrazyexcited and supercrazyscaredashell. Sometimes I think to myself - "I can't wait to meet this little person, start to get my body back to normal, be able to stand/sit/lay down for longer than 20 minutes at a time". And almost as soon as that thought completes itself in my brain another thought jumps right in - "Oh god - but when she's here it's going to be so crazy, I'm going to be even more exhausted than I am now, my body is going to go through some weird ass changes that I don't even want to think about right now much less go through".

But mostly I am excited :)

Thirty-eight Weeks

Today, is May 1st.

You know what that means?

There are 11 more days until my due date.

There are 12 more days until my 30th birthday.

There are also 12 more days until Mothers day.

There are 25 more days until my parents come to visit us in Houston.

May is going to be a busy month.

We had our 38 week checkup today and you know what they say - no news is good news. Nothing has really changed over the last couple of weeks which means they don't think the baby will be showing up early (thank goodness). If she can at least wait until next Monday then we will be happy campers. She can show up a few days early if she wants :)

What we do know is that the Dr won't really go past a week over the due date. So the longest we will have to wait to meet this little one is 18 more days!!

Oh - and we FINALLY finished the nursery!! Check back later this week for photos!

Thirty-seven Weeks

It's official - the baby is now full term! She can make her debut any day now and the doctor would be happy to deliver her. We would be happy to see her too, but I'm hoping she bakes for a little while longer.

We had our weekly checkup today and the doctor said there hasn't been any change from last week, other than I am measuring slightly smaller and lost a pound. The smaller measurement is due to the baby dropping and the weight loss is probably due to the fact that I have cut back on the number of cupcakes/cookies/ice cream I have everyday (unlike last week, oops). I could tell the baby dropped over the weekend as I can feel her movements much lower in my pelvis. She has been as active as ever - no rest for this little one! Because of her lower position her movements are downright painful sometimes. It doesn't really look like it from the outside but I swear she is lower!

Today is the day that I pack my hospital bag (I swear!) and tomorrow we are getting the car seat installed. And by that I mean I am going to attempt to buckle it in myself and then in going to have the fire department double check it for me. Never can be too sure :)

The last of the baby stuff arrived this week so now we are all ready for her arrival! It's comforting to know that she will definitely be here within the next month - whether she likes it or not! I wonder what day she will come...any guesses??

Make sure you sign up to receive the blog via email for updates when she is born (you can do this on the right hand toolbar) and you can also follow me on twitter!

Thirty-six Weeks

Thirty-six weeks and three days. That's what they told me at the doctors office today. I did a quick calculation in my head (I'm a math whizz in case you didn't know) and that leaves us with 25 days until our baby girls due date. I'm not sure which is less scary to say - three and a half weeks or 25 days.

I've started seeing my doctor once a week now and today's check-up went very well. The baby is in the right position - which explains the recent kicks to the ribs I've been getting - and pretty much ready to go. Over the last week my hips have been starting to hurt a lot as well as my back (the joys of pregnancy). I have been stretching, doing light yoga and even walking to try and relieve the pain but nothing has seemed to help. When I asked my doctor about the pain she said that it's probably due to the fact that my pelvis has started expanding to get ready for the baby.

WHAT?! Already?? Oh right, twenty-five days...

This week my main priority is to get the babies room as finished as possible. We have all of the furniture built and today I washed approximately 8374935792819848 onesies/blankets/sheets. I'm just waiting for a few more items to arrive and then we should be ready to go!

We started taking our Lamaze Class (turns out there's more to it than he-he-ho) over the weekend. While the classes are a bit long, there has been a lot of really good information and even a few of those lovely birthing videos. We have one more class this Saturday and then we are ready to go! Or...something like that. We also had a hospital tour which was amazing. We are having our baby at the Texas Children's Hospital Pavilion for Women. The Pavilion is brand new - only been delivering babies for about a month now. The entire facility is brand new and absolutely gorgeous. I never thought I would say that about a hospital but it's true! All of the rooms are private and there is a one-to-one nurse to patient ratio during labor and delivery. Since its attached to the Children's Hospital if there are any emergencies or problems during delivery (or after) there is a full neonatal and pediatric team ready to go. We couldn't ask for a better place to have our first baby (and we are SO glad it's in network for our insurance) ;)

Thirty-five Weeks

We decided to take a semi-last minute mini vacation over the long Easter weekend. A "baby-moon" if you will - our last vacation before this family of two becomes a family of three.

