Week 30: Baby’s the length of a cucumber!

We’ve kept ourselves mighty busy this week, most notably with our babymoon to Sonoma County over the weekend!  But baby’s been making a point of not letting us get too distracted and has made her presence known very well.  In addition to being woken up in the middle of the night to use the restroom and to stretch out my legs due to crazy muscle cramps, I found myself woken up on Monday night by what I believe was my first case of Braxton Hicks contractions!  It felt a lot like menstrual cramps which I’ve been told is common and once I changed positions it stopped so I’m fairly certain that’s what I was experiencing.  It gets me excited thinking about how my body is beginning to prepare for the big day!

She’s also been making her presence known quite well with the frequent case of hiccups she’s been getting!  It’s just a slight movement I feel every few seconds that continues for a couple of minutes so I’m pretty sure that’s what she’s doing in there.  Kevin was actually able to feel the hiccups which was really cool.  And I think she’s gotten herself into the correct position (head down at least) because when she’s got the hiccups I feel the movements in my lower right abdomen.

We had our prenatal appointment last Thursday and things are looking just fine.  We heard her heartbeat again and this time it sounded something like a tiny dog barking!  I guess she’s going to take after her big sister Lola after all, hahah.  I asked our OB/GYN about the rib pain I mentioned in last week’s blog post and she said that it shouldn’t be anything to concern myself about but then over the weekend it started to feel a little worse.  I called the appointment center to make an appointment later this week but the nurse on-call advised that I see a doctor right away and I was seen that afternoon instead (Tuesday).  The doctor is fairly certain it’s not actually my ribs (good news) but he’s not sure what the issue is, although he thinks it might be an inflamed muscle.  He called the perinatologist on duty who advised that I take Motrin (ibuprofen) every 8 hours for two days to see if the pain/inflammation goes away.  And if that doesn’t work then he advised that I go in for x-rays (to rule out a fractured rib which he really doesn’t think it is anyways).  I was in the office when the doctor I was seeing was on the phone with the perinatologist and the doctor had said twice, “Are you sure?  She’s pretty far along and I normally don’t advise ibuprofen/x-rays at this stage,” so when he got off the phone and advised that I do those two things I was hesitant and he definitely noticed that so said that it’s ultimately my decision and to do what I feel most comfortable with.  I talked with Kevin about it that night and after doing some research on the potential harm that can come from a mom taking ibuprofen during the third trimester, I decided to stick it out for a little longer to see if it clears up on its own.  The pain is only bad when I take a deep breath, cough/sneeze, or when I lay on it funny so it doesn’t interfere with the majority of my day, luckily.

In non-baby-related news…we’ve got two new roommates for the month of April!  My sis Jessie is back from her yoga teacher training in Colorado and she and her little boy (Mars, my nephew the kitty!) are staying with us for the month.  Mars and Lola have been doing really well together and we’re pretty confident that they’ll be best of friends by the time they leave.  Also, this week the school I’m student teaching at is on spring break so I’ve gotten a nice little break from my crazy teaching/work schedule.  I’m trying to use this time wisely, though, to plan ahead as much as possible because starting next week and for the next 5 weeks I’ll be taking on a lot more responsibility for the class.  May 10 is my last day with the 7th graders and I’ll be officially done with student teaching at that point…I’m so close!  And lastly, last Friday (March 30) marked my one year anniversary of being pescatarian (think vegetarian that eats seafood)!

Belly shots!

No Lola photo bomb this week!

Other pregnancy updates

• Total weight gained so far: 7.5 pounds
• Fun baby developments this week: She’s almost 16.5 inches long and weighs around 3 pounds, her skin is getting smoother and her brain is getting more wrinkly by developing more brain tissue and taking on new functions like temperature regulation, and she’s now strong enough to grasp a finger.
• Pregnancy books we’re reading this week: I’m reading Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth and Kevin’s reading The Birth Partner Handbook
• Number of days until our first Childbirth Preparation class: One! The next two Saturdays will be spent learning as much as we possibly can about what is going to become the most eventful day of our lives!  🙂

Week 28: Baby’s the size of a Chinese cabbage!

