WEEK 38!!!

New News!

The last bits of vernix caseosa (the white goo keeping baby's skin moist) and lanugo (downy hair) are slowly shedding into your amniotic fluid. Baby's head is about the same circumference as his abdomen, and his head could be covered in an inch or so of hair.

Your baby has really plumped up. He weighs about 6.8 pounds and he's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). He has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold his hand for the first time! His organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb. Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? If he's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If he's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time he's 9 months old.

The average newborn has a length of 21 1/2 inches and weighs 7 1/2 pounds. He is fully developed, though still adding connections between neurons in the brain (this continues well after birth). His nails have been growing and now reach to the ends of his fingers and toes. His movements are quite restricted by his close quarters.

Sorry it has taken me so long to update my blog this week. I will post the picture tonight as well. I had an amazing, but crazy and tiring weekend! My mom and grandma were in town this weekend and they threw me a Family baby shower-with a lot of help from my sister as well! It was amazing and we had a wonderful time!! Thanks to everyone who came!

Also, on Monday I had a Dr. Appt. and nothing had changed at that point. He hadn't dropped, no dialation and no effacement! However, I think he's coming soon! I also think he may have dropped since then as well. I'm really getting excited for him to be here now! I would like it if he could stay in tehre until at least the 18th, but any day now will be fine :) Monday I also met with the Pediatrician, who was really awesome as well. I really liked her and we clicked! Her name is Beata Samuel and she is right above my OB/GYN at the Fishers location.

Well, I don't have much to report this week. Today is my last day of work, becauase I'm definitely feeling the affects of pregnancy now! They have been wonderful and I will miss them all greatly, but I will be by to see them-specially with the little man! Right now I'm just going to focus on getting ready for him to be here and getting some rest-since I won't be getting much of that once he comes! Well, thanks again for reading- on Saturday I'm 39 weeks= One week left until his Due date!!! I can't wait to see what his bday will be and what he looks and acts like!! YAY!! Can't wait to hold him either!


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WEEK 37!!!

So, I officaially look giant in this picture...27 lbs gained.

New News!

Baby's now the size of a watermelon!Your full-term (yay!) baby is gaining about 1/2 ounce a day and getting his first sticky poop (called meconium) ready. He's also brushing up on skills for the outside world: blinking, sucking, inhaling, exhaling, and gripping (it's getting strong!).

Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.



Measuring up. "Gaining a little weight every day helps me get ready for the big day." It's likely that your baby is more than 19 inches long and weighs between 6 and 6.5 pounds, nearing his final birth weight. These last few weeks are important, though; he's still gaining half an ounce of fat per day. This fat helps his body regulate his temperature and keep an even blood-sugar level. The brain, and the skull that houses it, continue to grow. Ease on down. Is your baby sitting lower these days? You may feel as if he's dropped down into your pelvis—and perhaps he has. This dropping, called lightening or engagement, can occur a few weeks before your baby is born. The new, lower position may take some pressure off your squished lungs and diaphragm, making breathing easier for you.



Your baby has likely hit the six-pound mark by now, and her length is approximately twenty-one inches. The weight on your abdomen probably feels like twice that. Your baby is practicing his breathing, but he has increasingly less space to practice stretching and kicking. Your baby' intestines are also building up meconium, a greenish-black substance made of baby by-products such as dead cells, shed lanugo, and amniotic fluid. It'll become your little darling's first bowel movement, hopefully after he is out of the womb. His body fat has increased to about eight percent. By birth, it'll be about fifteen percent. If your baby is a boy, his testes will have descended into his scrotum. While your baby could be born at any time, the longer he stays in, the more time he has to develop the connections in his brain in the pleasant peace and quiet of your womb. At this point, he can do all the things a newborn can, with the exception of breathing air and pooping in a diaper. Just as you're feeling stretched, your baby is being squeezed on all sides. Some of your antibodies are crossing the placenta, giving your baby's immune system some support for her first days in the world. If you breastfeed, you'll later be giving him immunities in your milk.

So, I went to the Dr. yesterday and nothing new. He still hasn't dropped and I haven't dialated or started to efface yet. I was happy about this though, because I still have so much to get done before he comes! Although I must admit I was a little sad because I am ready for him to be here and I'm ready to meet him, formally anyway. He is definitely gettting big still. And I know this not only because of my weight gain, but because I'm starting to drag big time-and hurt in weird places because I'm carrying so much upfront-and swelling! I'm also finding it harder and harder to get comfortable and turn over at night. Oh the joys of pregnancy! I've had it so easy up until now, thats why I think it's hitting me extra hard! Oh well, not that much longer until my little prince arrives! Not that you can tell in my picture either, but my belly button is almost completely out- although it looks flat and not popped out. That's about all that's going on now- just getting everything in order for his arrival! Thanks for reading!

Week 36!!!!

New News!

Your baby is gaining about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. He's shedding most of the downy hair that covered his body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. Next week, your baby will be considered full-term. Most likely he's in a head-down position, but if he isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an external cephalic version, where she'll try to turn your baby by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

Baby's skin is getting smooth and soft, his gums are rigid, his liver and kidneys are in working order, and his circulation and immune system are basically good to go. His lungs are the only organs that still need to fully mature, but every day he gets a little closer to breathing on his own.

Your baby now weighs around 6 pounds and is 20.7 inches long.

Your baby works hard to accumulate all the fat he can in preparation for delivery. His body grows rounder every day, since about 15% of his total weight is now made up of fat. Once he’s born this fat layer will help him maintain his body temperature and give him a reliable energy source.

Developments this week:
Organs. Development of major organs, such as the kidneys and liver, is complete.
Lungs. Some fine-tuning, such as the final development of the lungs, still takes place inside the womb.
Head. Your baby's head is round, but by the time he makes it through the birth canal it may be temporarily misshapen as powerful contractions compress the soft bones of the skull. His head shape will return to normal within a few days.

With one month to go, your baby weighs about six pounds and is fattening. His full length from crown to feet is about 20 1/2 inches. Has your baby's movement slowed down? If so, you shouldn't worry. Five to ten percent of all mothers report that babies start to slow down as they grow larger and get more cramped for space. Still, you should be able to feel your baby move more than ten times a day. If you're concerned, try drinking a sweet beverage, such as orange juice, and then lying on your side for a while. Most babies will wake up and start to move. If you're still concerned, contact your healthcare provider.


So, I went to the Doctor today and once again everything was right on schedule! His heart rate was good, we measured well and I'm right on track with weight. I also go to the Dr. every week now, so I got my first exam to see how I'm progressing. Welp, he's head down and still floating...aka he hasn't dropped yet! Which I'm happy about because I'm not ready for him to come yet- I have so much to get done before he comes!He's still really active so I was worried that he was going to flip and not be head down, but he's been a good boy and stayed put in the head-down position...and probably will from now on. So we shall see how I am next Monday at my appointment! Hopefully the same!

Austin and I have finally picked a name for this little man! However, it will be kept a secret until he comes! Sorry! Once he has arrived you all will find out what his precious name is! I personally think it's perfect!

This past week(end) was sooo busy I can't beleive it! Alyssa turned 21 (yay!) and on Friday was Amanda Moloy's wedding, which was a really good time, but definitely wore me out. So, I really didn't do much the rest of the weekend besides rest :) I have moved rooms though- one down 2 to go! The others will be finished this week, hopefully! I'm starting to get stressed about not everything being done yet, but oh well. Welp that's about all I have, hope your having fun reading these! Not much longer until he's here- 4 weeks!!!!

WEEK 35!!!!

New News!

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

From now on, baby's growth is mostly in the plumping up department -- though he won't get much longer, he'll put on a pound or more of baby fat before birth. (He's about 15 percent right now and will be about 30 percent by full-term.) His hearing is totally developed (tip: baby responds best to higher pitches), and if he really is a "he," his testes have probably completed their descent.

Got iron? It's very important to eat lots of iron-rich food in the third trimester. Your baby absorbs this crucial mineral from your body to build up iron stores in his own body, mostly in the form of red blood cells. The majority of the absorption takes place in the final months before delivery.

Heads or tails. "Should my head be up or down?" The head-down, or vertex, position is the ideal position for birth. Labor goes more smoothly when the baby's head, the largest body part, comes through the birth canal first. About 3 to 4 percent of babies haven't flipped to this position by 35 weeks. If something other than the head appears first, the delivery is called a breech birth. Amazingly, despite the tight quarters in your uterus, your little acrobat may turn several more times before he's born.

Measuring up. Your baby's arms and legs are getting chubbier as he continues to gain weight. By the end of this week, he may weigh up to 5.5 pounds and measure around 16.8 to 18.5 inches long.

At more than five pounds and between sixteen and twenty inches, your baby is becoming more ready for birth with every passing hour. He's the size of a small roasting chicken. His nervous system and immune system are still maturing, and he's adding the fat that he'll need to regulate his body temperature. But, everything else, from his toenails to the hair on his head, is fully formed. If he were born now, he'd have more than a ninety-nine percent chance of surviving!

So, we had an extremely busy week and weekend that just happened! I would like to thank my Chi-O ladies for a wonderful shower! It was so good to see you and I had a wonderful time :) THANKS!!! We also went to Amanda Moloy's bachelorette party on Sunday at Lake Monroe- which ended up being really fun and nice weather! She gets married this weekend-yay! I would also like to give a shout out to my amazing sister, Alyssa, it's her 21st BIRTHDAY TODAY!!! So Happy Birthday Lyssa---LOVE YOU!

He keeps getting bigger- I'm shocked that he's fitting in me at this point, and I still have 5 weeks to go! I really don't know where he'll fit...we'll wait and see! He should almost be topping the charts at a whopping 6 pounds this week...I was 6 pounds 3 ounces when I was born! So, he'll definitely surpass my weight when I was born in his 36 week! He's moving still- not flipping, but definite leg and arm movements...or at least trying to move! I think I will pack the pounds on in this last month because I feel as if I have a tape worm...I've been constantly hungry this last week! It will be interesting to see how big he will actually get now! I'm so excited to meet him and I don't have that much longer! Austin and I have come up with about 4 names that we really like...and will be kept a secret until he's born! So that's once stressor that's gone, now I still have to get his room finished and everything in order before he arrives! I have hit a wall too...not literally, but I am getting more and more uncomfortable and really tired a lot faster then I was before. I also have the waddle down pat! Other tehn that I don't have much to report--he's kicking me as I'm writing this, so I'm guessing he wasnts me to tell you all HELLO! Have a great week!

p.s. I'll post my belly picture tonight!

Week 34!!! (six weeks to go)

New News!

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantelope) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers— which he'll need to regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Baby can recognize and react to simple songs...time to start practicing your lullabies! In fact, baby will recognize frequently sung tunes after birth and probably find them soothing. Less cute news: He now urinates about one pint per day. Get the diapers ready!

As of this week your baby has grown so large, he takes up most of the available space inside the uterus and can no longer float around your womb. Your baby is now about 4.7 pounds.

More developments this week:

• Adrenal glands. Your baby's adrenal glands grow and produce corticoid hormones. Together with prolactin from the pituitary, they will stimulate lactation.
• Skin. The vernix coating on your baby's skin grows thicker to better protect him. Your baby's skin gradually becomes less red and wrinkled as the fat beneath it fills out and stretches the skin.
• Skull. His skull bones are still quite pliable and not completely fused together at the top of his head. That will make it easy for him to slip down the relatively narrow birth canal.

He will continue to gain about two or more pounds in the next six weeks. Now that your baby's brain has formed billions of neurons, it must accomplish the even more complex feat of hooking the neurons and synapses together. Your baby's brain is forming trillions of connections, making it possible for him to learn in the womb. All of this brain development may be the reason that your baby sleeps frequently at this stage. He may even be dreaming—his eyes dart around rapidly just as an adult's might in REM sleep. Your child's development is in no way complete at birth. In the first year after birth, a baby's brain triples in size and becomes three-quarters of its adult size.

Making the drop. If your baby is a boy, his testicles are now descending from his abdomen into his scrotum. Occasionally, one or both testicles fail to move into position before birth. In this case, your baby's testicles will probably drop before his first birthday. If your infant's scrotum seems large right after birth, don't worry: The swelling is due to extra fluid and will go away in a week or so.

No vacancy. Your baby is moving around less frequently, mostly because of the cramped quarters. Of course, it may not seem as if he's settled down—now that he's so big (about 4.7 to 5 pounds and 15.5 to 16 inches long), you can feel even the slightest movement. In fact, since your baby is right up against the wall of the uterus, you're probably getting good at guessing which body part (foot? elbow? arm?) is protruding.

Baby blues. "Guess what color my eyes are now?" Regardless of the eye color your baby will end up with, right now his eyes are blue. The pigmentation process in his iris won't be complete until his eyes have been exposed to light for several weeks after birth. His final eye color may not be evident for years.

So, I went to the Doctor on Friday- Dad went with me to meet my amazing Doctor- and everything was great! I asked her how much she thought that he weighed about now and she said probably 5 pounds!! And at the rate that he's growing and I'm gaining weight (which is a pound a week for me and he gains half of that a week- so 8 oz.) and we have 6 weeks left- I'm think he'll be an eight pounder! This upcoming weekend (July 17th) I'm meeting up with my sorority sisters, which I'm so excited about! This weekend was pretty chill for us though. We went to Brazil, IN and went to My Dad's business partner (Garry's) property- that has lakes and 4-wheeler's, etc. on it for their company party. It was a really good time! Other than that I just hung out! Mr. tiny man is still active, but I can tell he's getting so big because he can't move around a lot- just arms or legs, but no flips! I go back to the Dr. on July 26 and then start going everyweek from then on out...I'll only have 4 weeks left at that point! It's going so fast that I can't belive it! He'll be here before I know it and I can't wait. My next focus is finding a name....no, I still havnt picked one out yet! I think I'll probably get about 3 that I like and then see which one he looks the most like once he's born! That's about all that I have for now! Talk with you next week!


