Week 33 - 7 weeks to go!

Countdown: 13 days till my 22nd birthday, 17 days till my baby shower, 44 days till baby Michael arrives!

How far along: 33 weeks 4 days
Total weight gain: At my Dr. appt last week I had gained 2 lbs! So now I’m at 15 lb total weight gain. My next appt is this coming Tuesday so we’ll see if I’ve packed on any more lbs after this weekend in DC. Gahhh

Maternity clothes?: Yup!

Stretch marks?: I’m still safe and still slathering on lotion and oil to keep those bad boys away.  
Belly button, in or out?: Out. I’ve gotten used to seeing it through my clothes..
Sleep: Sleep has been way better lately, although now I’m back home and the silly cats sit outside my room meowing until I get up and go feed them and let them out…at 5am.  I don’t think there is any hope of me getting perfect sleep before baby arrives.
Cravings: Nothing weird as of right now, who knows if something will come up randomly later.
Showing yet?: More than ever although everyone tells me (even people I don’t know) that I’m “really small” for 8 months pregnant. From the way Michael kicks me, he sure doesn’t seem small.
Happy or Moody?: Happy! I am so looking forward to my baby shower and baby Michael’s arrival. And this weekend the Laura’s will be in town!

Movement: Constant. The other night I was laying on my side and he kicked me so hard that I jumped up. It wasn’t painful but it really caught me by surprise!
Best moment this week: Spending time with Michael’s dad’s side of the family and seeing Laura, Jules and Fanny in DC! It was nice getting out of New York for a few days and being back down in DC/VA. I absolutely love it down there.  I wish I could transport my family and friends there so I could be surrounded by the most important people in my life in one of the best places in the US.
Things I miss: Being able to sit up without rolling over first…I feel like a whale. 
Gender: BOY!
Looking forward to: This weekend, my birthday, baby shower, Michael’s arrival!
Due Date: August 11^th

I’m super late in updating for week 33, but I got back into New York yesterday so I decided to just relax for the night and take up blogging today. Pregnancy symptom wise, the back pain I’ve been experiencing has been getting worse and worse to the point where sitting, standing and walking are all pretty painful. I went for a massage on Monday to try to ease the pain, but it didn’t really end up helping all that much. I also seem to get stressed a lot easier which I’ll attribute to the all my raging hormones along with some other factors. I think that traveling down to DC/VA proved to be a bit much for me since I was up to something pretty much every day. I’m happy now to just be home and able to relax in my own bed with my little kitties here to keep me company! The end of the weekend before I left proved to be especially stressful for me and I was having some pretty intense Braxton Hicks contractions to the point where I was convinced I was possibly going into labor. Thankfully that was not the case, but the contractions didn’t really stop until this morning. 

Along with the contractions, Michael was moving around like crazy; I think he could tell I was under a lot of stress. Hopefully now because I’m more relaxed, he will also calm down a bit. The rash that I had on my arm got really really bad to the point where I called my doctor, but I slathered it in calomine lotion twice a day with a cold water treatment and it eventually dried up. However, I think that I finally found the root cause – cat dander. The rash dried up after I stopped handling the cats and when I was in DC, and this morning it reappeared after I had picked up the cats a few times to cuddle them. I looked it up online and apparently it’s possible to develop weird allergies when pregnant. Sad because I love my cats! 

Overall, I had a pretty good trip down to DC/VA. On the Friday that I was there, I made a Babies R Us trip with Chris (Grandma Mimi!) which is where I am registered. I am so excited as her baby shower gift to me is the stroller that I am completely obsessed with! Now I am just waiting for it to arrive at my house - UPS better hurry up because I cannot wait to put it together. I posted a picture of it once before  I think, but here it is again. 

While we were there we also found the most adorable wall art that we decided would look absolutely perfect in Michael's nursery! We both saw it and immediately knew that we had to get it. And sure enough it will look perfect on the wall by the dresser. Just waiting for my Dad to get home to help me put it up on the wall. I also happen to have a little stuffed elephant from Carter's that my friend Ariel had given to me a little while ago as a gift for Michael that matches perfectly as he is blue with brown ears as well. I think that little elephants are just so cute on baby clothes, toys and decorations. The matching swing and bouncer that I have have little elephants along with the pack and play and they are adorable! 

