Mommy-To-Be Quiz @ 32 Weeks (8 Months)

How far along?  32 weeks, 8 months preggo... oh September, please come quickly!

Total weight gain/loss:  Well, at my last visit with Dr. P, I gained four lbs., so that puts me at a total of 16lbs. 

Maternity Clothes:  None... haven't ventured shopping much during the past heat wave :)

Stretch -----:  Stretching is what I have to do at night, for my legs... Charlie came back to visit me again last night.  Thankfully, this visit was a bit shorter and less intense.  Scared the daylights out of poor Jason again though, but he'll definitely be ready if I go into labor in the middle of the night!

Sleep:  Doing pretty well, a little achy some mornings, and had another visit from Charlie, but other than that... no complaints.  Actually one, Wiley REFUSES to sleep past 4:45am - 5:00am... We have forgotten what it is like to sleep in.  And if he doesn't let us before Gwen gets here... we may never sleep in again :(

Best Moment of the Week:  Catching a break from that ridiculous heat wave...

Movement:  Tons!  She is such a little wiggler, and she really loves moving around when her Daddy talks to her before bed.  It's so adorable.

Food Cravings:  Well, our friends, Jenn & Brian sent us 6 cupcakes from Crumbs in NYC (Thank you SO much guys), and Jason and I shared one, sometimes two a day!  They were gone in a blink of an eye... so I guess they were my current craving, they were AMAZING!  But other than that, a lot of fruit, especially Watermelon! Mmmmmm.

Labor Signs:  None of true labor, but yesterday I had my first REALLY uncomfortable Braxton Hicks contraction, unpleasant but not unbearable.  Good thing we took that class, because I knew not to panic, which is what I would normally do. Ha ha.

Belly Button, In or Out?  In.  Gwen still likes pushing on it though.

What I Miss:  Being able to function like a normal human.  But anything for my little girl!

Weekly Wisdom:  Accept all advice given to you, but that does not mean that you have to follow it.  No two experiences are the same.

Milestones:  8 Month mark, and completing our Childbirth Education Class... it made me a little less nervous about the labor and delivery process.

What I Am Looking Forward To:  Our next class (Newborn Care, Dr. P says this one is the most important) and having time off finally to finish Gwen's room.

What Gwen's Up To:  Ready or not, Gwen's getting ready to emerge.  She's probably in the head-down position by now, with her bottom facing up.  She is still the size of a Squash.

We passed with Flying Colors! :)

With 9 weeks to go (yipee!) we went to our Childbirth Education Class @ our hospital.  I must say (and I am pretty sure Jason would agree), it was VERY informative.  It covered everything from labor to breathing techniques, a tour of the maternity ward, AND a massage lesson (my favorite!!!!)  We really learned a lot, and hopefully can retain and use it all during the crazy & hectic time of labor :) 

Our Diploma... ha ha!

This past week we FINALLY got the two finishing pieces of furniture for Gwen's room... and Jason put them together as soon as they got here (he really is getting good at this!).  Although they are both done, the room is in a current state of disaster with all of her gifts... but that will all change very soon!  Now that I have a place to store everything it will be easier to clear out... hopefully.

Here is her new changing table.

Don't mind the mess :)

And her new dresser!  The only thing we need now is some shelves, and we are READY!

With each step that we take we are getting more and more excited for Gwen's arrival, we love her so much already!

Our love to you all.

Mommy-To-Be Quiz @ 30 Weeks :)

10 Weeks Left!  Let the countdown begin!!

Here's my current baby bump pic:

• How far along? 30 Weeks... Only a short time left!
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• Total weight gain/loss:  Still at about 12 lbs.  And Gwen weighs about 3.2 lbs.
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• Maternity Clothes:  Haven't purchased anything maternity lately...
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• Stretch -----:  Gwen is definitely stretching a ton in my belly.  Legs seem to go one way, and arms the other, and I love it!
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• Sleep: I'm doing alright in this dept., although I am pretty stationary all night, laying on my left side.  But, I can't complain bc this position usually helps my sciatic nerve pain.

