Week 33: Becoming More Immune

Week 33 brought 2 more showers for Baby G! We are feeling very lucky to have so many people "shower" us (ha ha :) ) with celebration and gifts for the baby. First, Tom's parents threw us a shower in Wisconsin where many of his relatives and friends from the church he grew up in were able to come to. My parents also came for it so that was fun to have all four of the grandparents-to-be together! Tom's favorite gift from that shower had to be the Packers onesie and matching Packers stocking cap we got. I'm sure Baby G will get lots of use wearing it this football season! Here's a photo of the Denisons and Getchius's at the shower:

Then in the middle of the week Tom's coworkers threw a shower for the both of us. It was very sweet that they invited me along too. We played a game there where we had to guess the costs for a bunch of typical baby items--diapers, bottles, nooks, formula, etc. We're still newbies at buying for most baby items so it was a good reality check to get an idea of how much each of them cost. For some we overbid, others we under bid, so it was educational. Tom's boss's wife knit a blanket for us, so we've definitely gotten lots of really thoughtful gifts from these showers! With the three showers in a row the nursery has really come together. Really the only other things we need are a rocking chair and a changing pad to change his diapers on, then the room will basically be complete. Yay!

This week we also had a prenatal appointment with our nurse practitioner. Baby G is measuring right on target. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but up to week 36 they measure the height of your uterus in your stomach and for every week it measures 1 centimeter. So this week it's 33 centimeters high. I guess after week 36 a lot of babies start to drop lower so it's less accurate after that. But regardless, I think it's pretty neat that the measurements work like that. We also learned this week that at my doctor's office the latest they let women go overdue is 1 full week overdue. So it's nice to know that the longest I'll be pregnant is a full 41 weeks-whew!

As for baby, this week he has maxed out the amount of amniotic fluid that there will be till his due date. With this, his kicks and punches feel a bit more pronounced--and that's true! Also pretty neat: I'm passing antibodies to him to help build his immune system.

This week I was hit with significantly worsening back pain. This is really frustrating for many reasons as I really like to be active and it's been difficult not feeling up to moving around as much. Tom has been a trooper giving me extra back rubs and our heating pad has been getting a lot of use too. I've also been doing more of my workouts in the pool at the gym we go to which helps to take some of the pressure off. An old coworker of mine recommended a place for pregnancy massages that I'm going to check out next week. They evidentally have tables that allow you to be able to lay on your stomach so I'm really looking forward to that.

Finally, here's week 33's baby bump:

Week 32: 4 Pounds!

Baby G has now (most likely based on averages) crossed into the 4 pound mark and is approximately 19 inches long! As more fat collects Baby G is looking less transparent and more opaque. That's good, because a see-through baby might be a little alarming :) It's crazy to think he's approaching actual full term baby size. It makes it seem all the more real and makes me all the more excited for his arrival!

This week was a fabulous week. We had our first baby shower thrown by my wonderful girlfriends. We call each other the WOWZAs which stands for Women of Wild Zany Adventures. We get a kick out of referring to ourselves using this acronym and we even refer to the husbands of the WOWZA women as the MANZAs. Our group started with friends from college and has grown to expand some additional friends we've met and gotten close to since college. We get together as much as we can since we all live spread out over the midwest, but manage to be able to make time for get-togethers every couple of months. I love them each dearly and they did one heck of a job on throwing a fabulous shower. The shower included craft time where we all decorated one-sies with iron on sayings and pictures. They turned out just darling. Then we played a baby shower themed version of the game Cranium which was also a riot. I was overwhelmed by the amazing gifts Baby G got at the shower and I must say I'm feeling much more prepared now for his arrival. We got tons of adorable baby outfits, blankets, bath items, items for his car rides, you name it! Thank you to each of you who came, it meant a lot to me! Here are some pictures from the shower:

First, me and the grandmothers-to-be:
Me with the WOWZAs!
All of the lovely women at the shower (minus Sue, Kate, and Katy)
The super fun one-sie craft!
Showing off the name tag they made for the baby entitled, "Baby G fetus":
Also this week we began our first child birth class. It's a 3 week series put on by the same organization that we went to for our Breastfeeding class a couple weeks ago. The class is really informative and it's just really nice to be around couples who are all due around when we are. It's also nice to learn more about when to go to the hospital. Everyone in the class is delivering at Methodist Hospital and they taught us the 5-1-1 guideline. Basically when my contractions are every 5 minutes apart, last for 1 minute, and this pattern lasts for 1 hour is when we should go to the hospital. There are obviously other reasons why you'd want to go to the hospital but this is the main guideline they have us follow. For some reason I always felt like you went to the hospital the second contractions start, but I was obviously wrong!