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WEEK 33!!!!!!!

New News!

"All of my senses are working now!" Your baby's brain is still developing rapidly as his five senses get ready for the world outside the womb. At this point, he can see the liquid world around him; feel sensation when he grabs a toe or sucks on a finger; taste the amniotic fluid he's swallowing; and hear your heartbeat, your voice, and the grumble of your stomach. Of course, there's no air in the amniotic sac to carry scent, but if there were, he could also smell his environment.Because of tremendous brain growth, your baby's head circumference has increased by nearly half an inch just this week.

He weighs about 4 1/2 pounds and gains about eight ounces every week. Your baby has probably moved to the head-down position and may descend into your pelvis at any time in the next six weeks and begin to press into your cervix. This position not only prepares him for birth but allows blood to flow to his developing brain. The dark quiet of your womb is perfect for this activity. Right now, your baby is also in the process of receiving your antibodies. If he were born right now, his immune system would be immature, and extra care would need to be taken to keep him in a sterile environment.

Baby's now the size of a honeydew!
Things are heating up inside as well: Baby may grow up to a full inch this week alone, and his brain is developing like crazy. Pretty soon, he'll be able to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing. Also, his bones are hardening, and he's started to keep his eyes open when he's awake.


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. These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Well, as usual he's been extremely active this week! Which I really enjoy! I have my next Dr.'s appointment on Wed. and I'm hoping that everything is on schedule and alright with the both of us! He's getting a lot bigger- I can tell after a couple of weeks. I know this, unfortunately, because I'm starting to get a stretch mark-and it appeared within a week! This I am not happy about, but I'll be OK if he's healthy and alright! I do still think he's going to be a big boy anyway!

This past Wednesday I finished my last birthing class!! That was nice to finally be over with- I wasn't as scared about the whole delivery process until I went to the class...but I guess I'll just have to go with the flow and get over it! I'm anxious to know when he's going to come...hopefully not for another 7 weeks though- and see what he looks like and what his personality is like, etc. I just can't wait to have him in my life already! That's about all I have to report today though! I hope everyone had a WONDERFUL 4th of July weekend! We spent it out on the lake, which was perfect and beautiful! Thanks for reading!

WEEK 32!!!!

(Gross pic- I just got out of the shower- YIKES!)

New News!

Your baby weighs about 4 pounds and is about fifteen to seventeen inches tall. Photographs of babies in utero at this stage show their skin becoming less translucent and pinker, as layers of fat are deposited under the skin. His skeleton is rapidly ossifying (turning from cartilage into solid bone), which means that kicks will become visible through your shirt as the trimester progresses. Well-placed kicks under your ribs can take your breath away!

Your baby's appearance changes rapidly this week. Most of the wrinkles disappear from his face, and there may be a lot of hair on his head. In fact as the lanugo hair on his body begins to fall off, the hair on his head grows even faster. By week 32 some babies already have a thick head of hair while others have only a few strands.

Other developments this week:
Nails. Your baby will have completely formed fingernails and toenails.
Head movement. He can turn his head from side to side.
Organs continue to mature.
Sucking. Your little one’s sucking muscles have matured and enable him to latch on and breastfeed once he arrives. A good sucking pattern is also a sign of good brain and muscle development.
Dreaming. Toward the end of the eighth month, he begins dreaming during sleep, according to brain scans. Due to his impressive brain development, his sleep will now include both REM and non-REM sleep stages. REM stands for "rapid eye movement," the dreaming stage of sleep.

Ready or not, baby's getting ready to emerge. He's probably in the head-down position by now, with his bottom facing up. This is the comfiest way for his body to fit in your increasingly cramped womb and will make his eventual exit (only a few months away now!) much easier. (If he's still head-up, don't panic -- there's still time for a flip before birth.)

You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb.

Well, he sure is big. I told Mom today that he's probably the size of Alyssa and me when we were born...and I still have 8 weeks to go! He is also in the head-down position already and actually has been the whole time (minus the occasional flipping he does.) Every time we've been at the doctor he's been head down, so we're hoping he stays like that! He either has his bum or knees or feet in my rib cage all the time too. I think it's his bum though because it's slightly round, but definitely not a head! I feel him hiccup all of the time too- which I guess is good because when he gets hiccups, that means that he's practicing breathing movements and accidentally swallows some fluid....which happens daily- so I'm guessing he'll have some strong lungs :) He hasn't been kicking as much lately, but moving or twisting. I don't think there is as much room in there to get a good jab to my lungs anymore. He also has a favorite spot to lay in as well- my right side-the whole right side. He's doesn't drift over to the left all that much, but hangs out a whole lot on the right side. Well, that's about all to report! If I think of anything else, I will surely add it! HAVE A WONDERFUL FOURTH OF JULY!!!!!