8 weeks old, and growing like a weed!

Aubrey is becoming more and more precious, alert and BIG every day. We are having so much fun watching her grow and learn. She's starting to smile more often, especially after waking up from a good amount of sleep. And, she's sleeping very well most nights - she's sleeping 6-8 hours throughout the night.

We have our next doctor's appointment on Monday. This one won't be as much fun as the others, since she'll get her vaccinations. We're excited to find out her exact weight and length. We took her to the doctor last week since she had a cough (all is fine though), and with her clothes and diaper on, she weighed in at 10 pounds, 12 ounces. They'll do a more accurate measurement on Monday (no clothes or diaper), so that we can really see how much she's grown!

She loves baths, and I think tries to get more of them by playing tricks on me.

A couple days ago while changing her diaper, she peed on the changing table. That's nothing new. I let her finish her business - so I thought - and then picked her up so that I could take her to the bathroom to wash her off.

She wasn't done, so finished the job by peeing all over me. That's also nothing new - she did that a couple weeks ago.

I got to the bathroom, and was holding her as I got the water to a good tempature so that I could wash her off. That's when she shot poop all over the sink and bathroom mirror. Although it was of course gross, I couldln't help but laugh. I somehow managed to clean up the sink with one hand while holding her in the other, and then set her in the sink to wash her off. She gave big smiles to indicate that she was happy. She's so funny.

Now for a few of my favorite pictures from the past few weeks!

The first one is a side by side comparison in the same clothes, in her swing. The picture on the left was taken the day she got home from the hospital. The one on the right was taken the day before she turned 6 weeks old. It's amazing how much she grew in just 5 1/2 weeks! The other pictures below were taken in the past 2 weeks.

One month old!

As of tomorrow morning at 5:48am, Aubrey will be one full month old! I can't believe how fast this month has flown. Tomorrow I'm going to wake up to find that she's already starting school. But let's not talk about that. Just the thought of sending her to daycare brings tears to my eyes.

She's growing like a weed, and we're already finding that she's a very active baby. She loves to be held, especially when we're walking around (the car seat, stroller and the baby bjorn have already proved to be huge blessings!). We're also noticing that although she's happy to be held while you're sitting down (as long as she's not hungry), she gets bored really easily. She'll get a bit fussy if you don't change the position in which you're holding her every few minutes, and loves when you bounce her up and down on your knees, or make funny faces at her. Although this makes her a bit high maintenance at the moment, it's fun and leads me to predict that she'll be an active child and adult - hopefully in an athletic way!

She's sleeping well at night for the most part. Although a full night's sleep is likely a couple months away, I really can't complain. She tends to only wake up for 1-2 night feedings (as in between the hours of midnight and 6am), and falls asleep as I feed her. Jason helps with one of those feedings every once in a while, which helps quite a bit.

She's starting to wake up from a nap (which is so cute to watch - she does a series of yawns and stretches, which are complemented with funny grunting sounds), so I have to run. First, here are a few of my favorite pictures from the past couple weeks.

2 week doctor visits

Aubrey is 2 weeks and 2 days old, and growing like a weed! We both had our 2 week check-ups yesterday.

Aubrey is now 7 pounds and 10 ounces - that means she's grown an entire pound in the past week, and is now almost 8 ounces heavier than she was at birth. We were very happy to hear that! I was especially happy, since that means I can let her sleep through the night if she so chooses (last night she did NOT choose to sleep - but the hope is there). Everyone knows the term "don't wake a sleeping baby". What you may not know is that it's not a true statement in the first two weeks of life. The doctors tell you to wake the baby up - if they don't wake you first - if they haven't eaten in the past 4 hours. That's so that they can gain back the weight they lost after birth.

She's also grown an inch since she was born. She's now 20.25 inches. She's more and more alert each day, and loves looking around. We've taken her with us to a couple restaurants (being careful to avoid crowded places or busy lunch/dinner hours), and she either sleeps through the meal, or she looks around at everything. We love that we can take her just about anywhere!

As for me, my 2 week check up went well - the stitches are healing nicely, and I've already lost 22 pounds. I was VERY excited to hear that! The rest of the weight will come off much more slowly.