Man was that a good idea.

On Saturday I turned Thirty-five Weeks and I felt every single day of it. I am getting to the point now where I am starting to feel pretty uncomfortable most of the time. It is hard to sit/stand/walk/sleep for long (heck, even short) periods of time. That being said, I am still incredibly grateful to have only gained a minimal amount of weight and to not have to carry this baby through the heat of a Houston summer.

We headed west to Lake Austin Spa for our weekend trip - only a few hours away by car so I felt comfortable leaving the area. The spa was amazing (more on that this week over on The Traveling Cupcake) and while we were there I indulged in their Mama-to-be massage. It did wonders for my lower back and shoulder pain - I think I need one of these every day! As the only (heavily) pregnant woman at the resort we were quite a popular couple. Everyone was super nice and we received many well wishes. I can't get over how nice people are when you are pregnant! If people were this nice to each other ALL the time this world would be a different place, I'm telling you. Although I can't help wonder how nice the same people would be in a few months when I'm carrying around a screaming baby...hmmm....

Along with feeling like a balloon ready to pop I have been having quite a few Braxton Hicks contractions. I usually have a few a day and didn't even realize what they were until a week or so ago. They aren't really that painful yet, mostly just uncomfortable. I had my 35 week check up today and baby girl is doing great! The Dr. said that I am measuring perfectly and have so far put on around 22 lbs. With only about four and a half weeks to go that puts me right on target for a very healthy and normal total weight gain (does that mean I can start indulging in a pint of ice cream every night??) I had been measuring the circumference of my belly once a week but during the chaos of the move I have lost my measuring tape. I'm interested to see how many inches I have put on since the last time I measured it over a month ago!

Starting next week I am going to see the Dr weekly - which is a sure sign that this thing is coming to an end soon! We start our Birthing classes this weekend and have a tour of the hospital as well. I'm excited for both - the hospital is brand new (my Dr delivered the first newborn to be born there a couple weeks ago) and I can't wait to see the facilities. On the agenda this week - Project Babies Room! We really need to get moving on setting up her room (just in case she decides to get here early) and now that we have most of the furniture here in the house we are ready to start assembling! Hopefully in the next week or two I will have some photos of her room to show you :)

Thirty-four (and a half) Weeks

Here I go, posting so late in the week again! I'm still using the excuse that I'm super busy unpacking...which isn't entirely untrue. In case you missed the news over on my other blog, I'm starting my own photography business, and have been busy this week putting the final touches on my website.

But now, on to the belly shot! 

For the next five and half weeks or so (YIKES!) the baby will mostly be putting on fat and getting nice and plump for her arrival. She should be about 5 lbs or so right now and is gaining about a half a pound a week. If, for some reason, she decided to show up SUPER early to the party, as long as there weren't any pre-existing conditions, she should be just fine. Not that we want her to show up early, but it's a relief to know that in case something did happen she would be pretty safe and well developed.

I'm finding it harder and harder to go about my day as I normally would. Along with the typical third trimester fatigue I also find it hard to be on my feet for more than a couple hours at a time. Which makes unpacking a house kind of difficult. One way to get around this is to wear my running sneakers all the time (shoes with little to no support are now stashed at the back of my closet) which is extra attractive on a pregnant lady. I'm also finding it harder to bend down to pick things up, and it's even worse trying to get back up! I regulated myself to a two hours on/one hour off schedule this week and it seems to be working a lot better. I've noticed that I'm even starting to outgrow some of my maternity clothes!! Shirts and tanks are getting shorter and there is no way I'm going to sport a crop top this late into my pregnancy. I don't really want to invest in a lot more clothes since I'll only be wearing them for a few more weeks, but I think I'm going to have to break down and get a couple more items (hopefully ones that I can continue to wear after Baby C arrives) to get me through the final weeks.