This weekend the Lauras are coming to New York and we'll be spending the weekend in the city doing touristy things...cant wait! In the meantime, I think I'm just going to be cleaning the house and sorting baby clothes as I was given yet another bag of clothes for Michael! This baby is so blessed. He pretty much has everything he could possibly need and I'm sure that after the shower, I'll have more than enough for him! I really cannot wait for my little prince to arrive. 

How your baby’s growing:

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (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. These bones don’t entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood. 

Books!

This week I made a stop at TJ Maxx to do some shopping and stumbled across the children's books section and had to sit down and read the adorable little books. Books are definitely something I think are extremely important in any child's development and one of the things I look forward to the most is reading to Michael. His shelves are already stocked with a bunch of books in both French and English that belonged to my brother and I when we were little. My mom kept all of them in a box and now they are seeing daylight again! I can't wait for him to enjoy them as well.


Babysitting over the years has introduced me to many a children's book and I have officially decided that my favorite author is Sarah Boynton. Her books are AWESOME. They are simple and so cute and the illustrations are both funny and adorable! My absolute favorite is "Barnyard Dance" which I know by heart from reading it and dancing it to the twins over and over again. I've started a small collection of her books and so far the two I got were relatively inexpensive at TJ Maxx. I aim to expand because I just love all of her little stories. Here is a link to her website. She even sells the stuffed animals of some of her main characters. "Little Pookie" is my favorite! Below are the two books I bought on Friday.

In decorating his room, I wanted to find some cute posters to frame and hang on the walls. The website "Children Inspire Design" has some great stuff that I really like! One of them is an alphabet poster that you can order in any language. I plan on eventually getting the French one. In the mean time, they also have a poster with counting numbers and pictures in every language which I got and framed and put up on the shelf. I plan on hanging it on the wall by the dresser...eventually. Strangely, they spelled some of the numbers wrong...weird.

Below is a collage I made of some of my favorite books growing up along with more recent ones that I plan on getting for Michael's book collection! I'm sure most of you can recognize a few of these as "classics" when we were growing up!

Week 32 - 8 weeks to go!

Countdown: 23 days till my 22nd birthday, 27 days till my baby shower, 54 days till baby Michael arrives!

 

How far along: 32 weeks 1 day
Total weight gain: I think its safe to say I’ve gained some weight..I definitely feel like I have although since I don’t own a scale, there’s really no way to know. Dr’s appointment on Tuesday will confirm my sneaking suspicion that I’ve packed on a couple of pounds in the last 2 weeks. At least I hope so! I want baby to keep growing! (although, not tooo big. Don’t want to be pushing out a 10 pounder)

Maternity clothes?: Yep and maxi dresses! Those are a total life saver in the summer time.
Stretch marks?: Nothing! Although everytime I see any kind of red mark, usually from tight clothes leaving imprints, I instantly freak out and examine the area, but thankfully nothing has been permanent.
Belly button, in or out?: Out out out…but in a cute way.
Sleep: Sleep has been pretty awful. Can’t fall asleep for at least an hour, then I get up a couple of times throughout the night to pee. Sometimes I’ll wake up and be wide awake, ready to start my day. (at 3am? Yea right.) Guess my body is getting me ready for a hungry baby that will want to eat all throughout the night.
Cravings: Weird cravings of the week: spaghetti, baklava, tuna, stirfry…I have yet to get my hands on some baklava. Ugh…want some soo bad! I wish I knew how to make it.
Showing yet?: At 32 weeks, you would hope so!
Happy or Moody?: Mixed..mostly happy! Although sometimes those stupid hormones get the best of me and I get into a funk for no reason and I can’t help it…and the strangest things will make me cry. It probably hasn’t helped that I’ve taken up watching Animal cops on TV and watch them rescue the saddest looking abused puppies, kittens, horses, etc.

