31 Week Update!

Only 9 more weeks till Baby Girl's due date, ohmygoodness, single digits!!!

Baby Girl's length growth is starting to slow down now.  She's still somewhere in the 15.5 to 17 inches long range, the length of a pineapple.  She is going to start gaining weight rapidly now.  She's around 3 lbs now but at this point will start gaining half a pound a week!  Since she's running out of space in there, she spends most of her time in the fetal position (that's where it gets its name from after all!) but when she does try to stretch out her limbs it stops me in my tracks because it's such a strong movement!  Haha, it's like she knows what I'm thinking, I just stopped typing to sit and watch my belly distorting all around from her movement!  Her brain and lungs are continuing to develop but everything else is pretty much done!  In my personal opinion she's a little smarty all ready so I think her brain is developing rapidly.  Just last night I was a little down because she hadn't moved as much all day.  So Hubby leaned over and said to her, "Can you please move a little bit so Mommy will feel better?"  And sure enough right then she started to move! 

As for me, I'm generally just uncomfortable.  But I have a baby crushing all of my organs, stretching out my skin and muscles, and throwing off my center of gravity so that's to be expected!  She'll also double in weight in the next 9 weeks so I'm expecting to just get more uncomfortable. But I'm so happy to be having a baby and so happy that things are progressing healthily so I can't complain too much!

I'm mentally ready for Baby Girl to be here.  I cannot wait to hold her in my arms and care for her.  But I am not prepared for her to be here yet in terms of material things. We got almost everything we need from our incredibly generous family and friends at our shower but right now it's all in a pile in the foyer. I still need to set everything up, wash all of the linens and clothes, and pack a hospital bag which requires some shopping for things I'll need at the hospital and after her birth.

The shower was amazing.  It was so nice to get to see everyone and the generosity was amazing!  I just wish I had had more time to catch up with everyone too.  It feels so wonderful to know that Baby Girl Veale will be entering the world with such a loving network of family and friends already at her fingertips!  Baby Girl's Grammy and Nana planned everything and every little detail was perfect!  I couldn't have imagined a better day!

I have to include a picture of the master packers.  I can't believe they got everything to fit into our vehicle! 

How far along? 31 weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  Up 15 lbs overall.  One pound gain from last week.

Maternity clothes?  I found a few outfits that fit well last week but spent more than I would have liked.  I am now growing out of some of the clothes I had been wearing up until this point!

Stretch marks? No.

Sleep:  A couple hours here and there.  She’s very active at night!

Best moment this week:  The Baby Shower!

Miss Anything?  I’ve really wanted a tuna melt this week.  The doctor says tuna is fine on occasion and I’d say once in 7 months is occasional, but I don’t really want to get a disapproving look from a waitress or lunch companions.  I might have to make myself one this weekend.

Movement:  Any time I’m still, from meetings to watching tv, to trying to sleep.  Sometimes she hurts me when she moves, I think just because she’s so big. But it’s neat watching my whole midsection move around as she fidgets…although it creeps Dan out!

Food cravings: I am in the mood for a tuna melt, but I don’t feel like I NEED a tuna melt so does it count as a craving?  I’m really loving taco salads too, but I wouldn’t say I’m craving them, as much as preferring them to other foods.

 Anything making you queasy or sick: More of the same; bananas, sweet potatoes, and the trash can. 

Belly Button in or out? Neither.  It’s just flat.  Bye bye belly button!  When I told Hubby “at least it’s not an outie yet” he got a really concerned look on his face and replied with “That happens???!!!  Does it ever go back?”  I think Hubby is in for a shocker for what else will be happening to my body, but I do keep assuring him that things do return to normal!

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.

Labor signs?  Nope.  I heard that flossing your teeth and staying hydrated help prevent preterm labor so I’m quite religious about that.  Now I just need work to slow down so I can work on the reducing stress thing…

Looking forward to:  Weekend guests and my Birthday dinner at Founding Farmers!  I have a fun week coming up!

30 Week Update!

I'm a little behind on my weekly updates, super busy week!  I can't believe Baby Girl's due date is less than 10 weeks away!!

This week Baby Girl is the length of a cucumber, ranging between 15.5 to 17 inches from head to toe!  She weighs in at about 3 lbs!  This week her brain is doing even more developing.  She's also starting to shed her lanugo, the fine furry hair that had been coating her body.  This was to help keep her warm but now that she's gaining body fat she no longer needs it!