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• Best Moment of the Week: My baby shower (we received SO many great things), seeing baby Gwen again this week, and buying a new car!  It is perfect for our growing family (No, not a minivan, that's where I would draw the line!!!) and we love it.
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• Movement:  Gwen has been moving so much that when she takes a break (probably sleeping) I get nervous.  I love all of her movement, I feel so connected to her when she is stretching and kicking and bouncing around.  And Jason loves to feel his little girl showing off for him, which she does almost everyday.  I'm really convinced that Gwen knows when it is her daddy talking to her and rubbing my stomach.
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• Food Cravings:  Still on a fruit kick, I can't seem to get enough.  And roast beef sandwiches with onion and banana peppers, I have always loved this sandwich, but I have been having it quite often for lunch lately.
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• Labor Signs:  None, but they are coming soon... :)
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• Belly Button, In or Out?  In, although sometimes Gwen pushes or kicks right at my belly button and it feels like it's going to pop out, but then she lets up and all is back normal.
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• What I Miss:  Normal body temperature, it feels like I can heat up at the drop of a hat... I don't think that the insane heat we have been having is helping much.  Air conditioning is my new best friend... actually my savior.  Ha ha.
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• Weekly Wisdom: Stay hydrated and cool, overheating can make a person crazy! Especially a pregnant woman!!!!
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• Milestones: Having my beautiful baby shower, and finally buying a new car!  And seeing Gwen again!  She was so cute, and made the most adorable faces while we were peeking in on her... love her.
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• What I Am Looking Forward To: Finding places for all these wonderful gifts, getting the room organized, and all set up for her arrival.  And our Childbirth classes next Saturday... should be an interesting time!
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• What is Gwen Up To? As Gwen's skin smooths out, her brain keeps getting more wrinkled.  All those grooves and indentations increase surface area, meaning more room for that oh-so-essential brain tissue.  She's also adding some brawn - her grip is now strong enough to grasp a finger.  She is now the size of a squash... our cute little squash!

She's a KICKER!

     Today was our check up with Dr. P., and let's say Gwen was a bit of a show off.  I am happy to report that since my last appointment, my weight has stayed the same. :)  Now, please don't think that I am happy bc I am vain, I just remember that Dr. P warned, "The more weight you gain, the harder your labor will be."  And AGAIN, I hate pain as it is, so, I will do anything to make labor any bit easier.

     The appointment was pretty routine, blood pressure was good, baby growth is going well, and my blood work from last visit came back great.  Then, Dr. P. laid me down to hear Gwen's heartbeat.  She squeezed some gel onto my belly, as she does every appointment, and just as she was putting the wand down Gwen kicked in the EXACT spot and bounced the wand off my belly!!!! Haha!  Even Dr. P. was startled... she said "Wow, no one is going to mess with that baby!  She is VERY strong!"  Gwen calmed down and we were able to finish the appointment... but what a feisty little one she is!

     We now start seeing Dr. P. every two weeks, and our next ultrasound probably won't be until late August/early September.  And as usual, the Dr. wanted to know about Wiley and when we would be bringing him in again.  I informed her that he had just be neutered yesterday and that he was supposed to be on bed rest. I hope that she knows we aren't bringing him to the hospital when Gwen is born. Lol. 

     Back to unpacking presents and trying to organize her room... wish me luck!

XoXo.

Thank you all SO much!

Much to my surprise, this past Saturday was my baby shower!!  It was absolutely wonderful!  We received more gifts than I think we have room for!  All of our gifts left in about 5 or 6 cars there were SO many.  We have about half of them back at our house now, and are making room for everything. It really was fantastic, we are so lucky to have such great and loving family and friends... Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Monday we had an ultrasound appointment to check on Gwen's growth, and it was so exciting!  We couldn't wait to see her again... and to confirm that we still were on Team Pink.  Although we believed her the first time she told us, we never actually SAW her girlie parts and just wanted some confirmation, and a picture.  Our technician was MORE than happy to oblige, and as she put it "It's definitely a hamburger, not a hot dog."  Haha.

Below is our proof... it's a girl all the way.

All of Gwen's measurements were right on track, she is head down (she could change positions though) and had a heartbeat of 146.  She is currently weighing in at 3 lb 2 oz, which from what I have read is just a bit ahead of schedule.  Could that mean that she'll be making an early appearance?!?!  We could only be so lucky!  She looks like such a little angel, and it looks like she was smiling as we were cooing over her.

This one below is my favorite!!

This may sound strange, but I think that she looks so much like me as a baby in this one.  She has some cute chubby cheeks, and is pouting a bit here.  Isn't it amazing how clear it is, and looks like a baby ready to be born? 

Our next visit with Dr. P is tomorrow, hopefully she can help me with my sciatic pain (I think Gwen is on my sciatic nerve).  And I will get my results of the Glucose Test (I assume it's negative, since I never heard from them).  I hope I am done with tests for a while... but we'll see.

Almost at 30 weeks... can't believe how far along we are now!

Tons and tons of love to you all!

Mommy-To-Be Quiz @ 28 Weeks (7 months)!

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  How far along?  28 weeks or 7 months... we are in the Hooooome Streeeetch! Woo-Hoo!

• Total weight gain/loss: About 12 lbs.  But will be probably have gained more at the next Dr. visit (July 14th)

• Maternity Clothes:  Still haven't bought anything new that was Maternity, but have picked up a few more dresses and comfy lounge shorts... it's been too hot out for Maternity clothes with those "Secret Belly" panels.

• Stretch ----:  Yup, we are in the Home Stretch.  That's what this question was referring to, right? ;)

• Sleep:  I am starting to get uncomfortable sleeping, but nothing that is keeping me up all night.  There are two basic positions that work... my left side... and my right side... haha.  So it gets annoying when neither is working for me.  But other than that, I think I am doing alright.

• Best Moment of the Week:  Finishing the Chair Rail, receiving all those wonderful gifts, and putting Gwen's bedding up! 

• Movement:  It seems like she is getting stronger by the day, and so are her kicks!  She is a little wiggleworm, and I love it!  Lately, it seems like I can tell where she is in my belly, like, where her head is at times, or where a foot is... it is so amazing!

• Food Cravings:  Ice cream, which, by the way, Jason is loving!  He has jumped on the ice cream train too!  And a lot of fruit... isn't that the polar opposite of ice cream?!?!

• Labor Signs:  No, but I do think that I have had a few Braxton Hicks (fake) contractions... nothing painful, just my belly gets really hard for a few minutes.  It is said that this is normal though.

• Belly Button, In or Out:  In, guess the outie thing just isn't happening, which is ok by me.

• What I Miss:  Regular clothes, and being able to bend down with ease... if we didn't have Wiley, I would leave everything on the ground, just bc it is too much of a nuisance to pick up. Lol.

• What I Am Looking Forward To:  Our next sonogram (July 12th), and our Childbirth Classes... only because it will hopefully make us feel like we have SOMEWHAT of an idea as to what we are doing. 

• Weekly Wisdom:  Knowing how to roll with the punches is the best preparation for life there is!

• Milestones:  7 Months Preggo!!!  Third trimester here we are... and we would like you to be a smooth and quick ride, Thanks.

• What is Gwen Up To?  Gwen's lungs are mature enough that, if born right now, she has a pretty good chance of surviving (with help from medical technology).  Her skin is still pretty wrinkly (bc of amniotic fluid) but will smoothen as fat continues to deposit.  She is still the size of an Eggplant, about 10.2 inches, and 2.4 - 2.75 lbs.