Belly pictures | Ultrasound pictures

• December 26 39w5d
  Holly Elizabeth is born!!!
  See her birth announcement here, with plenty more pictures and the story of the birth to follow soon.
• December 25 39w4d At my last appointment with the midwife there was the usual concern about my blood pressure and swelling. I've gained 25 pounds. The baby was sounding good, though. I had a non-stress test to see if my blood pressure was affecting the baby but she performed perfectly. This morning, Christmas morning, I started having stronger contractions around 6 am. By 10 am they had been consistently 7-8 minutes apart for four hours and were accompanied by some bloody show. I figured things were getting going and didn't go to Christmas at my parents', but while Rick and the girls were gone the contractions slowed down. Most of the day they puttered at 15 or more minutes apart. Discouraging. I guess I should be happy because I really didn't want the baby to be born on Christmas, but on the other hand, that was mostly because I didn't want to miss Christmas myself, and I basically did. Anyway, stay tuned for tomorrow...
• December 19 38w5d I'm feeling impatient but not pulling out my hair yet. I do find myself looking at the clock with every contraction or twinge that I feel, wondering if this time will be "it." So far, nope. But we are ready. I put a waterproof pad on the bed in case my water breaks in bed (as happened with both previous births). I am up three or four times every night to use the bathroom. If the baby so much as bats an eye, it hurts me. The vibrations from driving or riding in the car cause almost continuous BH contractions. My ankles are so puffy that it hurts to bend them to go up and down stairs. But I'm still at work and still managing not to snap at people who make comments which wouldn't bother me if I wasn't uncomfortable and hormonal. :) We've gotten much love from family and friends in the way of baby gifts, which I didn't expect since this is number three. The baby will be the best dressed newborn girl there ever was. Just yesterday some friends of Rick's from work gave me a spa gift certificate, and the staff gave us a Visa gift card. And my mom gave me the finished bedding for the cradle. Really, we are ready!! Come on, baby, you don't want to miss Christmas!
• December 13 37w6d Still trucking along. I finally had my home visit from the midwife this evening, after being postponed twice due to other births. She confirmed I have all the supplies in place and now she knows how to get here, so we are ready to roll. My blood pressure was not great, but again, it dropped when I laid down on my left side so I was told to get plenty of rest on my left side. My ankles are swelling pretty badly too -- I need to drink a lot more water. The baby was very active and kicked the midwife relentlessly while she felt for positioning. The baby is still posterior -- not the optimal position for labor and birth, so I must try to convince her to spin around. Then she's welcome to be born any time!
• November 30 36w Woohoo! 36 weeks! Not that this means the baby will come tonight, but still. It's a milestone. Actually according to the midwife's calculations my due date is December 31 and so I am not 36 weeks until Sunday, but I'm going with MY calculations. Everything is falling into place, finally. The birth kit (technical things like the cord clamp and alcohol swabs) arrived yesterday, the pool and the filling/draining mechanisms are on their way, and I have all the other supplies in the house except for a hose. I am reluctant to use the big garden hose that's been outside for 2 years to fill the pool, so I need to go to Home Depot or something to get a new one since Wal-Mart has replaced their garden section with a Christmas section. My mom says the blanket, sheet and bumper for the cradle should be finished this weekend. I'd like to get new curtains for the room the cradle is in and make liners for the small baskets I got. Other than that we need a bag-thing for the Diaper Genie, diapers, newborn hats, a baby monitor, I would like a changing pad to go on top of the small dresser, and of course I'm still eyeing the take-along swing. But none of those things are necessary before the baby arrives. So as soon as my pool gets here I am good to go. Well, aside from the kitchen-ful of dishes that need to be washed.
• November 24 35w1d Nesting update: I rearranged the guest room/baby's room and put all the baby clothes into a small dresser. I counted 52 onesies. 52!!! The amount of clothes is stunning. The only thing I don't have a surplus of is newborn hats. I guess I will have to pick some of those up. I'm also in the market for some baskets to put on shelves to hold things like socks and diapers, and a laundry basket, and some curtains. My mom and I got the material to make the cradle bedding today. I also have a very sweet baby scrapbook that our friend Sarah helped the girls make last week.
• November 21 34w5d Moving right along... I am finally having my nesting urges. I sorted all the baby clothes, cleaned and organized the bathroom closet, cleaned out the fridge and scrubbed it, etc. Unfortunately to go along with this, my blood pressure is slowly going up. It is not close to a dangerous level, but to stop the upward trend the midwife wants me to basically adopt a modified bedrest and spend plenty of time laying on my left side. This cuts into my nesting time considerably, as well as making me cut back on my hours at work. Along with all of that I have been plagued by insomnia. But everything else is good. I have gained 16 pounds and am measuring about a week ahead. The baby was posterior at my checkup, which explains why I feel so many kicks and punches up front, and the head grinding at the front of my pelvis. We are well set with baby supplies -- I am still in the market for cradle bedding, a baby monitor, and a changing pad, and I admit to coveting the Fisher-Price Aquarium Take-Along Swing even though we have a perfectly good full-size swing. If the baby were born tonight, we wouldn't need to go buy anything (I even have a single newborn diaper). Two weeks from tomorrow is my home visit, and at that point if my health is still good, the home birth is a go!
• November 7 32w5d At my midwife appointment yesterday everything is still as good as it has been. For the first time my urine dipstick came back perfect. My blood pressure was slightly up but nothing to worry about. I have gained 13 pounds so far, although I'm is measuring about two weeks ahead of where I am. I go for another visit at 34 weeks, and then have a home visit at 36 weeks. Next week I plan to start putting together everything for the birth. The baby is moving well, and the Braxton Hicks contractions are strong. I'm feeling good but unwieldy and get tired really easily. Oh, and heartburn can get pretty bad. Here is a picture of the tattoo a friend did on me with leftover henna from my hair:
  