This week I've experienced some new pains but they are always short lived and I'm always feeling Baby Girl move so I'm not concerned.  I've had a few instances of a sharp pain in my abdomen this week.  I'm guessing it's just from Baby Girl running out of space and kicking and squeezing all different parts of me.  Again, they aren't happening very often and they are not contractions because they don't cause hardening.  Last night I scared Hubby to death because an intense pain in my calf woke me up from a sound sleep and had me clutching my leg and grimacing in pain.  Once I communicated that I was not in labor and that it was just my leg, Hubby was able to fall back asleep.  But other than these intermittent complaints, I've been feeling great and can't really complain!

My toes are now gone!  Which is probably a good thing since I can't paint them anymore.  Now they are out of sight and out of mind!  I tried painting them this week and had to take a break between each toe.  It's painful reaching down to them!

How far along? 30 weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  Up 14 lbs overall. 1 pound up from last week.

Maternity clothes?  I actually had a successful shopping trip this week. I just wish it had happened sooner!

Stretch marks? No.

Sleep:  Oh how I miss you. 

Best moment this week: Coming to Massachusetts!  

Miss Anything?  Sleep.

Movement:  Mostly in the middle of the night.

Food cravings: I haven't been particularly hungry this week.  Pumpkin everything has been a craving but that's standard for fall!

 Anything making you queasy or sick: More of the same; bananas, sweet potatoes, and the trash can. 

Belly Button in or out? I insist it's still in, there's a little indentation.  Hubby says it's gone though.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.

Labor signs?  None yet.

Looking forward to:  Seeing everyone tomorrow!!

12 week progress!

Look at the difference between week 17 and week 29!  What a difference 12 weeks has made!  And I thought I had a bump back at 17 weeks!

Bump!

My back has been hurting so I know that I'm growing rapidly.  I didn't gain any weight this week but I've certainly gotten bigger.  I still sometimes forget.  At this week's division meeting I went to slide behind our division chief to get to the other side of the table where there were more chairs but I couldn't fit and everyone laughed, including myself.  It is rather amusing!

I also almost lifted a 50lb box of wood from the back of the SUV into a shopping cart before Hubby scolded me.  That's not as amusing. But now I'm honestly wondering if I could even lift that much any more.  My 20lb. dumbbells are getting harder to work with, my push press and squat reps have gotten much lower.

Here's the proof of my growing!  Hubby is back to being my photographer so I don't need to pose in the kitchen anymore with the self timer, but the picture's a little blurry...

I'm glad the weather is cool enough for jeans, these maternity jeans are COMFY! Now I just need to find some tops that fit to wear with them!

Our fur babies have been getting loads of attention lately.  I think Hubby and I both know they might feel a little neglected once Baby Girl comes so we are spoiling them extra to make up for it.  Luckily my brother will be living with us when she comes so we'll make sure he continues spoiling the dogs while we are busy babying the baby!

29 Week Update!!!

Baby Girl's due date is in 11 weeks!  This week she is a tad over 15 inches long (switching gears because the produce comparisons are getting confusing) the length of a loaf of bread!  She weights around two and a half pounds, so why have I gained so much more than that?  Over the next eleven weeks she will likely triple in weight, so I guess I have even more gaining to do. This last trimester, her bones are also soaking up loads of calcium, about 250 milligrams a day, so I'll have to be sure to consume extra!  It's a good thing those Pumpkin Spice lattes (decaf of course) are made with milk, and whipped cream has calcium too, right? ;-)

This week we took our hospital tour.  When we were on the labor and delivery floor there were 12 women in labor and it was surprisingly quiet.  The nurse said it's not that quiet when there are natural deliveries so I guess I won't let it lift my spirits too much.  I was very happy with the hospital.  The staff we came across were all friendly.  The labor and delivery rooms seemed spacious enough and were private.  The best part of the tour was on the way out when we heard a baby cry!  I can't wait to hear Baby Girl cry for the first time. Although I'm sure that's a sound that will get old very quickly, but for now, I'll look forward to it!

I'm still fairing pretty well.  My belly is growing rapidly and my back is feeling it.  I have very specific back pain in the upper right part of my back, in a spot only about the size of my fist and it's only while I'm sitting.  This makes driving and sitting at my desk at work two of my least favorite activities.  My appetite has increased this week too, I'm hungry all of the time!  Baby Girl must be growing like crazy!
 