Last but not least is week 32's baby belly pic:

Week 31: Big Brain Growth!

Week 31 brings some important growth: more growth with regards to the connections in little Baby G's brain! He's now able to use all 5 of his senses, including being able to track light and process information he hears from the outside of the womb. He's also having longer stretches of sleep (hopefully learning this technique quickly to help us after his birth!!) and I have noticed there are more defined patterns of his movement and his resting periods. In terms of his size, he is a little over 18 inches long and over 3 pounds, with a projected 3-5 more pounds to gain till his B-day (birth day :) ).

As for the mom-to-be, I'm noticing things getting a bit more cramped as far as room in the belly goes. When I work out I notice that there's less space to take real deep breaths but I will say I've been dedicated to working out regularly which has really helped me feel like my muscles are staying loose. The other not so fun symptom lately has been major leg cramps, though. For some reason they always strike in the middle of the night and cause stabbing pain in my calves and hamstrings. Poor Tom must think I'm being attacked since I wake up a little less than quiet from the pain!

I'm feeling both a mixture of great anticipation and excitement to meet our little guy and also a big amount of anxiety about not feeling ready yet. I can't wait to see if he has hair on his head, what his personality and temperament is like, and of course lots of cuddling to do. But I haven't packed my hospital bag, we have no diapers, we have no car seat, etc. So luckily nothing thus far has shown any indication that he's going to come early so that gives us plenty of time to "nest" and prepare for his arrival! I know it'll all get done but anyone who knows me knows that I love to prepare things WAY in advance, so I'm working on balancing that with reality.

Below you'll see the last 3 weeks belly pics. Thanks for following along with the blog everyone!

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:

Week 25

This week bring some important developments in baby growth land. He's now 9 inches in length and has surpassed the pound and a half mark! He has capillaries forming beneath his skin and air sacs in his lungs developing. Also his nostrils which have been plugged up until this point, are starting to open. And last but not least, his vocal chords are developing in preparation for lovely crying.

This week also marked my 27th birthday! I got some baby items for gifts which thrilled me! Below you'll see our cute diaper bag and my parents got us a pack 'n play which will definitely come in handy. The pack 'n play even comes with a changing table and infant napper so we plan to keep that handy in our basement for when we're hanging out watching TV downstairs and don't want to go upstairs to change him. And it'll also come in handy when we bring him to our parents' homes.

We've also been in process of planning our first vacation as a family of three. Tom has an annual work meeting every year and in April 2011 it so happens to be in Hawaii! Well you can believe I wasn't going to let an opportunity for a vacation there pass me up. So we're using frequent flier miles (one of the perks of Tom traveling a lot) and "purchased" 2 tickets for me and Baby G to fly there for a week's vacation after Tom's work trip is over. It's a great deal because it only cost us $10 to book the tickets using frequent flier miles and Tom's tickets are paid for my his company. So low cost Hawaiian adventure here we come! The long trip in a plane will definitely be a challenge with a baby, but it'll be really fun to have baby's first trip to Hawaii!

This week we also had another prenatal appointment. They drew blood to check my glucose level to see if I've developed gestational diabetes and if I'm anemic (routine tests at this point in pregnancy) so I'll soon find out the results of those tests. I've been really fatigued lately so my doctor did advise me to up my iron-intake since they suspect I may be slightly anemic. We also scheduled the rest of our prenatal appointments right up through the day before our due date. That was crazy to do because it makes it feel like it's coming so soon! But at the same time these days it also feels a long way away. As I get bigger normal easy things become more challenging, so I know there will be many days I hope the due date comes quicker. But in the mean time it gives us a lot of time to prepare everything we'll want ready before he comes!

