Week 29

Our 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, I'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because her bones are soaking up lots of calcium, I need to be sure to drink 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 our baby's hardening skeleton each day.

Illness

I have been really fortunate to be healthy this whole pregnancy (besides pregnancy complications), and haven't really caught any illnesses or had allergies. However, these past few days have been long. I am trying really hard to keep food down for the baby to get her nutrients and trying to rest and eat popsicles to keep the fever down. Hopefully it will pass soon. In the meantime, I am getting some much needed rest after a long week at school last week. 

The doctor seems to think I caught a stomach flu, however, I think I am just having really bad heartburn. Anything, no matter if it is water or crackers is having a hard time staying down. Also, I have been sleeping in the recliner because it is the only way I can feel comfortable, as soon as I lay down I get ill. So, I think I am just going to have to find a way around this heartburn. I am already taking between 6-8 Tums a day. I might have to stick to a bland diet eaten in small portions for a while.

I have been taking my anti-nausea medication all week, and it is really strong. It pretty much knocks me out. And, while I am out, Mark claims I say and do things which I can't even remember. Apparently, I asked him to get me a water bottle and chocolate from the gas station in the middle of the night. So he went and got me a water bottle and some M&Ms and helped me open them so I could eat them. I would say he is lying, except for the M&M wrapper I found the next day. So, I think I am going to lay off the medication for a while. 

Swing Set

Mark's parents decided to build a swing set for their grandchildren to play on when they come visit. They finished the whole thing in about 2 weeks, and it looks great. Here is a preview... I am sure Charlotte will have a blast! 

Nursery

This past weekend, I spent some time working on Charlotte's bedding for her nursery. Her is a little preview.... this is the bumper laid out around the top of her crib. 

And, this is part of her quilt...

Registry

Mark and I spent some time registering for baby supplies at Target and Babies R Us. Everyone would think this would be a fun task; and it is. However, it is a bit overwhelming as well. There are so many things on the baby checklist, and we don't know if we need all of them. And, if we do think we need them, then we have to figure out the difference between all the different options. It took us at least two trips to each store to complete the registry because we would get headaches from being over-stimulated and have to go home. But, we did it. We decided to forgo the electronic bottle warmer and the microwave sterilizer... if this was a bad decision, please let us know. And, we were trying to find cute girly things but keep the larger purchases more gender neutral, so we could use them in the future. All in all, we are excited for our baby's arrival and slightly overwhelmed at the number of baby products we will need.

Childbirth Class

Mark and I had our first LaMaze class this past Sunday, and it was very interesting. We walked in and the very first thing the instructor did was show us a movie. I think they were trying to scare us, because this movie wasn't very pleasant. It basically showed many women in lots of pain. After the initial shock or scare, we were able to meet some of the other couples. There are 13 couples in our class. I wasn't expecting the class to be so big. I would say that most couples range anywhere from 20-30 years old. This is everyone's first baby except for two couples who this is there second after a 10 year gap. I found it kind of funny to see all 13 of us pregnant ladies waddling around to the bathroom and the snack machine. And, I thought I ate a lot, our class together cleaned out the snack machine, and I didn't even eat anything but my grapes and almonds I brought from home.

We learned about a lot of interesting things such as the anatomy of pregnancy and the baby. We also learned about the signs of labor. I didn't know this but nesting and the feeling of wanting to stay close to home are strong urges or instincts that happen within 2-4 days before labor begins. So, if Mark comes home and everything in the house is clean, he should prepare for me to go into labor in the coming days. 

My favorite part of class is the last 45 minutes where Mark (my "labor coach") has to learn how to "relax" me. I get to lay on blankets and pillows while he has to "conduct my breathing" and I tell him what relaxes me (i.e. a back rub). We also learn long slow breathing techniques, which are very relaxing within themselves. I almost fell asleep. Try to take 6-9 deep breathes in 60 seconds and see how relaxing it is. I enjoy these relaxation techniques, but let me just make one thing clear, I am open to any and all available drugs during my labor. :)

Bump

Here we are... both of us are growing!