Audrey's Birth Story

Audrey’s Birth Story – June 6th, 2010

The day Audrey was born was the most amazing day. It did come with a little hard work and some road blocks but it was ALL VERY WORTH IT. On Friday, June 4th, I had a check up my OBGYN’s. She said that Audrey’s heart rate was perfect and then checked for progress. I was 2.5 cm dilated and 80% effaced. She said that she would be very surprised if I went through the weekend and was still pregnant. I had a really hard time believing that. I didn’t want to give in to false hope. I really honestly thought I would have to drag my ass in to work on Monday, June 7th- my due date. But, I was determined to do anything I could to meet my little girl on or before that day. So, I became active. Joey and I went for a walk every chance we could. The walks didn’t last for very long as I could not walk for more than 15 minutes without becoming short of breath or having ligament pain.

Saturday, we went to this little fair they have at my old grade school with my dad, Kara, & Gage. We walked around for that a little bit and watched Gage explore the activities. After that we went back to my dads and BBQ’d some hamburgers and chatted at the table for a little bit. At about 5:40pm as we were clearing the table I suddenly felt this little trickle of liquid and I looked down and it was running down my leg. I looked up at my sister and asked, “did I just pee my pants?” and she said no I think your water is breaking. She grabbed my hand and we ran upstairs to try to get to the bathroom toilet. As I was running up the stairs and headed into the bathroom I felt an even bigger gush. I got onto the toilet right on time. Joey ran upstairs behind us and we confirmed that my water broke. He got a big grin on his face and we realized what was finally happening. We kinda had a moment where we just looked at each other with such excitement because we would soon be meeting our little princess. Yes, our moment was when I was still sitting on the toilet waiting for the trickling of water to somewhat slow down. Oh well, it was special to us. Anyway, while I was trying to clean up a bit my sister was in search of another pair of pants for me to wear. Luckily my little brother still lived with my dad at that time so I stole a pair of his basketball shorts. While all of this commotion was going on, Gage started to get really concerned about me and insisted he come into the bathroom to make sure that I was ok. He asked, “Anna, Whatcha doing?” I responded by saying, “I’m havin a baby!!”

So after I was somewhat cleaned up, Joey and I headed home so I could take a quick shower and to add the last minute things to the hospital bag. About a couple minutes into the car ride I felt my first contraction. I believe the words out of my mouth were, “Not bad!” Then about 5 minutes later another one. This time it was a little more intense. I probably had about 3 more on our 20 minute car ride home. By the time we got home my contractions were starting to get painful. I took a really short shower, Joey packed what we could, he fed the cats, and then we were off. We spent probably 10 minutes at home before we were out the door again.

The ride to the hospital was probably the longest car ride of my life. The contractions were coming about every 3 to 4 minutes and were lasting about 45 seconds to a minute. We got on 164th in Mill Creek to head to the I-5 and what do you know…TRAFFIC. Not what I wanted to see. We literally hit every red light and everyone and their mom decided to be on that road at the exact same time. I was not a happy camper. It took a normal 5 minute car ride about 25 minutes to get to the damn freeway. Once we got on I-5 it was smooth sailing until we hit south Everett….TRAFFIC AGAIN! And the contractions were getting sooooooo much more painful. We finally get off the freeway and hit every red light to the hospital. Well, we didn’t really hit red lights, Joey ran through them (safely of course). Oh well, we got there and got checked in. It was about 7pm. Then we waited for the Triage nurse to come get us. We waited for another 10 minutes. I am not exactly sure why we had to wait, it wasn’t busy. I was super annoyed when the nurse finally came and got us. We got into a bed in Triage and the nurse was super slow at getting me hooked up to the monitor. I would have like to skip the whole Triage stage all together but they wanted to confirm my water broke and monitor my contractions. Standard protocol I guess. They monitored me for a bit and confirmed that I had meconium in my water. This just means that when Audrey arrives that she goes straight to the NICU nurses that will be in the room to get her lungs suctioned so she doesn’t inhale any meconium. Anyway, after about 30 minutes (7:30pm) in Triage, I finally got to go my own private room. Once I got there, I ordered my epidural. I was originally going to wait and see how far I could go without it. HAHAHA, yea right. That didn’t work out. I got my epidural at 3 cm and it was heaven.

When the anesthesiologist came in (8pm), he became my best friend. I was so happy to see him. He was very prompt in getting everything set up and within 5 minutes I was going to get drugged. I was so excited. Well, so I thought. When he started to give me the line for my epidural in my back, I started to get a contraction. He said, “We are going to work through this contraction, you are going to need to stay still.” I started balling my eyes out. Not only did the contraction hurt like hell, I think the fact that he was poking me with a needle at the exact same time made everything SOOOO painful. I believe I said, “PAIN!!!! EVVVERRRYYWHERE!!!!!!” And then two minutes later I was in complete heaven. Numb from the waist down. I could still wiggle my toes and kind of move my legs but I could NOT feel my contractions. So, I was able to rest.

I really wanted to take a nap at this point, but I just couldn’t. I was way too excited. From about 8:15pm to about 12am I just rested. No sleep!! But how could I when I new I would meet my daughter very soon. Throughout that time the nurse came in periodically to check my progress. By about 10pm I was 6cm and started to get a fever. It was consistently over 100. They gave me meds for my fever but don’t recall what it was. At 11am, we got a good scare. Audrey’s heart rate was going down. I think it got down to 50 bmp from 150 bmp. I called the nurses station and two of them came rushing in and repositioned me. Audrey’s heart rate returned back to normal. I think I was just lying on the umbilical cord. By 12am, I was fully dilated at 10cm and still had my fever of over a 100. Audrey’s heart rate was still very strong so we decided that I would labor down and start pushing at about 1 am.

So, 1am came very quickly and I started to push. My contractions were coming about every 2-3 minutes and would last for about a minute each. So each contraction I would push for 10 seconds rest for 10 seconds…etc. By about 1:45am I could start to feel the contractions on my left side. With each contraction came more pain and less efficient pushing. So the nurse calls down the anesthesiologist and he determined that I had a one sided epidural. He also stated that the reason why it wasn’t caught earlier was because the narcotic was still in my system from when they gave me the epidural in the first place. So he moved my epidural line by 1cm and we were back in business by about 2:15am. I started pushing again while doing the same rhythm as before. By about 3am I started to get lower stomach pain to the point where I wasn’t pushing efficiently again. So the anesthesiologist came back again and adjusted my medicine. Before he did so he gave me this stupid speech of… “ya know, your mom and grandma did this all naturally.” I believe I yelled “I don’t give a shit about what they did, give me the damn drugs.” So he ignored me and spoke to Joey. At this point I don’t know what he said. I think he was explained to Joey how he was going to adjust my meds. He also said that I could push my medicine button to give me more medicine when I needed it. I told him that it was not working. I guess he was just trying to avoid upping the dosage if he didn’t really have to. But dammit he had to so he did. So by about 3:30am I was back in business and started to push again. The doctor came in at this point to check to see how I was doing. The nurse gave him the progress that I was at +1 station and needed to be at +3 station before we really needed him to come back. I still had a long ways to go and I was starting to get exhausted. By 4:30am I had this side pain and AGAIN it got so painful that I wasn’t pushing efficiently so the anesthesiologist came back. He said that it was defiantly a blind spot with my meds and that he could give me something that would temporally help but it wouldn’t help for long. I was so discouraged at this point. I felt like I was getting no where and Audrey would never arrive. Joey was really great and kept encouraging me the whole time. He was a great coach and I defiantly couldn’t have done this without him.