“The size of a Chinese cabbage”??  So random…but not as random as the rutabaga that another one of those pregnancy sites says she’s as big as.  Here’s a picture of a Chinese cabbage if you’re like me and have no real clue as to how big that is…

The most fun and exciting thing we’ve done this week was the Labor & Delivery Tour at the Kaiser hospital in Oakland where we’re going to meet Sirena in just a little over two month’s time!  The tour was pretty surreal to me until we set foot into an actual delivery room…just imaging myself with Kevin and the doula/nurse/doctor there, going through all the excitement and intensity that I’m sure labor/delivery is going to be made it that much more real to me.  After having our questions answered and speaking with the tour guide (who actually taught our Early Pregnancy Class way back in October and had been a doula for many years), we are that much more confident in our decision to have Sirena in Oakland instead of trying to go to another Kaiser hospital in the Bay Area.

Luckily I was allowed to take some photos during the tour so you can pretend you were right there with us!

The hospital’s main lobby

Labor & Delivery/NICU (all on the same floor so if any serious problems were to come up she wouldn’t have to be taken too far, and of course Kevin would go right along with her).

The secured entrance/exit for the Labor & Delivery ward.  We learned that all babies have bracelets that will sound an alarm if they get too close to the door and it will immediately lock-down the entire floor and the elevators–apparently other hospitals have had issues with missing babies?!  Crazy.  Luckily Kaiser Oakland has zero history of this.

One example of the adorable mural art throughout the L & D ward–all these cute little babies popping out of flowers, so cute!

One L & D room where the magic happens!  This is actually the smallest of all of their L & D rooms.

The newborn tray all set up with an itty bitty diaper and an itty bitty hat…I couldn’t resist taking a picture of this!

We learned that it is standard protocol for the baby to be placed immediately on the mom’s chest for mom/baby bonding and I was so happy to hear that.  We also learned that Kaiser expects parents to submit a birth plan (something we were already planning on doing, we were surprised that all parents were expected to do this) and it was confirmed that the docs at Kaiser Oakland stick to the birth plan as closely as possible (something we had heard and it was great to hear another confirmation of this).  It was also confirmed that, as long as Sirena doesn’t have any major health issues, she will never leave our room.  We’ll stay in the L & D room for a couple of hours after she’s born and then move on to the postpartum room for 24-48 hours for a natural birth and up to 4 days for a c-section.

The postpartum room.  Although all have two beds the tour guide says that it is extremely rare for there to be two patients sharing a room so it will most likely be private for us.  And again, Sirena will not leave our side.

The breezeway outside of the postpartum rooms to enjoy some sunshine during our stay.

The view of the Oakland hills outside of the breezeway window…not a bad view I’d say!

The white board where the nurses will keep track of our progress before sending us on our merry way home with our little bundle of joy.

Going on this tour was very exciting for us and I still can’t believe that in around 2.5 months we’re going to be parents!!

Belly shots!

She’s grown quite a bit this week!

Oh yeah, did you notice my haircut?

Thought I’d give a view of the basketball I’ve been growing these past 7 months…

Other pregnancy updates

• Total weight gained so far: 8.5 pounds
• Fun baby developments this week:  She weighs about 2.5 pounds and is around 14 inches long, her lungs are mature enough that she’d probably survive outside the womb if she was born now (let’s just hope she sits tight for the next 8-12 weeks though!), and she’s plumping up a bit, getting just a wee bit closer to that chubby little baby we’re so excited to meet.
• How I’m physically feeling:  The back pain has taken it up a notch this week and I’ve been finding it more and more difficult to stand or sit for long periods of time and even have a hard time getting up and out of chairs.  I’m really trying to focus on my deep-breathing and back exercises to make the pain more manageable.
• Number of days until Brianne & Brian come up for a visit: Two! Those two knuckleheads will be coming up for a quick weekend trip before the little miss arrives and we can’t wait!

Week 27: Baby’s the size of a cauliflower!

I still can’t believe it’s possible that there’s something the size of a freakin’ cauliflower in my belly…so crazy.

This week I’ve been working with my new student teaching placement in a 7th grade history class and so far, so good!  I think I’m getting to the point in the pregnancy where I’m getting antsy–I can’t wait to get all of the 100s of things on our to-do list checked off and I can’t wait to meet the little miss that has completely preoccupied my thoughts for the past 7 months–so on my second day in the 7th grade class I found myself counting down to the end (May 10th).  The minute I realized what I was doing I knew that it wasn’t a good sign for the next two months in the classroom!  So I had to change my thinking and I’ve been working on enjoying each and every day I’m in this new placement instead of just counting down to the end.  Today I ran the entire 2.5 hour period and it went pretty well–I made a few kids laugh and no one got hurt so I’d say it was a pretty successful day!

I received some not-so-exciting news from the doctor’s office this week: the results of my 3 hour glucose screening came in and although I do not have gestational diabetes I do have glucose intolerance which is a precursor to gestational diabetes.  As a result I have to set up an appointment with a dietician and monitor my sugar intake and my exercise for the duration of the pregnancy.  At first I was pretty bummed about it–I thought I was eating really healthy and exercising a moderate amount but now that I’ve had a few days to digest this news I’m seeing it in a more positive light.  This is a way for me to be more conscious of the decisions I make that directly impact Sirena and her well-being and for that reason I’m totally on-board!  🙂

Yesterday Kevin and I attended Kaiser’s Late Pregnancy Class in Richmond and we learned a ton!  Being in that class reinforced how much I don’t know about childbirth and I am excited to learn a ton more about the process so that I’m as informed and as prepared as possible when the day comes.

We’ve got the hospital tour scheduled for this Saturday morning and we are really looking forward to that!

Last but not least we made another great purchase from Craigslist this week: an Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper!  I’ve done a lot of research on what the best sleeping arrangement is for newborns and what we feel the most comfortable with is co-sleeping for the first few months or so.  It’s important to not confuse co-sleeping with bed-sharing because they’re completely different: co-sleeping is when baby has her own sleeping area but is next to mom during the night.  Here is a great site that addresses the benefits of co-sleeping and here’s the model that we got (used, so we saved a ton of money!)  The best part about it is that it converts to a playard once we’re past the 5 months that she co-sleeps with us so we can utilize the purchase for a much longer time.

Belly shots!

Lola’s booty made an appearance this week…

Other pregnancy updates

• Total weight gained so far: 7 pounds
• Fun baby developments this week: She weighs about 2 pounds and is around 14.5 inches long, she’s beginning to show brain activity, she’ll take her first peek around this week while her blinking reflex begins, and she probably recognizes my voice!
• Pregnancy book I’m reading this week: The Birth Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Safe and Satisfying Birth by Dr. William Sears and Martha Sears, RN
• (Dis)comforts of pregnancy: My lower back has been hurting pretty consistently towards the end of each day so I’ve been focusing on taking more breaks from the computer, walking more, and doing some easy back exercises.  And the heartburn has hit me with a vengeance this week and I am afraid I’m becoming addicted to TUMS!  Man, it sure is painful.  But if the old wives are right and it means she’ll have a full head of hair then I’m all for sucking it up and dealing with it.  😉
• Exciting date night in the near-ish future we’ve got planned: The weekend of Kevin’s birthday (in early September) we’ll be enjoying a night on the town to hear Dave Matthews Band in concert!!  We went to their concert way back in 2004 and we rarely go see live music so we are beyond excited for this.  We’re taking volunteers to watch Sirena that night!  😉
• Days until we’re in the third trimester: One!  Tomorrow marks the start of Week 28 and we’ll officially be in the third trimester…I still cannot believe it.

