32 weeks... about 53 days to go!

Oh my is the time flying by!! The wee one could come anytime in the next 5 to 10 weeks! I can't believe how much time is just flying by... my online religions class is ending today!! Super Duper excited!! I'll have the month of July off to work on getting the baby room in order... should be interesting. I went to Country Fest June 25th- 29th. It was a good time but hot! We had our 32 week appointment today and everything went well. Gained more weight of course, but blood pressure looks good and so does the baby heartbeat. I'm 34 cm which is also good. I was put on a baby heart monitor because I was a little concerned about the baby movement but it was all good and has been pretty active today. :) Other than that... nothing much going on... so here is the update. :) Gary had to push the 'mark' button everytime I felt movement because the hand held one I had wasn't working... he's good for something! :) And he also looks like he knows what he's looking at.

My Baby:

This week is a milestone of sorts: Babies born after this time tend to do well even if they are premature. Nearly 10 percent of babies are born before week 37, when they officially come to term. At 32 weeks, all major organs are functioning except the lungs, which may need further time to develop. But your little one doesn't exactly look like a rosy cherub--she weighs about 3 pounds, and her thin, wrinkly skin hasn't filled out with the layers of fat that develop later. Luckily, in many cases, all she'll need is some time in an environmentally controlled isolette to become the chubby angel you imagined.

All hooked up... same thing they'll monitor the baby with when I'm actually in labor.

Baby's Length: 18-19 in.

Baby's Weight: 4 lb.

Baby's Size: 5-lb. bag of potatoes

Gary... looking bored... we were on the monitor for over half hour just to make sure everything looked ok.

How your baby's growing:

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.

Country Fest 2009

Roxy, my twin sister, rode a mechanical bull last night and I wanted to share the video... :) She actually got two rides for the price of one... but only one video will be posted....

31 weeks... only about 60 days to go!!

It's been a busy week so far... preparing for Country Fest and finishing up my online religions class (Done on the 30th) I also helped Gary with his final exams by typing them up for him. Also been trying to clean house and get to water aerobics to help me keep in shape. I went twice yesterday but too tuckered out today to go. Want to get my paper finished and chapter on Islam read so I can take the quiz tomorrow morning and not have to worry about it. My twin sister comes in tomorrow night!! Pretty excited to see her and spend the next week with her!! My sisters and I always have a great time at Fest... it will be an interesting year with me being preggo but still lots of fun! Finally... here is the 31 week update! Can you believe I'm already 31 weeks. It's crazy silly... next thing we know there'll be a crying baby in the other room... eeek.... :) My Baby: He's entering a growth spurt. For the next eight weeks, he'll gain weight faster than he increases in length, at the rate of about half a pound a week. The bigger he gets, the harder it will be to "see" him on ultrasound and get a good estimate of his size--the margin of error increases to 15 percent by the end of the third trimester. But he's definitely growing fast, and you'll notice that his kicks will start to feel more like squirming as he runs out of room to roam. Baby's Length: 17-18 in. Baby's Weight: 3.5 lbs. Baby's Size: Soccer ball How your baby's growing: 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. Ok... I'm off to hopefully finish my paper! Have a great week... oh... almost forgot... at last weeks appointment... weight and blood pressure were good... fundal height measured 32 cm and baby heart was 140 bpm!! :) Here's the heartbeat video from week 30! :)

10 year class reunion!

Yes! It has been 10 years since I graduated high school... boy do I feel old! Even though I didn't graduate from Independence High, I know more people than I would going to my own reunion in San Diego... which is suppose to be July 18th. With being 34 weeks preggo at that time it's best that I stay grounded. LOL... Hence, going to the 10 year in Indee. It was a lot of fun!! We started the event off with golf and ended at East End for supper or socializing! :) I told Gary to take pictures and he took a video of my first time ever on a golf course... go ahead and laugh! :)

The following pictures are from golfing... Arcadia Golf Club

Gary cleaning his clubs... probably should have done that last year... last time he used them. LOL... oh well...

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Gary's tee off... I think he missed the ball. :)

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Where did it go??

My second swing... or so... I missed lots of times...

Photo op... a bench and a pregnant me... taking a break and I thought I'd strike a pose so Gary took a picture. LOL... 30 weeks preggo! :) Gary and I... same hole...

