Thursday, May 29, 2008

Week 33

From my weekly Email...

Wow! Look where we are!! Words cannot express my joy and gratefulness!! I am finally beginning to enjoy my pregnancy and be excited about the days to come. Matt and I have started getting Eli's room ready (with the help of our dear friends Frank and Tammica, without whom we would still be in the same place we were last week!!). and Mom, who gifted us with his amazing bedding...It is so beautiful with such bright and brilliant colors!! We are having trouble picking one to paint the room...Matt has decided we will paint the room 3 of the colors. I'm not so sure about that. We'll see!
We took a baby care class this week. We learned so much about how the hospital cares for the baby at birth and so on...and how we will care for him later! It was a really great class and I think we both learned some great stuff! I guess we will start looking for a pediatrician...We have not quite gotten that far, but we know the clinic we will use...It's just finding a dr. from there.
My belly is steadily getting bigger!! and Eli is getting stronger! Today is my last day at work and then it's homebound...trying to rest and prepare (not sure that I can do both at the same time, but we'll see). Mom should be in town 6/5 for my shower on 6/8. I am sure her visit will get us ahead of the game. We are planning on getting everything together for the baby's room and all while she is here! and shopping!! Double YEAY!
I guess that about sums it up this week. I will be seeing both doctors on the 4th...So, next week, we should be getting more info on the condition of my cervix!
I'll keep you posted!

How your baby's growing:
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Week 33

From my weekly Email...

Wow! Look where we are!! Words cannot express my joy and gratefulness!! I am finally beginning to enjoy my pregnancy and be excited about the days to come. Matt and I have started getting Eli's room ready (with the help of our dear friends Frank and Tammica, without whom we would still be in the same place we were last week!!). and Mom, who gifted us with his amazing bedding...It is so beautiful with such bright and brilliant colors!! We are having trouble picking one to paint the room...Matt has decided we will paint the room 3 of the colors. I'm not so sure about that. We'll see!
We took a baby care class this week. We learned so much about how the hospital cares for the baby at birth and so on...and how we will care for him later! It was a really great class and I think we both learned some great stuff! I guess we will start looking for a pediatrician...We have not quite gotten that far, but we know the clinic we will use...It's just finding a dr. from there.
My belly is steadily getting bigger!! and Eli is getting stronger! Today is my last day at work and then it's homebound...trying to rest and prepare (not sure that I can do both at the same time, but we'll see). Mom should be in town 6/5 for my shower on 6/8. I am sure her visit will get us ahead of the game. We are planning on getting everything together for the baby's room and all while she is here! and shopping!! Double YEAY!
I guess that about sums it up this week. I will be seeing both doctors on the 4th...So, next week, we should be getting more info on the condition of my cervix!
I'll keep you posted!

How your baby's growing:
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Week 32

From my Weekly Email...

What a wild week!! My replacement started Tues. So, work at the office has been CRAZY!! and on top of that, we have had all these "fire drill" projects situations!! So, I have been working late quite a bit..and with Eli getting bigger...Working late is getting HARDER!! But I have survived!
I went to the specialist on Tues and we found that my cervix is shortening more. I am around 1.3 cm total...7cm between baby and stitch. His little head was so close to my stitch that when she went in to scan she said "Whoa! There's his head!!" I also saw Dr. Morris on Wed and he says that I am effacing and have been since my last visit 2 weeks ago and I am likely (slowly) losing my mucus plug (hope that doesn't gross anyone out!!). Basically, I could go into labor any day...or I could go 6 more weeks..we just don't know!! We are 2 weeks shy of our goal of 34 weeks!! So, pray pray pray that we can get there...and everything after that is icing! :) But Dr. Morris says everything after now is icing! So, he is very happy that we have made it this far and is so happy that we are still going! I am having some "false labor", but it hasn't been painful...
I guess that about summs it up!
Matt and I are well..We really need to get our nursery together!! Any volunteers??
Hugs to all! ash

How your baby's growing:
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) 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.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Week 30

From my weekly email...
Ok. I'm not sure why this email came late last week, but here it is as promised in my last email.
My doctors appointment went perfect on Thursday. My cervix is short, but we lost no length.
They did what they call a "growth scan" and found that Eli weighs 3lb. 2oz. Everything measured out in the 50th percentile, which means he is an average sized boy! YEAY! Things are looking great! I will continue to keep you posted on our progress.
Hugs! Ash

How your baby's growing:
Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

My Replacement

oh the pains of finding employees. i spent my day yesterday training up a young man to take my position at work. he really seemed to suit the job well and i was really excited about him. well, today, i came in to work only to find out that he quit!!! i am so disappointed!! i don't know if i scared him away or what, but he is gone! oh well!! back to the drawing board!

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Week 30

From my weekly email...

I got flowers today...World's Best Mom!! Happy Mother's day to me!! :)

I'm not sure why, but baby.com didn't send the weekly update. i will forward it when i receive it.

The news for now is about the same. Dr. Morris says baby eli is growing (he says he is big...scary!!). Your uterus should measure around the same length as the number of weeks you are...So, a 28 week baby measures 28cm, but Eli is measuring 31 this week...So, he's not too far ahead of the curve, but he is a little bigger than average! Imagine that with Matt for a dad!! And as far as the doctor can tell (without an ultrasound) my cervix is about the same as 2 weeks ago. I will have an ultrasound today and find out exactly where we are with that. Of course, we are not wanting any changes because we are still trying to avoid "bed rest". I put it in quotations because it is not true bed rest any more. The specialist tells me that it is more like decreased activity with extra time in bed...because of the risk of blood clots. I am feeling good...It feels like a bowling ball is on my bladder/hips, but other than that discomfort and some punches in the gut...i'm well. I have to coax him out from under my ribs sometimes and that is fun, but again, for the most part, i have no complaints!

Also, I have to share a short story...I wore the dress yesterday that I wore the day I lost Judah...I always think of how confident I felt as I put it on that morning going to find out the sex of my baby...and then how empty I felt wearing it as I left the hospital a couple of days later (leaving in maternity wear was heart breaking). As I left the hospital that day, the pianist was playing "Smile". It is one of my favorite songs and now it holds such a special meaning to me...as it is Judah's song. Believe it or not, the same pianist was playing Judah's song as I came off the elevator at the hospital in Judah's dress yesterday. I could do nothing but cry. And when he was finished I walked over and gave him a hug and a big thank you! I shared with him how special that song had become to me...and what it meant to hear it now as I am expecting to take my little boy home with me. He told me to bring my Eli back and he would be happy to play it for us! :) That really meant the world to me!
Well, I hope you have all enjoyed my trip down memory lane! I am so thankful that each of you take the time to read my "baby" notes!

I love you all dearly!

ash

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Week 29

From my weekly email...

What a week! Not a lot of news to report...I'm feeling ok. The discomfort has graduated to pain at times, but I'm hanging in there and trying not to overreact! I did not see the doctor this week...So, no news on my cervix or baby.
My office is working on finding my replacement. He/She should start next week. This will give me a month to train them (God willing)!
We had to cancel our trip to Arkansas for baby showers. :( That was tough. But we will bring Eli up when he is ready and have a "birthday" party of sorts. We are so looking forward to all of you meeting him!!
He has been so active...especially at night! It is almost like when I lay down he thinks it's time to play! Matt got to feel his little kicks last week! That was so fun and exciting!!
Things are trucking along! Thank you for your thoughts and prayers! We know God is taking care of us! What a comfort!!
We love you all! ash

How your baby's growing:
Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.