Now for a few of my favorite pictures from the past week:

Aubrey Grace Jordan

Aubrey is now 1 week old. The week went by fast and slow at the same time, but we've enjoyed getting to know our daughter a bit. She's so cute and precious!

For those of you who have not heard her birth story yet, read below (warning - it's long winded, since it's also my way of looking back on the day later!).

But first, I'll share the update from babycenter.com (yes, they keep track of development patterns after birth too!), and a couple of my favorite pictures of the week.

From babycenter.com:
Your baby's eyesight is still pretty fuzzy. Babies are born nearsighted and can see things best when they're about 8 to 15 inches away, so she can see your face clearly only when you're holding her close.Don't worry if your baby doesn't look you right in the eye from the start: Newborns tend to look at your eyebrows, your hairline, or your moving mouth. As she gets to know you in the first month, she'll become more interested in having eye-to-eye exchanges. Studies show that newborns prefer human faces to all other patterns or colors. (Objects that are bright, moving, high-contrast, or black-and-white are next in line.)

Some of my favorite pictures:

Aubrey's birth story:

As you all know, we had a c-section scheduled for Thursday, 8/5 since she was in a breech position. Well, our baby girl decided that wasn't soon enough!

Sunday night (8/1), Jason and I went to bed a bit late since he had to close that night. I had gotten use to not being able to sleep - part due to discomfort, part due to the growing anticipation - and Jason was still wired from work, and not able to sleep. At about 1am, he gave up and decided to watch TV in the living room. I suggested that he take a benadryl. He was skeptical, thinking it would keep him awake. But I assured him that it usually makes people drowsy.

Around 1:30am, I realized he still was in the living room, so went to check on him. He said that the Benadryl had him a bit wired, and that he might be up a while longer. I used the bathroom (important to note!), and then crawled back into bed. As I turned over to grab an extra pillow, I felt a warm gush of water. It took a second for it to sink in that my water had just broken!

I yelled out Jason's name, and that my water had broken. He thought I was joking until he saw the bed. Neither of us realized how much water was involved in the process of the water breaking! And, it wasn't just one gush. It was like a faucet that was left on for a while. (My apologies if that's too much information for you).

Jason became nervous, and ran around the house to pack his bag (I had luckily just packed mine before going to sleep!), get me fresh clothes to put on, and to get grab my cell phone so that I could call the doctor. Meanwhile, I'm in the bathroom laughing hysterically, in disbelief of what was happening! I think the nurse on call thought I was calling in a prank. I explained that my water really had just broken - I just was in such shock!

Once we got to the hospital, a nurse asked me, "so you think your water broke, huh?"

I told her, "no - I KNOW my water broke!"

She said many people are convinced that their water broke, but that about 50% of the time, they are mistaken. Jason and I were both confident we were not on that end of the 50%. She said it could have been that the baby pressed on my bladder, making a little gush. I explained that I had just emptied my bladder, and that it was no small gush! She was still skeptical, and did a test to see if it was amniotic fluid that was still leaking.

To our surprise - the test came up negative. They told me my water didn't break. I told them I thought the test was wrong. There's no way my bladder could even hold that much water!

Our doctor (who was on call at the hospital, thank God!), told the nurse to have me lay flat for a period of time. She said that if it was amniotic fluid, the remaining fluid would collect inside of me if I laid flat. They could then take a better sample.

So I laid there for about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, my parents had arrived at the hospital, and a combination of them and a chair that made farting noises each time Jason sat in it, kept us all awake and excited. All except Jason - the Benadryl finally kicked in, so he was having a tough time being as energetic!

When Dr. Hooi joined us in the room, she went to examine me and take a sample of the fluid. She had barely started her exam when the water that had pooled together came gushing out (to a smaller extent than before). "It's confirmed" she said, "your water definitely broke!"

She did an ultrasound, which revealed that our baby was still in a breech position. She said we'd be having a c-section within an hour!

After walking back to the operating room, the anesthesiologist had me sit on the edge of the operating table, hugging a nurse so that I could lean on her shoulder. He gave me a spinal tap (or something like that), which is a lot like an epidural - I was completely alert during the surgery, put was numb from the waist down. The main difference is that the spinal tap goes into affect within 5 minutes, and wears off quicker than an epidural.

