35 Weeks

Only 35 days left until our due date!

Hannah:
- She is around 5-6 pounds and 18-20" in length
- Most of her basic physical development is complete… she’ll spend the next few weeks gaining weight.
- Not sure if she has dropped yet...hard to tell.  I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday, so I will ask then.  But I'm thinking she hasn't because I still have horrible heartburn! :(
- She’s running out of room in there, so I’m feeling less tossing and turning, but still some kicks and punches every once in a while.
- She’s the size of a small roasting chicken..HAHAHA
- Survival rate = 99%. Of those, only 8% have serious complications

Me:
- My uterus now reaches up to my rib cage (1,000 times the size of normal)
- No sign of a mucous plug yet! It will come out as the cervix dilates.
- My symptoms right now: joint pain and tingling in my fingers, frequent urination, cramp-like contractions (not often), heavy belly that aches when I move/stand (I'm huge!), stuffy nose, fatigue, swelling
- Still no stretch marks (YEAH!)
- Swelling: my feet after standing too long… and my fingers. I don't even try to wear my wedding rings anymore.

Preparing for Hannah:
- Yesterday was our second baby shower, in Florida.  It was wonderful to be able to celebrate Hannah's arrival with my friends and family down there.  We are so blessed!
- Her room is almost finished!  We are still waiting for the dresser to be delivered and then it will be done!!  I also will not make up the bed for another week or so because I am trying to air out the mattress for a full 28 days.  We started airing it out on January 24th, so that means I should wait until Feb. 21st to make up the bed.  That should give me enough time. :-)
- Our goals for the upcoming week: Finish packing the hospital bag, write our birth plan (to bring to our doctor's appointment on Wednesday), meet with another pediatrician (we weren't very impressed with the first one we met with), and do some major "spring cleaning" of the house (If I can find the energy).
- We are officially on baby watch.  Now that the baby showers are over, we are home for good, just waiting for Hannah's arrival! :)

34 weeks

42 days to go!  Hannah will be full term in just 3 weeks!!

Hannah:

- Her brain is still developing
- She has some surfactant in the lungs (to keep air sacs open)–if she were born now, steroids probably wouldn’t be needed to enhance the lungs
- Creases and dimples are forming in her neck, elbows & knees
- She weighs about 5 lb and is about 17-18″ in length

Me:

- The volume of my uterus is 500-1000 times larger than pre-pregnancy (WOW!)

- Fatigue is still a problem!  I am tired most of the time, which is most likely due to the fact that I don't get quality sleep at night.  Still can't get comfortable!

- Stretch-mark free! :-)

- Swelling has begun.  I notice it most a night.  I am sporting cankles and my fingers are swelling to the point that I am scared to wear my wedding rings, for fear of them getting stuck!  I have also noticed that my finger joints are sore!  I notice it most when I wake up, but I do notice it during the day too.  Also, my hands will suddenly go numb and tingly for no apparent reason.  Strange!  I'm thinking this must be pregnancy carpal tunnel.  Oh the joys! ;-)

Preparing for Hannah:

- Our goals for this coming week are to install the car seat (before our trip to FL), start packing the hospital bag, and to write up a brief birth plan.

- Some of the nursery furniture has arrived!!  YEAH!  We have the night stand in the room and the hutch for the dresser is here.  We will hopefully pick up the crib sometime this week, but need to borrow a truck from a friend because it won't fit in our SUV.  Then the dresser will be delivered in a couple weeks. 

- I am still hoping to find some energy to cook and freeze a few meals so we will have some food for after Hannah arrives.  But, both my mom and Brian's mom will be here after Hannah arrives, so hopefully they will be able to stock my freezer! :-)

- I am blessed with amazing friends and family and will get to celebrate Hannah's upcoming birth in Florida this coming weekend.  It will be wonderful to be able to go back home and celebrate with my friends and family there. :-)

33 weeks

7 more weeks (49 days!)

Hannah:
- The bones in her skull are not fused, allowing overlap and movement for fitting through the birth canal
- She measures about 17 inches long
- She weighs about 5 pounds (WOW!)
- She may descend into my pelvis at any time in the next 6 weeks (preparing for birth)
- If she were born now, her immune system would be immature (she’s currently receiving antibodies from me)
- Survival rate if born now = 98%. Of those, only 12% have serious complications.

