31 weeks pregnant

My body: I measured my belly again and I am now 15.5 inches rounder than my pre-pregnancy waist...Hard to believe, isn't it? I am really starting to feel the effects of the weight gain when I go on walks or are particularly active. My weight is still on track and only a few more weeks until I (hopefully) stop gaining. I have read that at around 36 weeks, many women reach their top weight gain. I am still happy to do it for my little angel!

The baby
Weight: 3.5 pounds (what a chunker)
Length: 16 inches
Interesting fact: Baby 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. The baby’s lungs and digestive track are almost fully mature at this point..yeah for baby!

What’s going on with us: We had a very busy, but very good weekend. On Saturday, my little sister graduated from U of L with her bachelor degree! Congrats Abby, we are so proud of you! On Sunday, we split our day between Jonathan’s mom and my mom. We had his family over at noon for an early dinner and had a very nice time. After Jonathan’s family left, we went to my mom’s to celebrate with most of the extended family on my side. I even got several Mother's Day cards, which was a very nice surprise. All in all, a very nice day full of people we love. In basement news, the carpet is scheduled to be installed on May 18th, which I am really excited about. I am off work for Election Day, so it should work out very well. After the carpet gets installed, our next move will be to bring the office furniture down and put the crib together…and THEN it will FINALLY start to look like a nursery!

Alex and Uncle Jonathan on Mother's Day

Mom and Abby @ Abby's graduation

Abby and Jonathan at Abby's graduation

30 weeks pregnant

My body- I continue to feel good, although my back starts to get sore at the end of most work days. I am on my feet a lot at work, so I am trying to sit more in my classroom. Other than that, things are going well! Jonathan has felt the baby progress from kicks to turns, which is very exciting. I think he's probably tired of me saying "Do you want to feel the baby?" but is always so excited to feel a good kick, twist or turn!

The baby-
Weight- 3 pounds
Length- 15.5 inches
Interesting fact: Fingernails and toenails are finished growing. The baby is started to shed the lanuga (hair all over his/her body) because baby is able to regulate temperature better now. No need for all that extra fur any longer.

What’s going on with us: Jonathan has been hard at work in the basement and we are really getting close to being finished. Can you tell how excited I am? I really can’t wait to have that BIG thing checked off our list. I had my first baby shower on Wednesday with my work friends, which was really nice. I was overwhelmed by the generosity of my co-workers and feel very lucky to work with such nice people! I truely believe that each and every one of them are so excited for Jonathan and I to embark on this huge change in my life...how many people can say that?

This is a picture from my work shower..what a good day:)

Below is a picture of the surprise we found in our grill last week. What are we supposed to do with this? I think I almost died when I opened the grill to find 4-5 baby chicks and the mama bird inside. I guess we have to wait until they grow up and fly away???This is a picture of Maddie and Mickey right after they got their brand new bones. Aren't they adorable together?

29 weeks pregnant

My body- The baby has become more and more active! Instead of just kicks, I know feel the baby tossing and turning in my belly. It is an amazing feeling each and every time. I continue to feel really good and keep my fingers crossed that it will continue. I started counting baby kicks this week as the doctor instructed. I haven’t had any trouble getting the ten kicks in within one hour, so I usually stop counting after that. One night this week, the baby had a crazy case of the hiccups. It woke me up in the middle of the night and I couldn’t help but laugh. Whenever the baby is making himself/herself known, it always makes me laugh and makes me want to cry at the same time. I already love this baby so much and can’t wait for the next 11 weeks to pass so we can meet him/her!

The baby
Weight: 2.5-3 pounds
Length: 15 inches
Interesting facts: The baby can now hear better and can distinguish real sounds and voices from all the vibrations around him/her. Some experts say that the baby’s heart rhythm will increase on hearing the sound of the father or mother. The music we play now or story read now will be recognized by the baby later as you will observe the baby stopping to listen for the same familiar sound later...So, I expect the baby will love Journey and Michael Buble.

What’s going on with us: The crib is officially in the house…it’s in a really big box, but in the nursery none the less. My mom and sister came over to help me move some things on Tuesday night. We re-arranged the guest bedroom to accommodate a glider. We moved all of my scrapbooking stuff from the office closet, so that we have room for baby clothes. I wasn't much help, but I did re-pay them with dinner:) Jonathan came in second at his tournament on Sunday and got big fish! I have my first baby shower next week at work and I am really excited about it!

This picture isn't related to anything...I just thought it was a beautiful morning!

28 weeks/ 7 months/ beginning of third trimester

My body- Great News! I do not have gestational diabetes and can continue to eat all the fruit I want! I continue to feel good and am happy to be in the third trimester. It’s really hard to believe how fast the last 3 months have gone!

The baby
Weight: about 2.5 pounds
Length:15.5 inches
Interesting facts:

What’s going on with us: I am officially finished with my Master’s Degree at NKU! I presented my findings from a study I completed on Tuesday night to a public forum at NKU. I was really nervous, but think the presentation went pretty well. My mom was in the audience and said she could see my heart beating through my shirt. I know I wrote that Jonathan did not have any tournaments last weekend, but 2 popped up. He placed 2nd at the Grant County Club tournament, which is always exciting. In nursery news, the crib is in, but sits at Babies ‘R’ Us until Jonathan recruits someone to help him carry it to his truck and then up the stairs at our house. Did I mention that our crib was a gift from Jonathan’s parents? Pretty nice gift, huh? My mom is giving us our changing table and ordered it a few days ago. We are very lucky to have such generous parents!

