30 Weeks, 10 to go!

Things are moving quickly.  There are just 10 weeks left and I'm now starting to feel like we need to step it up.  The good news is that this weekend we are planning on making some serious progress on the baby's room.

This last week has slowed me down a lot.  I've had a cold since Thanksgiving and doing too much causes major exhaustion.  It looks like the cold is starting to break up and hopefully I'll be back to normal this weekend.

We had our 30 week check up and the baby is positioned head down, which is an upgrade from being breach at the last ultrasound.  Also, it is kicking up a storm!  It's fun to watch my stomach just randomly twitch and shift.  The heartbeat was at 138 and has me leaning towards girl based on the old wives tale.  The best news is that I'm right on track with weight gain and measurements.

My aunts and cousins threw me a shower while in Omaha last week and we got some wonderful, unexpected presents for the baby.  We should be getting our stroller and mobile in the mail shortly.  We are extremely grateful for everything we got and I loved the time to catch up with family over brunch.

Your Baby in Week 30 of Pregnancy

Your belly’s increasing size is a definite clue that your baby is getting bigger every day, weighing in at over three pounds now (it will be packing on the weight at a rate of half a pound per week for the next seven weeks). Also growing daily is its brain, which is actually starting to look like the real thing with those characteristic grooves and wrinkles. And now that your little genius can regulate its own body temperature and turn up the heat, it will start shedding lanugo, the downy body hair that's been keeping it warm up until now.

Your Body in Week 30 of Pregnancy

These days you may feel as if you've got a flamethrower in your chest. Heartburn is one of the most common (and annoying) pregnancy ailments and here's why: The same pregnancy hormones that cause your body's pelvic muscles to relax so you can deliver your baby also relax the ring of muscle that separates the esophagus from the stomach. The upshot? Food and digestive juices can head upstream from your tummy into your chest and throat — hence, the infernal inferno. Your expanding uterus, now exerting pressure on your stomach, only fuels the fire.

Week 30 Pregnancy Symptoms

Stronger fetal activity: You can expect to feel your baby moving every day — sometimes with a punch or a kick (your itty-bitty boxer is getting stronger!), other times with a wiggle or a stretch. You can also expect more activity after you’ve had a snack or meal and (sadly!) when you’re lying down.  This kid is moving all over the place.  It's hard to go 10 minutes without feeling anything.

Bloating: Your expanding uterus (that third-trimester culprit) is pressing into the stomach and intestines, making that bloated feeling worse this week (and for the next several weeks). Eat smaller (and more frequent) meals to avoid overloading your digestive system.  It seems like I'm eating less and more frequent these days.  Might of had a little acid reflux over Thanksgiving.

Occasional faintness or dizziness: It’s a common pregnancy symptom, but mention it to your practitioner (especially if you do faint). You can stop a dizzy spell by lying down and elevating your feet as soon as you feel light-headed.  Very happy that this has not happened yet. 

Bleeding gums: Thanks to pregnancy hormones, your gums could be swollen, inflamed, and even bleeding. Although bleeding gums are common (and will probably go away after delivery), take extra-good care of your teeth and gums right now: Brush and floss twice a day.  It seems like once a week I'll experience this while brushing. 

Stretch marks: As your skin stretches to accommodate your growing belly and body, you (and 90 percent of the pregnant set) are probably starting to see the pink or red streaks known as stretch marks. There’s no miracle cure for stretch marks, so don’t blow the bucks on expensive creams that promise to make them disappear. (Creams will soothe your itchy belly, though.)  What stretch marks?  I have none and even the doctor was impressed by that yesterday!

Mild swelling of ankles and feet: About 75 percent of pregnant women suffer from puffy ankles and feet. Besides wearing comfy shoes, you can relieve your swollen tootsies by taking breaks and putting your feet up. (You deserve it!)  Oh, they are swelling.  It was at it's worse the day we drove to Omaha, but since then I feel as if they have gone down a lot.  Still a little swelling.