Week 24 and 25's belly pics:

Week 24: A White Haired Baby

That's right, it might sound weird, but Baby G's hair is white at this point because there's no pigment in the hair yet. On a less odd note, he's 8 1/2 inches long and a pound and a half in weight (approximately). He's now growing 6 ounces per week and that weight includes baby fat, organs, bones, and muscle. His facial features are also developing into what I know will be an adorable face...not that I'm biased or anything :) For the past 2 weeks I've been enjoying one of the most exciting parts of pregnancy....feeling the baby kick! I hadn't felt it for a long time which didn't surprise my doctor for a few reasons. One, with first pregnancies it can take awhile to feel the kicks. And two, the placenta has grown in front of the baby so acts as a cushion to his kicks which makes them less noticeable. But I sure do notice them now, especially when I'm sitting still. Tom has tried to feel them and they don't seem to be strong enough yet for him to feel them, but I'm sure that won't last long. I'll be adding the baby bump picture tomorrow probably but wanted to post an update in the meantime. Enjoy!

Week 23: We're all outta fruit!

Hi everyone,
Baby Boy G has now graduated and is past the size of most fruit. So now he's just teen-baby size :)

Today we had another ultrasound of our little guy as at our last ultrasound they didn't get good pictures of his spinal chord. But this time he'd developed a bunch more and was looking cute as ever! The trend continues with everyone telling us that he's REALLY active. He was constantly moving around during the ultrasound. And I promise, I don't drink any caffeine, so he must be naturally high energy! Another really neat thing during the ultrasound....we could actually see him drinking fluid which was quite amazing. And his heart beat was beating nice and strong at 146 beats a minute. Also this week (though not something we could see on the ultrasound) the baby's organs and bones are visible through his skin, which has a red hue due to developing veins and arteries beneath.

Today we also got a delivery of our nursery bedding (see photos below) and we love it! The frog theme fits right into the room. I'm still going to paint a frog on one of the tree limbs of my mural (probably with it trying to eat a dragonfly) to complete the theme.

We don't have a mattress yet so for now I just laid the fitted sheet in there to show the cute polka dot pattern.

Week 22: Almost human size!

Sorry this post is coming late. As luck would have it, I got hit with a crappy cold which delayed blogging time. I'm pretty amazed that I made it through the entire winter without getting a cold, so I'm surprised and bummed to be getting sick now. But I went to the doctor and they think it's just a virus and possibly a sinus infection. Luckily I got both the flu and H1N1 vaccines, so they don't think it's either of those. With being pregnant, though, the only real safe medication I can take is Tylenol so that's really limited me in medications to help me feel better. Even cough drops aren't tested for baby safety, so that's a bummer too.

On a happier note, this week Baby Boy G is the size of a doll! Also he weighs a whole pound and is 8 inches long! He can also perceive light and dark, hear voices from outside the womb, hear my heartbeat, my stomach noises, and even my blood circulating.

During this past week we also had 2 exciting baby shopping trips. The first was to my church's garage sale. They have a HUGE sale every year and this was the first year I went. With my church having a lot of little kids I knew it would be a great place to find some deals. I walked away with 10 baby outfits, some baby books, a little baby piano (which Tom is excited to play with too!), and a couple other toys---for just over $20! Also my friends Becky and Jeromy helped us score our 2nd great deal. Their neighbors were planning to sell a lot of their baby items since they're baby boy is now over a year old. So we got to go over to their house for a pre-sale. We got 18 outfits and a baby swing--for only $25! I'm so excited about the good deals we found. It's been really fun slowly adding things to the nursery and seeing it come together. I'm also anxiously awaiting getting our baby bedding in the mail. I ordered it this past week and can't wait to put it in the room. We went with a frog theme with blues and green colors since it works with our room decor so far. I'll post pictures once we get it all in.

Lastly, here's week 22's baby bump pic:

Week 21: Baby Banana!

Baby boy G is now the size of a large banana! The super neato fun fact of the week: our little guy can now taste what I'm eating. He's now swallowing some amniotic fluid, which he does both for nutrition, hydration, and to practice digesting. I wonder if he'll love chocolate as much as me! Or maybe he'll be a steak guy like his daddy. I'm still not sure I've felt his little kicks yet, but once they become obvious I'll likely figure out that I was feeling kicks all along.