Me:
- I read that many women are still feeling sexy at this stage...HAHAHA  That just makes me laugh! ;-)
- Swelling? Not yet!
- Apparently I should be practicing perineum massage to help prevent an episiotomy. (We'll have to give that a try!)
- My uterus is 5 inches above my belly button
- Weight: gained about 25 lbs. so far (YIKES!)
- It's time to get serious about our labor plans!  We are working on our birth plan and still hoping to deliver this baby with no medication...we'll see!
- Still having trouble sleeping from heartburn and just generally being uncomfortable

Preparing for Hannah:
- Yesterday was my first baby shower!  It was SO fun!!!  I am SO thankful for all the amazing gifts and outpouring of love from my friends and family!  It really made Hannah's arrival feel real.  Thank you to everyone who helped make my day so special!!!
- I spent the week organizing Hannah's clothes (she has a TON!) and I even typed up a Baby Clothing Inventory (I know, I'm so OCD!)
- We are still waiting for the nursery furniture to arrive.  We are dying to get her room finished!

Pregnancy: 32 Weeks

8 weeks (56 days) to go!!

Hannah:
*At this point, 80% of babies have settled in a head-down position. Most of the remaining 20% do the same over the next 6 weeks.  At our last appointment, the doctor seemed to think that Hannah is already in the head down position.  I personally think she has been head down for several weeks now!  Maybe that means she is ready to get out of there! :)
*Fingernails and toenails are grown in completely
*She's sleeping 90% of the time
*She weighs about 4 pounds and is approximately 16.7 inches long!

Me:

*Blood volume has increased by 50%...that explains the shortness of breath when I'm exercising.  I've got a lot more blood to circulate these days!
*Uterus is pushing up into my diaphragm causing shortness of breath and heartburn  (OUCH!)
*Sleeping is becoming more difficult...the heartburn is still awful and trying to get comfortable is almost impossible!
*The hormone relaxin causes the ligaments in my pelvis and lower spine to become loose–preparing my body for labor.

Preparing for Hannah:

*My first baby shower is on Saturday, Jan. 16th!  I can't wait! :)  It will be so fun to celebrate our precious lil' peanut with my closest friends and family!

*The new carpet is in and looks wonderful!!  Now we are waiting for the furniture to arrive.  I can't wait to see the room all done!  I will be sure to post pics soon.

Pregnancy: 31 Weeks

9 weeks to go!  Only 63 days left!  Update on our pregnancy....

The Baby:
- Apparently Hannah is about to have another growth spurt....how is that gonna work??  She can't possibly get any bigger! ;-)
- Her kicks have slowed down some...not as much room as before.
- Hannah is getting fatter!  Can't wait to see those chubby cheeks!
- Her eyesight is improving and the iris can dilate & constrict.
- She is approximately 4 pounds and 16 inches long.
- Survival rate at this stage is 96%. Of those, 20% have serious complications.

Me:
- Braxton-Hicks contractions are happening more often now.  This is my body's way of preparing for labor.  My uterus contracts, making my stomach really hard, but there isn't any pain involved.
- Nesting has definitely set in!  I can't stop cleaning and organizing.  Anyone that knows me knows how crazy I am already, so you can imagine!
- Sleeping is getting a bit more difficult, as the heartburn is still awful!  I have a hard time finding a comfortable position and turning over is not an easy task.
- I have been dealing with a lot of pain and swelling in my pelvic area.  That is not fun!  I'm not sure what is going on, but my doctor seems to think it's "normal" and that everything is okay.
- I am exhausted!  Thankfully I am done working now, so I am able to take a nap during the day, if needed.

Preparing for Hannah:
- Over the Christmas holiday, I received loads of clothes for Hannah from a friend.  She is set for clothes for at least the first 9 months of her life!  We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the amazing gift!  We can't wait for her to be here so she can wear all these adorable clothes!!
- We have also gotten a lot done in the nursery...painted the walls, put in new light switches, a new door knob, and put up the hardware for the window treatments.  New carpet will be installed on January 8th.  Then we will be able to start decorating!!  It's all starting to come together. :-)