We are going away for a little (but VERY much needed) vacation this weekend - a "baby-moon" I think people call it these days. We are headed out west (but not too far, don't worry) and I see a lake, sunny weather and a spa in our immediate future. Have a wonderful Easter and Passover weekend!

Thirty-three (and a half!) Weeks

I have a very good excuse for posting my photo super late this week. It has something to do with moving into our new house. And having the contractors still working on it. And having to unpack boxes before the rest of our boxes arrive from London (tomorrow). And...

I could go on - but enough excuses! Here she is, all 33.5 weeks of her!

I think dresses (and horizontal stripes) make the bump look bigger than it actually is, but friends and family who saw me last week can give you a real opinion! We had another check up this week with the doctor and Baby C is doing great. The nurse even commented on how much she was moving around when she was trying to get her heart rate - she wouldn't sit still! The baby should be around 4.5-5 lbs now and about 18" long. Pretty much a full size baby! Just a few more pounds to pack on before her arrival and she is ready to go. Hopefully she doesn't decide to show up too early - her room isn't ready yet! We should be getting her crib next week and the changing table has already arrived. We are just waiting on a few more items and soon she'll have a place to call her own.

Thirty-two Weeks

It's that time again - here we are at THIRTY-TWO weeks! That means there's only eight weeks left to go - or two months. According to one book I'm reading I'm already in my ninth month (with the last couple of weeks making up your tenth month) but its less scary if I say I'm eight months along.

I have been up in NY for the last few days spending time with friends and family - and sleeping, lots and lots of sleeping! My mother-in-law threw a baby shower for me over the weekend which was super fun. I got a chance to see friends and catch up with everyone. There were games and cupcakes and lots of belly rubs - but I didn't mind one bit! It was a lot of fun and everyone was super generous with their gifts for Baby C - she is going to be one well dressed little lady!

Thats me! i think I'm carrying better than she is though ;)

Tomorrow I head upstate to visit my side of the family and my mom and sister will be throwing me a baby shower too! This baby is extremely lucky to have such amazing grandparents! We can't wait to catch up with family and get (even more) rest. I've been averaging 9-10 hours of sleep a night and most days manage to get an hour or so nap in as well! I must really need it though - it been great to have this opportunity to rest and recharge.

The baby has been loving all of this attention, and has been doing lots of kicks and flips to show off for everyone. The hiccups are still continuing almost every day and often more than once a day. While she's still moving around a lot I have noticed less punches and kicks and more squirms and wiggles. I think she might be running out of room in there!

Thirty-one Weeks

Here we go - week number thirty-one!

Please excuse the exhausted look on my face. I think I got a little ahead of myself last week when I said I still had a lot of energy. That energy seems to be waning. Considering how much I have going on right now I still think I'm doing pretty well, but where I used to be able to go 3-4 days at full speed before having a rest day, I'm now finding that the max I can do is 2 days in a row before needing to take a breather. Literally a deep breath as well as a bit of a rest - this baby is making it harder and harder for me to breathe! The ongoing bronchitis doesn't help, but I find myself getting winded by just talking on the phone and folding laundry at the same time (that couldn't possibly have anything to do with the fact that I haven't worked out in about three months...could it?)

Our little gymnast is still twisting and turning and kicking all around, though I think she only has a couple more weeks of freedom before she gets too big to move around like a maniac. I'm going to miss the feeling of her in my tummy once she's born, but it will be nice not to feel like there's an alien trying to escape from my belly button. One other thing I am looking forward to once she is born is sleeping any way I want! Imagine the possibilities - on my back, or my stomach, or my side or any combo of the three!! Not that I will have much time to sleep...but I'm ignoring that little fact for the time being.