27 weeks pregnant

My body: This baby is a very active little guy or girl and I love it. Jonathan felt (and saw) the baby kick several times this week, which was really special for him, too. My mom and sister were also delighted to have felt the baby kick! Unfortunately, I my blood sugar test was a little elevated, so I went back on Tuesday for the 4 hour test. Two hours in, the liquid “came back up” and the test was considered void. I will probably have to complete it again this Saturday, but will find out for sure on Friday morning when I visit with the doctor. I have read that only 7-8 percent of pregnant women will develop gestational diabetes (GD), so it is a very low percentage. On top of that, of those woman who test high on the screening, only 85% will actually have GD, so that is encouraging also. I have a friend who developed GD and has given me some of her reading material to look at in the meantime. I am going to start eating like a woman with GD just in case. I am NOT trying to have an 11 pound baby…Yes, Aunt Denise I did hear that Mara was 11.7. What a woman you are!

The baby:
Weight: A little over 2 pounds
Length: 14.5 inches
Interesting facts: “She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now.”
-Wow, isn’t that incredible? I know the baby is not ready to come into this world just yet, but knowing that he or she would be okay (if she did) is amazing.

What’s going on with us: We finally decided on a crib and changing table. The crib is from Babies ‘R’ Us and the changing table/drawers are from JCPenney. I think we have finalized our registries at both of these places, which feels really good to be done with! Jonathan and I signed up for childbirth classes every Monday from May 17- June 21st. I am actually looking forward to these, even though it’s a little more time consuming than I would have hoped. In Basement news, we have ordered the carpet and are waiting for it to come in. We are so close to having it finished, but have a few more odds and ends to do before the carpet installation. Luckily, Jonathan does not have any tournaments this weekend, so I feel confident that he will get to work on it some…(No pressure, though)

This is my last week in the second trimester, can you believe it?

26 weeks pregnant

My body: I just keep getting bigger…and bigger…and bigger. My aches and pains have subsided, but I have all the faith that they will returnJ I am still on track with the recommended weight gain, which I am very happy about. I have re-discovered the elliptical at the gym, which is much easier on my body. Walking is wonderful (especially in this beautiful weather) but was causing me a lot of back pain. This isn’t a new pain, but rather something I have dealt with since High school. It was a “once in a blue moon” flare-up, where now it’s pretty much any time I walk much. Long story short, the elliptical is a much better fit for me right now. Plus, I can monitor my heart rate easily to make sure it is where I want it to be. In other news…I went yesterday for my gestational diabetes test, so my fingers are crossed that it will come back normal. Everything else at the doctors looked great. Baby’s heartbeat was 157/158.

The baby
Weight: Close to 2 pounds
Length: 14 inches
Interesting facts: The baby’s eyes are fully developed. Air sacs are developing in the baby’s lungs. Baby is becoming familiar with our voices (how exciting.)

What’s going on with us: I have been enjoying life without an alarm clock this week b/c we are on Spring Break from school. I have gotten a lot of things off of my endless to do list, which feels really good! Last weekend we celebrated Easter Sunday twice. We had brunch at Aunt Denise’s and dinner at my house. It was really nice to see everyone. The kids enjoyed an Easter egg hunt at Aunt Denise’s. Lastly, the results are in for the March madness brackets and you will never believe who won…me! It just goes to show how crazy the tournament was this year b/c I am pretty sure I watch the fewest basketball games of anyone in the family.

25 weeks pregnant

My body: Ouch! This week, I had back aches, hip aches, neck aches…you name it. They all come and go, but I think it is clear that this weight gain is playing a tuel on me! In addition to this, I found myself crying on the way to work because “Wind beneath my wings” came on the radio. We sang this song to our parents at my high school graduation, so it took me back. It made me realize that someday (hopefully) this little baby will grow up and graduate from high school. I told my husband this story (and yes even I thought it was funny in hind sight) who thought I was a little crazy. All he could say was “we haven’t even met the baby yet.”

The baby: Length: 13.5 inches
Size: About the length of a recorder (I couldn't find the fruit comparison this week)
Weight: About 1.5 pounds
3D image of the baby at 25 weeks: http://3dpregnancy.parentsconnect.com/calendar/25-weeks-pregnant.html

Interesting facts: "Baby's hands are now fully developed and he spends most of his awake time groping around in the darkness of your uterus. Brain and nerve endings are developed enough now so that your baby can feel the sensation of touch. Your baby's arms and legs have grown to almost the proportions they will be at birth, which is still sort of short. So don't be alarmed when your newborn's arms barely clear his waist. Baby can practice breathing through the nose. The structures of your baby's spine are now made up of 150 joints, 33 rings and some 1,000 ligaments. The blood vessels in the lungs also develop this week.

What’s going on with us: Jonathan had his first fishing tournament of the year. He came in second and got “Big Fish,” weighing in at 3.something. I finished the Kentucky Reading Project, which is my second to last class I needed to finishing my masters…only one class to go! I will be officially finished April 20th and CANNOT WAIT!