Movement: All the time..I wonder if I’ll be able to feel him do the legendary “turn”! It should be happening within the next couple of weeks.
Best moment this week: Definitively planning a little trip down south! (amongst a few other things)
Things I miss: Being able to sit up without rolling over first…I feel like a whale.
Gender: BOY!
Looking forward to: Baby shower, DC trip, birthday, due date, the bottle of champagne after delivery, etc…
Due Date: August 11^th

As I’m typing, I’m having a complete  memory lapse on things that took place this week, to include notable symptoms I’ve had… They haven’t really changed enormously however; I still have horrible middle back pains, trouble sleeping and get tired relatively easily. I’m really trying to stay optimistic in looking forward to this next month and a half, because I have a feeling its going to go by quite slowly. Weird thing though – I’ve developed a really strange rash on my arm that I thought was poison ivy at first, but now I’m starting to think its not. Its spreading up my arm and hasn’t shown signs of stopping so I’m starting to get really worried. Definitely need to talk to the doc about this one. So far I’ve been doing a soak 2x a day. Sticking my arm in hot water mixed with baking soda to dry out the rash, then put hydrocortisone cream on it. It’s been kinda working, but its still spreading…yuck. I don't know if you can really tell from the picture, but there are red rashy spots all up my poor little arm..and they itch like crazy!

This week overall wasn’t extremely eventful. My mom and I did pretty much finalize everything for the baby shower though!  Invites are all out and we bought all the supplies we needed to include: plates, napkins, tableclothes, margarita glasses, bowls, a crown (for me!), cupcake stuff, supplies to make the centerpieces… and sooo much more. It was extremely overwhelming having to pick all the stuff out, making it all match and we have yet to order the favors. Stress! Thankfully my mom is spearheading most of the planning so I’m kinda just along for the ride. I’m so excited though! I’m hoping and praying that the weather is beautiful that day – NO rain, not boiling hot. Mid 70s and sunny would be just perfect!

Made final plans to head into the DC/VA area this week! Woohoo! While I love being back home, I need a change of scenery, plus I really miss it. Looked at the weather and its going to be sweltering hot down there this week…I’m going to need to find a pool to soak in or I’m afraid I might melt. I also dyed my hair this week. I got some all natural hair dye from Mrs. Green's (for the life of me, I can't remember the name of it..) and put it in along with my mom who got some for herself. Now, my hair has a nice reddish tint to it and in the sun I have bright red highlights! I hadn't dyed my hair in about a year so it was nice to be able to do that...simple pleasures. 

My next weekly update will probably be a bit late considering I’ll still be in VA when Week 33 comes and goes, but I’ll do my best to get one up! Time is flying right now. 8 weeks left to go…what?! And that’s if he comes right on time..I’m hoping hes a week or two early bc idk if I can stand the wait any longer!

How your baby’s growing:

By now, your baby w eighs 3.75 pounds, like a large jicama (wtf is that?) 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, he’ll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails and real hair! (peach fuzz really). His skin is becoming soft and smooth and he plumps up in preparation for birth.

Week 31 - 9 weeks to go!

Countdown: 29 days till my 22nd birthday, 33 days till my baby shower, 60 days till baby Michael arrives!

How far along: 31 weeks 2 days
Total weight gain: Had my doctor’s appointment on Tuesday and was pleased to find out I have only gained a total of 12.5 lbs so far! My weight hadn’t even changed since my last visit! So, I treated myself to a brownie..or two. J

Maternity clothes?: Still wearing them…and now it’s getting hotter so everything is less comfortable.
Stretch marks?: Still nothing!
Belly button, in or out?: Out and about.
Sleep: Still can no longer sleep on my back which is a bummer and sleeping on my side is a bit uncomfortable. I should probably get used to this…I’ve got two more months to go of comfortless sleep.
Cravings: Back to craving chocolate...and I gave in to that craving and made a batch of brownies. I couldn’t take it anymore.
Showing yet?: No hiding it at all!
Happy or Moody?: Happy! I had a great week/weekend and now can look forward to more fun times to come in the next few weeks.