After I was numb, Jason joined the room and stood by my head. He was able to peak over the curtain on see small pieces of the surgery. It took some time for them to cut through all the layers, but then I started feeling a lot of pressure and tugging. Jason got teary eyed, and told me they were pulling Aubrey out. They raised her enough (and lowered the curtain a bit) so that they could hold her up, and I could see her. It was such a special moment!

They quickly cleaned her off and swaddled her, and then brought her over so that I could hold her for a couple minutes. They then whisked her away to the nursery to get checked up by the pediatrician. Jason went with them, and the nurses kept me up to date with what they found.

She came in at 7 pounds, 2.6 ounces, and 19 1/4 inches, and was born at 5:48am.

Since she had a c-section birth, she had initial problems breathing. This is very common with c-section babies, since they were not "squeezed" out of the birth canal, which clears out their lungs and helps them to breath at birth. Due to this, they kept her in the nursery for about three hours while they gave her oxygen.

I think it was almost 9am when they transferred me to our postpartum room, and then brought in Aubrey to join us. I loved holding her, and couldn't stop staring at her! We tried breastfeeding for the first time, and she took to it right away (although we're of course still getting use to this - it's definitely not easy!). I couldn't believe the instinct that babies are born with, and counted myself lucky that it wasn't more difficult.

So that's it - that's the story of how she came into the world. It was a whirlwind of a night, and one that Jason and I will never forget!

Directions to Hospital

For those of you who would like to visit us - especially those coming in from out of town (hooray for Aubrey meeting grandparents, her aunt and a cousin! We are excited to see you guys) - below is a map to the hospital, along with some directions. Also below is information on how you might find us, and about visiting hours (and my wishes as a new paranoid mommy, not wanting our baby to get sick!) .

Of course give Jason or me a call if you have questions (good luck getting a hold of us on the big day though!)


Hospital: St. David's South Austin Hospital
Address: 901 West Ben White Boulevard
Visiting Hours: 8am-8:30pm

Directions:

• Take I35 to Hwy 71 / US-290 / Ben White (which is a main highway South of Oltorf and North of Stassney)
• Go West on Ben White/290
• Exit South 1st
• Left on South 1st
• Right on Radam Ln
• Left on James Casey
• Right into the parking lot

I believe the best way to find us will be to go through the ER doors and follow signs to Labor & Delivery/Maternity. I will have a pre-opps appointment on Wednesday, so will get a better idea of where to go. Check back Wednesday afternoon for better instructions :)

We hope you are able to visit! Of course we understand if you are not able, and I know some of you prefer to visit us at home after we are settled (another idea I love!). I only have two requests in terms of hospital visits. And this is nothing personal - it's just me being a first time, paranoid mommy (thanks in advance for understanding!):

1. Of course if you're feeling at all sick, we understand you'd rather hold off on your visit until you're feeling better! We all know how sensitive babies are in the first days/weeks, especially when they have not yet had any immunizations. Which leads to the second point:
2. Although you all know how much I LOVE kids, I'd be really thankful if we could wait to have young kids (as in younger than 6 or 7) meet baby Aubrey. Once we are settled back at home, and have had her first doctors visit/immunizations, bring on the play dates!

Thank you all for your love and support. We can't believe she's almost here!

Week 38 Update

2 weeks to go until the official due date, and 9 days to go until the c-section (assuming she doesn't flip in the next week)! We're getting more and more excited each day.

We had another ultrasound this morning. She's still breech. We will have one more doctor's appointment next Tuesday. Unless the ultrasound reveals that she's flipped, Tuesday afternoon will be my last day at work (I'm almost as excited about that as I am to meet Aubrey!). It's funny how I've flipped on this subject. Three weeks ago I was devastated by the idea of a c-section. Now, I'm actually excited about it. I mean, I'd of course opt for a natural delivery (plus drugs!) if she flips, but I love knowing exactly when we'll get to meet her! No matter how she comes into this world, this little girl is a huge blessing.

Now for the update from babycenter.com:
Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

C-Section

It has been officially scheduled for noon on Thursday, August 5th. That is two weeks from today! Although a c-section was of course not the prefered way to bring our baby in the world, it's so exciting to know an exact date of when we get to meet her (that and it means two additional weeks of fully paid short term disability leave).