We are getting so excited to meet our little girl. I keep imagining more and more what it will be like - what she will be like. And even though the thought of actually having to take care of a baby - MY baby - still terrifies me, I'm getting more and more excited. There's only nine weeks left now! April is chock full of baby classes - everything from lamaze to infant care to baby CPR. As you can imagine Brian is SUPER excited for all of them ;) but I really think it will help prep us and (hopefully) calm some of our nerves.

Either that or it will completely freak us out and we will run away screaming from the hospital as fast as we can.

It's a toss up really.

I am off to New York this week for two fabulous baby showers thrown by my super generous mother and mother-in-law. I can't wait to spend some time with friends and family and actually have a chance to relax! No appointments or house related tasks to do - hopefully I'll look and feel more rested after this trip!

Thirty weeks

So here we are, 3/4 of the way through my pregnancy. THREE-QUARTERS?! How the heck did that happen?? As usual we have had a SUPER busy week and as usual baby has been a trooper through all of it. She has been rolling and flipping, kicking and hiccuping through it all. It's really weird now to be able to feel her whole body move and roll around. And even weirder to look down and see my belly completely lopsided when she shifts to one side! She's still getting the hiccups almost every day, she must be busy practicing her breathing.

The baby is over three pounds now and it getting ready to go through a major growth spurt. In a few weeks she won't have nearly as much tumbling room in there. All things considered I have had quite a bit of energy which I am extremely thankful for. We just closed on our new house yesterday (!!!) and will soon be able to decorate her room! Speaking of which I have completely switched the decor for her room, more on that later this week! I've also started going back to prenatal yoga, which is helping with the lower back pain I have been have for the last couple months. If I can get at least one session in a week I think I will feel a lot better - physically and mentally!

See you next week!

Twenty-nine Weeks

Well - we made! We have arrived in Houston and are all settled in to our temporary housing while we wait to close on our house. Week twenty-nine has been an exciting one for the baby (and us) so far, and even included a visit to her new doctor. I am happy to report that the babies heartbeat at todays appointment was right on target. She was squirming around so much that the nurse kept losing the heartbeat and had to tell her to stay still!

Since I am now in my third trimester I will be having biweekly appointments instead of monthly. Towards the very end of the pregnancy that will increase again to weekly appointments. I am going to know that office like the back of my hand!

Baby has been getting the hiccups almost every day now since I started feeling them the other week. Sometimes she even gets them two or three times a day! She should be weighing in at about 3 lbs this week - give or take a half a pound (knowing this little one shes probably up to 3.5 lbs already) - approximately the size of an acorn squash! She should measure about 15-16" so far, meaning she has another 4-6" left to grow before she arrives. All the books say that she will triple in weight as well - but I'm crossing my fingers she doesn't get to be as big as 9lbs! Yikes!

Twenty-eight Weeks

Two down. One to go.

Trimesters that is.

This week starts off our third and final trimester.

How do I feel about that? Excited. Nervous. Anxious. Happy.

All of the above!

Last week I felt the baby get the hiccups for the first time, and have noticed her get them a few more times since! It's such a funny little site to see and feel. And the other night she gave me a swift kick to the rib cage as I was getting ready for bed. It totally caught me off guard - I would love if she stuck to the hiccups and left my rib cage alone :)

We have a busy, busy week coming up with the move and all. I'm trying to take it easy since I can't seem to shake this cough/cold I picked up a few weeks ago. Baby is doing just fine though, shes as energetic as ever, so I must be giving her all of my energy and nutrients. 

Next time you get a weekly update it will be coming from Houston, Texas! 

Twenty-seven weeks

Only one more week to go in my second trimester, and then I start my third and FINAL trimester. YIKES!! How did that happen?? Baby C has been quiet this week, she must have kicked out most of her energy last week and is now taking a little break. She's going to start growing more and more during the third trimester, this is when she gains the most weight and grows the most! She is around 2lbs this week and about 14" long. Apart from this nagging cold that has been around for a few weeks I have been feeling really good. Still have lots of energy which I am trying to take advantage of before the fatigue if the third trimester kicks in! We have a lot of packing to do this week and next week so the extra energy will come in handy!

