34 weeks

Well, as of today I'm 34 weeks + 2 days. Not feeling too bad today. I had my maternity photo session yesterday so that was fun :) I can't wait to see the photos!! I hope they turned out good.
We finally put up the crib & changing table. We just need to get a couple things (dresser, bookcase, etc..) before the nursery is complete!

Well, 6 weeks to go until we meet our baby boy. We're still 99% sure that we're naming him Lucas. I really like the alternate spelling "Lukas" much better but after thinking things through.... Lucas is better, I guess (easier to write in cursive, easier to find items with his name on it, etc...) But seriously, so many things nowadays can be customized.. I guess that isn't a big issue.  As far as writing in cursive, if he goes by his nickname (Luke) he'll be writing the "k" anyway.... We really need to figure this out!

Which one??
Lukas Edward Menzel  
OR
Lucas Edward Menzel

We're pretty sure we're going with the middle name Edward because both of our dads have the middle name Edward.

According to babycenter.com:
Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (about the size of a cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his 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.

Baby is the size of a butternut squash (thebump.com)

How far along?     34 weeks 2 days
Total weight gain:   ~37 lbs

Maternity clothes?   maternity pants and tops.
Sleep:     getting worse lately.. waking up 2-4 times per night.. just overheated.
Miss Anything?      just being able to do things I used to be able to do without struggling! Can't really bend over anymore... and I literally have to "roll" out of bed in the morning. lol
Movement:    All the time. It hurts sometimes when baby pokes me in the ribs & pelvis.
Food cravings: I always want sweets.. don't know if I'd call it a craving, though.
Anything making you queasy or sick:  nope!
Labor Signs:   no
Symptoms:    heartburn,some ankle swelling, exhaustion, backache, occasional round ligament pain, right knee numbness/nerve problems, sharp pains in my pelvis (baby is pressing his head on my cervix?)
Belly Button in or out?   in...but it's getting smaller!
Wedding rings on or off?   on.. my wedding ring is too big for me anyway (I have a plastic sizer thing on it) but it's leaving a little dent in my finger
Happy or Moody most of the time:   Angry...I can't help it! I've just been getting frustrated so easily. I'm sure it's a combination of things (hormones, lack of sleep, etc..)
Looking forward to:     finishing the nursery, having my ultrasound on 8/22, starting my maternity leave! (that can't come soon enough)

33 weeks! 7 weeks to go!

I'm officially 33 weeks today. 7 weeks (49 days) to go! My next ultrasound appointment is on 8/22 and I can't wait! The nursery is almost done! The painting is finished and the moldings are installed. We just have to steam clean the carpet. I can't wait to put the crib up and start decorating the room. I want to get a dresser and a bookcase and we still need to buy curtains, etc.. How exciting. :)

I found out that a girl I work with, who was also pregnant, just had her baby (she was due 1 week before me). She & the baby are doing well. But now I'm the only one left! lol I just wonder if I'll go early, on time, or late!

Per Babycenter.com: 
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds and has passed the 17-inch mark (about the size of a pineapple). 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.

Baby is the size of a durian fruit (or pineapple):

 I've never actually seen a durian fruit... and I don't think I'd ever want to try one after reading up on it!

How far along?     33 weeks
Total weight gain:   34 lbs

Maternity clothes?   maternity pants and tops.
Sleep:     getting worse lately.. waking up 2-4 times per night.. just overheated.
Miss Anything?      just being able to do things I used to be able to do without struggling! Can't really bend over anymore.
Movement:    All the time. It hurts sometimes when baby pokes me in the ribs & pelvis.
Food cravings: I always want sweets.. don't know if I'd call it a craving, though.
Anything making you queasy or sick:  nope!
Labor Signs:   no
Symptoms:    acid reflux everyday, some ankle swelling, exhaustion, headache, backache, occasional round ligament pain, right knee numbness/nerve problems
Belly Button in or out?   in...but it's getting smaller!
Wedding rings on or off?   on.. my wedding ring is too big for me anyway, so I don't think I'll ever have to take it off!
Happy or Moody most of the time:   Happy! :D
Looking forward to:     finishing the nursery, setting up the crib & changing table, my ultrasound on 8/22, & booking my maternity photo session! :D

 

Baby has the hiccups right now. :) Kinda funny.

32 weeks! Just wow..

WOW I can't believe I'm at 32 weeks already. Only 8 weeks to go. I feel like this has gone by so fast. My baby is due next month. Holy crap!

I've been feeling so tired lately. I really need to rest more. My ankles are starting to swell.. ugh! My next ultrasound is on 8/22 so I'm excited about that :) We have a lot going on this month. We're taking a baby care basics class on 8/13 and a Childbirth prep class on 8/31. We'll be very busy this month!

So, the nursery is painted.. we just have to touch up a few things. I painted the mouldings so we're hopefully going to install them this weekend. After that, we just need to steam clean the carpet and then we can set up the crib! yay :) I can't wait!

According to babycenter.com:

By now, your baby weighs 3 3/4 pounds (about the size of 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.

Baby is the size of a squash (thebump.com):

 

How far along?     32 weeks
Total weight gain:   33 lbs

Maternity clothes?   maternity pants and tops.
Sleep:     getting worse lately.. waking up 2-4 times per night.. just overheated.
Miss Anything?      just being able to do things I used to be able to do without struggling! Can't really bend over anymore.
Movement:    All the time. It hurts sometimes when baby pokes me in the ribs.
Food cravings: I always want sweets.. don't know if I'd call it a craving, though.
Anything making you queasy or sick:  nope!
Labor Signs:   no
Symptoms:    acid reflux everyday, ankle swelling, exhaustion, headache, backache, occasional round ligament pain, right knee numbness/nerve problems
Belly Button in or out?   in
Wedding rings on or off?   on.. my wedding ring is too big for me anyway, so I don't think I'll ever have to take it off!
Happy or Moody most of the time:   Depends on the day and how I'm feeling.
Looking forward to:     finishing the nursery, setting up the crib & changing table :)

31 weeks!

We hit 31 weeks on Friday. Only 9 weeks to go. I can't believe how fast this is going. Baby will be here before we know it! I'm starting to get a bit anxious and a little scared about having the baby. This is something I've never done before. I have no idea what it's going to be like. 
I've been getting more & more exhausted lately. I still think I'm overdoing it when I'm at home. I really need to take it easy and rest but I just feel like there are things that need to be done and they won't be done unless I do them! ugh.
So, the baby shower went well! I'm so glad. My mom got last minute approval to have it at her church (Thank God). Such a huge weight off my shoulders! (It was supposed to be at my house). Sam's club messed up the cake 3 times but the final product was fine. I was sooooo exhausted after the shower. whew!

Other good news: We painted the nursery! yay :D Also, we ordered the crib & picked it up yesterday. Things are moving right along. This is exciting. :)

According to BabyCenter.com:

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3 1/3 pounds (about the size of a coconut) 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.

Baby is the size of a pineapple (per thebump.com):

 

How far along?     31 weeks 2 days
Total weight gain:   31 lbs

Maternity clothes?   maternity pants and tops.
Sleep:     getting worse lately.. waking up 2+ times per night.. just overheated.
Miss Anything?      just being able to do things I used to be able to do without struggling!
Movement:    All the time. It hurts sometimes when baby pokes me in the ribs.
Food cravings: I always want sweets.. don't know if I'd call it a craving, though.
Anything making you queasy or sick:  nope!
Labor Signs:   no
Symptoms:    exhaustion, headache, backache, occasional round ligament pain, right knee numbness/nerve problems, a bit winded after doing stairs.
Belly Button in or out?   in
Wedding rings on or off?   on.. my wedding ring is too big for me anyway, so I don't think I'll ever have to take it off!
Happy or Moody most of the time:   Depends on the day and how I'm feeling.
Looking forward to:     finishing the nursery, setting up the crib & changing table :)

30 weeks. 10 weeks to go!!

This is kind of long-winded. I feel like it's a "journal" entry but I don't care. This blog is about my pregnancy and what I'm going through both good and bad.

The last couple weeks have been kind of rough. On Sunday, 7/7 (I think?) I started having a weird feeling above my knee. It felt like something was crawling in it, so I would brush my hand across it and notice there was nothing there. I didn't really pay it much attention until that evening when I started getting an electric shock-like feeling above my knee everytime I would take a step. It happened again the following day at work. I didn't know if this was normal or not. Everyone kind of brushed it off  with "oh.. haha baby must be pressing on a nerve." Well, thanks.. that's really reassuring to someone who has never experienced this before. It's not a sciatica type pain.. so I was really worried. I was afraid there was something seriously wrong with my knee. I was limping a little bit and people were asking me about it (ugh). I was having a rough day at work and I almost started crying (I like to blame it on the hormones). 

It's not just the knee problem... All the stress lately is just building up. We're switching to computerized charting next month and no one feels ready for it, I've been feeling more fatigued lately (the super-hot 90++ degree humid weather doesn't help), I've been trying to get my backyard & house looking nice for my baby shower since it was supposed to be at my house, David has been working long hours so I don't get a whole lot of help. My backyard was overrun with weeds so we spent the majority of my birthday (6/30) pulling weeds and putting down landscaping fabric and mulch. A few days ago, my mom helped me do the same thing in the front yard under our pine tree. I'm just so wiped out! On Monday, my mom and I tried working in the backyard putting down landscaping bricks (95 degrees and humid outside). I felt like I was going to die. I'm having a harder time kneeling down, especially because of the knee problem. I'm just trying to do too much. We got maybe 1/4th of it done and I had to give up. 