I've decided to make Tuesday, 8/3 my last day at work. That will give me a day off to take care of last minute things, and to relax and mentally prepare myself (plus go to the hospital for a pre-opp appointment). I'm so excited to know that I only have 7 days of work left!

Here's how the day of the surgery will go, for those of you who are interested:

• 10am: Jason and I will arrive at the hospital to get set up for the c-section
• Noon: C-section starts (the baby is born in the first 15 minutes or so, but the entire c-section will last a little over an hour - possibly up to an hour and a half)
• 12:30 or 1pm-ish: Jason will go with Aubrey and the pediatrician to the nursery while I am being stitched up. For those of you who are there, you can see her through the window of the nursery. I'm sure someone will come to the waiting room to give you all the update.
• 1 or 1:30-ish: I'll be taken to recovery, where Jason and Aubrey will join me after they've watched me alone for about 30 minutes to make sure I've started recovering well. We'll stay in there for another hour or two.
• 3-ish: By then, we should be taken to our own room. It's around this time that we can first have visitors (I know Aubrey's grandparents will be eager to see her for the first time by then! I know mom is smiling now as she's reading this)
• Insurance pays for 72 hours in the hospital when it's a c-section, so we'll likely be in the hospital until Sunday morning/early afternoon.

There's still a chance she could turn, in which case we'd cancel everything and wait for nature to take its course. For those of you who would like to come into town, please forgive us if we cancel the c-section last minute if she does turn! Although I'll be a bit bummed to have to wait a bit longer to meet her, a vaginal birth is safer for both her and me.

I'll continue to post updates as we learn more at our weekly doctor's appointment! I guess that means we only have one more appoinment before the big day. WOW!

Week 37 Update

We are officially considered full term! It's wonderful to know that if she were born today, she'd be a healthy baby girl.

We had our doctor's appointment this afternoon. Here's what we know:

• She is still breech.
• Last week she was sitting in an indian style position, facing inside of me with her chin tucked down. This week she's in a similar position, but without her chin tucked in, and with one leg under her body while the other leg is extended.
• She is definitely a girl.
• She is now 6 pounds and 8 ounces (she grew 5 oz since last week)

We decided against the external version, which is the procedure they could do to try and flip her to be vertex (head down). It's not guaranteed to work, and comes with risks to the baby. Although the chances of something happening were small, it was enough that my gut told me it's best not to go down that road.

So instead, we are scheduling a c-section. The doctor asked us to select a few dates for the c-section. She said she didn't recommend any earlier than August 3rd, but to do it sometime the week before the due date. Our top pick was Thursday, 8/5. That's only two weeks away from this Thursday! Our two back-up dates are Friday, 8/6 and Monday, 8/9 (which would be cool, since that means our baby would be born on 8/9/10). They are checking these dates with the hospital, and will call me in the next couple days to confirm the date for which the c-section will be scheduled.

We'll see the doctor each week until that time, and each week we will have another ultrasound to see if she's still breech. If she flips between now and then, they'll cancel the c-section and wait for labor to happen naturally. They'll also do another ultrasound right before they prep me for the c-section. So if she by chance flips the morning of the c-section, they'll cancel it on the spot and wait for nature to take its course. So there's still a chance for her to flip and for us to avoid a c-section, but those chances are not huge since she's getting bigger and bigger (making it very difficult for her to turn, since she has little room in there to do so).

So that's the latest scoop. I'll post an update when we have the c-section officially scheduled, and will try to post pictures from the ultrasound later in the week (although I'll warn you, it's hard to see what is what - the picture quality wasn't great).

Now for the update from babycenter.com:
Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, her lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

Update on Aubrey

We had our doctor's appointment this morning, which included an ultrasound. She's doing well, and weighs 6 pounds, 3 ounces (that's exactly one pound lighter than I weighed when I was born!). Unfortunately we do not have any pictures to share. She was "hiding from the camera", so to speak. She's in a breech position (meaning head is not down), and she was also facing inside of me. The combination made it really hard to see anything.

We were a little surprised to find that she's still in a breech position. Most babies are head down by now. We are going back for another ultrasound next Tuesday, in hopes that we find that she has turned head down by then. If not, we have a couple options:

1. Wait it out, and see if she turns before birth. If she's still breech as the due date gets closer, we'll likely schedule a Cesarean. If that happened, the doctor recommends having the cesarean anytime a week before the due date, or up to the due date. Either way, they definitely recommend a Cesarean if she's still breech, since there could be complications delivering her otherwise.

2. Another option is to do a procedure called versioning. In that case, I would be admitted into the hospital sometime next week, and would be given some drugs to help my uterus relax. The doctor would then try to flip the baby by doing some heavy pressing around my abdomen. She warned me that it's quite uncomfortable. The good news is that it's successful over 50% of the time, and that it would greatly increase my changes of having a vaginal birth (which is what I really want). They would have to do it next week though, because it becomes much more difficult to flip the baby as she grows. They do this procedure in the hospital in case there are complications that lead to an emergency Cesarean, or in the case that the procedure causes me to go into labor (from what I understand, neither are very likely - it's just a precaution they'll have to take).

Please be praying about this. I know that Aubrey will be born healthy and safely either way, but I'd really prefer to not have a cesarean. I am going to do a lot of reading up on the pros and cons of versioning, and also the same for a cesarean, and we are learning more about cesareans in lamaze class tonight. Once I know more, I'll be ready to make a decision in case she hasn't flipped. But please pray that she does flip before next week so that we don't have to worry about this, or that if she doesn't, that we'll make the right decision for both Aubrey and for me.

Like I said, I know everything will be okay - I just was a bit heart broken to hear that I might need a cesarean!

Week 36 and random thoughts

Since I'll likely have a lengthy post tomorrow due to a fun doctor's appointment (we'll be getting our last ultrasound!), I thought I'd post the week 36 update today.

First, let me just say how amazing my family and friends are. We've had a ton of great support from everyone, from all the prayers, kind wishes, help in getting our nursery to be beautiful, and most recently - the baby showers! My grandma and my Aunt Bonnie hosted a shower for me on Saturday, and my friends Heidi, Jill and Megan hosted one on Sunday. We played a lot of fun games, and Aubrey got some gorgeous gifts! It was a great weekend overall for our baby (and her mommy had fun opening all her gifts, haha).

But now, I'm going to move on to complain. I've really enjoyed this pregnancy, and know that after she's born, I'm going to miss feeling her grow and kick inside of me. But now that I'm hitting the uncomfortable stage, I've started thinking about what I will NOT miss, or post-pregnancy things I look forward to. Here's my top 10 list (in no particular order):

1. I will not miss kankles or balloon feet! It really hit as of this past Friday night. I looked down, and couldn't see the separation from my ankles and my feet, and my feet looked like mis-shaped water balloons. Last night my mom asked me if I have any stretch marks showing up yet. When I said no, Jason commented "but your feet might get stretch marks!" I love his humor. I couldn't stop laughing all the way home!

2. I can't wait to wear my wedding bands again! Speaking of swelling... the first thing to go were my wedding bands. I haven't been able to wear them for a few months now. I really miss them!

3. No more peeing in a cup at doctor's appointments! Let's just say it's impossible to see the cup I'm peeing into each week, which makes it even more gross.

4. No more waking up in the middle of the night! Ha, I'm kidding about that one. But I'm at least looking forward to sleeping more comfortably WHEN I can sleep. It's going to be wonderful to have the option to lay on my stomach or on my back, and not to wake up each time I turn in my sleep (it's amazing what a production it is to turn over when you have a big belly!).

5. No more back or hip pain, and no more waddling!

6. Being able to work out again! I really want to start running and lifting weights again. I miss having that release, and am starting to miss my old body.

7. Being able to wear my old clothes! Although it might take a while to get back into my favorite jeans.

8. No more heartburn! I miss having the occassional spicy food. Right now, I wouldn't even dare.

9. And of course, meeting our baby girl! We can't wait to see what she looks like, and watch her grow and develop a personality.

10. Dressing her up! Need I say more?

And now for the 36 week update from babycenter.com:
Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

Week 35 update

5 Weeks to go!

I either was in a rare mood this weekend, or I hit the nesting phase a bit early. I cleaned ALL DAY Saturday. It started with organizing the closet (prompted by Jason pulling everything off the top shelf, and making a pile in the middle of our bedroom so that we could sort through it). It then spanned to re-organizing our dresser drawers and the cabinet under the bathroom sink, scrubbing the floor of our shower, and then using an entire can of Resolve while I scrubbed out stains from our livingroom floor. None of that is like me at all, and being on my hands and knees at 8 months pregnant was not at all comfortable. But I couldn't stop. The good news is that our house is almost as clean and organized as it was when we moved in!

We have our second Lamaze class tonight. I'm excited about this one, because tonight we get to take a tour of the maternity/labor&delivery unit at the hospital. We'll also be watching some graphic birth videos, which should be interesting. I'm actually more interested to watch Jason's face as he watches the video than I am to watch the video itself. I've done so much reading and research over the past 8 months, so doubt that anything will shock me until I go through labor myself. But it will be interesting to see Jason play catch-up to what I know throughout these classes!

Now for the update from BabyCenter.com. She's getting big!
Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Week 34 Update

6 weeks to go!!! Really that means that Aubrey could join our family anytime between 3 weeks from now or 8 weeks from now, since the typical window is as much as 3 weeks before or 2 weeks after the due date. We're so excited!

We had another doctor's appointment today, which went well as always. Aubrey was moving around quite a bit, giving our doctor a bit of a challenge in taking the heart rate. The doctor would find it for 2 seconds, and then Aubrey would shift to a different spot. She is moving a ton lately, and each movement feels much stronger. We saw Knight and Day (the movie with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz) this weekend. I loved it, but I'm thinking our baby girl did not enjoy the loud sounds much. She was kicking so hard that I could distinctly feel her foot, and wouldn't have been at all surprised if her foot just came right out through my skin (okay, I am exaggerating, but you get the point!).

Two weeks from today is our next doctor's appointment. Since that day marks the beginning of our last 4 weeks, we'll be visiting the doctor each week. What's really fun about this - other than knowing how things are progressing - is that we get another ultrasound in two weeks! As our doctor puts it, it's the "last picture before getting real pictures." We can't wait to see how different she looks! The last one we had was before she started plumping up, so she looked more like an alien than a human baby. This will be quite different. I'll post pictures as soon as we have them.

Now for the 34 week update from BabyCenter.com:
Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Week 33 and Nursery Pictures

7 weeks to go! Here's the update from babycenter.com:

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft 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. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Below are some updated pictures of the nursery (you may have already seen these on facebook - I just posted them a few minutes ago). We officially decided on the name Aubrey Grace! I was so excited that I went out and bought wooden letters, which I painted brown. I also bought wooden cut-outs of butterflies and flowers, which I hand painted and then glued on the letters to decorate her name. That's what you'll see above her crib below. We're loving how the nursery is coming together!

We have one last touch to add to the design, which involve wall lamps from Ikea. The Ikea in Round Rock is out of these, so Cindy (Jason's sister) was nice enough to go to the Ikea next to her to pick them up. So look for updated pictures next week!

32 Week Dr. Appointment

I just got back to work from our 32 week appointment. Since I can't concentrate on anything else right now, I thought I'd share the update.

Our baby girl is still very healthy from everything we can tell. Her heartbeat is strong (somewhere between 130-140 beats per minute), and I'm measuring as I should be (they take a measurement on top of my belly with a tape measure - being "on track" means that the uterus is measuring one centimeter per every week - so this week I am 32 cm, which is perfect because we're 32 weeks pregnant).

I asked if the doctor could tell what position our baby is in without an ultrasound. She felt around, and said it feels like she's adopted a heads down position (normal for this stage of pregnancy), and that is seems she's curled up so that her butt is on my left side, and her feet is on my right. It's just cool to know how she's positioned in there! I told the doctor I was curious about it just because I sometimes feel kicks/punches near the pelvic area, sometimes in the ribs, and sometimes in both places at the same time (like she's stretching out). I told her I was curious as to when I was feeling her kick with her feet vs. punch with her hands. Our doctor said that it's actually hard to tell, because babies are so flexible that she could be laying in a pike position, with her feet by her head. I thought that was interesting!

Our next appointment is in two weeks (on the 29th), and then the appointment after that (four weeks from now) is when we get to have our last ultrasound. Jason and I are really excited for that one! After that, we have one appointment each week until she's born. I think the next 8 weeks will really fly with everything going on! She did of course mention that I could realistically have the baby 5-6 weeks from now. So get ready world - Aubrey (or TBD name) is on her way!

Week 32 Update

8 weeks to go!!! Or at least until the due date. We can let the guessing games begin on the actually delivery date. I'm going to guess 8/17. But, for the sake of the excitement, I'm going to continue counting down to the 10th, which is the due date set by the doctor!

Jason and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary this weekend. We turned the weekend into an anniversary/babymoon getaway, and went to Corpus Christi. We had a great time, although Corpus is really a ghost town right now! Jason had me cracking up in the hotel, as he tried to give me waddling lessons in the hallways. He said I'm not waddling correctly, so he did an exaggerated waddle all through the hallways, making me mimic him. At one point he stopped and said, "don't worry - I'm sure they'll teach you how to correctly waddle in Lamaze class. You'll get it down eventually." Too funny! I wish I had taken a video of his waddle lessons! Anyhow, we had a great time, and were glad to get away for the weekend. We're excited to get away again in less than two weeks, this time to see our family in Lufkin!

Now for the update on our baby girl from babycenter.com:
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) 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, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

Week 31 Update

Keeping this short and sweet this time - It's a busy day!

Update on our baby girl from babycenter.com:
This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four 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 is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Week 30 update

Wow, we're really getting to the home stretch! Only 10 weeks to go, and counting.

The three of us have been doing really well. Aubrey (we think that will be her name, but are not deciding for sure until she's born) is practicing dance moves or gymnastics constantly, which is fun to watch. I do have to admit, it's sometimes uncomfortable. But I thank God everytime I feel her move or have a case of the hiccups, since that's my constant reminder that she's doing well!

Jason and I are both excited to meet her, and to take on the important job of being parents. I can't read anything but baby books right now, although we both know that there are some things you just can't prepare yourself for. One thing I read recently is that 600 diapers will be needed in the first 6 weeks of life. I knew we'd be changing a lot of diapers, but holy cow! Seeing that figure really shows the impact.

We have our next doctor's appointment tomorrow. I am taking my mom with me so that she can meet the doctor and hear the baby's heartbeat. Mom had the idea of taking our flip video camera (a toy Jason and I bought so that we can capture all the special moments as our baby grows up), so that she could capture the heartbeat. So as long as I'm not embarrased by how my pregnant belly looks in that video, I'll post a link so that you all can hear the heart beat as well!

Now that I've talked your ear off, I'll move on to the update on our baby girl in her 30th week, per babycenter.com. I'll also include an update on what babycenter says I'll be going through this week. I can tell you that part of this (the sleepy part) is already very true!

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

Update on mommy:
You may be feeling a little tired these days, especially if you're having trouble sleeping. You might also feel clumsier than normal, which is perfectly understandable. Not only are you heavier, but the concentration of weight in your pregnant belly causes a shift in your center of gravity. Plus, thanks to hormonal changes, your ligaments are more lax, so your joints are looser, which may also contribute to your balance being a bit off. Also, this relaxation of your ligaments can actually cause your feet to spread permanently, so you may have to invest in some new shoes in a bigger size.Remember those mood swings you had earlier in pregnancy? The combination of uncomfortable symptoms and hormonal changes can result in a return of those emotional ups and downs. It's normal to worry about what your labor will be like or whether you'll be a good parent. But if you can't shake the blues or feel increasingly irritable or agitated, talk to your doctor or midwife. You may be among the 1 in 10 expectant women who battle depression during pregnancy. Also let your caregiver know if you're frequently nervous or anxious.

Week 29 Update

I'll keep this one relatively short. For those of you who are not on facebook (and for the Jordan's who haven't seen this video yet), below is a link to a video I did for Grandma and Grandma Jordan, so that they could see the nursery. Jason encouraged me to also put in on facebook, and since then I've enjoyed sharing with other friends. We love how the room is coming together!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFV2qM_2gp4

And now for an update on our baby girl in her 29th week, per babycenter.com:
Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. To meet her increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because her bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

Week 28 Update

We are officially in the 3rd Trimester! That means we have 27 weeks down, and 13 to go until our baby girl arrives. We are so excited!

Our next doctors appointment is this Friday. Now that we're in the 3rd trimester, we'll be seeing the doctor once every two weeks (instead of once a month). Once we hit the 36 week mark - meaning only one month to go - we'll see the doctor each week.

And for another update - we've signed up for childbirth class. It's a three week class on Tuesday nights, starting June 29th. It will be held at the hospital where we will be delivering the baby, which is great because it means we'll get the tour as part of a class (one less thing to have to do, since I was going to schedule a time for that anyways!). Our doctor recommended lamaze, since they'll focus on techniques to get through the pain, but will not be judgemental about getting an epidural. Apparently some of the other types of classes will lecture you if they hear you're going to get an epidural. But God made smart people in the world so that they can give us relief during the most painful time of our life. I plan to thank God for that as I roll over for the first needle I'll ever be glad to see. I will say though - my plan is to get as far as I can without it (without going past the point of no return). That's partially because I'm curious as to how much I can take, but also because I realize the big downside of an epidural is that it often slows down the process (which sometimes leads to the need of a cesarean, which I really want to avoid).

Now for the update per BabyCenter.com. She's growing so much - sometime soon I'll post a picture of my pregnant belly!

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Week 27 Update, a Couple "Holy Cow" Moments, and Baby Names

I'm feeling a bit chatty this morning, so am going to cram in a lot here :)

First, a couple "Holy Cow" moments that I'm going through this week:

• HOLY COW! Our baby girl is due THREE MONTHS from yesterday!
• HOLY COW! This is the last week of my third trimester, which means she's only going to get bigger, and at some point soon, I'll have to get brave and find a way to get her out of me!

Now that I have that out of the way, I'll share an update on names, since many people have been asking.

First, I want to ask a favor - we'd LOVE to hear your opinions. But, we only want the good ones - like how much you love the names, or which is your favorite. You might have a story of a girl you knew in high school that you didn't care for - after all, it's natural to associate names with someone you knew. But please keep that memory to yourself. Negative opinions about names we love - and potentially the name we are going to pick - really bring us (me) down! If you have any other ideas to add to the list, we'd love to hear them. Our plan is to have 2-3 names as potentials, and then pick one of them when we meet our baby girl.

That said, we have two front runners:

• Madeline Grace (we'd call her Maddie for short)
• Aubrey Grace

We also had Lillian Grace (would call her Lily) on the list, but we're thinking of scratching that one off the list. We keep hearing of others naming their baby the exact same name, which makes it feel a little less unique. Too bad - I wish we had the idea first!

Before I move off the topic of names, I HAVE to share a funny story. A girl I work with has a cousin in Memphis, who works as a nurse in the Labor & Delivery unit. She had a few really fun (or sad, rather) stories about names mothers gave their children:

• One mother chose to name her child something that is spelled C-H-I-N-E-S-E. Does anyone else think of the language Chinese? So the nurse commented on how interesting the name was, and pronounced the name as the language is pronounced. The mother was irritated, and said, "no, it's Shiness! Why can't anyone say by baby's name right!" Well, maybe because you spelled it like the language...
• Another mother named her son Nosmo. The nurse asked how she came up with that, and the mother said she had a vision as she was being wheeled to the ER. It was later that day that the nurse walked through the hallways of the ER, and saw a sign that said "No Smoking". And, the mother's last name is King. I feel so bad for that child, having NoSmoKing as a name! Although it is a great life motto.
• Another mother named her son Jron. Or that's how the nurse thought it was spelled. The mother got irritated at the mistake in how the nurse spelled it, saying "No - it's J - coma in the sky - R-O-N" (J'Ron).
• My favorite - a mother named her daughter La-a. When the nurse asked how that's pronounced, the mother responded "Ladasha - but the dash aint silent!"

Don't worry. I didn't get any ideas for names from that story :)

And now for the update on our baby girl, from babycenter.com:
This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

Week 26 Update

Our baby girl is doing well. I feel her kick more and more strongly every day. In fact, we were able to SEE her kick for the first time last week! We couldn't tell what body part it was, but we'd see my stomach bulge as she kicked in certain spots. We had a great time watching her dance that first night!

I got the test results back on the gestational diabetes test, and we are all clear. They did find that I'm a bit anemic, but that's nothing some iron supplements won't fix (I started taking them the day I got that news).

And now for the update per babycenter.com:
The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days