• October 28 31w2d I had a bit of nervousness earlier this week when I didn't feel the baby move for a good eight hours. I tried poking her, drinking cold water, and eating a sugary breakfast, but nothing. I don't like to be paranoid, but it was so unusual that I dropped by the midwife's office unexpectedly. She found the heartbeat immediately and all was well. After a relatively quiet day the baby stepped up her activity to the point where now I wonder if she ever sleeps. I, meanwhile, am tired all the time.
• October 19 30w I visited the midwife this morning and everything is going well. I never had blood pressure readings this good in my first two pregnancies. I did not gain any more weight over the past month, which surprises me since I feel like I have been eating a lot. The baby is head down and facing my left side, which prompted the midwife to lean over and say to my belly, "Did you hear me? You're in perfect position!" It's hard to believe I will be in the clear for the planned birth in six weeks... although I fully expect to hit my due date which is ten weeks away. We're still quite unprepared, but I don't feel too upset about it. We have baby clothes, a cradle, a swing and a bouncy seat. We need diapers, bedding for the cradle, and a car seat. I'd like a baby monitor as well. I also need to find someone who can take pictures during my labor and delivery -- someone I won't feel bad to call in the wee hours of the morning if necessary.
• October 10 28w5d Finally in the third trimester, and I can feel myself slowing down. I can't walk fast and I am waddling more. Most days it is a struggle to get up from my desk or up off the couch. The baby still does most of her moving on a predictable schedule. The past week my Braxton-Hicks contractions have gone up in frequency. Swelling is not bad, though, and according to the scale at work I am not packing on the pounds. With 10-12 weeks left to go, I really need to start planning out the birth day and the days following, and get a few things ready. But I'm too caught up in home improvement projects and just everything else going on in family life. Maybe next week...
• September 25 26w4d Yesterday was the baby's most active day ever. It seemed like she never slowed down, and all of her movements were big. Both Thea and Faith got to feel her pushing against them. Rick could even see her moving my belly around. Yesterday was my worst swelling day, too, and I have developed heartburn over the past two nights that keeps me awake. This morning I told someone that I have two months to go, but afterwards I realized I've got three more months. This last trimester is simultaneously the longest and the shortest time of all.
• September 21 26w Baby is growing, and so am I. At my appointment today, I had gained nine more pounds for a total of ten so far. I'm feeling a lot larger -- see the latest belly picture here. The baby's movements are stronger and sometimes very uncomfortable. I am also feeling Braxton-Hicks contractions every day. Most evenings I am so sore I can't even get comfortable in bed. With 14 weeks to go, I am starting to think more about preparations -- mainly getting an infant carseat, setting up the cradle, and finding a pediatrician. We also have to figure out who is going to be here for the birth.
• August 25 22w1d At the risk of jinxing it, I must say I've been feeling a lot better lately. I enjoy eating again, and at my midwife appointment yesterday I had finally gained one pound over the weight I was at my first appointment in May. The baby should weigh around a pound by now, and would be about 11 inches long stretched out, but she's probably curled up in there. She moves a lot at specific times during the day, and I definitely feel kicks as opposed to just squirms. I am unfortunately starting to notice mild swelling in my legs, but my blood pressure at the MW appointment was great, so no worries. Here is a picture of the baby's first trip to the beach.
  
• August 7 19w4d Aches and pains are starting to kick in. When I have been in one position for too long and then try to move, muscles in my butt and my groin protest. I've fended off several leg cramps at night but soon expect to get hit with one I can't stop. Still, with most of the sickness gone, I'm feeling decent. The baby's movements are still gentle, but more predictable: she squirms around soon after a meal, and she pushes against the seatbelt when I buckle into the car. There is a firmness to my belly now, and the baby should be about 6.5 inches long from head to rump.
• July 28 18w1d I had my routine ultrasound yesterday. Of course the point is to check fetal growth, rule out fetal anomalies, check placental placement, etc, but I know the news everyone wants to hear:
  

  IT'S A GIRL!