Movement: So much movement that when he isn’t moving, I’m very much aware of that fact and relish the break my poor stomach and ribs have.
Best moment this week: Having David up here for the weekend and doing the birthing class together!
Things I miss: Being able to tie my shoes without having to bend my leg awkwardly or just give up and wear flip flops
Gender: BOY!
Looking forward to: Baby shower & possibly going down to DC/VA for a few days!
Due Date: August 11^th

Sadly, this week/weekend went by really quickly, but it was a great time overall. Pregnancy symptom wise, I’m still suffering from some pretty bad back pain so I find myself trying all sorts of lying down and sitting positions with tons of pillows to try and alleviate it. I’m also sick of feeling like a totally clumsy and awkward blob. Rolling over when trying to get out of bed is getting old. I really can’t wait to have my “old body” back where my abs were strong enough to lift me out of a lying down position. I saw a picture of me with a short shirt and saw my flat stomach and nearly cried. I am determined to get back to those six pack abs. My doctor’s appointment went really well. Everything is progressing perfectly. I tested negative for the gestational diabetes test, but the blood work did reveal anemia which I had already suspected a while ago. I’ve been taking my daily iron pill coupled with Vit. C (which is proven to help the body better absorb iron if taken simultaneously). Surprisingly, despite feeling like a whale, I’ve only gained a total of 12.5 lbs since getting pregnant! I decided that was grounds for me treating myself to a brownie so I got the mix and made a delicious batch. Yum! Next appointment is in a week, so hopefully I didn’t make a mistake in allowing myself to eat a brownie…we’ll see. I also had a dentist appointment which revealed a tiny cavity (sad because I’ve managed to go 22 years with just one cavity). My doctor gave it the go ahead, so I’m going back in to get that filled.

I spent a couple of days thoroughly cleaning the house with my mom to get rid of all the dust and cat hair that has managed to settle in pretty much every nook and cranny. David was coming up for the weekend and he’s allergic to cats so we did our best to sterilize the house to avoid him choking to death while here. He arrived Friday and we had the birthing class on Saturday at the hospital where I would be delivering. It was a 1 day class from 9-5 and there were 15 other couples taking the class with us. It was long, but extremely informative and I must say that I am definitely much more at ease with the idea of having a “natural birth” with the option of painkillers or other interventions, should I need them or decide that I can’t handle the pain. We learned the pros and cons of all of the different birthing techniques, labor positions, interventions, etc. We practiced different labor positions, most of which involved me getting some kind of a back massage = awesome. Always down for a free massage! I discovered that sitting on one of those big plastic inflatable exercise balls is one of the few things that alleviate my back pain and is just overall super comfortable. After the class we went out and bought one and also bought a pregnancy back/belly support belt. It kind of makes me look like a Home Depot worker, but I must say that it really helps. Below is a picture of all the pregnancy must-haves I could think of, to include the ball and belt I just mentioned. The rest are pretty self explanatory. 

Overall, the weekend was quite successful and we had a great time. We decided that I will hopefully get back down to the DC/VA area in the next couple of weeks where we would take an infant care/CPR class. While I have a lot of experience with babies, I’ve never had to take care of a brand new day old infant, much less my own infant, so I thought it would be a great idea. Not to mention, every new dad should get some experience changing diapers and making bottles before the big day where there isn’t too much room for error! Hopefully it works out because I miss DC so much!

Today, I got (well, my mom aka soon-to-be a grandma) got a little Baby Boy memory book which I’m going to start filling out. It’s so cute and has pages for pictures, firsts, doctor’s appointments, growth records, everything! I’m really excited to keep filling things out as time goes by when Michael gets here! 

                                                                                                         How your baby’s growing:

This week, your baby measures just over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (4 navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side and his arms, legs and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He’s probably moving a lot too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby’s kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort, all this moving means your baby is active and healthy. 

Week 30 - 10 weeks to go!

