33 Weeks

For everyone that's been asking how big I've gotten now, here's a picture from today to show you. I'm starting to feel a bit huge and I know, with 7 weeks to go, that's only going to get worse. But anyway, here I am ... be kind with any comments please!

Justin's been joking he's going to paint two dots above my belly button and call me a bowling ball, which I don't find particularly funny but he seems to think it is. I'm just thankful I don't have any stretch marks yet so hoping it stays that way!

Also, here's the weekly update from baby-gaga.com in case you're wondering what week 33 is like for Brianna.

For all the weight and bulk you’re lugging around these days, you’d think your little champ should weigh much more than a mere 5 lbs and measly 17 inches in height, but nope, that’s about the average size for a baby in its thirty-third week. In terms of appearances, they’re getting cuter and pudgier every minute as they pile on the baby fat for those adorable little wrist rolls and chubby toes. And as we’re sure you’ve already noticed they’re getting stronger with every passing day. Nowadays, it’s possible to observe a well-placed kick just by watching your belly—but you already knew that didn’t you? Although they’re getting stronger, your bigger-by-the-day baby is losing space to move around, so the actual rate of movement will drop off in the last few weeks, despite that powerful drop-kick they’ve been working on.

The only change from last week is the return of my dear friend Heartburn. If the old wives tale is true that the more severe the heartburn, the more hair baby has when born, she's predicted to have a lot of hair at the rate I'm going right now. The only way I can fall asleep is propped up on a couple pillows and I still wake up in the middle of the night & grab the bottle of Tums that now sits by the bed. This is one pregnany joy I won't miss after she's born!

Later -
Lucretia

Week 32 Appt. Update

Yesterday was our week 32 appointment and everything's progessing normally and on schedule still. Mom and Brianna are both healthy, gaining weight and getting ready for the big day. Its hard to believe that we're in the single digits now in our countdown to her arrival with just over 7 weeks to go. She's definately head down and ready to go though, which means her little feet have found my ribs ... she seems to think that's a lot of fun. Here's the week 32 update from babycenter.com for those that want to know how Brianna's growing:

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds 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.

Today's a pretty active day for her. I find myself sitting at work, watching the various ways she makes my belly move and wondering just how much farther my skin can give when she decides to stretch her legs out. My mom informed me last night I was much the same way as a baby so I guess I'm getting what I deserve in some respect. She was kind enough to remind me that paybacks are hell ... thanks Mom!

Justin's putting the final touches on the nursery this week since the furniture's being delivered next week. Once its all set up, we'll take more pictures so everyone can see the final nursery. I'm excited to have it all together and waiting for her. In the meantime, we're making lists of what to take to the hospital, washing up all her clothes, blankets and bedding, continuing our classes and enjoying our last few weeks together before life changes.

Week 32 Update

Its been awhile since I've posted any updates so thought I'd take a moment and do so. We're now at the start of Week 32 and there's a few new words and concepts that have entered my vocabulary recently.

1) Braxton Hicks: Yep, there's been a few times I've stopped in the middle of doing something to feel this strange tightening sensation that everyone assures me is Braxton Hicks. Since there's nothing else to go along with it, I've also been assured that its normal and everything's fine. It does freak me out a bit because it reminds me of what's coming in about 8 weeks and I'm not ready to think to much about that.

2) Baby Hiccups: She doesn't get them every day, or if she does, I don't feel them but when she does, you can tell. She had them the other night during dinner and Justin could see her little head, or I assume it was her head, making my belly move with every one. They must be uncomfortable for her because she starts squirming around & doesn't quit until they go away.

3) Insomnia: Okay, I've had this before when I wasn't pregnant and it wasn't fun then. Its even less fun now since all I can do is lay there, be uncomfortable, listen to the dog snore and think of all kinds of things that only cross your mind when its 3:00 am. Other than the couple nights a week when this happens, I sleep though the night unless something (aka the cat or dog) wakes me up. Then, its a battle to waddle my way to the bathroom and back, get comfortable again and try to fall back asleep.

We started our prenatal classes last Thursday and part of the class included a tour of the hospital. We're delivering at Dallas Medical City and I have to say, I was happy to see that all the labor & delivery rooms, as well as post partum rooms, were private. I really wasn't too excited about the thought of sharing a room with another new mom. Justin got his fill of the whole labor & delivery process during the class, which I think was more than he was bargining for as he appeared to tune out half way through. Can't say that I really blame him ...

Next week is Baby Care ... I'm hoping for some funny stories out of that class to share with you all!

Later-
Lucretia

Baby Shower & Nursery Updates

First, thank you to everyone that was able to attend the shower this weekend. I had a a great time and felt so blessed to have such amazing family and friends to share this experience with. A special thank you to my hostesses (Robyn, Ashley, Angela & Jen) for going above and beyond what I had expected to make this day special. The slideshow on the left of the page has been updated with some pictures from the day for those of you that were unable to make it.

Justin and I decided that we would announce her name at the baby shower so I guess its time to make it known to everyone that's been keeping up with us via the blog as well. We've chosen Brianna Blakely. Blakely is in honor of Justin's best friend, Blake, and my sister, Ashley. Both are very special to us and we're delighted to honor them in this way.

Work on the nursery continued this weekend with Justin and Ashley spending many hours painting bumblebees on the walls. I've included some pictures below of the progress. When its all done, we'll have a border of circles around the top of the room and all the bumblebees will have their dot paths behind them. We'll also have black & white check curtains on the window to match the bedding. I personally think its the most adorable nursery I've ever seen, but then I freely admit that I'm a bit biased!

I think that's all the updates for today! Brianna and I will be seeing the doctor again this week so if she does anything funny again, I'll share it with you.

Love you all,

Lucretia

Nursery Progress to Date

We finally got the basics of the nursery done last night! The walls are now painted and the wallpaper border's up. We had so much fun last night finishing up BB's nursery and wanted to share a couple pictures of what it looks like at this point. The next step is to do all the detail painting on the walls and of course, have the furniture delivered. We're painting bumblebees, vines and a scripture on the walls this coming weekend after the baby shower. Here's what it looks like now and I'll post pictures of the progress next week.

The scripture we've chosen is Psalms 139:14, which is one of my personal favorites. The verse is as follows:

I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my souls knows it very well.

Love you all,

Lucretia

Ugh ... the 3-Hour Test

Okay, so I failed the 1-hour glucose test last week and now have to go through the 3-hour version. Its scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday) morning so we'll see how it goes. Here's hoping and praying that I pass it!

As for the rest of last week's prenatal appointment, all is well. The drink really wasn't that bad at all, much better than I expected it to be. Baby Nesbitt gave our OB nurse, Holly, quite the giggle. Every time Holly placed the fetal dopplar on my belly to get a heartbeat, she'd kick it. The first time, I thought maybe it was just coincendence but after the fourth time of her kicking the monitor as soon as Holly tried to get a heartbeat, we were both in stitches, which didn't help. Apparently, she didn't like something about the whole experience!

Let's see, what else. I've gained 16 pounds to date so pretty happy with that. Everything else is right on track and I'll now be seeing my doctor every two weeks. I'm not sure when we'll have a sonogram again, but can't wait to see what our little one looks like. She's strong enough now that pretty much every kick or movement makes my tummy move as well, which has the tendency to freak out a few of my non-parent male co-workers when they see it happen unexpectedly! The look on their faces is priceless!

I think that's about it for now. I'll post some pictures from the shower and a nursery update next week.

Love you all,
Lucretia

Bye Bye Toes!

So, we're at 27 weeks and 5 days now ... that means there's roughly 87 days left till our due date. That's also only 44 days of work, not counting time off for vacation (yeah!). I have one more business trip scheduled and then I won't set foot on an airplane again until May 2009. That also means no more hotel stays or hauling luggage thru an airport security line and most importantly, no more trips to the cold north called Minneapolis until this time next year.

What this does mean is baby showers, nursery decorating, nesting, shopping for that perfect "coming home" outfit and the fact that I can't see a thing past the top of my belly ... Not even my belly button, much less my toes!

Can you tell I'm getting excited about the prospect of Bubbles' arrival yet? And for all of you that have been asking what I look like now, here's a picture to show you just what I mean.

All is well with me and except for the normal pregnancy aches, pains and general stuff, I still feel really good. Sleeping, or not sleeping actually, is starting to get a bit more frequent. Of course, it doesn't help that the dog, cat and Justin seem to think I'm the only heater in the house. If it gets the least bit chilly, it doesn't take long for one or two of them to decide they need to cuddle up with me. Cleo (the cat) has decided that kneading her paws on my side is her new favorite game. She'll knead her paws for a few seconds, then stop while the baby pushes back, then start up again. Neither one seems to care that I'm caught in the middle of their little game.

Work on the nursery will be starting soon now that the bedding has arrived. My sister, Ashley, has gratiously offered her design and artistic services to create a unique nursery for her niece. Once she's completed the work, I'll be sure to post a few pictures of it. I'm sure that it will turn out better than I could even imagine.

Let's see ... next Monday is the dreaded 1-hour glucose test and I'm really hoping I don't fail it as I have no desire to subject myself to the 3-hour version. I've heard all about how nasty the sugar drink is so once I've had the pleasure of the experience, I'll weigh in on if its as bad as I've been told. I'm also not too thrilled about getting up on the scale. I feel as if I've ballooned in the last week, despite my best efforts to exercise and eat healthy. If the look on Justin's face when I got home from the airport last night is anything to go by, it could be interesting. Being the good husband that he is though, he quickly gave me a huge hug and told me I looked beautiful. That, combined with a crazy boxer bouncing all over the house and making me laugh, successfully averted a melt-down.

That's it for now. I'll let everyone know how the doctor's visit goes next week. Wish me luck!

Love you all,

Lucretia