(Almost) 28th Week Check Up

On Monday I visited Dr. Grant for a standard check up.  It had been nearly a month since the last visit, but he advised coming in weekly through the duration of the pregnancy.

The first stop at our appointment was in the ultrasound room.  Dan and Daniel came, too.  We watched the scan of our baby, and Daniel laughed and laughed at my exposed belly.  He distracted us a bit from watching her on the screen, but we did get to see her enough.  She was very active and is head down, face out, legs and arms everywhere! 

Structurally, she is fine.  There is the correct amount of fluid in her stomach and bladder, which means she is ingesting the amniotic fluid as is normal.  She also did lots of lung and diaphram movements they call practice breathing, which indicates she is a bit more developed than Daniel was at this age and stage.

The next appointment is February 2, and I'll be having the blood work for gestational diabetes and a nonstress test to monitor the baby's heart rate and measure my contractions. 

Not Yet, Please.

Dear little girl (or dear my tired, painful abdomen),

Its not time yet.  Its not time for the labor and delivery process at only 7 months gestation.  We could be actually organized for you in two or three weeks... but that is pushing it.

So these painful contractions need to stop.  And daughter, you need to stop pounding your fists and kicking your legs at me all the time.  Sorry if you are cramped... I think you will feel cramped your whole life as a younger child that has to share many things.

Here are some more reasons why its NOT TIME YET.

We don't have any clothes for you yet, so you should really stay inside where your nakedness is an advantage.  

Also, you are nameless, still.  You'll just get some generic name that we randomly pick, like Lucy or Betty or something, because we are so surprised to meet you so soon.

Your brother hasn't learned how to be gentle when touching others' eyes or other facial features.  If you come out soon, you'll get his finger up your nostril all time time... and I promise you that is not fun.

Also, I think you'd prefer a warm spring day for your birth, rather than this chilly weather.  Its snowy, girl! It will snow several more times this month!  Just avoid that, okay?

Last reason... if you time it just right... you and I can laze around in the hospital watching THE WEDDING of Kate and William and we won't be bothered by your dad or brother wanting to do other things.  We can oogle Kate's dress and start your love affair with large scale parties and party planning at an early age.  We can't do this if you don't wait until the end of April.

Love,

Your mama 

Growth Spurt

Its 27 weeks, but I feel like the last three have been two months worth of growing.  I'm as hungry as a middle school boy.  I've been trying to be healthy with my caloric needs, but its been tough.  I've been involved with some Doritos chips and have had a hankering for straight hot fudge, not sundae necessary.

The way my abdomen is expanding and the increased baby movements make me think she has tripled in weight this week.

Which means I have three times as hard of a time getting up from sitting on the floor or out of bed.

More Preparations for YOU.

Today we got the following purple diapers in the mail:  

 I hope you will like purple, baby.  It is one of my favorite colors and it was my favorite color when I was a child.

Here is a photo of your brother pointing to your diapers.  I don't think you will have to share with him, because he is too large for them.

I have prepared a list of things we need for your arrival, and honestly, we are very prepared.  Most of the wonderful newborn accessories we bought for Daniel right away, and I admit to doing quite a bit of online shopping in the months prior to and following his birth.

So I think we are mentally preparing for you.  Getting so excited for and about you.  We don't need many THINGS.... just a baby!

Fetal Kick Count - Record Breaker!

Part of my prenatal care advice has been to keep record of how the baby moves each day.  I did this for Daniel's pregnancy, too.  The idea is that the baby should be moving at least four times per hour, and that I keep track of two times per day of these movements.  I am supposed to try to observe morning and evening and if I don't notice movements, I need to go to a quiet place, relax, and lie down to observe more closely.

This baby has been a record breaker for movements this weekend.  At times I have felt four movements in two seconds.  Other times, the movements are a few seconds apart, but they last for several minutes.

This baby is so active that I wonder if she has a hard time being settled and getting comfortable, much like I do when I go to sleep every night.  It takes me a long time to get comfortable, too, whereas Dan can basically fall asleep in the same spot he sat down to read in and barely move a muscle.

I also notice all movements below my belly button, and thus I know the baby is still in a breech position.  On very rare occasions, I can tell the baby is moving more vertically, but it doesn't last long!  I am a little relieved that I won't have trouble with bruised ribs or ribs out of place as I did with Daniel starting at about this time, but I think I'll have more stretch marks this time.  I also notice I have to use the bathroom with much more frequency, even if it is just an ounce or so because she's karate chopping my urinary bladder!

Things That Belong To You Three Months Before Your Expected Arrival.

I have not collected as many things as I had hoped so far, but do know that I am mentally planning crib bedding, a detailed shopping list for yard sales, and a few more other special purchases for you.

You have a drawer in the nursery dedicated to you and all the things I have for you are stored there.  I spread them out to look at them this week, and I got even more excited about you.

There are six diapers for you in pink and purple.  You will wear several of the ones your brother wore, but these are special for you.  I was excited to get them for you and actually, I am excited to do diapering for you because these are two of my favorite colors. I much prefer them to the bright blues we've used for Daniel.

I bought the little striped shirt a few years ago.  Its so sweet.  It reminds me of sherbet flavors and My Little Pony.  

These shirts are three month size and are from your Aunt Rachie. I love them.  You will not often wear words because these days, babies wear really obnoxious sayings, but these two sayings are appropriate and very sweet.  Sorry, you can't wear shirts that say Lil Diva or Drama Queen.  

I won these leggings in an online drawing, and they are so sweet.  If you have chubby legs, they will be precious.  Your brother did not have chubby legs, and they looked precious anyway with body suits.  I think you will be wearing a lot of leggings.  They are awesome.

This is the dress I have from my birth.  You might not wear it right away, or it might be a keepsake.  Either way, I think it is lovely.

The quilt in the backdrop is made by a friend named Emily.  I bought it in the summer of 2009, even though then I was pregnant with a boy.  I thought it was so beautiful.  It is my gift to you before I even knew about you.

Christmas Gift from Aunt Rachie

Here are two of your presents from Christmas.  My youngest sister Rachel bought them for you.  I opened them, thinking the label "For a Sweet Little Girl" referred to me.  Oops.  I guess I am a Sweet Lady, not girl!

A Sweet Gift for You

My father, your Grandpa Douglas, gave this to me to give to you this Christmas season.  He addressed it jokingly to Martha Rose, which is sort of a joke name for you at my parents' home. 

The story is that my parents did not know which gender of baby they were having when I was born.  Ultrasounds were very poor in those days, and my mom did not have very many at all.  They had a girls' name selected (Bethany Lynn) and a boys name chosen (Elijah Robert), and while my mother really hoped for a girl since she did not care for the boy name, she did not pack any pink clothes for me to wear.  My father went to a local shop and bought this dress for me while I was still in the hospital.  Therefore, it is my first piece of real clothing!  And you can wear it, too.

 My mom told me that she has kept it safe and secure for 28 years now... safe from her daughters using it as a dress for baby dolls and safe from garage sales and aging.  It has been moved from at least four houses and is now in the drawer I have designated for your things.

Don't worry, it is not "so out of fashion" even though it is now 2011, not 1982.  It is still very classy looking, and the while with smocking is adorable.  If you are dressed it in, people will not notice that you are wearing an antique.  I may tell them because I think it is special, but really, it looks like a gown from a modern boutique.