Tuesday Tummy Time!

36weeks down! 28 days till baby's due date!

I honestly don't know how this kid is going to stay up in there 4 more weeks BUT you just never know with these buggers do ya? 

Now let's all pretend we have X-Ray vision and can take a peek at little Baby Owen:

Courtesy of BabyCenter.com

"Your baby is gaining about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy hair that covered her body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Next week, your baby will be considered full-term. Most likely she's in a head-down position, but if she 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."

I don't think there's any need for that manipulation BabyCenter is talking about.  This kid is riding loooooow and good to go.  Seriously.  There is so much weight on my pubic bone I feel bruised most of the time and have had to break out the ice pack.  Sorry...TMI?  There's no such thing with pregnancy!

My BH contractions are getting PAINFUL! and low and I've even had back contractions when I switch positions at night.  Not fun.  Scary....yet exciting.  After next week it will be mostly exciting knowing that at 37 weeks Owen will be considered full term and any labor would hopefuly not be stopped at that point.  With Oliver at home and family out of state I can't play around with the whole going-to-the-hospital/going-back-home thing. 

Feeling the way I've been feeling I really see this kid coming a week early at least, but I'm pretty sure almost every pregnant woman has had the same thought and been wrong.  I have an appointment tomorrow (the lovely strepB swab) so hopefully we'll learn what's going on down there in Babylandia. 

In the meantime- we are working on planning for what will go down at go time, making out instructions for Oliver's care, and packing the hospital bag!  It's time to get serious with this baby prep!

Tuesday Tummy Time!

Sorry I missed last weeks Belly Update.  Not my fault...you can totally blame AT&T for losing service after Irene passed through CT.  Instead of backtracking I'm moving right along to this week.  This kid makes my stomach move in the funniest most amazing ways! I am definitely starting to feel the weight of baby getting into "go" position.

Here's what it looks like at 35 weeks:

Courtesy of BabyCenter.com

"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 melon). 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."

I got dressed pretty decently to go out for breakfast so I had my mom take advantage of the opportunity to take pictures. 

I think this is my favorite one.

Oliver wasn't in a picture taking mood I guess. 

O well.



Tuesday Tummy Time!

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Tuesday Tummy Time!

Today marks 32 weeks!

I can't believe how fast this has gone by!  It's so amazing that I've grown another person in my body.  A human-friggin-being! Crazy! And I'm not the only one busy gestating... my sister in law is due two weeks after I am with her first baby.  I'm getting a niece!  Sooooo excited to have a little girl in the family to love and spoil and accessorize.  We are headin up to New Hampshire this weekend for the baby shower.  Can't wait to celebrate baby Arabella Marie!

Here is what things are looking like on the inside:

 Courtesy of BabyCenter.com:

"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."



Tuesday Tummy Time!

It's the Final Countdown!

(I hope you all read that the way I heard it in my head- a la Europe 1986... not that I know ANY other part of that song)

Aaaaanyway... we are down to single digits in our week countdown! 9 weeks to go!

Courtesy of BabyCenter.com

"This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) 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."

This baby is so loved already!  I can't wait to see him.  Since the 3D ultrasound I feel like we've been introduced.  I feel like I know his personality already- easy going and cuddly.  And he's strong.  Did I mention cute?

It's time to break out the free and clear detergent.  I fished through Oliver's old clothes and I am super excited to dress Owen in them.  AND last OB visit went great.  Got an ultrasound... baby measures 50th percentile and placenta moved up so it's not too close to my cervix at all (aways a good thing).  Also...passed my GTT! Yippeeee!  (FYI- I celebrated that news with lunch from Wendys.)

Tuesday Tummy Time! and West Haven Beach

First things first- Belly Baby at 28 weeks:

Courtesy of Babycenter.com

"By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world"



It's a little too late now to wonder....WHAT THE F WHERE WE THINKING?!?!?!  We PLANNED babies this close!  20 months?!?!?! Good thing I don't think that too often....but there are definitely moments.  Like when I realize the nursery is the perfect size....for Oliver.  That I get almost enough sleep...to last me through a day of Oliver.  That I love the budding independance... at Oliver's age.  A newborn is a whole 'nother barrel of monkeys!  Can I do this? And with BDNP's crazy work schedule...can I do this solo for a good portion of the day?  Will I be myself at the end of the day? 

I am so looking forward to doing more and more with Oliver...will a new baby get in the way of that?  And at the same time... I am so looking forward to loving on a newborn.  Will Oliver get in the way of that?  Oliver spent hours asleep on my chest in the recliner.  Owen will likely spend a good chunk of that time asleep in a swing or cradle.  That's kind of sad for him.

It's getting pretty close to baby time.  October will be here before we know it.  And October will bring our 2nd baby and our 2nd wedding anniversary...in that order!!! crazy! Two babes before we're married two years! That's true love!

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So here is how we wrapped up our weekend.  A Sunday afternoon trip to West Haven to get a milkshake and corn dog at Chicks, then walk it off on the boardwalk.

Yeah I'm kind of a whale these days.

And THIS ONE...seemed to forget how old she was and wanted to swim deeper and play with other dogs.  She certainly felt her age trying to walk back to the car and was very stiff the next day.

Tuesday Tummy Time!

Baby Boy in the Belly is 26 weeks old already!

Here is what he's looking like and how he's developing....putting on some cute baby chub!

Courtesy of BabyCenter.com

"The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days."

I get a kick out of watching my stomach ripple and roll with his movements!  I am starting to imagine him here with us in a real way.  You always imagine having your baby and the changes that will take place in your life... but I'm at the point where I can almost smell him and feel his skin on my cheek and his warmth on my chest.  He's going to look so much like Oliver, I mean there's not much else he could look like- Nate and I have very similar features.

He has been very good to Momma- another easy pregnancy, so hopefully that means he will be a good baby like Oliver too.  I love my boys so much!

Here are Baby Owen and I relaxing in the yard while Daddy and Oliver play.



Tuesday Tummy Time!

Here's whats going on inside my belly at 23 weeks with my mango sized baby!

Courtesy of Babycenter.com

"Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb."

Evil round ligament pain this weekend!  I was really feeling the stretching as we walked around on Sunday especially.  Oh AND...everyone please note in the picture where the baby is and where the bladder is...now add a cough.  Yeah having a cold while pregnant makes for a lot of leaks and extra laundry!  O man!  But I guess Oliver gets some of the blame too.  First of all, he shared the germs via slobbery kisses, and he did some damage to my bladder control during his stay and exit from my body.

At my ultrasound last Thursday we cought a glimpse of some cheek chub already!  He's going to look just like his big brother!  They also said I will be needing another u/sound around 28 weeks to check on my placenta, which I guess is on the low side as of right now.  It should move up with the baby's growth, and it gives me another peek at the little cutie!  They also pointed out a small fibroid that could cause extra cramping at the most but is nothing to worry about.  It could be why I've felt a few good strong Braxton-Hicks contractions already. 

This air mattress thing is starting to get old...but I'm holding up pretty well.  With both pregnancies I've carried so low that sleeping hasn't been uncomfortable or painful.  Yet anyway.  Towards the end rolling over does become quite the challenge- so much effort shifting that weight!