At 4:45 am I was pushing once more. The doctor came in at 5:30am and said that he would like for me to have this baby by 7am (the end of his shift). He stated that he would come back at 6:15am and that if I wasn’t having the baby any time soon that I would have to discuss c-section, using the vacuum, or the forceps because I have been pushing WAY to long and we need to get this baby out. Even though her heart rate was still strong, I was defiantly running out of steam. But those 3 options scared me and I all the sudden got a second wind. I pushed like a mad women. My dad and sister said they could hear me from the waiting room. I grunted and pushed so hard. At 6am the doctor and the NICU nurses arrived and prepared for birth. 15 minutes later, here came Audrey Kathleen at 6:15am. She came out blue, not breathing and the cord loosely wrapped around her neck. I was soooo scared. I said, “She isn’t breathing!!” The doctor said that it’s a good thing that she isn’t breathing because of the meconium that was in my water when it broke. The NICU nurses immediately took her and started to work their magic. They suctioned out her lungs and got her breathing. Joey was watching them work on her and he too was scared (he didn’t admit this at first) by their procedures. Once she was stabilized and breathing on her own (she of course started screaming), he reached his finger out and she immediately grasped his finger. It was the most breath taking thing to watch. I will never forget that. It was her way of saying, “I’m alright Daddy!” Joey also got to cut the rest of the cord which he really wanted to do all along. After about 45 min of working on her and getting her examinations and me delivering the placenta and getting me all stitched up (I had a 2nd degree tear…not bad) I finally got to hold her and I could not keep my eyes off her. She was (and still is) the most gorgeous little baby I had ever seen.

Audrey Kathleen Amaral- June 6th, 2010 at 6:15am – 7lbs 8oz 19.5 inches long.

39 Weeks

BUSTED!! Naughty Kitty!!!

Your baby's crown-to-rump length at this time is approximately 14.4 inches and the total length is approximately 21.5 inches. The average baby weighs a little more than 7 pounds now and is preparing for birth. You are probably as big as you are going to get and may be uncomfortable now. Most women gain between 25 and 35 pounds during their pregnancy. Your uterus is about 7-8 inches above your bellybutton now.

Although your baby continues to grow and develop inside of your uterus, there is not much room for her to move about. All of your baby's organ systems are now complete and the lungs were the last to fully mature.

Most of the lanugo on your baby should be gone by now. Your baby still may have some on her shoulders and in the creases of her body. Your baby's toenails have reached the end of her toes. The umbilical cord is about a half inch thick and may be wrapped around her. The umbilical cord still supplies the baby with nutrients that she needs. After delivery, your baby's umbilical cord will be clamped and cut. After it is cut, she will be an independent human being and must perform all of his body functions on his own. Your baby will get antibodies from your body that give his immune system a boost.

39 weeks and I am more uncomfortable as ever. I am trying not to let the uncomfortableness out weight my excitedness to welcome her. I just want her out. I am so ready and Joey is too. And yes people, I am still at work. I have had about 10 "still here?" & "hanging in there?" comments by noon today. I plan on going the distance and will not leave work until my doc will confirm I can't go. That will probably be when Audrey arrives. I have a schedule on how I want to use my Maternity leave and I want to save it ALL for after she comes.

Each and every day I have random strangers try to strike up a converstaion with me even though I try not to make eye contact to avoid said conversation (usually in the bus waiting line). Don't get me wrong, at first it was ok. Now its really starting to get annoying (I am probably more irritable too) because I answer the same questions EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. I am seriously thinking about creating business cards with all the answers to thier questions:
"When are you due?", "do you know if it is a boy or a girl", "do you have a name picked out," "are you taking time off work before?", "are you ready," "is this your 1st?"....and the list goes on and on. I just want to be able to pull out the card with the answers to all of their questions, hand it to them, then go about my day. OK, so that may be rude so I won't do it. But latley, I have made sure I have my headphones on (even if I am not listening to any music, seriously) and that has done the trick so far. People don't try to talk to you when they think you are listening to music.

Anyway, I had a doc appt on friday. I am 1.5cm dialated and 70% effaced. The doc said at least its something since last week there was nothing what so ever. BUT, she didn't give me an estimate as to when I could go into labor. She said it still could be a week or two (they will let me go to 41 weeks before getting induced). Lets hope its within the next week. But Audrey is doing good and we are both still healthy.

Audrey, mommy and daddy are waiting anxiously for your arrival and would love to meet you and snuggle with you. You can come now please :-)

How far along?: 39 weeks
Total weight gain: 38 lbs - not to shabby
How much does baby weigh?: 6-7 lbs
Maternity clothes?: yup
Stretch marks?: still have the few on my lower belly- no new ones though
Sleep?: the two hr intervals have gone down to about 1 hr intervals
Best moment this week?: knowing that I am making SOME progress
Movement?: yes, she tries to stretch- not much room though
Food cravings?: root beer - wierd? yea I thought the same thing too.
Labor signs?: a few contractions here and there but nothin to get excited about
Belly button in or out?: In- but I am bugged out about my belly button ring hole. It is sooooooo stretched out, it looks really funny
What I miss: nothing
What I'm looking forward to: meeting our little gem
Milestone: 39 weeks and the fact that we are VERY prepared for her arrival.

38 Weeks

Your baby continues to grow this week and weighs about 6 to 6.8 pounds. Her crown-to-rump length is still about 14 inches and total length is around 20-21 inches. Most women do not grow any larger during the last few weeks of their pregnancy. From the top of your uterus to your bellybutton is about 6.5 to 7 inches. You may be very uncomfortable now-you are almost there!

Just before real labor contractions start, you might notice false labor contractions. These should not be confused with Braxton-Hicks contractions. False labor contractions can be as strong as real labor contractions, but do not get closer and may go away if you get up to walk around. Contractions help dilate the cervix and encourage your water to break. Your baby could be born any day now, but only 5% of mothers deliver on their actual due date!

Over the last few weeks of pregnancy, your baby has been building up waste materials in the intestines. This waste material is known as meconium and is greenish-black in color. Meconium is made up of cells that your baby has shed, lanugo and other substances. Meconium is the first waste that your baby will pass after birth. However, sometimes babies pass meconium before delivery and are delivered with greenish-black waste covering their body. Special care must be taken when a baby passes meconium in the womb.

The baby's skull is not fully solid as the five bony plates, known as fontanels (little fountains), are still separate and can be pushed together. Birth may mold and elongate the fetal head, a safety precaution to reduce the skull's diameter for an easier birth, without damaging the fetal brain. After delivery, the baby's head returns to a rounded shape. Eyes have no tear ducts yet, they appear a few weeks after birth.

38 Weeks and we are totally ready. Car seat is installed, hospital bags are packed and Friday Joey and I went on a shopping spree and got everything we still needed for when Audrey comes. We even bought a video camera. Now its just a waiting game. I have had no labor signs and the doc didn't check for progress on friday because of the fact that I haven't had any contractions. Audrey is content in there so we are patiently waiting for some sort of action. I am really hoping that she decides to come before I hit the 41 week mark. But her parents are two stubborn people so she just might have that characterisitc already and make us wait longer than we want to. We will see.

37 Weeks = FULL TERM!!!

You are considered full-term now and your baby's final touches are being made. The crown-to-rump length of your baby is now 14 inches and the total length is around 21 inches. Your baby weighs approximately 6.5 pounds. Your uterus may be measuring about the same as it has been and is probably about 6.5 inches from the top of your bellybutton.

This week your baby should engage into your pelvis. If this is not your first pregnancy, it may happen later. When your baby engages, his head drops down into your pelvis and you might feel a slight sensation called `lightening` as the pressure on your ribs eases. As your baby drops into the final position for delivery, you may experience a buzzing feeling and shooting pains in your groin and leg. Normally, you will be able to breathe and eat easier. However, your uterus pushes down harder on your bladder and you will have an increased urge to urinate more frequently. Even if your baby engages now, you still possibly feel his feet in your breastbone around week 40.

Your baby is now fully mature and ready to be born. However, your baby is still growing and developing every day. Fat is still being laid down at a rate of a half ounce a day. If this is your first pregnancy, you can expect to deliver closer to 40 weeks or shortly thereafter. If this is not your first baby, you might go earlier than 40 weeks!

Your doctor may begin doing weekly pelvic exams to evaluate your cervical changes and progression. Your healthcare provider will make sure that you are not leaking amniotic fluid and will also examine your cervix to check for effacement and dilation. Before labor, your cervix is thick and 0% effaced. During labor your cervix thins out and right before delivery it will become very soft and 100% effaced.

Research shows your baby can be affected by stress hormones. Make time to relax, to have fun, and to rest.

Your baby has learned to coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing so it can do all three after birth. Babies practice shallow breathing before birth, using amniotic fluid.

At my last two appts the doc said that she is definatly head down which is a plus. On friday I was checked for progress and so far there is none. I am a bit thinned out but that is about it. She is still a mover and a shaker and her heart rate continues to be around 140bmp. I haven't had any real contractions but I can now notice the braxton hicks contractions. Soooo I guess thats a start. I have a feeling she will be in there for a while longer but she will be evicted at 41 weeks and no later. I really hope she decides to come before that. Joey and I are very anxious and we just want her here already. I have told her every day for the last week that she can make her arrival at any time. We will see.

I think we pretty much have everything we need. Joey and I will go make a babies r us run on Friday to get some odds and ends. She will be here sooooo soon. WOW!!

How far along?: 37 weeks
Total weight gain: 35/36 ish
How much does baby weigh?: 6 to 6.5
Maternity clothes?: yes- My maternity jeans are no longer comfortable to wear so they have been retired. I found a cute pair of capris at target on saturday so those are the substitute
Stretch marks?: yes, the few on my lower belly are still there- no new ones though
Sleep?: define sleep............
Best moment this week?: making it to full term- Joey and I are both premies (7 weeks early) so making it to full term and ensuring that she is a good size and has a reduced chance of spending time in the NICU.
Movement?: Yes, sometimes I think she is trying to find a different way out
Food cravings?: I really want a homemade brownie made from scratch- that might just have to be my task for the weekend
Labor signs?: nope
Belly button in or out?: in
What I miss: I would be lying if I didn't say sleep
What I'm looking forward to: For her to be here already!!!

36 Weeks

By this week of pregnancy your baby's crown-to-rump length reaches about 13.5 inches and the total length is approximately 20.7 inches. Your baby weighs about 6 pounds now. The top of your uterus has moved further up under your ribs and is about 5.5 inches above your bellybutton. Your uterus has grown a lot in the past few weeks as your baby has gained weight. You may have gained about 30 pounds by now and it is common for your weight to stay about the same from this point onwards.

Because the top of the uterus is high as it will be, breathing may be getting very uncomfortable at times. You might notice jabbing pains from your baby's kicks. However, within the next few weeks, your baby will drop into the birth canal and this will make breathing easier again. Most doctors like to see their patients weekly from now on to check for labor progression.

Your baby's face has filled out significantly and looks smooth and plump. Because your baby has powerful sucking muscles and has had layers of fat forming for quite some time now, the cheeks have filled out like a newborn's. Your baby's skull is firm, but not hard. Every baby's head has the ability to give slightly so that there is room for her to fit down the birth canal during delivery. Some babies are born with cone shaped heads from the pressure of delivery, but this will go away after delivery. The amount of amniotic fluid is at its maximum amount now and your baby may not be moving as much as she had been. As long as you still feel her movements every day, there should be no cause for concern.

I am very tired and sluggish today so I am just gonna go with the survey:

How far along?: 36 Weeks
Total weight gain: 34 pounds
How much does baby weigh?: around 6 lbs
Maternity clothes?: yes
Stretch marks?: I have discovered a few small faint ones on the under belly. and suprisingly I am ok with it.
Sleep?: no comment
Best moment this week?: Joey giving me "Happy Mothers Day to be" flowers
Movement?: yes- all the time
Food cravings?: not really.
Labor signs?: I am starting to feel some braxton hicks contractions so at least my body is practicing
Belly button in or out?: in
What I miss: I would be lying if I didn't say sleep
What I'm looking forward to: For her to actually be here! 4 more weeks seems so close yet so far away
Milestone: making it to 36 weeks without any major complications - knock on wood.

35 Weeks

Your baby now weighs over 5.5 pounds and its crown-to-rump length is approximately 13.2 inches. Your baby's total length is around 20.25 inches at this point.

This week of your pregnancy your baby's fingernails will have definitely reached the tips of his fingers. When your baby is born, his nails may look long and pointy. Your baby is less likely to scratch himself at this point because of the lack of room in the uterus. Fat deposition will still continue and your baby is getting chubbier and rounder. Your baby's shoulders are plump at this point.

The baby begins to develop its own immune system.

Joey and I had a great weekend. We took maternity phones on Friday and they turned out really well. We get them back on Saturday. It will be hard to decide which ones will get framed. They are all really good.

We had our first childbirth prep class on Saturday. It was just ok. I have pretty much read about everything that they covered so I was not surprised by any of it. This Saturday they will go over complications and misc stuff so that might be a little more informational.We'll see.

And Sunday was my baby shower! I had such a great time and it was great to see everyone. We played fun games and Audrey got TONS of stuff. Lots of necessities and lots of clothes. She is going to be one well dressed child. Everyone definatly spoiled her with all of their generous gifts. Joey and I are very greatful. Since I was the one who opened the gifts, Joey went through everything at home and put things away. He was like a little child on christmas with everything he saw. He was very excited. We kinda put things away and started to get the room in order. BUT we still need to find a place for a few things and organize a bit. We also need to get a couple more essentials but all in all we are pretty much ready for Audrey to arrive. Yea!!

Next up is my work baby shower this Wednesday, prenatal appt on friday and childbirth prep class on Saturday and hosptal tour next saturday. And a little more shopping in between. And maybe I'll try to rest...but we will see about that.

34 Weeks

Your baby's crown-to-rump length this week is approximately 12.8 inches and the total length is around 19.8 inches at this time. Your baby now weighs almost 5 pounds.

Braxton-Hicks contractions are going to get stronger and more frequent within the next few weeks. Braxton-Hicks contractions feel like a tightening at the top of your uterus that spreads down and then relaxes. Many women mistake Braxton-Hicks contractions for true labor contractions, but this is rarely the case. Braxton-Hicks contractions will diminish if you get up and walk around and they should not be painful.

Your baby's hair continues to get longer and thicker. Your baby's hair color probably is not going to be the same color from birth onwards, so you should expect it to change in color. Your baby is shedding most of lanugo, but the amount of vernix caseosa is increasing. Your baby is taking calcium from you to lay down lots of bone. Continue to take your prenatal vitamins and drink milk to ensure that you receive enough calcium.

If you were to deliver your baby now, it would probably be called a pre-term infant instead of premature. The only difference is in the maturity, particularly lung maturity. A pre-term baby is less likely to need intensive care because its lungs have developed.

The baby now rests on your uterus and is no longer floating.

Fingernails now reach over the finger tips and the baby can scratch itself.

Upcoming baby events:
Friday- Maternity photos
Saturday - 1st Child birth prep class
Sunday- BABY SHOWER!!!
Wednesday- WORK BABY SHOWER!
Next Friday- meet with possible peditrition & a prenatal check up-the start of weekly check ups!!
Next Saturday- 2nd child birth prep class
May 15th - Hospital Tour

In between all that we will be doing some MAJOR shopping to get all the odds and ends that we will need. Almost ready!

How far along?: 34 Weeks
Total weight gain: 32 pounds - not to shabby if I do say so myself
How much does baby weigh?: around 5 pounds
Maternity clothes?: Yes- I caved and bought two more shirts
Stretch marks?: Still none on the tummy- just my boobs
Sleep?: huh?? What???
Best moment this week?: my awesome pedicure as a treat from Erin- felt sooo good
Movement?: yes- yesterday I watched her move from the middle of my belly to the right side and I took a picture. That was the most lop-sided I have ever seen it
Food cravings?: sweets....sweets....and more sweets. Its the only thing that sounds good.
Labor signs?: nope- I still don't know what braxtion hicks contractions feel like
Belly button in or out?: in
What I miss: sleep but its ok. I manage
What I'm looking forward to: Maternity photos & my baby showers!!!
Milestone: 34 weeks is a pretty good one considering that both Joey and I were born 6.5/7 weeks early.

33 weeks

Your baby weighs about 4.4 pounds at this point. The crown-to-rump length of your baby is approximately 12 inches and the total length is around 19.4 inches. Measuring from the top of your uterus to your bellybutton is 5.2 inches.

With the exception of crying, your baby is capable of doing everything that a newborn baby will do. Your baby is restricted now inside of the uterus, but still can kick and move. Your baby sleeps a lot of the time, just as newborn babies do. Your baby's eyes move in the manner of REM sleep and researchers believe that babies can dream vividly in uterus. When your baby is awake, she is listening, feeling and learning. There are billions of neurons in the brain that make trillions of connections. Your baby will probably have settled into the birth position by now and your caregiver can most likely tell which way your baby is presenting. If your baby were to be born now, the lungs would probably be strong enough to function properly, but your baby may still need extra care from specially trained doctors and nurses.

Your baby's eyes open during alert times and close during sleep. The eye color is usually blue, regardless of the permanent color as pigmentation is not fully developed. The final formation of eye pigmentation requires exposure to light and usually happens a few weeks after birth.

Only 7 weeks left and both Joey and I are getting pretty anxious but know that she needs to stay and bake for at least 4 more weeks. But we are slowly getting things ready.

We have scheduled a consultation with a possible pediatrician which came highly recommended by my sister. So I am pretty sure that is a done deal. Unless when we meet her and I totally hate her, which is highly unlikely. Joey really wanted to take maternity photos and I finally gave in. At first I didn't really want to. I am very self conscious about how chubby my face is getting. BUT I have come around to the idea. He really wants a photo of him kissing my belly so why not do a whole photo shoot, right? We also have scheduled child birth preperation classes. They are two saturday classes from 9-1pm. And we also have an appt for the hospital tour. And then I have my friends/family baby shower coming up and then a work shower. All of these things are scheduled for the 1st half of May. And so I plan on taking the last half of May to go to work then come home and RELAX. Not that I can do much else. I am pretty in mobile these days. Which is fine. I need my rest and I definatly don't want to over do it.

The nursery is almost finished. The glider is put together and in its place. Its not exactly what I wanted but it will do. Just gotta find some shelves and get some little things and we are almost set. People have been very generous already so Audrey has tons of clothes already. I just need to get a few odds and ends and that dept is almost set as well. We have 7 weeks. Well, Joey thinks that I won't go the full 40 weeks (he is a very anxious daddy to be). I think I will go the full lenth. I am hoping she wants to stay in until 37 weeks. Then after that its game on. Anything can happen.

32 Weeks

By week 32, your baby weighs nearly 4 pounds! The crown-to-rump length of your baby is approximately 11.7 inches and the total length is about 18.9 inches.

Sleeping girl. The baby sleeps 90-95% of the day, and sometimes experiences REM sleep, an indication of dreaming.

Now that your baby has grown so long and your uterus is higher, you might notice a new discomfort. Your baby is probably head-down and may occasionally stretch out and kick you in the ribs. The pressure on your rib cage can make you sore, especially if one of your baby's feet becomes caught. You can prevent this by sitting up straight as much as possible. Because your baby's demands for vitamins and minerals are higher than ever right now, you should continue to take your parental vitamins for the entire pregnancy.

This week your baby's movements will peak. You should continue to monitor the fetal movements daily and address any concerns with your caregiver. The wrinkles in your baby's face are disappearing and fat is still being deposited throughout the baby's body.

The body growth slows down from now on.

Because of the lack of space in the uterus, the legs are drawn up in what is known as the fetal position.

Only 8 more weeks (ish) until we get to meet our daughter. We have the car seat/stroller and we have ordered the glider to go in the nursery so that should be here soon. This next weekend we will try to pick out some shelving and start getting some essentials just in case.

My scare from going into labor and delivery turned into nothing. I don't have Cholestasis and my rash has cleared up so my doctor just chalked my episode up to fighting off an infection of some sort. PHEW!!!! I have been trying to relax and take it easy more and more these days. I don't need to come down with anything else for the next 8 weeks.

How far along?: 32 weeks
Total weight gain: 30 lbs
How much does baby weigh?: around 4 lbs
Maternity clothes?: Yes- i have a very limited clothes rotation
Stretch marks?: ok...ok. I will admit I have them- but they aren't on my tummy. I have a couple on my boobs. I'm ok with it
Sleep?: i wake up every 2-3 hrs. Im pretty much used to it at this point
Best moment this week?: finding out that I don't not have cholestatis that that both baby and I are healthy
Movement?: Yes- she has started to aim for my ribs- it hurts sometimes
Food cravings?: not really
Labor signs?: nope
Belly button in or out?: in- for now
What I miss: People minding their own business. I really dislike getting unsolicited advise and when people give thier two sense when its not needed and I didn't ask for it. Do I have the word "dumb" written on my forehead??? While I know people are only trying to help, Joey and I are smart people and we will figure things out like every new parent does and will make the decisions that are best for us and our child. I don't need to know what other people did or did not do or what other people think is best for MY child- If I need advise or help - I'll ask for it. ok vent over.
What I'm looking forward to: My baby shower on may 2nd and my work baby shower on may 5th AND of course meeting our little one in 8 weeks or so
Milestone: making it this far without any major complications- knock on wood.

31 weeks

Your baby is continuing to grow each week that you remain pregnant. Your baby's crown-to-rump length is nearly 11.2 inches and total length is approximately 18 inches. Your baby weighs approximately 3.5 pounds at this point. Your uterus is about 4.4 inches above your bellybutton and continues to get larger.

This week marks an incredible milestone in your baby's lung development. Before now, the air sacs and branches in your baby's lungs were present but not functional. The lungs were not able to inflate properly. However, now there is surfactant being produced in your baby's lungs. Surfactant prevents your baby's lungs from collapsing outside of the uterus and the baby is able to take in air and breathe properly. The fetal ear is almost completely developed both inside and out. Your baby can hear your voice and other familiar sounds that she will recognize after birth. Your baby is putting on white fat under the skin and the skin's color is pink instead of red at this point. Your baby's fingernails have grown to the end of her fingers and she may scratch herself while she is in the womb.

31 weeks and I made a special trip to Labor and Delivery at Providence on Friday. I never thought I would go there until she was ready to come. My body decided differently. It all started Thursday. I couln't catch my breath & my heart rate would not settle no matter what I did to rest. I call the doc they said that heart palpatations are normal and to monitor them. I woke up Friday with this terrible back pain and lower stomach cramps. I also had a rash starting on my stomach. But I went about my day because I chalked it up to being "normal" for pregnancy. Then through out the day my heart rate would play tricks on me and would rise and fall even if I was sitting down. I also couldn't catch my breath & had a slight chest pain and by at 4pm I started to get a fever. I also hadn't felt Audrey move all day. Nothing, not even a little tap from her. That and the fever was the trigger point. So I call the on call doc (who luckly was my doc that I talk to the prior day) and she said to head on in to Triage to get checked out. Soooo, scared out of my mind (and I find out later, Joey was too) we headed on in.