I drove... hee hee...

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East End Bar in Independence was the final stop for the reunion. A few people that didn't go golfing showed up at the bar for beer and food! The food was wonderful! As for the beer... well I'm sure it was fine. Gary drank plenty! :)

The following are pictures from the evening... we had a blast! And according to Greg, Gary is now a part of the family. LOL...

Jennifer and I

Gary... a little happy from the beer! :) He just became apart of the family according to Greg! :) Missed the event because the camera was in Gary's pocket and I couldn't find it....

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The boy's playing quarters... wow was this funny... a few had way too much to drink and probably should have quit and another should not have sat down to play because he couldn't handle his alcohol... it was pretty funny. Finally, at around 10:30 I told Gary we had to go. I was tired and he had had plenty to drink... plus we were crashing at the farm. Oh boy... more stories. LOL

This is Gary on the way home, to the farm.... playing golf on his farm... I guess it was to test how drunk he was. Not sure he remembers much! :)

30 Weeks! Only about 68 days to go..

So, again, I'm a little beind. It's been a busy weekend. My sister Kim and her family came into town last week so we had a family gathering Friday night. Then Saturday morning was the Dairy Breakfast followed a few hours later by my 10 year reunion with the class I would have graduated with if I would have stayed in Independence. Finally, Sunday was Kaylyn's (my cousin) graduation party and a visit to Gary's parents to celebrate Father's Day a week early since Gary has to work next weekend. It was a wonderful weekend with lots of fun but it really took a lot of energy out of me! Plus, I'm still working on my online Religions class which is pretty demanding and requires a lot of reading... most of it interesting but yikes... I'll be glad when it's over. :) Anyhow... here are the baby updates! :) ------------------30 weeks----------------- My Baby By this week, your baby's senses are developed to the point where she can taste, touch, see, and hear what's going on around her. She'll also react to stimuli--for instance, if you poke your belly, she may kick or hit back at the spot you've touched. It's exciting to interact with your baby even before she's born. Try rubbing your belly and talking gently to her when she kicks--you may find that you're already able to calm her down. Baby's Length: 16.25-17 in. Baby's Weight: 3 lbs. Baby's Size: Thick Wool Sweater, Folded How your baby's growing: Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.) --------------------29 weeks--------------------- My Baby For the past six weeks or so, your baby has been listening to your voice (along with the voices of your partner, older children, and anyone else who's been talking to your belly). Speaking to your baby is not only a key part of prenatal bonding, but may also form the basis of language development. Babies who have been spoken to in utero recognize and turn to familiar voices immediately after birth. There may also be links between prenatal stimulation and the development of speech and IQ. Conversely, studies have shown that songbirds hatched from the nests of silent foster parents don't sing. Baby's Length: 15.75-16.25 in. Baby's Weight: 2.5-2.75 lbs. Baby's Size: Basketball How your baby's growing:Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

28 week appointment update...

Gary and I and wee one had our appointment on Tuesday, June 2nd. I had to take the glucose test along with the normal things... weight. blood pressure, fundal height, and heartbeat. Weight was good... only gained 2 lbs. in the last 4 weeks. Forgot to ask about my blood pressure... oops... but then again usually they tell you so I can write it down. Oh well... if there's a concern they'll tell me. My fundal height is measuring 31 1/2 cm which is a little bigger than they'd like so we may have to have an ultrasound toward the end. Not too worry. Start eating less carbs she says. LOL... Baby's hearbeat is at a healthy 144 bpm Yesterday afternoon I got a call from Annie, a midwife, to give me test results... drum roll... I failed! LOL... I have to go in for another glucose test and this time it takes 3 hours. :( Hopefully my first test was a false positive and everything will be ok. We'll find out more probably on Tuesday as I'm going in right away Monday morning... meaning 7:15am because that is when the lab opens and I have to fast 8 - 10 hours beforehand and I don't want to go without food for longer than I have to. If the results come back too high again that means I have gestational diabetes.... which means no midwives. :( very sad face if that happens... But again we'll know more next week. I also tested positive for group B strep so that just means I have to have an iv for antibiotics during labor and delivery so that I don't pass it on to the wee one. Other than that, my iron looked good. Not anemic!! One small victory. Baby and I are doing well. Relaxing a little after another night out camping. Field Botany is over tomorrow so things will lighten up a bunch and I'll have time to focus just on Religions 100, Intro to World Religions. We're also excited about Wednesday! We have a surprise for Gary and we think he's going to really like it. Updates to come later. :) Here's the most recent video of our little one's heartbeat. There's also a kick in there. :) Wee one doesn't like being pushed on. hee hee...