This week I definitely feel pregnant and notice the belly a lot more than usual. I tried trimming my toe nails and realized it was significantly more difficult to stretch to touch my toes with the belly in the way. Of course, that will only get harder from here on out! I've also noticed this week in particular my appetite getting much more large. No matter how much I eat I never really seem full. Luckily, I've been doing really well at eating healthy overall. Baby G must love fruit because I can't seem to eat enough of it! The other fun thing is that my hair has been getting a lot thicker lately. Evidently after you give birth your hair tends to get thinner but I am enjoying the more luscious locks for now :)

Today we had another prenatal appointment with my doctor. We got to hear the baby's heartbeat, beating strong at 140 beats a minute! The doctor said that he's "crazy active" in her words, moving all over. She said this is a great thing, meaning that he's getting plenty of nutrition, fluid, and oxygen!

I also have to give props to my wonderful, fabulous husband this week who has had me schedule an hour long prenatal massage this weekend as a Mother's (to be) Day present to me--lucky me! I can't wait for some relaxation and relief from some of the back pain that's been creeping in.

We hope each of you are enjoying the spring time weather! And here's week 21's belly pic:

Week 20-Half Way There!

Time is flying! I think both Tom and I are in disbelief that our journey to parenthood is already half over. Not to say I won't reach a point where I wish it hurries even more so we can meet our little man!

This week our little guy weighs 10 ounces and is 6 1/2 inches long--the size of a small cantaloupe! Next week we have another prenatal appointment so I'm excited to hear his racing little heartbeat again. This week I also thought I may have felt the first kick, but that was 2 days ago and I haven't felt anything since, so really, I'm not sure if it was a kick or not. I am excited when I can know for sure it's a kick and get to experience that.

Over the weekend Tom and I started working on a baby registry and whew do babies need a lot of things! I thought doing our wedding registry was daunting a few years ago, but that was nothing compared to thinking of all the little things we may want/need for Baby G. Luckily, we've gotten some great tips from fellow parents about things like car seats and strollers so we have an idea of what others have liked and have good safety ratings.

Here is a pic of some adorable gifts we got from friends at church-the Porters (thank you Porters!). Our favorite block on the alphabet blocks was the Y-for "Yak"-hee hee. The one-sie a puppy dog costume and Marty got really excited seeing it, thinking he had a new friend to play with :)
I think that about wraps up this week. Thanks for following our pregnancy path these past 20 weeks and we look forward to sharing the next 20 with you all!

Week 20's baby bump (by the way I really don't wear this much black but for picture continuity I'm trying for all black shirts):

Week 19-Tomato Baby!

Hi everyone!
Sorry this week's post came a little later than usual. Tom has been on a work trip in Toronto, Canada all week so I've been a single dog-mom this week, and thus busier than normal. But Tom gets home tonight so yay for that!

As the title of this week's post implies, our baby boy is now the size of a "large heirloom tomato" according to www.babycenter.com, about 6 inches in length, and weighing 8 1/2 ounces. Growing, growing, growing! And so is my belly. I've been experiencing a lot of little pains from the stretching, which is totally normal, but a weird sensation. I described it to Tom as the feeling that someone is pushing your belly out from the inside, and well, I guess that's pretty accurate. I haven't felt any kicks yet, but that's not too surprising either. When we had our ultrasound last week they said the placenta is growing in front of the baby, so basically it's in between my belly and the baby. With this, the kicks can be less noticeable. But they said within the next 2-3 weeks I should start feeling them. Can't wait!

This week our little one's brain is sprouting special areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch-all of the senses. So the super amazing thing that this means is that the baby can likely hear us now! So I'm sure Tom will soon start making up goofy songs (his specialty) to sing to the baby :) Our baby boy is also growing hair now! I wonder if it's already curly?! Also, something I found interesting is that he's covered in vernix caseosa (a waxy protective coating) which prevents him from PICKLING in the amniotic fluid. Weird huh?!

Oh, one other thing to note. This past weekend I decided to start work on a mural I had planned for the nursery. I'm trying to make the room feel like springtime, hence the light green color. So last weekend I painted a big huge tree mural. After 7 LONG LONG hours on my feet, I finished it! I painted all of the 110 leaves on the tree with a brush literally less than 1 centimeter wide (which was the only way to get them precise), so you can see why it took so long. But I love the results and hope you do too! I'm still going to add something else to the tree, either an animal on a limb, or something else to be decided.


And lastly, weeks 18 and 19's belly pics (since I didn't get around to posting 18's last week):
Week 18:
Week 19: