33 Weeks

Jared and I just got back from a weekend at the Wisconsin Dells with the Nourse family!
It was fun to bob around in the lazy river and enjoy the comfort that cool water brings on a hot day. I was not allowed to go on many slides, but I did make it down a few very tame ones riding on a tube with Jared. It was just about as much as I could take anyways! I have not been propelled anywhere that quickly for many months and my body doesn't remember the feeling very well!


I got my first stretch marks this week. They are not very big, but there is a tiny cluster of them just below my belly button. We continue to rub lotion on my belly every night, which both smells good, and is very soothing to my stretched skin.

The comfort level continues to decrease with each passing day. My belly constantly feels full and heavy. It has started to pull on my back now too, which is unpleasant. I have discovered that the only way to gain any level of comfort while sitting down, is by tucking a pillow behind my back for support. I have also added extra pillows and a down comforter to my sleeping ritual. After everything is bunched and tucked in its proper place, I am pretty much engulfed in a nest of comfort! I just can't move then for the rest of the night. ;) If only. Obviously, that is impossible, since the baby likes to play "punching bag" with my bladder. It is just a pretty big process when I do need to move for any reason!

My appetite has significantly decreased as well. I am estimating that my stomach is roughly the size of a small lemon these days, and I fill up after only a few bites. Then I need a few snacks a couple hours later. Then another small meal. This is how my days go.

Tonight we finish the last "Preparing for Birth" class at Woodwinds. We have both learned a lot about what to expect during labor and birth. I am abundantly thankful that we took this class. I feel a lot less stressed, and glad that I know what to expect when the time comes.

Baby's Approx. Stats:
Weight: 4-5 lbs
Length: 17 inches

I read this week in my pregnancy book that Precious would be completely viable outside the womb now. If I were to go into labor at any time from this point on, baby would (most likely) be just fine! All the major organs and systems are up and running! From now until the end of the pregnancy, Precious is just gathering fat to pad its body for warmth. I also learned that the baby lives off these stores of fat during the first few days after birth, while it is learning to breastfeed.

32 Weeks

This week has not been much different than the previous few weeks. Here are my general thoughts:

• Sleep still eludes me.


• My energy level is at Medium. I do not tire quite as easily as before, which is nice!


• I have not had heartburn at all this week!


• I fill up very fast when eating, and often get tummy aches afterwards.


• I miss caffeinated beverages (especially iced coffee!)


• I have not gotten any stretch marks yet.


• The top of my tummy often gets sore. (Which, actually, I believe is from my bra rubbing on it. Sad.)


• Despite everyone telling me how small I am for 32 weeks, I feel huge and uncomfortable!


• Going up stairs at any pace is guaranteed to cause a contraction.


• I have exactly 3 pairs of pants that still fit me. Don't expect much variation when you see me.

We have been preparing for the arrival of the wee babe in several ways. We continue to enjoy the Preparing for Birth class we are attending. We have learned all about:

1. Signs of labor


2. How to properly time a contraction


3. When to go to the hospital


4. Stages of labor


5. Relaxation methods to work through contractions


6. The birth process


7. Informed consent for pain medications


8. How a c-section works

We also got a tour of the maternity care center at Woodwinds, which was very interesting since I had not seen it before. We even saw the exact room in which we will bring Presh into the world (as there is only one waterbirth room). We were told that as soon as I give birth, we will be moved to a regular room, to open up the waterbirth room for anyone else coming in.

We have also been preparing for baby at home. On Thursday, Jared and I worked in the nursery hanging up wall decorations, washing blankets and baby clothes, and packing our hospital bag! There are definitely more preparations to be made, but I do still have eight weeks left. I am pretty satisfied with the progress we have made, especially after listening to the majority of the other couples in our Birth class who have not even started on a nursery yet!

Our Family

Our Family Photos...

Soon there will be three!

Baby Love Daddy's Little Precious

31 Weeks

Approximate Stats:
Weight: 4-5 lbs
Length: 16-18"

Presh is growing so fast now! I can tell it is becoming a tight fit in there, because I can feel every little move it makes. Even if Presh is just moving an arm or rotating its body, I can feel it. I am often able to feel where the butt (or possibly the head) is-- most frequently cradled against the right side of my belly. Sometimes an elbow or foot presses out, making a very defined little lump beneath my skin. If I push on it at all, Presh moves away. It is so fun to already be interacting with our baby in this way.

It has also been very exciting to notice a few patterns that our Precious has developed. For instance, he/she loves music! Every time mommy sings, or there is loud music playing nearby, Presh starts dancing! I feel twisting, turning, kicking and wiggling!






Another new habit that Presh has adopted, which is not quite as pleasant, is kicking my bladder! Every so often, I feel an urgency to pee like I have never felt before. It lasts only an instant, but it is not a pleasant instant!

I am still having trouble sleeping through the nights, and have developed a dwindling appetite. I think my tummy is so full of baby, that there is no room left for my stomach, which means I don't feel hungry very often. After I eat, I feel extremely full no matter how small a portion I consume.

30 Weeks

Over the Hump

I am 30 Weeks! I feel like I have made it over the hump and it is all downhill from here (in possibly more than one way...). The time has flown by, and now that I am in the 30's, it will only accelerate. I am more and more ready to be done everyday. I am excited to meet this baby, though I am really enjoying the time Jared and I have alone, just the two of us. I am struggling with that a little. Once this baby comes, we will never, ever just be a couple any longer-- there will always be our child. Which of course is a blessing, but will definitely take some adjusting.

I have only continued to grow more uncomfortable. My belly is stretching constantly and I swear I can feel it getting bigger. It doesn't matter what position I am in, it is uncomfortable. The only way that I can find some level of comfort is laying on my side in bed with my Snoogle. (This pillow is the best purchase we have made to date, worth every cent. Without this pillow, no sleep would be had by this prego.)

Speaking of sleep, that is another area that has been giving me more trouble. I have not slept through the night all week. I have heard that this happens during the last trimester in preparation for all the sleepless nights ahead once the baby's born. Let me tell you-- I am not too fond of it. I wake up at least every two hours, sweating or numb and have to roll over (which takes quite a bit of maneuvering!) and throw off the blankets.

I have also been increasingly clumsy, which is getting OH-SO-OLD. I honestly cannot help it, but couldn't get more frustrated with myself every time I drop something, spill something or knock something over. Here are some of the best examples:
1. When I bend over to pick something up off the floor, I have to swipe at it at least three times before I actually get ahold of it. Then half the time, on my way back up again, I drop it.
2. EVERY time I have eaten in the car for the past week and a half, I have spilled something on my shirt. Best part? I have never been the one driving when it happens. I have always been in the passenger seat. You'd think I could control my hand-to-mouth coordination with no distractions. But no. My Tide-To-Go stick has been working overtime (which honestly doesn't work that well). I have now lost three of my favorite tank tops to ketchup and grease stains. One time, I set my sandwich in my lap, and then leaned forward to get a napkin. Stupid idea?

Um Yes. My beach-ball-belly obviously leaned right into the grease/ketchup/mustard oozing from my burger. Brilliant!

29 Weeks

After finding out my hemoglobin was low last week, I have had steak twice, and started taking a new iron supplement. Hopefully, the combination of these things will help.

As a result of the new supplement, I have had a bit of a harder week. Let's just say where food is concerned, I am not all that interested. I don't feel hungry most of the time, because my stomache constantly feels full and a little upset. Then, after a long battle, I finally eat something and my stomach still feels upset. So the process has not been too rewarding to my comfort, but if it is nourishing the wee one, then all is well.
I have been getting more and more excited about all-things-baby. I have been planning games, food and decorations for baby showers, browsing the baby section at any store that has one, washing all our little onesies (for the second time) in preparation, planning what to pack in my hospital bag, scheduling maternity photos, deciding on Presh's "going home outfit," etc. There is a river of baby thoughts constantly flowing through my mind. I am so excited as I enter week 30 in just a few short days! That means that baby could be born anywhere between 4-10 weeks from now (hopefully closer to 10). That seems unreal.

Approximate Stats:
Length: 15-16 inches
Weight: 3-4 pounds

Baby is now able to use all five senses!

• Hearing sounds
• Seeing bright lights
• Tasting
• Touching
• Smelling the amniotic fluid

Glucose Challenge!

The glucose challenge WAS NO BIG DEAL! I seriously do not know why I have heard so many awful reports about it. I went in and the nurse handed me a glass bottle (maybe 10oz?) of fizzy orange soda that tasted exactly like Orange Sunkist. It was no sweeter than pop. It was no thicker or more syrupy. It was just a plain replica of orange pop, which I love and have not partaken of in many a month! The nurse handed me a timer that was set for 5 minutes and said that is how long I had to down the bottle. I just looked at her quizzically, wondering why she thought I would need 5 whole minutes to gulp down such a yummy treat! It took me exactly 1 minute 3 seconds to polish off every last drop of the orange ambrosia. Then I was handed a timer set for 55 minutes and told to come back when it went off to get some blood drawn. At that point, we went in for our monthly checkup with the midwife.

I measured at 28 weeks (right on, yay!), gained only 4 lbs (the exact amount recommended, yay!), had excellent blood pressure (96/52) and listened to the beautiful thumping of Presh's heart (which was 140 bpm). This baby is determined not to reveal its gender through that heart rate wives tale. (Over 140bpm= girl, under 140bpm= boy). It just keeps riding on the line!

Then we went back to the lab, where I got a finger prick. Two drops of blood were taken-- one to check my glucose levels, and one to check my hemoglobin level (the iron level in the red blood cells). I passed the glucose challenge with flying colors! They want to see my glucose level below 140, and I was 102! My hemoglobin was low, however, so they drew additional blood from my arm to perform various tests on. I suppose I will have to go home and eat some steak this week, doctor's orders!