By about 4:45 I was all hooked up to the monitors. The baby's heart rate looked great and about 10 minutes later she started kicking. Go figure. I also was not contracting (thank god) so it was on to get some testing done. They did a pap exam (not exactly sure what they were looking for there) and a TON of bloodwork. All but two tests came back about an hr and half later negative. And I can't really list what all they were looking for but the doc said they tested for EVERYTHING. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I get sent home. My heart rate was down, still had a slight fever, still had a rash, and still had slight cramps. But felt a lot better. I think it was hearing that Audrey's heartbeat was good and I wasn't contracting calmed me down. I was ordered to bed rest & to basically drown myself with water & some OJ until Monday when I can go in for a follow up and get the rest of my test results. I did nothing but sit on the couch, watch movies, and read a book. I haven't relt that rested in a while. My fever was gone, my heart rate stayed down, I was able to catch my breathe easier if I got up to do something, and I only had slight lower belly cramps BUT my rash was getting worse and starting to itch.

On Monday I go into the doc and the other two tests had come back from the hospital negative. The doctor stated I was probably just fighting off some sort of bug and the bed rest while hydrating was the key to fighting it off before it got worse. BUT now that my rash is worse and very itcy AND ALL OVER MY BODY we did more blood work to see if I have Cholestasis . I am hoping and praying that I don't have this. I will definatly have to be monitored more and go to the hospital twice a week for baby stress tests and this condition can cause pre-term labor. SOOO pray for me that I don't have it. If this test comes back negative then I probalby just have PUPPPs which is a very common and non harmful pregnancy rash that will last the rest of the pregnancy (SAAAAWEEEEET). I would rather deal with that than Cholestasis. Either way I will do everything in my power to make sure that baby Audrey contintues to cook for as long as she needs to and that we both stay as healthy as possible.

And some good notes, we finally decided on a glider for Audrey's room. We just need to order it and that will be done this weekend. My dad said he would purchase the travel system for us as our baby gift so we got that ordered. We just need a few small things to purchase and we will be ready if she decides to come early. I am not saying we want her to come early but I guess its good to always be prepared.

30 Weeks

Your baby's crown-to-rump length is a little over 10.8 inches and the total length of your baby is about 17 inches! Your baby weighs about 3 pounds now. Your uterus can be felt about 4 inches above your bellybutton. Your uterus, baby, placenta and the amount of fluid will get larger over the next ten weeks. You should be gaining about a pound a week at this time.

Even though your baby is cushioned by the amniotic fluid, she can feel and respond to pain. Your baby now does `practice breathing` to get ready for life outside of your womb. If you have an ultrasound at this time, you will be able to see this. If your baby swallows amniotic fluid down the wrong passage, she will still get hiccups that are noticeable by you. If your baby were born at this time, she would be able to keep herself warm.

The skin begins to smoothen as fat deposits accumulate underneath. The fat insulates and is an energy source.


Only 10 weeks left. I am feeling just ok. Very sluggish. It takes a lot of effort to get to and from these days. Even walking a block from my bus to my work is getting harder. Yikes. Nothing much new to report except that I passed my 1 hour glucose test which means I don't have to go in for the 3 hour one.

Yesterday it hit me that we have to actually buckle down and get some of the things we still need ordered. I haven't ordered such items because we haven't decided on what exactly we want in terms of style, functionality, etc- maybe we should get on that....hmmmmmmmm.

How far along?: 30 weeks
Total weight gain: 28 lbs
How much does baby weigh?: around 3 lbs
Maternity clothes?: Yes
Stretch marks?: nope
Sleep?: whats that???
Milestone?: hitting the 30 week mark
Movement?: ALL.THE.TIME!! I love it
Food cravings?: not really- just sweets like usually
Labor signs?: no
Belly button in or out?: In...for now
What I miss: NOTHING!! Ok..so maybe that is a small fib. I wish I could sleep for more than 2 hrs at a time. BUT I don't mind because its getting me used to what things will be like when she is here.

29 Weeks!!

At this point in your pregnancy, your baby's crown-to-rump length is approximately 10.4 inches and the total length of your baby is around 16.7 inches. Your baby weighs about 2.7 pounds and continues to grow every day.

Babies that are born prematurely can be very tiny. Even a baby that is only a few weeks early can be very small. Your baby will grow rapidly from now until week 36, and then at a slower rate thereafter. Generally, boys weigh more than girls at birth. The average baby's birth weight at full term is 7 to 7.5 pounds.

Your baby will continue to open and close her eyes in the womb and may be able to see silhouettes of objects or even people in the right amount of light. Your baby should be moving many times throughout the day. Some of your baby's movements will be predictable.

Research has shown that your baby is not only able to hear, but also able to recognize your own voice. This shows that your baby can already learn, remember and recognize.

I would like to dedicate this post to my wonderful husband, Joey. He has been soooo great throughout this entire pregnancy. He has been such a great support system and I am definatly grateful to have him. I am really lucky. I really am.
-He has been to every doctors appt
-He puts up with my moody/bitchyness/emotionalness (I seriously don't know how he does it)
-He makes sure I go for walks even when I just don't feel like it
-He asks me EVERY day how I and little miss Audrey are doing
-He painted the room and put together all of the nursery furniture and is really anxious for it to all come together
-He wakes up with me at night when I have leg cramps and massages them
-He didn't complain one bit when I was on pelvic rest
-He doesn't complain when he hears me up 4-5 times a night to pee and re-adjust my sleep position
-He kisses and rubs my belly often- he has even started to talk to Audrey and she responds with a swift kick
-When I contimplate sleeping on the couch (it really is more comfortable) he says he will sleep on the floor next to me
-He talks about life when Audrey gets here ALL the time
-He is working his ass off so that one day I could possibly be a stay at home mom
-He tells me to stop worrying about my weight gain and that it doesn't matter to him

I think the list can go on and on- He is a great husband and is going to be a great father

28 Weeks

Your baby's crown-to-rump length is approximately 10 inches and the total length of your growing baby is around 15.75 inches. Your baby weighs about 2.4 pounds at this point. Your uterus is a little more than 3 inches above your bellybutton.

You will probably begin visiting your caregiver once every two weeks. Week 28 is an important week for testing. You will probably be having your glucose tolerance test, an iron level test and if you are Rh negative, you should have an antibody test.

Your baby's brain continues to develop and is now forming the folds and grooves of a fully developed brain. The amount of tissues within the brain also continues to increase in large amounts. The hair that covers your baby's scalp is also getting longer. Your baby is now large enough for presentation to be determined and your doctor might be able to find out if your baby is at risk for being breech. If your baby is breech, don't panic. There is still time for the baby to rotate.

Wow, what a day yesterday. We had two doctors apts. 9am was the 3D ultra sound and 3pm was my regular check up. The 3D ultra sound was AMAZING!!! Getting to see little Audrey and what she looks like was the coolest thing. It was really hard to get a good head shot since she kept putting her arm and fist in front of her face. But we poked and prodded at her to get a few good pictures. I am in LOVE. I can't stop looking at the pictures. I must say she is a beauty. We also got a video of her moving around. At times its hard to make out what we are looking at, but its still pretty cool.

While we with the ultra sound tech, the position of the placenta was checked and I am glad to report that it is now away from the cervix and in a more favorable position. My doctor confirmed that I am off pelvic rest! Yea. I also had my glucose test yesterday. The orange flavored drink just tasted like really sugary orange soda. It wasn't bad a first, but by the end of the bottle it was kinda hard to take down. I had my blood drawn and am awaiting the results to see if I have gestational diabeties. I am hoping and praying I don't have to do the 3 hour glucose test. We will see.

Both Audrey and I are doing well. She is right on target with her growth and her heart rate is still strong. I am still having trouble sleeping on my sides as my hips are really starting to hurt. I bought a body pillow yesterday so we will see if that helps. I also get winded more often so it takes me longer to get to point A to point B, but I manage. I also start going in for apts every two weeks now instead of every 4! Only 12 weeks left!! Holy Crap!!!