Fatigue: Your second trimester get-up-and-go may have upped and left now. Your growing baby is putting more demands on your body, and insomnia may be leaving you pooped during the day. Now’s the time to ask for help (a skill that will come in handy after childbirth), especially doing something strenuous.  By the end of the work day I'm exhausted.  But I can't just sit still when I get home.  There is cleaning and cooking to be done.  So I've moved my bed time back to 9/9:30 these days.  Of course Reily still likes to go out around 1AM and is the routine of waking me up 10 minutes before my alarm goes off.  It's a good thing she is cute.

Omaha Thanksgiving

What a great Thanksgiving we had.  I was a little nervous about the 7.5 hour car ride and being 7 months pregnant and needing to stop all the time.  But we managed to stop on 5 times on the way up there and still arrived by 2.  We had horrible fog when we left our house, bright and early Wednesday morning.  We stopped in Wright City for a quick breakfast for me and then stopped in Columbia for a much-needed Starbucks trip.  The Starbucks we found was on Mizzou's campus and across the street from Shakespeare's Pizza, a place I've heard about from time to time.

Once we arrived in Omaha, my aunt and I went out to run a couple of errands and get some much-needed mani/pedis.  It was so nice outside that it did not feel like Omaha at Thanksgiving time.  Once returned we picked up Scott and headed to Sortino's to meet up with the family and enjoy a Sheldon Family tradition of pizza and catching up.  It was the first time I was able to meet my new cousins, Lucy and Cassidy.  It's amazing how fast they have grown in a year.  Jackson was just a newborn at our wedding and has turned into quite a cute kid.  The pizza was great and it was nice to finally see my parents.  Afterwards, all the guys went out with Kyle leading the group.  I went home and slept.  It must have been a great night out because Scott and Scott didn't make it home till 2:30!

On Thanksgiving, we met up with my parents at Old Navy for a quick shopping trip and then some Starbucks to hang out.  Then we packed up the car and headed to my Aunt Pam's house for dinner.  It was great to see my cousin Luke, who has been plagued by an illness that they finally think is Lyme disease, and Emily, with newborn Harrison.  There was plenty of football and food to go around.  It was nice to sit in somewhat quiet places and talk with all my cousins, aunts and uncles.  It's amazing how much baby advice there is when there are 9 kids under 6.  I can't wait for Thanksgiving in 2 years when we will have a little one to chase around.

Friday morning was much of the same family time.  My aunts and cousins had planned a baby shower for me at a local restaurant for brunch.  The food was great and talking more with the newer moms was always educational.  After the shower we decided to brave the shops and see what we could find.  Since the Huskers weren't playing great it was advised that we stay out shopping.  We made it back just in time to see the Huskers pull out a win in the last game of the season.  Bring on the Big 10 Championship game!  While Scott did some work and my mom and aunt chatted, I took a wonderful nap.  That was missing from actual Thanksgiving day!  Then the 6 of us loaded up the cars and met Shelley & Mark for dinner and a Bond movie.  Dinner was great and Scott got to talk to my uncles a little more.  Always a good time with the Sheldon bunch.

Saturday morning we were told to be at Village Inn by 7:30, my parents showed up at 8.  We had a quick breakfast and we left for St. Louis as my parents headed back to Texas.  It wasn't a long enough visit with everyone but it will do until the first bridal shower in the spring.

 

29 Weeks

Overall I've been feeling great.  I'm starting to get tired a little earlier than I was a few weeks ago but it's been pretty easy.  I haven't started any crazy cleaning kicks just yet but I do feel that is on the horizon.  First baby shower is this week in Omaha with my family.  Then once we get back it's time to really start getting the room ready.  In the mean time, I'll just enjoy feeling the baby kicking all day while I'm sitting at work.  We have a serious soccer player in the works here!

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. The muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and the head is growing bigger to make room for the 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.

How your life's changing:

Your baby's very active now. Your healthcare provider may ask you to spend some time each day counting kicks and will give you specific instructions on how to do this. Let your provider know if you ever notice that your baby is becoming less active. You may need a nonstress test or biophysical profile to check on your baby's condition.

Some old friends — heartburn and constipation — may take center stage now. The pregnancy hormone progesterone relaxes smooth muscle tissue throughout your body, including your gastrointestinal tract. This relaxation, coupled with the crowding in your abdomen, slows digestion. Sluggish digestion can cause gas and heartburn — especially after a big meal — and contribute to constipation.

Some women get something called "supine hypertensive syndrome" during pregnancy. This happens when lying flat on your back causes a change in heart rate and blood pressure that makes you feel dizzy until you change position. You might notice that you feel light headed if you stand up too quickly, too. To avoid "the spins," lie on your side rather than your back, and move slowly as you go from lying down to sitting and then standing.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are in Omaha for Thanksgiving this year.  I'm extremely excited because my parents will be up there with us.  I haven't seen them since this summer and it will be nice to have a normal Thanksgiving.  Everyone but my brother will be in town and that includes a few new babies that were not around for our wedding last year.  I love that my family is growing and that the younger cousins will get to play and experience the same sort of Thanksgivings I had in Omaha every year!

Rockette's

I can finally say that I've seen the famous Rockette's!  The Radio City Christmas Spectacular Starring the Rockettes was in town and I really wanted to check it out.  It went against Scott's no Christmas until after Thanksgiving rule.  But I think it was well worth it.



The show was at the Peabody Opera House.  It was our first time there for a show and it will not be our last.  The opera house was recently reopened and it was beautiful inside.  I still prefer the Fox but this was nice change.  Our seats weren't too bad considering I bought them from Groupon.

[caption id="attachment_2462" align="aligncenter" width="300"] View from our seats[/caption]

We arrived early found out seats and really enjoyed checking out the view from our seats.  I didn't think they were too bad.  The place was packed and we were not let down.  It was a great show and I'm happy I finally got to see the World Famous Rockettes!

Oh, Hello 3rd Trimester

How quickly the last 7 months have gone.  I can't believe I'm 28 weeks!  Still so much to do and so anxious to meet this baby.

How your baby's growing:

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

How your life's changing:

You're in the home stretch! The third and final trimester starts this week. If you're like most women, you'll gain about 11 pounds this trimester.

At this point, you'll likely visit your doctor or midwife every two weeks. Then, at 36 weeks, you'll switch to weekly visits. Depending on your risk factors, your practitioner may recommend repeating blood tests for HIV and syphilis now, as well as doing cultures for chlamydia and gonorrhea, to be certain of your status before delivery. Also, if your glucose screening test result was high and you haven't yet had follow-up testing, you'll soon be given the 3-hour glucose tolerance test.

And if the blood work done at your first prenatal visit showed that you're Rh negative, you'll get an injection of Rh immunoglobulin to prevent your body from developing antibodies that could attack your baby's blood. (If your baby is Rh positive, you'll receive another shot of Rh immunoglobulin after you give birth.)

Around this time, some women feel an unpleasant "creepy-crawly" sensation in their lower legs and an irresistible urge to move them while trying to relax or sleep. If this sensation is at least temporarily relieved when you move, you may have what's known as restless legs syndrome (RLS). No one knows for sure what causes RLS, but it's relatively common among expectant mothers. Try stretching or massaging your legs, and cut down on caffeine, which can make the symptoms worse. Ask your caregiver if you should try iron supplements, which can sometimes relieve RLS

Overall I'm still feeling great.  I'm starting to feel a little more tired in the evenings but nothing horrible.  I was borderline on the 1 hour glucose test and last Friday to take the 3 hour test.  It was a long 3 hours sitting in the doctor's office people watching.  I haven't heard anything back from the doctor so no news is good news and I passed.  I have started taking iron supplements as well, I don't see much of a change in those.

Friday Fun Day

I took last Friday off work since I had to do the 3 hour glucose test and stay at the doctor's office for those 3 hours and then had a meet and greet with our potential pediatrician afterwards.  It just was easier to take the day instead of rushing to work for a few hours.

I got to the doctor at 8:30 and quickly got started on getting blood drawn and drinking the sugar concoction.  I had 3 wonderful hours of people watching at the doctor's office.  There were some interesting people coming in and out.  Scott met me at the pediatrician's office and thus ensued the awkward first date like experience of getting to know her.  She was nice, has been in practice for 10 years and caught up on all the hours of the office and what to expect when the baby is born.

After all that fun we went to lunch.  I was starving since I hadn't eaten since 9PM Thursday.  I quickly stuffed myself and it was off to the house to relax while Scott cut the grass.  It was so nice outside that I didn't want to just hang out at home on my day off so we headed to Forest Park.



We checked out the Barocci exhibit at the art museum.  It was very good and loved seeing the sketching before the actual paintings.  We walked around the park for a while and then headed to The Cup for a little treat.

[caption id="attachment_2448" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Beautiful day[/caption]



We killed some time at Bar Louie before meeting up with Kristin and Tom at the SLU home opener.  I hadn't been to a SLU basketball game since grade school.  It was very entertaining to see all the young college kids getting into the game.



After an extremely busy afternoon, Scott and I were exhausted and ready to get home.  It was a great day off for both of us.

27 weeks

Overall I'm still feeling great.  I have to go back and do the 3 hour glucose test this week since I was borderline.  Also, I'm now taking extra iron supplements.  Nothing horrible just trying to remember to take an extra pill in the morning.  We are getting closer to the holiday's and the 3rd trimester.  It should be time to really start looking to get the kids room ready for all the goodies that we may get at our upcoming showers.  First shower is the Friday after Thanksgiving, can't wait!

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 its legs extended. It is sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing its eyes, and perhaps even sucking its fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While  its lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if it was 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, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

How your life's changing:

The second trimester is drawing to a close, but as your body gears up for the final lap, you may start noticing some new symptoms. Along with an aching back, for example, you may find that your leg muscles cramp up now and then. They're carrying extra weight, after all, and your expanding uterus is putting pressure on the veins that return blood from your legs to your heart as well as on the nerves leading from your trunk to your legs.

Unfortunately, the cramps may get worse as your pregnancy progresses. Leg cramps are more common at night but can also happen during the day. When a cramp strikes, stretching the calf muscle should give you some relief.

Straighten your leg and then gently flex your toes back toward your shin. Walking for a few minutes or massaging your calf sometimes helps, too.

Election 2012

I finally feel like a true Missourian.  I voted in my first presidential election in Missouri since moving back.  Things are a little different up here than in Texas.  First, there is no official early voting.  You can vote by absentee and that is considered early voting even if you are in town, sitting at home avoiding lines.  Second, you get an option to do paper ballots.  When I voted in Texas it was all electronic and I don't remember getting a choice.



Polls opened at 6AM and we were there by 6:15AM and waiting in a decent line outside.  It moved fairly fast but they needed more booths for the line to move a little faster.  I was extremely happy that I reviewed the fake ballot yesterday and was up to date on all the propositions that were on the ballot.  That made the actual voting process much faster.

I got my official sticker and can now get discounts all over STL for showing that I voted today.  Great way to get more people out and voting!

Engagement Parties

We were happy to celebrate our good friend Mike's engagement party last Saturday.  I've known Mike since kindergarten and Scott has since become good friends with Mike.  The party was held in Soulard at Llewellyn's Pub.  It was a big crowd and lots of football to watch.

We were happy to celebrate their engagement and are excited for what's to come in the next year as the wedding gets closer.

[caption id="attachment_2444" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Jim, Tina, Scott and I[/caption]

Halloween 2012

We spent like we've spent the last 3, at the Birch's.  It's a nice tradition to go down there and hang out with them for the evening.  Reily even gets to join in the fun.  This year it was only Catherine and Mathew out trick or treating as a glass of milk and Yadier Molina.  They looked great.  Catherine has really come up with some creative costumes the last few years.

Scott and I are usually the first ones out there giving out the candy and listening to the horrible jokes.  This year it was much of the same.  Lots of kids, we estimate around 300 based on Ellen's candy purchases.  The jokes weren't great.  There were 3 about the Cubs and those were the best ones.  I didn't see many costumes that impressed me either.  There were lots of super heroes and baseball players.

The down side of our neighborhood being safe and known for good candy was that there were a lot of outsiders.  They showed up without a joke and without a costume.  As the ones giving out candy we made those old enough or too old to be out tell a joke before getting candy.  Next year they are getting erasers or pencils.

It was a fun evening catching up with the Birch's and some neighbors that I grew up with.  Next year, we'll be joined with Baby A and should have an entirely different Halloween experience.