Countdown: 5 days till my Lamaze class w. David, 36 days till my 22nd birthday, 40 days till my baby shower, 67 days till baby Michael arrives!

How far along: 30 weeks 2 days
Total weight gain: 13 lbs? - I'll find out for sure tomorrow at my next appointment
Maternity clothes?: Still wearing them..although today it is freezing out so I bundled up in sweats
Stretch marks?: Nothing...phew
Belly button, in or out?: Out and about.
Sleep: For some reason I haven't been able to fall asleep early like I used to..so I'm back to going to sleep around 1130 or 12 and waking up around 9 or 930. Kind of annoying..Also, I'm officially at the point where I can't lay on my back without feeling like I'm dizzy and suffocating. The baby must be squishing some major arteries. And then when I lay on my side, he won't stop kicking me and bouncing around...nothing is very comfortable for him or I anymore.
Cravings: Back to craving chocolate...nooo!
Showing yet?: Yep, now people just comment on my pregnancy without hesitation rather than ask if I am pregnant or not.
Happy or Moody?: Happy! Time is still flying and I'm still having fun :)
Movement: Alllll the timeeee. I don't think he ever  sleeps. He also gets the hiccups pretty frequently.
Best moment this week: Finding out I was accepted to grad school! woohoo! I didn't take that stupid GRE for nothing!
Things I miss: DC, eating without suffering from indigestion, sitting without excruciating back pain, sleeping without feeling like I'm suffocating
Gender: BOY!
Looking forward to: My baby shower! All my friends will be here celebrating w me, August - for little Michael to arrive!
Due Date: August 11^th


In terms of pregnancy symptoms, I just have super bad middle back pain which makes it extremely uncomfortable to sit any longer than about 10 minutes without having to walk around or change positions..no fun. The heartburn is all gone, mostly because I'm just way more careful with what I eat and when I eat it. The anemia and all accompanying symptoms have pretty much diminished with all the iron supplements I have been taking. I was even feeling strong enough to go hiking and play tennis this week! Both of which felt amazing to do...although that night I was pretty exhausted and could barely move. Additionally, my hip and pelvic bones are shifting right now to be able to accommodate baby in a couple of months, so that's been super achey. Kinda feels like someone kicked me in the crotch bone. 


This week wasn't super eventful, but I did get a lot done. I found out I was accepted to graduate school which is pretty awesome because I really didn't think I would get into the program I applied to. Now, I'm just a little worried about the start of classes and I'm hoping and praying that baby Michael arrives early so that I have more than enough time to recover before going back to school. Thankfully, I'll only be going to class 1 day a week for a few hours, but still...I went to the orientation meeting on Wed. and met the director of my program. I am sooo excited and I can't wait to start! While I was in the city, I also got to quickly meet up with Tricia whom I haven't seen in about a year! Hands down, she is one of my longest friends...since we were 5 years old. Can't wait to see her again, hopefully before my shower!


On Friday, I also got to see my even longer longtime friend Krystle and her little baby girl! She moved so I haven't gotten to see her in a while, but she drove up for the day and we had a fabulous time catching up. On saturday, DC friend Lauren happened to be in town for a friends grad party, so we got to spend saturday night together and had an awesome time! She'll also be back in town for the shower in july! 


When Krystle was here, I took her to the local kids/baby consignment store (best place EVER) and I think its safe to say, she loved it. However, everytime I'm there, I can't resist buying a little outfit or piece of clothing for baby Michael...I'm such a pushover but the clothes are sometimes wayyyy too cute to pass up. For some reason, I always seem to fall for the overalls...something about mini overalls and how freakin cute they are! Check out some of the ones I got:

Side note: I've really been craving home made pizza all week, so I decided to make some! I made the dough, let it rise for a few hours, and made an amazing margarita type pizza. I put pesto, tomato, garlic, mozzarella, pepper and sprinkled on some gruyere cheese. 15 minutes later- voila! The picture below is what it looked like before I stuck it in the oven. 

How your baby's growing:

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