After the doc apt Joey and I went out to eat and took a stroll at our park. It was a good day!!

27 Weeks

You are now in the third trimester, and last, of your pregnancy! Your baby's crown-to-rump length is about 9.6 inches and your baby's total length is approximately 15.3 inches! Your baby now weighs about 2 pounds 3 ounces and is going to grow rapidly during this last trimester!

If your baby were born now, it would have an 85% chance of surviving. Even though your baby is still not fully developed, she would be well within the limits of premature viability. You still have approximately 13 weeks left of your pregnancy, and during this time your baby must continue to grow and develop. If your baby was born at this time, she would have several complications that would require special attention. Because babies do not have adequate amounts of fat at this time, your baby would have to be kept inside of an incubator for warmth. Because the air sacs in your baby's lungs do not yet have surfactant, she would require an artificial respirator. Your baby's brain, liver and immune system still need to develop more also.

Your baby can develop hiccups

Yea, third trimester. Time is flying. Joey and I bought the window coverings this weekend so those are up. We also shopped for a chair without luck. We will find it, eventually. Nothing much else new except that Joey got me sick. I have been trying not to take medicine but yesterday I resorted to taking some sudefed. Which helped but now I am developing chest congestion sooooo I may have to resort to taking Robitussin. YUCK. But I will probably end up being too stubborn because its discusting so we will see. Nothing much else new to report.
How far along?: 27 weeks
Total weight gain: 25 lbs
How much does baby weigh?: 2 - 2.5 ounces
Maternity clothes?: Yes
Stretch marks?: NOPE
Sleep?: I still wake up every two hours to pee and to readjust my sleeping position
Best moment this week?: Slowly making more progress on the nursery
Movement?: all the time
Food cravings?: just junk food like girl scout cookies, which I devoured without hardly sharing. 1 for me, 1 for Audrey, and 1 for Joey. Sorry babe
Labor signs?: no
Belly button in or out?: in, but the hole from where my belly button ring is stretching. Damn- sorry mom you were right. I do regret getting it.
What I miss:nothing really. I do wish people would stop telling me what I will and will not do when the baby comes. Joey and I are smart people, let us figure it out. PLEASE!!!!!!!

26 weeks

By this week, your baby's crown-to-rump length is approximately 9.2 inches. Remember, that is only from the top of his head to his bottom and does not include his leg measurements! Your baby weighs almost 2 pounds and is beginning to put on weight. Your uterus is about 2.5 inches above your bellybutton and you will continue to grow approximately 1 cm each week. Because your baby has moved further up, you may get occasional pain underneath your ribs.

After a month of having his eyelids sealed shut, your baby begins to open his eyes again this week. Your baby's eyes are almost completely developed. Your baby's eyes are blue in the womb and may change colors later in life. This is true for all races because the pupils do not have their final color until a few months after birth. However, some babies are born with darker or lighter shades of blue. Your growing baby will continue to put on layers of fat until she is born. He is still lean at this point of the pregnancy though. By the time your baby is born, he will assume the typical newborn's plumpness. Your baby's skin will still be wrinkled and red, but the fat continues to fill the skin out.

Finger and toe nails continue to grow.

Blood vessels start to develop in the lungs to prepare the baby for life outside the uterus.

Your baby's blood circulation is completely functional. The umbilical cord system continues to grow and thicken as blood travels with considerable force through the body to nurture the baby. The placenta is now almost equal in size to the baby.

Even though it is still way too soon for your baby to be born yet, the chance of survival without severe abnormalities is now 70% provided it is born in a hospital.

Less the 100 days until Audrey is set to arrive. I remember when it was less than 200. We started to look for a rocker/recliner to put in the babies room and are having no luck. A lot of them are too big and bulky (not to mention too ugly) to have in that room. SOOOOO, we will keep looking but will probably settle for a glider. But we have plenty of time. 14 weeks left!!

A couple more weeks until the 3D/4D ultra sound. We can't wait to get a glimpse of what are little Audrey will look like.

25 weeks

Your baby's crown-to-rump length is about 8.8 inches. Weight has increased to around 1.5 pounds and fat is still being deposited at a high rate. Babies come in all shapes and sizes, so your baby could vary slightly from these `average` measurements. Your uterus has grown quite a bit bigger this week. The top of your uterus is between your bellybutton and your sternum. Your uterus is about the size of a soccer ball now!

If your baby is delivered at this time, it would have a good chance of surviving. It is best for your baby to remain inside of you for the remainder of the pregnancy, but great advances have been made in the care of a premature baby. Ventilators, monitors and medications all help premature babies develop and grow outside of the womb. If your baby were born this early, he would probably have to spend several months in the hospital and would be more susceptible to infections and other complications.

You can hear your baby's heartbeat with both a Doppler and a stethoscope at this time, and your partner may even be able to hear the heartbeat unaided if he puts his ear in the right position. Sex differentiation is being completed now. If you are expecting a baby boy, the testes start to descend into the scrotum. In baby girls, the vagina is hollowing out. Your baby is able to do more with their fingers now and can move his fingers to make a complete fist. As your baby becomes more dexterous, he will be able to touch and hold her feet. Babies also begin to prefer their left hand or right hand at this time. Because babies settle into routines of sleep and activity, you might begin to notice these patterns as well. Some women experience the most fetal movements while they are trying to rest.

The furniture arrived this weekend and Joey put it all together. It took him about 20 minutes with the help of our friend Arnold and his car. I will have to say I was a little skeptical about their means of getting the furniture home (see picture), but it all made it and Joey said they both were pretty easy to put together. Our next task is to search for some window treatments and some sort of rocking chair to put next to the dresser. I am thinking of a rocker-recliner instead of a glider. I think that once we stop using the chair in in the babies room, that it can come out and be used in the living room. Of course not in the small place we live in now, but we have plans to get a house with in the next couple years and I am sure we will have room then. But, we will look around and see what the best option will be.

I took Audrey out on the town on Saturday for Hannas bachelorette party. Yes, I was the sober pregnant lady who went to the bars and clubs. Yes I danced a bit. Yes people gave some wierd looks. And Yes I was exhausted at the end of the night (I haven't been out let alone been up till 3am in a LONG time) But I had a great time with my girls.

Latley I have been asked a bunch of questions about our journey to parent hood, by my friends, family, and co-workers. Since most of you all have access to this blog I will just answer all of them at once:
How long did it take you to conceive: 16 LONG months

Since it took you so long, did you have a doctors assistance: Kinda. I went in to my OBGYN (who specializes in infertilty) at the 1 year mark. Since I went off birth control at our 1 year anniversary, my menstral cycle was LONG and unpredictable. At the 6th month mark I starting charting my basal body temp to make sure I was even ovulating at all. Doing this determined that I was ovulating but not every cycle and it was very hard to predict when since my cyles were all over the place. Anyway, my doc ordered a lot of blood work and Joey and I had to do a few simple tests. I had to had to have an HSG and Joey had to do a seman analysis. Both of those tests came back normal. The doctor did discover that I had a small case of PCOS that could be due to a very high insulin reisistance which could be the factor in me not ovualting as regularly as I should. So she put me on metformin (a diabetic drug) and told me to restrict my refined surgar intake and exercise more. I ended up losing 15 pounds and just felt healthier. My cycles normalized and I was able to predict ovulation more easlily. On my last cycle of taking metformin (I did it for 3 cycles) was when we found out we were pregnant. If I did not get pregnant that cycle she would have referred us to an a Reproductive Endocrinologist. I definatly was very affraid and scared that we could not do this on our own but we did and I am very thankful for that. I will tell you, we would have done ANYTHING to get pregnant even though I knew it would have been a much harder journey. I am glad the things worked out the way they did.