A little behind...

With summer classes starting I've been really busy and haven't updated my blog recently. Sorry. I'm currently 28 weeks with only about 84 days to go! Holy cow is it going by fast!! Gary and I spent Friday night and most of today in Lamaze class. I think the most we got out of it is how to breath... hopefully we'll remember by the time we have to go to the hospital. :) Today I was pretty uncomfortable. I believe I've been having braxton hicks (fake contractions) all day so running to the bathroom constantly is becoming a habit... Hopefully they don't amount to much! It is a little scarey at times... it is way too early for the wee one to come. 10 more weeks and it will be safe. We have our next midwife appointment on Tuesday so I'll have to make sure to let her know what is going on. I only have one week left of Biology (Field Botany) and we'll be heading to Door County on Wednesday. I'm pretty excited. I've never been there before plus the class is almost over. It's going to be a long week since I volunteered to drive. The picture to the left is from last week. We drove up to Amnicon Falls State Park and camped for the night. The picture right below is from a sand prairie that I don't remember the name of right now... ah yes... Crex Meadows. The flower is a Wild Columbine or as I need to remember it as... Aquilegia canadensis. :) This last week we drove down south to Devil's Lake State Park for the first night and Governor Dodge State Park for the second. Thursday morning we climbed what use to be a mountain. And YES, so did I!!! :) It wasn't easy but we did it... I'm pretty proud of myself. It will be a great story to tell the wee one... The picture to the top left is me about half way up... you can sorta see the baby belly. The one in the middle is of the balancing rock. I guess the big attraction for climbing "the mountain." And finally, the picture to the left is of me on the top!!! Baby and all! We saw a few great flowers up on top... it wasn't an easy walk down but easier than up. I had to take it really slow and be careful not to slip. Rocks aren't very forgiving when you fall on them :) Anyhow... here are the weekly updates for the last two weeks. ---------------28 Weeks----------- My Baby: At the end of this week, you'll enter the third trimester--a busy time for your little one. His movements will increase from now until around week 32, when he'll start running out of room to roam. (He'll keep moving after that, but it will feel more like wiggling compared to the sharp kicks you may be experiencing now.) He's also growing strong--and long! He measures about 14 inches from head to toe, and weighs roughly 3 pounds. Your doctor will keep track of his growth by placing her hands on your belly to measure the size of your uterus, also known as fundal height. Baby's Length: 15.25-15.75 in. Baby's Weight: 2.25-2.5 lbs. Baby's Size: Pair of sneakers How your baby's growing: 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. -------27 Weeks-------- My Baby: Your frisky fetus is on another growth spurt, shooting up half an inch this week to measure about 14 inches from head to toe. She weighs roughly 2 1/2 pounds, and will gain approximately half a pound each week for the next 10 weeks. The average full-term baby weighs about 7 1/2 pounds and measures from 18 to 20 1/2 inches, but many normal, healthy babies fall outside this range. Unless your practitioner has told you of a potential problem, it's safe to assume that your little one is right on track. Your second trimester is just about over -- and your baby's set for big-time growth over the coming weeks! She's already more than 2 pounds, and is set to pack on a half-pound a week for the next 10 weeks or so! Way back at the end of your first trimester, your baby weighed in at less than an ounce, and now look at her! Over the next few months, she'll gain more weight than height (she still has about five more pounds to pack on to reach the average full-term baby size of 7.5 pounds). Although, that number is very much an average -- many completely healthy babies are born weighing significantly more or less than that amount! In other news, while your baby can now recognize your voice, she still can't hear it clearly. In fact, her current eavesdropping ability is akin to how adults hear under water. (Who knew?) Baby's Length: 9.25-9.50 in. Baby's Weight: 2-2.25 lbs. Baby's Size: Sock Monkey How your baby's growing:This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. 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. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.