BillyandAshlee.com

Your Baby’s Development

Baby’s appearance is changing rapidly during this week. Most of the wrinkles are disappearing from your baby’s face, and there may be a lot of hair on her head. In fact, as the lanugo hair on her body begins to fall off, the hair on her head is growing even faster. By week 32, some babies already have a thick head of hair, while others have only a few strands.

Baby is now about four pounds and about 15.5 inches long, an incredible increase of almost two pounds from last month.

In other developmental news this week, Baby:

• Will have completely formed fingernails and toenails.

• Will be able to turn her head from side to side.

• Has organs that continue to mature.

• Has sucking muscles that have matured, and will enable her to latch on and breastfeed once she arrives. (A good sucking pattern is also a sign of good brain and muscle development.)

• Will begin dreaming during sleep toward the end of the eighth month, according to brain scans. Due to her impressive brain development, her sleep will now include both REM and non-REM sleep stages. (REM stands for “rapid eye movement,” the dreaming stage of sleep.)

Your Development

You’ve probably gained about three to four pounds this month. Don’t be alarmed — gaining a pound a week is quite normal during the last trimester, because your baby’s demand for nourishment increases as she experiences the final growth spurt before birth.

As the skin on your belly expands, you may notice numb spots or highly sensitive areas on your upper abdomen or rib cage. This is because as your skin stretches, the nerve fibers in it stretch, too. This can create extremely sensitive or insensitive areas on the skin, but this sensation will cease once Baby arrives.

We had our last sonogram today, everything looks perfect! The baby is measuring right on (actually a few days behind overall, but the due date is still 9/22), weighs approx. 3lb 12oz, all of which puts it in the 24th percentile!! So much for a big baby, looks like it could be on the small side!!! The amniotic fluid levels were totally normal, the placenta has moved up and out of the way (was “low lying” at our 16week sonogram) and as of today the baby is still head down. The only “weird” thing is I have an “accessory lobe” on my placenta and all that means is that after I deliver, they have to be careful to make sure all of the placenta is delivered. And again, the u/s tech freaked out about how much hair the baby has! She went on and on saying how thick and long the hair is…I seriously have to go home tonight and look at Billy and my baby pics, I don’t remember either of us having much of any hair (mom said I was bald). The tech said that if it’s a girl, we’ll need some barrette’s!

I gained less than a pound this time, so that’s good! I saw a midwife today instead of my dr (on vacation) and when she measured me, I still measured 2.5 weeks ahead (which is what it generally has been, last time was 5 weeks ahead and obviously totally off!), so I measured 34 weeks at 31.5 weeks. She also said it has to do with how the baby is laying and the fact that I’m petite…at least now I have the sono to back that up!!

It’ll be a week or so before we get any new pictures online, Billy leaves for Vegas today and he’s my IT guy=).

Here’s the latest belly pic from 31w4d (Monday):

Here’s the latest picture (at 30w6d) from Wednesday:

Your Baby’s Development

This week marks some major changes for your baby’s eyes. Most notably, the iris in your baby’s eyes will become pigmented. However, no matter what color eyes your baby is born with (most are born with dark blue-brown or blue-gray eyes) the color almost always changes after birth. In fact, your baby’s true eye color won’t appear for six to nine months after delivery, because the final eye pigmentation occurs in response to the strong light of the outside world.

By the end of this week, Baby will weigh about 3.5 pounds and will be about 14.5 inches long. From now on, your baby’s weight gain will exceed her growth in length.

Each day brings new developments inside the womb:

• Baby’s eyes are now usually open during waking, and are closed at naptimes.

• Baby’s lungs and digestive tract are continuing to develop.

• As you near the end of the second trimester, your baby will begin to settle head-down into your pelvis. However, some babies don’t make this journey until late in the last trimester, and about four percent of babies don’t make the switch, remaining in a breech position at delivery.

Your Development

Some aches and pains are fairly common in and around your 31st week of pregnancy.

As Baby grows bigger each day, your abdomen swells. It may begin to ache, along with your rib cage and pelvis, from excess weight. (Your total pregnancy weight gain by this time should be somewhere between 21 and 27 pounds.)

You may also be experiencing additional swelling in your legs around this time. Try to lie on your left side when sleeping or resting. Loose-fitting clothing is also a good idea, so that you don’t restrict blood flow in your arms and legs. Tight clothing at the waist, knees, ankles, shoulders, elbows or wrists can all cause problems. When sitting, you may want to tuck your legs to the side instead of in a crossed position, because the way you sit can affect your circulation. Crossing your legs at the knee or at the ankle restricts blood flow to your legs.

Additionally, you may experience even more heartburn this week as your uterus presses against your internal organs. Remember, heartburn can be relieved by remaining upright after eating, and by eating smaller, more frequent meals.

Also this week, some women begin to notice colostrum leaking from their breasts. If you are experiencing this, you may want to use breast pads which can help protect your clothes.

During this time, your body continues to ready itself for the big day as it begins to produce a number of hormones in preparation for labor and delivery.

I received my congratulations letter last night, addressed to Ashlee Swearingen, CIA!! I’ve also fulfilled all other requirements, so now I’m a licensed CIA (certified internal auditor)!! I’m so glad I don’t have to think about that exam and a newborn at the same time! =)

I had my first baby shower on Saturday and it was awsome!! Jen, Megan, Meggan, and Twynette did a fabulous job and it was really fun! Here’s a pic of the 4 of us:

(from left to right is Megan, Jen, Twynette, me, Meggan).

Here’s a pic of all the presents the baby received!!

And also this stroller from mom and dad!!

Here’s a LINK to all the baby shower pics!

Also, Billy, dad and Nick (Andi’s fiance) picked up all the nursery furniture and got it in and mom and I got all the bedding on the bed (which looks AWSOME!!). Here’s a few pics:

mom and I putting the bedding on:

the complete bedding/crib:

the crib w/o the quilt and the nightstand:

the dresser:

For all the pics click on this LINK.

It’s all coming together!

Billy found his cable this morning, so we finally have belly pics to post!

Here’s a few weeks ago at 28w6d:

And this week (Monday) at 29w4d:

I had a dr. appt yesterday and everything looks great (i.e. blood pressure, weight, etc). I measured about 35/36 weeks, so about 5 weeks ahead, but again, my dr. said that it is just an old school method of making sure the baby is growing between visits and was relied upon more in the days before sonograms. I have another appt in 2 weeks (7/26) which will be another sonogram (will get the final word on the low-lying placenta and hopefully the baby is still head down!) and dr. appt. Also, we talked about being induced and my dr. said he induces on Mondays, Tuesdays and sometimes Fridays. I asked if since I was due on a Thursday, if we’d induce that following Monday/Tuesday if I hadn’t had the baby and he said actually, he’d rather induce that Monday/Tuesday before. He said he really doesn’t like women to go past their due dates, no sense in it and only bad things can happen!! Sounds good to me! He also said to get the epidural as soon as I want it! Awsome! So, I’d like to convince him to induce that Friday after my due date (9/23) that way hopefully the baby will come on its own and if not, that gives Billy longer at home with us (10ish days) vs. the 7ish days he’d have if the baby comes on a Monday. We’ll see!

Short story, but we had our birthing class on Saturday. We learned all about the stages and phases of labor, csections, medication options, and methods for relaxation and pain control (involving breathing and dad massaging while we focused on that during contractions). We both really enjoyed the class and feel as prepared as we probably can be!

We also took our hospital tour tonight. It was pretty much the same thing we saw when we had to go there several weeks ago. The hospital is under construction right now (especially the labor floors), so it’ll be really nice when we have the next kid! The labor and delivery rooms are really big and nice, the mom and baby rooms (where you are moved after delivery) are much smaller, but still work. There are fold out beds for dads and the baby can room-in the entire time if you want (which I’m saying now I want), so that’s all I needed to know! They also have really great security as far as mom, dad, and baby all wearing matching bracelets, the babies wear tracking bracelets (they can electronically trace where the baby is), and there is also a feature whereby when the mom and baby have been apart, the bracelets “chime” when the mom and baby come together again as another check that mom has the right baby.

Finally, our furniture is in!!! I got the call today, so Billy and dad are going to go pick it up on Saturday (mom and dad will be here for my first baby shower on Saturday) and hopefully by the time we get home, it’s all in the nursery and the crib will be all set-up! I can’t wait to see the room coming together (glider isn’t in yet, not expected for another month or so) and we’ll be sure to post pictures! (as soon as Billy can locate the cable for the camera…which is the reason we haven’t posted belly pics in a few weeks!).

Your Baby’s Development

Your baby has probably reached three pounds and about 14 inches in length. She’s also filling out a bit as she continues to gain weight, and these layers of fat help her to appear less wrinkled.

As practice for breathing after birth, your baby is mimicking breathing movements by repeatedly moving her diaphragm in a rhythmic way. This can trigger hiccups if she inadvertently inhales amniotic fluid. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid now surrounds your baby, but that volume decreases as she gets bigger and has less room in your uterus.

Here’s what else is happening this week:

• Baby’s head continues to grow, and brain growth speeds up even more.

• Baby’s hearing is improving; nearly all babies can react (by movement) to sound by this week.

Your Development

At this point, you should be gaining about a pound a week. Since the average weight gain during pregnancy is between 25 to 30 pounds, you may still have about five pounds to go.

By now, you might be dreaming more vividly—these dreams may be related to your concerns about the new baby, your parenting ability (especially if this is your first child) and how life will be changing for your family. It’s also normal to have recurrent dreams about childbirth or unexpected experiences with Baby. If you’re finding it hard to sleep at night, try taking a catnap during the day to make up for it. If you work during the day, find a break room or safe, quiet place where you can get a little rest.

We had our 3d/4d ultrasound done today and it was amazing!! The baby was sleeping most of the time and we tried everything to wake him/her up (chocolate, juice, poking, etc), but nothing worked! But we still got really cute profile pictures!! Click on this link to see the still pictures!! Everything looked great! The heartbeat was 141, the baby was head down, with its back curled on my right side and feet up at the top of my belly (like a big C), my placenta appears to have moved up (was low-lying at my 16week scan, so I’m really excited we don’t have to have a c-section for sure!), the baby has 2 arms/hands and 2 legs/feet (haha) and no cleft lip! We’ll see if we can get the video on here at some point!! And no, we still don’t know if the baby is a boy or girl! =) Here’s just one of the pictures!

Your Baby’s Development

Now that organ and nerve development is almost complete, your baby will start gaining weight very quickly this week — mostly in the form of body fat. This fat will provide insulation for Baby and will fill out most of the wrinkles in her skin, making her look like a plump, healthy baby.

In addition, Baby’s brain continues its important developmental work this week. In fact, it is growing so quickly now, it may cause her flexible skull bones to swell slightly. The folds and fissures of the brain continue to develop, allowing room for important interconnections between nerve cells. During this week, brain wave patterns begin to look like those of a full-term baby.

By this time, your baby may weigh just under three pounds and is a bit less than 14 inches long.

Other important developments in the 29th week include:

• Baby will begin to produce prolactin, a hormone that will help your body produce colostrum. (Colostrum is the first breastmilk you’ll produce and is filled with nutrients and immunity-enhancers.)

• Insistent kicking action will occur as Baby’s muscles develop. Later in this trimester, these movements will slow down as Baby gets bigger and the uterus gets more cramped.

• Baby’s skeleton will continue to harden.

• Baby’s lungs will continue to mature.

• Baby’s downy lanugo hair will begin to shed into the amniotic fluid. She may still have some on her body at birth, but this will fall off in the first week or so.

• Toenails will continue to grow.

• Retinas will continue to develop.

Your Development

Your overall weight gain by this week should be between 19 and 25 pounds, and your diet becomes even more important as your baby’s nutritional needs peak. To keep Baby on track, you’ll need plenty of protein, vitamin C, folic acid, iron, and calcium (about 200 milligrams of calcium is deposited in your baby’s skeleton every day).

Because Baby’s brain is developing so fast now, adequate protein intake is essential. Dairy products, meat, fish, chicken, beans and tofu are good protein sources.

The normal side effects of pregnancy may peak now—itchy skin (a result of hormones and stretching skin), hemorrhoids, breathlessness, fatigue, aching muscles, heartburn and leg cramps. Leg cramps occur, usually at night, in the second or third trimester. While their exact cause is unknown, they may be linked to fatigue, pressure of the uterus on the nerves in the legs, and by inadequate calcium intake.

And at long last, I finally pestered Billy long enough he uploaded my most recent belly pic from Monday at 27w4d!! (he really needs to show me how to do it myself!!) You can see the new nursery color in the background!

For the most recent progress on the nursery (which includes the paint done, closet installed and baby’s things put away, and new guestbed linens but the bed is moving nextdoor), click on this link!