How far along? 29 weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  Up 13 lbs overall.  No weight gain from last week.  That can’t be right, I’ve certainly grown since last week!!!

Maternity clothes?  Sore subject.

Stretch marks? No.

Sleep:  Oh how I miss you. 

Best moment this week:  Hearing a brand new baby cry during our hospital tour!

Miss Anything?  Really working out.

Movement:  Mostly in the middle of the night.

Food cravings: Sweet tooth still and for some reason this week I really want a fast food chain crispy chicken sandwich and French fries, but I REFUSE to give in to this one.

 Anything making you queasy or sick: More of the same; bananas, sweet potatoes, and the trash can. 

Belly Button in or out? In but it’s looking more shallow.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.

Labor signs?  My whole belly feels rock hard to the touch sometimes but I don’t have any pain or discomfort with it, I plan on asking the doctor next week if this is a Braxton Hicks contraction or not.

Looking forward to:  The back pain to go away.

 

Night Owl!

Looks like we have a night owl on our hands.  Baby Girl has been very quiet during the day lately but likes to stay up dancing in my belly all night long.  Feeling her moving around made waking up every so often throughout the night not as bad, it's such a great feeling.  But last night, Baby Girl was practicing some karate chops and making it very difficult for me to fall back asleep.  I'm hoping once she is born she'll start to understand that we'd love for her to be more active during the day and to sleep more at night!  We shall see!

In other news, we took the four legged kiddos to the water park this weekend.  They closed the water parks for the season last weekend and then let them go to the dogs this weekend!  It was a lot of fun to watch all the dogs swim or investigate the water.  Our dogs, however, are not water dogs.  Fenway enjoyed the kiddie pool and did jump/fall into the deep pool once but Wally preferred running circles around the outside of the pool!  Yes, we spoil our fur babies, what will we be like with an actual baby?

I also got a few more nursery letters done this weekend too.  I'm actually very excited about how they are coming out and I'm not sure if I'll be able to last until after Baby Girl's arrival to put them on the wall.  We want to keep her name a secret until the delivery though so we'll see if I can last! 

28 Week Update!

Hello third trimester, please be as nice to me as second trimester was!  But if first impressions are accurate I think that's too much to ask for. 

This week Baby Veale is the length of an eggplant (which I'm pretty sure has already been used....she's a bigger eggplant now), measuring about 13.6 to 14.8 inches and weighing in around 1.5 to 2.5 lbs.  Baby Veale's length wise growing will slow down from here on out but she will be gaining weight rapidly, in fact that's her main focus between now and her birth.  Everything else is developed enough that if she were born today she would more than likely survive!

As Baby Girl goes through less changes, I am going through more.  My belly is GROWING and I'm gaining weight.  I'm also a hot mess, quite literally, I am always hot, resulting in a sweaty mess.  I have the AC in my house set to 68 degrees and I still can't get cool while my poor house guests all freeze.  If you are planning a visit to my house any time soon, here's your fair warning, pack your long johns! 

I've also noticed I can see veins through my skin at the top of my thighs, a pregnancy symptom I had heard about being common for desk working moms-to-be.  I thought my foot rest might help prevent it, but no, I have fallen victim to the spider veins.  According to womenshealth.gov "During pregnancy, there is a huge increase in the amount of blood in the body. This can cause veins to enlarge. The growing uterus also puts pressure on the veins. Varicose veins usually improve within 3 months after delivery."  I'll take comfort in the fact that they will probably go away on their own before the next bathing suit season!

And to top it off, I've also been getting less sleep this past week.  I wake up more often and unlike before, I have a difficult time falling back asleep, I actually feel wide awake in the middle of the night.  I was hoping this would just be temporary but my weekly pregnancy e-mail today stated that women in the third trimester are known for their lack of sleep.  Woo hoo, I guess it's nature's way of trying to get me used to operating on no sleep so I'll be less of a zombie when I do it when Baby Girl is here.

Today I had my first moment of resenting my pregnant body.  I glanced over at a wedding picture on my desk and thought, "I miss that body."  But I quickly bounced back and am still beyond happy that I am pregnant with my Baby Girl.  This weekend I am going to go maternity clothes power shopping.  I think if I can find some clothes that actually fit me I will feel better.  I am still angry about maternity clothes. I only have 12 weeks left of wearing them (yes I know I'll want them for a little while past when Baby is here but let's go with the 12 weeks for now to make me feel better) but I need to buy more since I have gotten so much bigger and the weather will be changing between now and her arrival, and they are NOT cheap.

