Week 30--that's right the 30's!

I can't believe we're in the home stretch already. Baby Boy G is over 3 pounds in weight and will gain approximately half a pound a week for the next 7 weeks when his weight will taper off. Two other big changes this week....One, his brain is getting all sorts of grooves and wrinkles in preparation for being a smarty pants :) Two, now that he can regulate his own body temperature he's shedding the lanugo (the downy fuzzyness) that's been covering his body.

Also this week we took a hospital tour at Methodist Hospital where I'll be delivering. It was really great to have a "dress rehearsal" and be able to visualize the space that it'll all take place. It's nice because everything the baby may need is all in the same wing on the same floor of the hospital...the triage area, the labor and delivery rooms, the post-partum rooms, the nursery, and the NICU. It's also nice that there are no visiting hours in the birthing center so we can have visitors come meet Baby G whenever he arrives!

Right after our hospital tour we also had a Breastfeeding and Child Care Basics class where we met another couple due on our exact due date who is also having a boy. That sure was neat to meet someone right at the same stage we are and perhaps we'll see them again at the hospital! The class itself was super informative and gave great education about lots of things, including diapering, bathing, temperature taking, and swaddling.

Again, we'll have to wait to add pictures till a bit later. This week Tom, Marty, and I are staying at my parents' house. We're getting hardwood floors installed in our kitchen to match the rest of the white oak floors in the rest of our house. Because of the fumes from the poly they use it's not safe to stay there while they're working, so we've had to pack up everything for the week. I'm glad we're having the floors done before the baby comes because packing up a baby would be a whole lot more work!

Thanks to all who have been following our blog!

Week 29: 75% of the way there!

This week Baby Boy G is 17 inches long and 3 pounds!! Though he won't get much longer he will pack on the pounds in the coming weeks.

We also had a prenatal doctor appointment this week which Tom and I always enjoy. It's so great to get to hear baby's heartbeat and like literally every other time we've heard his heart beat it's running in the 140's. He is consistent! He's also measuring right on target which is great as well. We talked to my doctor about the fact that Tom has a work trip just over 2 weeks before my due date and we're planning a doctor appointment right before he leaves so my doctor can check my progress at that point. If it looks like it's nearing then Tom won't go. But what we did learn was that statistically first born boys typically are born the furthest after their due date compared with other births. So with that, the likelihood is that Tom will get the green light to go on his trip. I'll just be crossing my fingers that he doesn't miss the big show!

This week I felt the biggest kick yet while at work. I was sitting at my desk and looked down at my belly and saw it move and a HUGE kick. It felt like he did a somersault right in my belly. I have enjoyed feeling all the little kicks which are getting stronger and stronger.

We'll be adding pictures later so stay tuned!

Week 28 - last week of month 7

This week our post is written by Tom. I’ve seen lots of amazing developments in Jackie and in Baby G this week. Our last visit to the OB office provided us with yet another opportunity to listen to his heartbeat. He’s been quite consistent and been over 140 beats per minute. I guess the tales of a high heartbeat indicating that it’s a girl are just that—tales. I’ve also seen, and felt, that Jackie’s stomach is quite hard. We try and sing to Baby G a few nights each week before bed. I’ve actually made smooth sweeping motions over her belly for legato (smooth) phrases, and short and detached pokes for staccato phrases. Baby G responds almost always with a kick or two, or three. And, the kicks like lightning, never striking the same spot twice.

Jackie and I took advantage of some of the good weather this past weekend and ventured out into the wilderness and camped, with Marty! We drove down to Lanesboro, MN, and camped at Eagle Cliff Campground, IN A TENT! I'd highly recommend the campground. It was very clean, had hot water, port-a-potty's, shared indoor plumbing, and quite reasonably priced. If you know me, you know that my idea of a wilderness experience is staying at the Super 8. However, we made the best of the weekend and schlepped out my Christmas presents, a new tent and queen size air mattress. It was a tight squeeze in the tent, leaving only a 3'x1' space for Marty. He stretched like I've never seen him stretch when I took him out to go to the bathroom in the morning. Jackie also stretched too, in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. Overall, we had a successful, enjoyable, and mostly dry weekend.

Please enjoy some of our pictures below. We had a great time with our friends Matt and Bethany from college.

Marty spent a majority of the time camped out on the grass

Jackie and I taking in the scenery

Marty posing for his portrait

Left to right (Tom, Jackie, Bethany, Matt)

Looking beautiful as ever in week 28

Finally, we can't let you go without spoonfeeding you some physical developments of Baby G in week 28. What to Expect When You're Expecting says that Baby G is roughly the size of a head of cauliflower. I'm also going out on a limb and guessing He's white :) Baby G is starting to dream. If we were to measure his brain wave activity, it would show his sleep cycles including rapid eye movement (when dreams occur). Other talents include better breathing and blinking. Maybe this week we'll shine the flashlight on Baby G. Although, given that I have poor eyes, I don't want him to be blinded in the womb.

Have a wonderful week!

Week 27: 15 inches!

One big change for this week is how baby is measured. Previously baby's been measured "crown to rump" but now he's measured head to toe. This week he's at a whole 15 inches! That's huge! And he's over 2 pounds now as well. Since the average new born is 18 to 22 inches in length that seems so close to full term! Obviously his weight has a ways to go, though.

This week I also did a bit of a crafty project. With our baby bedding set we only got 1 window valence. Since we have 2 windows in the nursery and I wasn't able to order another window valence without ordering a whole second bedding set, I decided to make some window valences on my own. And I think they turned out really cute. They're polka dotted in blue, green, and brown, which matches the bedding perfectly. Take a look below!






Not much else is going on this week so we'll make it short and end with this week's belly pic :)

Oh and I couldn't resist putting Marty's "caught in the act" moment that Tom captured...hilarious! :

Week 26: Eyes Wide Open!

That's right, this week Baby Boy G is opening his eyes! What this means is that if there's a bright light near my belly there will be an increase in his fetal activity. We haven't tried shining a flashlight on my belly yet but we probably will. He also weighs 2 whole pounds and is over 9 inches in length. Growing, growing, growing! Speaking of growing, my uterus is now bigger than a basketball (sorry if that's too much information), but that's why it looks like I'm carrying a basketball :)

I'm also one of the women it seems who commonly have some problems with sleeping through the night at about this point in pregnancy. My heartburn and back pain has been increasing but my lovely husband has been gracious enough to have been giving me more back rubs so that helps! We also moved our bed to our finished basement where the temperature is about 10 degrees cooler in the summer which has been helping with sleeping since lately I've been a sauna. And for anyone who knows me, knows how normally I am always freezing so this has been quite a change!

Thanks to Tom's parents who gave us a baby mattress, the baby crib is now complete! I must admit I sometimes stand next to the crib now and just imagine what it'll be like with a baby in it. I can't wait!

This week I also had a day where I was feeling TONS of baby kicks, the most I've ever felt. At one point I could even see my belly move which was so funny. He seems to be a little elusive, though, because whenever I feel kicks and try to get Tom to feel them, he immediately stops kicking as soon as Tom tries to feel them.

Lastly here's this week's belly pic: