28 Weeks

I have found myself daydreaming more frequently now about the end. I like to think about the excitement of going to the hospital, knowing that when we come home, there will be another little Nourse in the car with us. I like to think about all the ways that Jared will try to support me through the intense pains of labor. I like to dream about after the baby is born, and seeing all the visitors' faces light up at the sight of our new little one. I also ponder the not-so-lovely aspects, like how long my labor will be, how intense the pain will be, if there will be any complications, if everything will go smoothly, if there will be room at the hospital, etc. The end is getting closer with each passing day, and my excitement is growing at the same rate.

As for the pregnancy, I have been pretty uncomfortable this week as my uterus expands more rapidly. Every time I tell people that I am uncomfortable now, they laugh at me and say "Just wait!" Well, ugh, I am already uncomfortable enough. It has become more of a challenge to maneuver myself in and out of bed, and bending over for any reason is not a pleasant sight. I have noticed a dramatic increase in the need to run for the bathroom (to pee), only to release a few small, annoying drips. Over the past few days, I have been encountering a constant, crampy ache across my lower abdomen. After 24 hours and the ache had not subsided, I called the midwife on-call. I explained my symptoms and she told me that is more than likely sore ligaments, which are like rubber bands and in charge of holding the uterus in place. When the uterus grows rapidly and gets heavier, the ligaments stretch and that causes them to ache. Last night, Cara was my hero and massaged my ligaments for me (a technique she learned in chiropractor school), and the pain is much lighter today!

Today is the glucose test check-up. Jared and I are going to Woodwinds after he gets off work, and will be there for about an hour while they monitor my blood-sugar levels to determine whether or not I have gestational diabetes. Before we leave today, we will schedule the remaining appointments for the rest of the pregnancy, and I will start visiting the midwife every two weeks from now on. Then next Tuesday, we start our Preparing for Birth class! Things are starting to move rapidly now!

FLASHBACK!

Now that I am into my third trimester, Erin suggested doing a flashback! Instant replay. Reminiscence. Retrospection. Recollection.

So let's go back to the beginning....




15 weeks versus 27 weeks




It truly is amazing how much the body can change in such a short period of time. I really do marvel that there is actually room inside my already full body to fit a 7lb (or so) baby! When you look at the diagram of a non-pregnant woman's body, there literally IS NO ROOM where the baby is supposed to be. Then this little miracle happens, and God MAKES room for that little life. This is one of the most amazing and wonderful miracles in all of life.



See? No room!


*Due to an overextended schedule, a house that looks like it exploded on the inside thus making it nearly impossible to find anything (i.e. the camrea), AND a pregnant memory, I have not taken my 28 week photo yet. I will tonight, and post soon thereafter. Sorry for the delay.

27 Weeks

91 Days to Go!

As you can see, both baby and momma went through some changes this week! I was getting restless with my hair once again, and since it is my favorite experimental outlet (at least I don't experiment with anything more permanent), I decided it was time to change it up. I started by getting this cute little haircut, and then two days later, went blond (well, sort of...). I am loving the result, and the baby told me that it likes the change too ;)

I am offically now in my third trimester!

This week marked an important milestone in the baby's development too. Baby's lungs are now developed enough to breathe air! This means that should I for any reason go into labor early, baby would be fine (with with proper equipment)!! That is both exciting, and relieving.

I have been feeling pretty good again this week. I did get some mild cramping again, but nothing to be alarmed about. Also, I experienced my first Braxton-Hicks contractions. These are "practice contractions" that prepare my muscles for the real deal. The muscles across my lower abdomen tighten and feel rock hard for a moment. They are painless, but feel a little strange. My face always wrinkles up into a funny little smile when I experience these, because I am not used to my muscles acting independently of my brain!

I have been feeling a lot of movement and kicking lately too! Whenever Jared puts his hand on my belly and feels a kick, it always makes his face light up and he lets out an excited giggle. I love to watch his reaction. It never gets old to him, and he is just as excited to feel the last kick as he was to feel the first. That makes this momma happy.

26 Weeks

I have had a pretty good week, though it has brought a few discomforts. Earlier in the week a nasty rash crept its way across my chest, and moved down to my abdomen. I say nasty, because it itched so bad I wanted to peel my skin off. Luckily, the itching only lasted for two days, and then the rash slowly began to fade.





I have also been experiencing some minor aches and pains, but again I was rescued by my dear friend Cara (Dr. Cara, that is, my chiropracter). She has commited to adjusting me every week now until the baby is born! Yay for good friends!

On Saturday, I went to Hudson and had an adventerous afternoon with my mom garage-saling! I came home with a trunk load of stuff, and only spent $5 the entire day! We had the best luck at the Faith Community garage sale, where I got an overflowing bag of adorable sweaters for this fall(post-birth), a bagful of baskets, a dozen or so onesies, a new Eddie Bauer bakpack for Jared, and a new satchel for myself all for $2!

I started off the week really strong with my exercise regimen, but as the week progressed, my resolve has faded once again. I have sat here at my computer all morning, listening to my book on tape, while debating in my mind if I should indeed go work out today, or if I could just skip. But then I browsed through the photos of myself pre-pregnancy, and even the ones taken at 15 weeks (go back and check them out, you will be amazed too), looked up at myself in the mirror, and magically my resolve was renewed. I am signing off right now to go pump my biceps, crunch my abs, and get my lazy heart pumping!

Babe's Stats:
Weight: 2.0 lbs
Length: 14 inches head to foot

25 Weeks

I have had a little more energy than usual this week! I think the biggest reason for the slight boost is that I renewed my "healthy living habits" by doing some form of exercise everyday, and snacking mainly on fresh fruits and raw vegetables. It is truely amazing the difference you feel when you take care of your body!

I have enjoyed many days in the pool this week, swimming and basking in the warmth of the sunshine. Jared and I have also been taking long walks quite often, with Bumper in tow. He certainly enjoys them too!

This week I have begun to notice my belly move slightly when the baby kicks. If I sit still, I can watch my whole belly bounce with each kick.

It was fun to see Jared honored today along with the other fathers. I am excited that my family already sees him as a father too. He will be an amazing one.

Baby's Approx. Stats:

Weight: 1.5 lbs.

Length: 13.5 inches

24 Weeks

We had a great time at Andy and Shannon's wedding this past weekend! We even signed the guest book "Jared, Naomi and Baby!" It is fun to know there is already three people in our family, even though we have not met little #3 yet.

The traveling went better than I expected. I was able to remain semi-comfortable on both plane rides. I did experience some mild cramping throughout the weekend however, which caused me some concern. I also have been experiencing nosebleeds more frequently. I have only had 1-2 nosebleeds in my life prior to these past few months. After discussing these things with my midwife, however, I am assured that I am in no danger and experiencing normal symptoms.

I am elated that the pool in our development is now open, and that the weather has been warm and sunny! Swimming and water aerobics have quickly become a favorite form of exercise! I didn't remember how much work it is to swim! I get a good work-out and stay cool and refreshed at the same time!

I was informed at our prenatal check-up yesterday that at my next appointment I get to take the glucose challenge. Yay. This is a test where they make you drink a syrupy liquid, sit there for an hour, and then take blood samples. It tests for gestational diabetes. Following that appointment, I start seeing the midwives every two weeks rather than just once a month. We also realized that our "Preparing for Birth" class starts in only 4 weeks! The time is flying by quickly these days!

23 Weeks

Disagreeable Changes


My body has been going through a lot of change lately, and my feelings on the whole situation have not been able to keep up. This week has been a difficult one on an emotional, female-image level. As a woman, I want to feel pretty, attractive, exciting, etc. I have had a very hard time this week adjusting to my new pregnant figure. I do not feel most of the aformentioned qualities. This is not a pity party, but merely another stage of my pregnancy that I believe is relevant to share.


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Of course, I would never trade this amazing miracle just so I could feel pretty. I will regain my old figure (with a few modifications) AND have this precious little baby too! Who could ask for a better deal? I just need to be patient!

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I went to Woodwinds this week to pick up my prenatal history records to travel with (to New Jersey). The midwife recommended that I should always travel with these records from now on, just in case anything happens while I am away.

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Anyways, it was really interesting to browse through the documents and see the notations that the midwives had made, the results of the various tests I've had performed, and the report given by the radiologist on the health of our baby according to the ultrasound. I started reading through the radiologist's report, and suddenly started sweating and became very nervous, thinking that I may stumble accross the gender of our baby, since part of his job was to make sure the genitalia was present and healthy as well. Of course I could not rip my eyes from the page, and after reading through the whole document, I was flooded with relief (and a little disapointment) after discovering he had refered to the baby as "a single live fetus." So we will still have a big surprise on baby's birthday afterall!

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Well, I am off to throw together a bag for our trip to Andy and Shannon's wedding in New Jersey this weekend! We still don't know if we are leaving tonight or tomorrow! Flying stand-by is SO WONDERFUL.