On the bright side, I've also had moments where I can put my hands on my belly and feel her little body pressing up against them, it's almost as if I have her in my hands.  This brings a wave of happy warm and fuzzies (yes, that is the best thing I could think of to describe it) over me and it makes me want to hold her in my arms so badly.

How far along? 28 weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  Up 13 lbs overall.  The “at least 15 lbs” that the doctor wanted me to gain certainly won’t be an issue.  I am worried that I am gaining too quickly now, but I really don't think I could do anything about it at this point. 

Maternity clothes?  I am going maternity clothes power shopping this weekend and will not rest until I find some that fit.  Or until Baby Girl squishes my lungs again and I can’t breathe…

Stretch marks? No.

Sleep:  What’s that? 

Best moment this week:  Feeling her little body press up against my hands, it almost felt like I was holding her.

Miss Anything?  Hubby and clothes, I don’t like wearing the same few outfits over and over and over and over…

Movement:  It’s awesome!

Food cravings: Sweet tooth.

Anything making you queasy or sick: More of the same; bananas, sweet potatoes, and the trash can. 

Belly Button in or out? In but it’s looking more shallow.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.

Labor signs?  I’m adding in a new question.  None yet but contractions are a very real possibility from here on out!

Looking forward to:  Picking Hubby up at the airport later today.  He’s here for a whole month AND he’ll have weekends off during that time!  WOO HOO!

Southern Hospitality

Northern Virginia is truly a melting pot, it's difficult to find people that were born and raised in this area, most are from various locations around the world.  Moving here from Massachusetts took a bit of adjusting to different cultures and customs.  The one thing that I have yet to get used to is this strange breed of people who stop and offer to assist or have full conversations with random strangers, always in a pleasant southern drawl.  This weekend, Mary, visiting from South Carolina, informed me that this is referred to as "southern hospitality."  To me, it's just plain odd.

I've experienced this odd phenomenon since moving here.  People would stop to ask me if I would like directions whenever they saw me staring at the metro maps.  People would strike up conversations with me on the elevator.  Someone even offered to carry an ottoman to my car when I realized the shopping cart locked up outside of the store.  To me, these people all want something.  No way they are taking time out of their lives to talk to me without a motive.  The last guy mentioned clearly wanted me to open up my car so he could steal it.  These are the thoughts I get from having grown up in New England.  Typically us Northerners leave the house with a motive in mind, the goal is to accomplish that motive as quickly as possible and move on to the next item.  For example, if I need to get groceries, I want to get in the store and get out with my groceries in the least amount of time possible. Yes, if I ran into a friend or acquaintance I wouldn't mind stopping to talk, but that's certainly not the time to strike up a conversation with a random stranger.

I've gotten quite good at avoiding random strangers (stranger danger, right?) however now that I'm pregnant it's nearly impossible!  I can't go anywhere without random people wanting to know every detail of my pregnancy and tell me all the stories about their pregnancy or their friends or children's pregnancies.  I wouldn't mind a "congratulations" or just a simple "are you having a boy or a girl?" or "when are you due?" as these are standard things to say to a pregnant lady, but I'm not one for discussing if I plan on breastfeeding with random people I don't know from a hole in the wall.  To me, it's still quite odd.  Mary insists they are genuinely interested and it's just how they were raised, but I still think there has to be an ulterior motive in their somewhere.  According to wikipedia "Southern hospitality has been examined by sociologists and other social scientists, one of whom has characterized the practices as a masquerade designed to cover deficiencies in southern culture, such as slavery, discrimination, and widespread poverty."  I'll go with that.

Nursery Progress 2

I have a ton to do around the house, especially getting the house ready for my brother to move in soon.  (Yes, we'll have a tenant, a brother, and then a baby in our house, there will be no vacancy at the inn.)  No more office and gym, all four bedrooms are now bedrooms!  But I digress, I'm sure you're surprised, with all the work that must get done soon, of course I spent my day putting up wall decals in the nursery!  :-)  I'm pleased to report that only one ended up noticeably crocked...it came off the wall while I was pulling the backing off and I had to place it while already all sticky, but overall I think I did a pretty good job.  And now Baby Girl's room is looking less like a boy's room.

Now I am anxious for the rest of my nursery decor to arrive!!!