  She was uncooperative with the ultrasound tech, moving around a lot and getting into positions that made it hard to get measurements. At one point she gave a very hard kick that hurt me and that the technician felt from the outside. After at least half an hour of fighting the tech, she settled down and didn't move much at all when Rick and the girls came in to look. Everything looked normal -- the brain, stomach, spine, heart -- and although a lot of attention was paid to my cervix, in the end they said it looked good and tight. You can see some pictures here.
• July 22 17w2d I'm beginning to feel more regular movement now, very gentle squirms and nudges. It's been a rough week -- I have been sick now for 8 days with a cold that begat a sinus infection that morphed into conjunctivitis (pinkeye). At my general practitioner's office a few days ago, the scale said I had lost 7-8 pounds since my appointment with the midwife (you can tell in my most recent belly picture). I am able to eat again now, although I have not been able to taste anything for ages. This Thursday is the ultrasound and we will hopefully find out the baby's gender.
• July 13 16w At my third appointment with the midwife, Thea and Faith got to hear the baby's heartbeat and I definitely felt it squirming around when the Doppler pressed against it. I am back up to my pre-pregnancy weight. The midwife was slightly concerned about a possible asymptomatic UTI so I had to leave a urine sample. Other than that all is fine. I will call the radiology place tomorrow about an ultrasound.
• July 11 15w5d I'm starting to get more aches and pains in my back and low in my pelvis, although I still haven't felt what I can definitely say is baby movement. Today I feel like I'm walking around with a rock in my belly, and sometimes I feel such a tightness inside that if I were further along I would say it is definitely Braxton Hicks. As it is, I'm just not sure. My next midwife appointment is this Thursday.
• June 24 13w2d Not a lot to report. My uterus is definitely growing -- I can feel it if I lean against something like the sink or the table, and it's starting to adjust the way I have to sleep. I'm still plagued by indigestion and loss of appetite, but the exhaustion is slowly abating. At my next appointment I will ask about an ultrasound -- I think we're going to try to find out the baby's gender this time (Thea and Faith were birth day surprises).
• June 8 11w I had my second appointment with the midwife today, and of course the big moment was picking up the baby's heartbeat on the Doppler. It's amazing how that little sound makes you feel. The heart rate was 150 bpm. As for me, I lost 4 pounds and my blood pressure had jumped up, which isn't great, but hopefully was just because of some anxiety I had over hearing the heartbeat. I have to add an iron supplement to my list of daily things to take, and I'm trying a papaya enzyme formula to help with my indigestion. Aside from that all is well.
• May 23 8w5d I can eat without nausea now, but I'm just never hungry thanks to constant indigestion. Through all of this my weight remains steady -- no loss, no gain. We've told a bunch of people about the baby over the past week, which worries me a bit since we haven't even heard a heartbeat yet. I've also been told that I don't seem excited or anxious to talk about the baby. I'm chalking that up to being so preoccupied with school and still coming down from graduation. And at this point I honestly don't feel a strong preference about gender, and I haven't given much thought to names, or baby gear we will need, or how we will work out issues such as daycare. I do hope I will start to feel more excitement once I hit the second trimester.
• May 17 7w6d The nausea peaked last week and is down a bit this week, but in its place are allergy symptoms so I still don't want to eat. I had an appointment with a new midwife last week, which went well, aside from the fact that I nearly passed out when she drew blood. I'm very achy today after spending yesterday scrubbing the kitchen.
• May 5 6w1d I don't want soda anymore, which is very unusual for a soda fiend like myself. All I want is water. And most foods I think of or see are not appealing, but when I find one that does appeal, I can eat a lot of it. I lost those 3 pounds I'd gained, so it was probably just a daily fluctuation thing.
• May 1 5w4d All I want to eat is chicken. I've gained 3 pounds, and I can't blame any of that on the baby, which is apparently the size of a small raspberry about now. Its circulatory system should be up and running.
• April 30 5w3d No nausea yet, which is great. My appetite comes and goes, but I can still eat a lot. I'm getting more and more tired, too. I could pass a whole day just eating and sleeping.
• April 27 5w I'm tired. Today I wore a shirt that is not a maternity shirt but kind of hung like one. I kept imagining people were glancing at my stomach. I'm planning to call a midwife at the beginning of next week to plan a meeting and see if we get along.
• April 24 4w4d I already want to wear maternity clothes and tell everyone the news, but I like keeping secrets too much. Maybe I'll tell just a few people.
• April 23 4w3d My back has ached today and my belly feels twingy. My breasts hurt and my bra doesn't fit. For that matter, my pants don't fit. I can't believe I'm thinking of baby names already.
• April 21 Took a pregnancy test. Results are conclusive this time. I am 4 weeks pregnant. Rick brought me flowers and he didn't even know.
• April 17 Had a suspicion. Took a pregnancy test. Results are inconclusive -- is that a line or not?
• April 4 Had my IUD removed. "Maybe we'll try for a baby later this year."