Week 25: Baby’s the size of an eggplant!

This week has been extremely eventful when it comes to babies…Sirena had two future playmates born this week!

Our close friends Kim and Frank welcomed Amelia Belle into the world on Feb 23.  Kim is my first close friend that has had a baby and the birth of Amelia has really made this whole pregnancy thing so much more real for me.  When Kim announced on Facebook (where else??) that she was checking into the hospital, I was just blown away and was so anxious to know what was going on and how mama/baby were doing.  Then when I saw the first photo of Amelia I just couldn’t stop staring at her itty bitty face.  I cannot wait to meet that little (and when I say little, I mean little…she was 6 pounds!) bundle of joy who I am sure will become one of Sirena’s close friends.  Kim wrote me something really sweet and touching, she said, “I can’t WAIT for you to feel what I’m feeling now…my heart is full.”  Believe me, mama Kimmy, I can’t wait either!  🙂

And Kevin’s family friends, Shani and Loren, welcomed their baby girl Sadie into the world on Feb 28…can’t wait to meet that little cutie as well!

This is my last week student teaching with the 6th graders and although it’s bittersweet, I’m definitely looking forward to getting started on and finishing my second placement!  Luckily I have a few day’s break in between this placement and my second but next Thursday I’ll be joining a 7th grade history class at the same school site (so at least I can go check in on my 6th grade knuckleheads over the course of the rest of the semester!)

Some pretty major news for our household came about this week (and no, I’m not referring to the noisy/inconsiderate upstairs neighbors moving out, although that’s a pretty major event in and of itself)…Kevin was offered a permanent position at his work!  He along with a group of guys that was hired around the same time as him have been temporary status and he is finally getting what he deserves with better pay and benefits.  He was the first of all of the temp workers to be approached to be hired permanently and I could not be more proud of him!

My sister Jessie is also experiencing some pretty major life-changing things right now…she’s starting a month-long yoga teacher training in Colorado and will be there for the entire month of March!  I’m going to miss her a ton but I’m so happy and excited for her.  Plus she’s going to be staying with us in April so I’m sure we will more than make up for lost time!

And last but not least…Kevin and I scheduled a babymoon for the end of March!  Our last trip away (other than to Long Beach) was one year ago when we went to Monterey for a night (and before that it was in 2008 when we went to Australia!) and I am so looking forward to getting out of town and spending some time with my future baby daddy before the baby arrives.  We’re going to a cute bed and breakfast up near the Russian River in Sonoma County and I cannot wait!!

Belly shots!

Take 1 (without Lola)

Take 2 (with Lola, yawning)

Other pregnancy updates

• Total weight gained: 5 pounds
  
• Fun baby developments this week: All five senses are now fully developed.  She may start sucking her thumb in utero around this time…how cute! And she most likely has a distinct sleeping and waking schedule (she is most definitely up and at ’em between 7-10 pm).
• (Dis)comforts of pregnancy: The past few weeks I’ve been experiencing some back pain that includes a pinched-nerve-feeling in my upper back (most likely from the hours of sitting at the computer for work and school) and also includes some lower back pain that travels down my rear (cute).  I’m trying to focus on taking more walking breaks during the day and doing some exercises to relieve the pain and to keep it from becoming a major issue.
• Number of classes/appointments we scheduled this week: Seven! This includes Kaiser’s Childbirth Preparation classes (two class meetings), a hospital tour, a Labor and Delivery Team visit, a Late Pregnancy class, plus a Breastfeeding class and a Newborn Care class…phew!
• Number of days until our next prenatal appointment: One! We have our next appointment tomorrow afternoon.
• Number of weeks left in the second trimester: Two!  The third trimester starts at 28 weeks…not too far off!