Week 33

Last week was a bit more stressful than the previous with the fires and being displaced for a few days. Our friend Leslie who was due only 3-4 weeks before me delivered last week and had a healthy beautiful baby boy! 4 weeks early... I was freaking out a bit after I found out, wow, she can really come any time now? Well I am still hoping to hold out for a few more weeks. We don't yet have a crib or a dresser and the baby shower is still yet to happen in a couple of weeks, so I am feeling extremely unprepared which is not like me at all. My parents did get us a stroller and a car seat so I guess we'll be ok since we'll have something to bring the baby home in :).

I am feeling good overall, just really tired. It is becoming more and more difficult to sleep as the baby grows. Some nights I wake up and get up almost every hour or two, and towards the end of the night I'm sometimes able to get good 3 hours in. If I sit for too long and then get up, I feel a ton of pressure on my bladder and I wobble to the bathroom, so I am starting to get more awkward I guess, and that's not so fun being awkward and at work, I am thinking that depending on how things go I may be done w/work after thanksgiving or shortly after.
There is definitely less and less room for the baby and you can clearly see her move around and shift her weight in my belly, as well as stick her limbs out the side. I think I've gained about 17-20 lbs at this point... I don't think it will be too hard to go back to my pre-pregnancy weight.

Week 33 Development:
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.

Week 32

I am feeling the baby hiccup daily now, it's kind of cute, and doesn't usually last for too long. At first I was a bit alarmed since it's been happening on a regular basis, but I've been reading up on it and it seems to be a normal thing, so I guess not to worry. Everything is else seems to be going ok.

On another side of the news we had to evacuate on Monday morning because of the wild fires that were getting close to us. It was quite scary, and the air quality was pretty terrible, but luckily we were able to come back home Wednesday afternoon. We stayed at my sisters' for 1 night and at Jeromeys' dad's house for another night. It was a relief to be able to come back home. We'll be staying inside for a while since the air quality is probably going to be bad for some time.

Week 32 Development:
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.

Baby Room - Work in Progress

Here are the stages of the baby room. Daddy hard at work trying to get the stripes perfectly straight! Thanks to a couple of our wonderful friends who came over and helped get things started!

It's not quite 100% complete, but it looks just about done in the last picture. I'll probably post another photo once we have the crib and everything else moved in.

Week 31

We had another appointment a week ago, and everything went very well. I found out that my glucose blood test came back fine, and all the other tests have been good too. She even told us that the baby is already head down. Our next appointment will be in 3 weeks from today, and then another one in 2 weeks. After the 2 week appointment I think I'll already be 36 weeks and we'll be going to the doctor for weekly visits. I've been feeling pretty good, just getting heavier and a little more difficult to get around and do simple things like get out of a car or pick something up from the floor. It's so amazing how your body changes to accommodate a baby growing inside.
I finally got around to taking another picture, so here is the latest. I've gained about 16-19 lbs so far. Lately, I'm constantly hungry. My midnight snack for the last week has been a peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich. I really haven't craved anything else.
So I've been resisting to buy anything for the last 7 months, but about a week ago I started looking and there is just so much cute girly stuff, it's hard to resist.
A few nights ago, the baby was super active, she was really starting to kick hard and instead of the front I feel it on the side, where there is not much room, so Jeromey and I were observing as a limb would periodically stick out of my side, it was pretty amusing. Also I think she got the hiccups a few days ago, it was the first time I felt rhythmic light kicks that would indicate the hiccups.


Week 31 Development:
This week, your baby measures about 16 inches long. He weighs a little over 3 pounds 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.

Week 30 (7 months)

The baby room is almost done! Jeromey took a day off last week to get a good start on it, and we had some wonderful friends who came and helped out as well. I've been taking pictures of the progress and I must say that it looks better than I imagined it would!
I am feeling pretty good this week, last week I had one day where I probably was only able to get about 3 hours of sleep, I just couldn't get comfy and I had heartburn, but then the next day I recovered. :) It's probably time to post another picture of the growing belly, it's definitely growing so much faster now.
I've gained somewhere between 14-16 lbs so far, and it all just seems to go in the belly which is nice, can't complain about that! I definitely get tired more now, and a little off balance. I've been climbing up 3 flights of stairs to go into work, and after I am done, sadly I am totally out of breath!

Week 30 Development:
Your baby's a bit more than 15 1/2 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds. 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.)

Week 29

The last few days the kicks have felt so much harder than previous weeks. It definitely feels like the baby is starting to have less and less space, yet she's moving a ton, which is fun! Last friday we went to the Dave Mathews Band Concert, and I wasn't sure how comfortable I would be sitting on the ground for a long period of time, but it was fine. I had a fun time, I felt a bit sore towards the end of the night, but it's definitely much better to sit of a long time rather than stand for a long time. Just 4 years ago, Jeromey took me to see DMB for our first unofficial date! Time is definitely flying by! I am in my 3rd trimester already and the baby will be here before we know it! I can't wait to finally hold her!

Week 29 Development:
Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds 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.