Happy Valentines Day!

Twenty-six Weeks

So here we are at twenty-six weeks. Only two more weeks until the end of my second trimester and two and a half weeks until we move to Texas. It is crazy how time flies and stays still at the same time!

Baby C's ears are developing more and more and her hearing (although muffled) is improving. I talk to the baby every day. At first I felt really silly talking to a little beach ball belly, but now I love it. I update her on my day and what's going on Trying not to get caught at work is the trickiest part!

Last week I felt the babies foot for the first time when she was kicking me. Up until then all of her mighty kicks and punches felt like little taps coming from inside my belly. But last Wednesday night I felt a very distinct poking feeling near my belly button. Sure enough I could feel a hard little bump when I put my hand there! She only had it there for a second but it was really exciting. Since then I have felt more and more pokes and less taps. Soon enough I'll be able to distinguish which pokes are from a fist and which are from a foot!

Twenty-five weeks

What's baby up to this week? Well this eggplant sized little lady is growing up a storm! Nearly every time she kicks now I can see my belly move - its usually more interesting to watch than TV (well...for me at least)! When she really gets going it's easy to think there is some kind of alien in there trying to get out! Is that wrong to say...? Oh well.

While we were visiting our new home town last week one of the major things on our agenda was to find a new doctor and hospital to deliver at. We are very fortunate to be moving someplace that has dozens (literally) of fantastic hospitals to chose from and probably thousands of equally amazing doctors. The only hard part is narrowing it down and choosing one! We finally made a decision on both and while we were in town the new doc wanted me to get a sonogram so she has something on record of our baby girl. This was a real treat because we wont get to see our baby very often for the rest of the pregnancy. The technician confirmed a clean bill of health and estimated that she was up to 1lb and 11ozs! Thats my girl!

Twenty-four Weeks

Sorry this is late! It's been a crazy week and I almost forgot to take a photo! Baby is kicking more and more which is great, though starting to wake me up at night! She's been a trooper this week since we have been so busy, but I'm taking advantage of our energy during this last month of our second trimester!

Twenty-three Weeks

It seems I spoke too soon. This weekend it happened again. I felt that familiar tightening around the belly and when I woke up in the morning - POP! It seemed I had grown three sizes. I have yet to measure the bump this week, I'm a little afraid to see what the tape measure says!

Baby girl is still kicking me a lot. She woke me up at 4:30 am over the weekend and was kicking like a maniac for the next 4+ hours! But the couple of days afterward she was pretty quiet. She must have tired herself out! According to the book weeks 24-28 tend to be the busiest kicking weeks, as the baby grows from one lb to two lbs they are nice and strong, but still small enough to do a full range of acrobatics. It's been so fun watching her learn to kick an move more often and with more force. Brian can feel her kick nearly all the time now, if he can get is hand there fast enough! I anticipate the next few weeks will be just as exciting!

Twenty-two Weeks

Here I am! I noticed that between weeks twenty to almost twenty-two it seemed like my belly was literally growing overnight. I could feel my skin getting really tight - you know when you feel really full and it seems like your stomach is going to burst? It kind of felt like that (cute, right?).  Luckily, I think some of that has slowed down now. I feel a bit more comfortable and haven't notice any "overnight pops" in the last couple of days.

I can still feel our baby girl kicking almost every day. Some days I feel her more than others, which is completely normal considering how small she is still! According to the books this week she is approximately 11" long and weighs in close to one pound. When we had our twenty week scan the doctor estimated that she weighed about 13 oz (about 3 oz more than the book estimates), so I bet she is definitely tipping the scales at one pound this week! Her lips, eyelids and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's even developing little tooth buds this week.

It honestly amazes me to read all the developments that our baby goes through each week. It is fascinating to learn about each step she goes through along the way. It really is amazing what the human body can do - it's no wonder they call it the miracle of life!