The good news is that my mom was able to get last-minute approval to have the baby shower at her church! Thank GOD! My 92 year old grandma is coming to the shower and I knew she wouldn't really be able to handle sitting outside in the hot humid weather. I'm so glad that everyone will be more comfortable now with it being held at the church. I feel so relieved! This really takes a huge weight off my shoulders. We still have a lot to do before the shower but now I don't have to work my butt off trying to get my backyard looking good and getting my house presentable.

Comparing 15 and 30 weeks. Wow! What a difference:

 

 According to babycenter.com:

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now and weighs almost 3 pounds (about the size of a large cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will shrink 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.

Baby is the size of a cucumber (per TheBump.com), about 15.7 inches long:

How far along?     30 weeks
Total weight gain:   30 lbs

Maternity clothes?   maternity pants and tops.
Sleep:     it's ok. Waking up at least once per night.
Miss Anything?      being able to do stairs without getting winded, having normal feeling in my right knee, being able to kneel down and get back up without a problem.. lol the list goes on!
Movement:    Yes! All the time. Baby knows how to kick/punch me in the ribs and the bladder, sometimes at the same time.
Food cravings: I always want sweets.. don't know if I'd call it a craving, though.
Anything making you queasy or sick:  nope!
Labor Signs:   no
Symptoms:    headache, backache, occasional round ligament pain, right knee numbness/nerve problems, a bit winded after doing stairs... At least I can still tie my own shoes!
Belly Button in or out?   in
Wedding rings on or off?   on.. my wedding ring is too big for me anyway, so I don't think I'll ever have to take it off!
Happy or Moody most of the time:   Depends on the day and how I'm feeling.
Looking forward to:     the baby shower tomorrow, 3D/4D ultrasound next week, getting the nursery painted!

29 weeks

I haven't been on here to update. ugh! I've been so busy with work and trying to get things ready for my baby shower.

Anyhoo, this is my 29 week update (only a week late.. lol).. Didn't know I could back-date the post for the 12th. Cool ;)

According to babycenter.com:
Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (about the size of a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his 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.

Baby is the size of an acorn squash (per TheBump.com)

How far along?     29 weeks (as of 7-12-13)
Total weight gain:   around 27 lbs

Maternity clothes?   yes, maternity pants. I'm wearing mostly maternity shirts, lately.
Sleep:     it's ok. Waking up at least once per night.
Miss Anything?      Well, I've given in and started drinking (some) coffee again.
Movement:    Yes.. quite often!
Food cravings: I always want sweets.. don't know if I'd call it a craving, though.
Anything making you queasy or sick:  nope!
Labor Signs:   no
Symptoms:    headache, backache, occasional round ligament pain. Newest symptom: my right knee is numb and I feel a electric-shock type of feeling above my knee when I walk. It almost feels like someone is snapping it with a rubber band. Ouch :(
Belly Button in or out?   in
Wedding rings on or off?   on.. my wedding ring is too big for me anyway, so I don't think I'll ever have to take it off!
Happy or Moody most of the time:   happy
Looking forward to:     Painting the nursery, and having the 3D/4D ultrasound on 7/24! :)

28 weeks. Hello 3rd trimester!!

WOW. Just want to say.. I can't believe I'm entering my third trimester. I remember when it seemed so far away. This is going by so fast. In just 3 months, I'll have a little baby boy in my arms. This is still so surreal to me! His kicks are getting stronger lately. I'm also feeling a bit more fatigued. Well, today is off to a great start, though.. I got cancelled from work! :) So today I can work on things that need to get done (like my baby registry!)

According to babycenter.com:
By this week, your baby weighs 2 1/4 pounds (about the size of a large eggplant) 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.

Baby is the size of an eggplant:

How far along?     28 weeks
Total weight gain:   around 25 lbs (down one pound since last week)

Maternity clothes?   yes, maternity pants. I can still fit into most of my regular shirts but they're getting tighter..
Sleep:     it's ok. Waking up at least once per night.
Miss Anything?      not really.
Movement:    Yes.. quite often! yay!! :)
Food cravings: I always want sweets.. don't know if I'd call it a craving, though.
Anything making you queasy or sick:  nope!
Labor Signs:   no
Symptoms:    headache, backache, occasional round ligament pain
Belly Button in or out?   in
Wedding rings on or off?   on.. my wedding ring is too big for me anyway, so I don't think I'll ever have to take it off!
Happy or Moody most of the time:   Happy today!!
Looking forward to:     Painting the nursery, and having the 3D/4D ultrasound on 7/24! :)