Did sex feel like a chore: Sometimes it did but not always. But the night Joey and I conceived our little bean was after a night out at a friends wedding. We had some drinks and it was sex for fun. Go figure. If this is a TMI- too bad its the truth

Will you go back on metformin to concieve the next child? Not sure. We will cross that road when it comes. Right not I am enjoying being pregnant with the 1st.

24 weeks

This week your baby's crown-to-rump length is around 8.4 inches and your baby will weigh approximately 1.2 pounds. Although it weighs a little over a pound at this point, your growing baby is still tiny. Your uterus can easily be felt 1.5 to 2 inches above your bellybutton. The fetus does not appear to have much room in the uterus anymore, but as your pregnancy progresses, space gets much tighter!

Your baby's face is basically complete now. The fetus's eyes are close together on the front of his face and they are still shut. Your baby's ears have moved into their final position on the sides of his head. Where they are now is where they will be when your baby is born! Hair will continue to grow on her scalp and her eyelashes are well developed. Most of your baby's features look the same as they will at birth. Because your growing baby is getting plumper, she no longer has room in your tummy to do cartwheels and somersaults.

The unborn child is covered with a fine, downy hair called lanugo. Its tender skin is protected by a waxy substance called vernix. Some of this substance may still be on the child's skin at birth at which time it will be quickly absorbed.

The child practices breathing by inhaling (up to a liter/day) amniotic fluid into developing lungs.

Ahh 24 weeks- a big milestone. If the baby were to come now, it has a chance of surviving. BUT, I am hoping she stays in there until at least 37 weeks to when she is full term. She has a lot more growing and developing to do. I am going to do everything in my power to make sure of that.

Nothing much new to report but that we ordered the furniture so that should be here with in the next couple weeks. Joey is really anxious to put it all together. I am looking forward to seeing the room come together. Yea! Oh and we also made an appointment for our 3D/4D motion ultra sound. I can't wait till March 15th.

How far along?: 24 weeks
Total weight gain: 22 pounds
How much does baby weigh?: 1-1.5 lbs
Maternity clothes?: I'm still trying to get use out of my every day shirts but my selection is starting to dwindle. I bought two maternity shirts that I ended up hating, so I may just have to rotate between a select few. oh well.
Stretch marks?: nope :)
Sleep?: its getting better. I have an ambundence of pillows that I use through out the night to keep my body comfortable
Best moment this week?: ordering the furniture
Movement?: all the time
Food cravings?: Lemonade
Labor signs?: no way
Belly button in or out?: in
What I miss: nothing
Milestone: Hitting the 24 week mark.

23 weeks

This week your baby's length, from crown-to-rump, is approximately 8 inches! Your growing baby has finally reached one pound. Your baby is about the size of a small baby doll and looks very human. The baby's face and body look similar to that of a newborn at this time.

Fat is still being deposited at a rapid rate, but your baby still looks red and wrinkled. Skin is being produced at a higher rate than the fat is, so the skin hangs loosely. Your baby looks red because the skin is losing its transparency and pigment is beginning to form. You should be feeling your baby moving quite a bit throughout the day as she will kick and punch the uterus walls. Babies also run their hands along the umbilical cord and touch their body parts while they are in the womb. Your baby now can suck her thumb for real, where she was just sticking it in her mouth. Your baby will continue to swallow amniotic fluid and recycle it as urine. The liquids and sugars that the baby retracts from the fluid is a supplement to the nutrients that the placenta delivers. You might be able to feel small `jumps` inside of you when your baby gets the hiccups from swallowing fluid.


As the baby continues to grow, it has less space to move around in the uterus. Bones, muscles and organs are growing steadily.

Audrey's room is finally cleared out and painted. We went for a soft sage green color. Thanks to the hubs who did it all by himself. Well, I helped by taping up the molding. Now time to order the furniture. We have it all picked out so we just have to order it and that will probalby happen this weekend.

Sleeping has become a big task. I sleep on my sides but my hips get really sore after about two hours of sleeping on them so I usually have to flip to the other side and/or get up to stretch or use the restroom. I have tried a contour pillow in between my knees but that only helped the first couple of nights I used it. I have a doc appt this friday, maybe she can give me some tips. Someone mentioned that I am not getting enough calcium so we'll see what the doc recommends. I am getting used to walking into work as a zombie at 6am so I guess its just getting me ready for when I have a newborn. I am trying not to complain and take it all in stride because it is all going to be worth it when our little bean arrives.

Audrey is growing and moving quite a bit. Her movement and kicks are getting stronger and stronger each day. I just love the feeling. If I haven't felt her in a while I usually play music for her just to feel her move just to put my mind at ease. I can also see her kicks from the outside which is also pretty cool. Even though sleeping is hard, I love being pregnant!!

22 Weeks

Your baby's crown-to-rump length is approximately 7.6 inches and your growing baby weighs about 12.25 ounces now! Your uterus is about 2 cm above your bellybutton and you probably feel comfortably pregnant.

Your baby's body continues to grow and develop every day. The organ systems in your baby's body are becoming specialized for their particular functions. The fetal liver produces different enzymes than it will produce after delivery. The liver is responsible for breaking down billirubin, which is produced by the breaking down of blood cells. Because the life span of a fetal red blood cell is shorter than that of an adult, a fetus produces more billirubin than adults do. Billirubin passes from fetal blood to the placenta and then into your blood. Your liver helps get rid of fetal billirubin. A newborn baby that has high levels of billirubin may show signs of jaundice. Jaundiced babies have a yellowish tint to their eyes and skin and are often treated with phototherapy.

Your baby's senses are developing daily. The fetus now has a full complement of neurons in the brain and is learning about her body and surroundings through touch. Touch is one of the first senses to mature and your baby may stroke its face or feel her arms and legs.

Your baby now shows an extremely rapid brain growth (which lasts until five years after birth).

The ovaries of female fetuses contain primitive egg cells, all of the eggs a woman will have for her entire life. The uterus of female fetuses is also fully formed.

ONLY 125 DAYS LEFT!! Seems sooo far away yet sooo close. I can't wait! We finally decided on a paint color for the room. I think painting day will be Friday. After that the furniture will probably be ordered. Things are coming together. Audrey's closet is definatly getting full. Joey and I have picked out some things (can't pass up the good deals) and Joey's brother, Danny, has already bought a bunch of cute clothes in all different sizes. Its fun to look at all of the outfits! I can't wait to dress her in them.

I feel Audrey move more and more each day. Yesterday, I didn't really feel her all day except when I was trying to go sleep. Go figure. But I enjoy every minute of it and still can't believe there is a living person inside of me. VERY COOL. Its amazing what our bodys can do.

A couple weeks ago I posted a pic of Joey's cat snugglin with the baby belly. Now my little kitty is getting in on the action. I think this picture is so cute. Both kittys are still on me like white on rice. Everytime I sit down one of them plops right down next to the belly. They start to purr and Audrey has a hay day and constantly kicks. I love it and I am sure they do too.

21 Weeks

Your baby's blood circulation is completely functional. The umbilical cord system continues to grow and thicken as blood travels with considerable force through the body to nurture the baby. The placenta is now almost equal in size to the baby.

Your baby will be getting much larger during the second half of your pregnancy. Your baby's crown-to-rump length at this time is 10.5 inches and she weighs approximately 12 ounces. Your growing baby is about the size of a large banana.

Your baby's different organs and systems are maturing. The fetal digestive system is functioning in a simple way and your baby can swallow amniotic fluid. After your baby swallows the amniotic fluid, she is able to absorb water and sugars from the fluid. Your baby swallows the amniotic fluid in order to prepare itself for life outside of the womb. Some babies consume as much as 17 ounces of amniotic fluid in a 24-hour period. Your baby already has a high number of red blood cells and the white blood cells are beginning to be produced. Taste buds are being formed on your baby's tongue this week also.

This weekend Joey and I hope to go pick out a paint color for Audrey's room. Hopefully we find the right shade. Nothing much else going on. I think we are pretty set on the furniture we want and the basic layout of how the room will look so at least that is a start. YEA!!!

How far along?: 21 weeks
Total weight gain: 18 lbs
How much does baby weigh?: Around 12 ounces
Maternity clothes?: just pants. I am still able to wear some of my shirts. I guess its time to go shopping....
Stretch marks?: nope :-)
Sleep?: it is quite the task to get comfortable but I am still managing
Best moment this week?: Joey feeling the baby move. He LOVED it.
Movement?: Yes, lots of it
Food cravings?: Milk
Labor signs?: nope
Belly button in or out?: in
What I miss: nothing this week
What I'm looking forward to: Getting started on the baby's room
Milestone: Joey feeling the baby move

Halfway!!! yea!!!

Congratulations! This week marks the half way point of your pregnancy. It has been 18 weeks since the date of conception and your baby's crown-to-rump length is 5.6 to 6.4 inches. The fetus weighs about 9 to 10 ounces and your belly definitely has an obvious bulge.

Your baby's skin begins to thicken this week and will develop four layers. Your baby's sebaceous glands secrete a waxy substance called vernix caseosa. Your baby will be born with this wax and it will look like paste. The vernix caseosa is crucial because it protects the fetus' fragile skin from the continuous immersion in amniotic fluid. Lanugo hairs secure the vernix caseosa in place and it is thick around the eyebrows. Scalp hair and toenails are beginning to form at this point. Hair can also be seen on the upper lip and eyebrows.

I'm feeling ok. I don't get much more than an hour or two of constant sleep. I either have to pee or the side I am sleeping on gets sore so I have to change sleeping positions. I think I am going to look for some sort of pillow that may help with the soreness. Maybe the "snoogle" body pillow will help. So the lack of sleep gives me a contant exhausted feeling. But I should get used to it right? Newborns don't sleep much more than a couple hours at a time anyway. I am sure I will eventually.

I had a fun visit in Arizona with Elysia. The weather was decent and I had a lot of fun hanging out with Elysia and baby James. The weekend went by too fast. Joey got a lot done while I was gone. The baby's room is entirely cleared out and the carpets are steam cleaned. Time to pick a paint color and wait for the baby furniture we want to go on sale. We have a lot to do and get in the next 20 weeks. But everything will come together little by little. I am really excited!! Only 20 weeks till we get to meet our little girl. YEA!!!!!!!!!

ITS A GIRL!!!

Your baby's crown-to-rump length is 5.2 to 6 inches this week. Your baby weighs approximately 7 to 8.5 ounces and will increase its weight more than 15 times between now and birth!

Most women can feel their uterus about a half of an inch below their bellybutton at this point of pregnancy. If you turn to the side, you can really tell that your body is changing! Most women have gained up to 14 pounds now and only 7 ounces of that is your baby! The placenta weighs about 6 ounces and the amniotic fluid that surrounds your baby weighs 11 ounces. Your breasts have increased in weight by 6 ounces each and the uterus has grown to 11 ounces! You may be gaining weight in places other than your abdomen and this may be affecting your posture and sleeping habits.

One of the most amazing aspects of your baby's growth and development is that of the fetal brain. Your baby's brain is one of the first organs to appear. Your baby's oversized head shows the brain's importance in her development. Because the nerves that connect the muscles to the brain have grown into place, your baby's movements are consciously directed. Your baby's ears stand out from the sides of the head and the buds for your baby's permanent teeth appear. Your baby's arms and legs have reached their relative proportions and her feet are approximately one inch long.

WE ARE HAVIN A GIRL!! Joey and I are really excited!! I thought it was a boy and Joey (and everyone else) thought it was a girl. Her name will be Audrey Kathleen and we are sooooo excited to meet her!! Anyway, we are now in full baby mode. The next couple of months will be spent preparing for out little princess to arrive. We are getting the room ready little by little. Joey has installed the new closet shelving, my little brother will inherit the desk, and the day bed will go to the local women's shelter. Those should be out of the room by the weekend (Joey's project while I am gone) and the carpets will be steam cleaned. Then after that its the daunting task of paint colors. We want to paint the walls a nice sage green color (it will go well with the bedding we picked out). We were at Lowes yesterday picking up the shelving and stopped by the paint department. Damn there are a lot of shades of green. It may take us a while to find the right shade.

The rest of yesterdays appointment went well. My weight gain is right on track, all the measurings the tech took of the baby came out great. The only problem is where my placenta is positioned. Its a little lower than they like to see. The tech and the doc didn't seem worried about it though and that it will more than likley correct itself as my uterus grows. I will get another quick ultra sound in a month or two to check on it.

How far along?: 19 weeks
Total weight gain: 14-15 lbs
How much does baby weigh?: around 8 oz
Maternity clothes?: Just pants- BUT my shirts aren't going to cut it for very much longer
Stretch marks?: nope
Sleep?: I pee every couple hours and its hard to get into a comfortable positon- But i still nap like a champ
Best moment this week?: finding out that we are having a baby girl
Movement?: Yes- she is very active
Food cravings?: just milk like usual
Labor signs?: nope
Belly button in or out?: in
What I miss: not getting unsolicited advise- if i want advise..I'll ask- plain and simple
What I'm looking forward to: getting the room ready and getting to the half way mark next week
Milestone: GIRL....duh

18 Weeks

Thumb-sucking at 18 weeks....

By week 18 of your pregnancy, your baby's crown-to-rump length is 5 to 5.5 inches long. Your baby continues to develop fat layers and weighs about 5.25-6.25 ounces. Your baby will continue to grow and develop, but the rapid growth will slow down for a little while. You will be able to feel your uterus just below your bellybutton. If you put your fingers sideways to measure, you can feel your uterus about two finger-widths below your bellybutton. At this point of your pregnancy, your uterus is approximately the size of a cantaloupe. Although weight gain varies from woman to woman, your total weight gain at this point should be 10 to 13 pounds.

There is still space available in your uterus and your baby will be active for periods at a time. Your baby may sit cross legged or turn somersaults.

Around this time, your baby becomes more sensitive to the outside world and shows her presence through powerful kicks and prods. The bones through which sound is passed to the inner ear have hardened and the parts of the brain that receives and processes nerve signals from the ears are developing. This means that your baby can hear now. Your baby will get used to familiar sounds, such as your heart beating, familiar voices, blood rushing through the umbilical cord and other daily routine sounds. Your baby will become startled if he hears a loud sound.

If you have a stethoscope at home, you can now hear the baby's heartbeat yourself.

This is a picture of Peevy. He has been labled as the stubborn/standoffish cat who only wants attention when he demands it. The last month or so hasn't been the case. He has been on me like white on rice and hops on my lab at every chance he gets. Actually both kittys have been that way. Almost all the time I will have at least one kitty if not both laying on my lap or trying to lay on my belly when ever I am sitting or laying down. Last night, Peevy gets comfortable on my belly and starts to purr really loudly. I think the baby can hear or feel the vibration from the purring because it had a hay day. I was feeling kick after kick. I mean, I have felt some flutters before but no movement from the little bean like this. It was actually kinda cool. Usually Peevy will stop purring if you stop petting him but not this time. I think he could feel the little kicks coming from inside because he kept purring. Its amazing how cats/dogs can sense things like that. It was quite the experience and I am sure there will be more to come.

Anyway, the next couple of weeks should be quite busy. I start pre-natal yoga on thursday, Joey and I are off on our "babymoon" to the mountains in Idaho this weekend, Monday we hopefully find out the sex of the baby and will start buying/registering for the essentials, and next weekend I am off to Arizona to see Elysia and the babe. It all should be very eventful and exciting

I have started to slowly clean out the babies room. Its taking longer than I thought. Just have to get rid of the furniture and get everything organized. And maybe throw more crap away (I have already filled a freakin dumpster). Wish us luck!!