Week 33

Dear Sweet Pea,

I'm posting one day early since we'll be away this weekend for Easter. Tomorrow I will be 32 weeks along, and I am so ready to meet you!
This week you are probably about 4.5lbs, and 19.5inches (43cm) from head to toe! Your lungs might be sufficiently developed now, but if you were born today you'd still need to stay in an incubator to keep warm. You are big enough to be running out of room in there, and you do more rolls than kicks and punches now. You should be in your birth position by now. You are putting on lots of cute baby chub which means you'll be gaining about 1/2lb per week from now on. Will you be a big baby like Daddy was, or just average like I was?

My blood volume has increased by about 40% at this point, and my uterus has grown 500 times bigger! I'm definitely feeling aches and pains everyday, the worst being lower back, pelvic, and groin discomfort. Its getting harder and harder to sleep because I wake up so often to either pee or change position. I am also dealing with acid reflux and congestion most nights..fun! I am beginning to understand why pregnant women just want it to be over two months before their due date!

Now for the latest belly photo:

Week 31

Dear Sweet Pea,

Today I am 30 weeks along, so 3/4 of the way there and only 10 weeks to go! I still can't believe how fast its going by!
This week you'll be about 3.5 pounds and around 18 inches (40 cm) long. Your lungs are maturing quite a bit, and you can pee now! You might even be able to see, although its pretty dark in there. You can recognize several voices by now, and respond to sounds and light near my belly.

I am doing well, but am battling another cold right now :( The aches and pains of the 3rd trimester are definitely here! Its getting more and more uncomfortable to work, where I'm standing all the time, and its getting harder to sleep as well. Finding a position that is comfortable for any length of time is no easy feat! I feel tired quite often, and sometimes feel breathless since you're taking up some of my lung space!

In other news, I have now secured someone to be my replacement while I stay home with you for a little while. At this point I'm planning to take 7 months off, but we'll just see how things go. Its a huge relief to have found someone that I trust to treat my clients while I'm away. Her contract got signed this past Tuesday, so its official now, even though I had her picked out a few weeks ago.

And now for the 30 week belly picture!

Week 29

Dear Sweet Pea,

This week you weigh over 2.5 pounds and are about 37cm long from head to toe. You're starting to plump up now, and you should have eyelashes and a good head of hair. Your brain development is increasing in preparation for life in the big world!

As for me, it's starting to get uncomfortable to stand at work, especially if its a long or busy day. Luckily I am going for my own massage treatments every two weeks. You have been pretty active and I feel you moving around a lot. You were really rocking out during the Bon Jovi concert last night!

Mexico!

Dear Sweet Pea,

Daddy and I got back from our trip to Mexico a few days ago, and we had a fabulous time! The weather was sunny and warm, and we spent a lot of time relaxing by the pool, which was just what we needed! We did venture out a few times, to check out the sights and enjoy one excursion. We even bought you a little outfit to commemorate that you were there too, even though you were still in my belly! It was nice to have some quality time together, away from our busy lives at home. We came back tanned and refreshed. Here are few photos from our trip:

Week 27

Dear Sweet Pea,

I am 26 weeks along today and entering the last week of the second trimester! I just can't believe how fast the time is going. In only 3 months or so, we will be meeting you! Aside from coming down with a cold (the day before we leave for Mexico, of course!) and irritating back and hip pain, I'm still feeling pretty good. I have gained about 23 pounds so far!

As for you, you're now just over 2 pounds and are over a foot long from head to toe. Your eyes are probably opening around this time; up until now, they've been sealed shut. Will they be brown like Mommy's, or bright blue like Daddy's? You continue to pack on fat and are looking more and more like you will at birth. You're still quite active, and give me some good kicks sometimes!

Here's my most recent picture:

New Due Date

Dear Sweet Pea,

I just got home from an appointment with our midwives, and they have decided to change my due date from June 15th to June 17th. At our first ultrasound, you were measuring two days behind what I thought, and at the most recent ultrasound, there were also a few measurements that were a little behind so that's what the change is based on. You are still growing perfectly normally, but its good for everyone to be on the same page (that way, I won't start thinking that I'm 2 weeks overdue if I'm really not).
So I'll post pictures and growth updates on Fridays now :)

Shopping Trip

Dear Sweet Pea,

Last weekend Daddy and I took a short road trip down to Bellingham, Washington to buy a bunch of baby stuff for you. Things are so much cheaper in the states so we were excited to save a bundle. We lucked out at Target and we able to buy your crib and mattress, a stroller, a playpen, and baby carrier as well as some smaller things like crib sheets, change table pad, bottles, and soothers. We also saved over $100 alone on a breast pump for me. We still need to get a nice glider chair for all those late-night feedings! Overall we probably saved $300-$400 easily, so we think it was a pretty successful trip, not to mention a nice little getaway for us! Your room looks more like a baby room now as opposed to a guest/storage room that it was before. We even got a new light fixture, complete with dimmer switch! Not long now before we can use all of our purchases!

Babymoon!

Dear Sweet Pea,

Some people refer to a babymoon as that first week or so after baby's birth, when the new family take time alone to bond. More often though, its referred to as one last vacation that Mommy and Daddy take to enjoy some time together before welcoming their new arrival. Some of the moms I know have done a trip like this and said it was the best thing they could have done while still pregnant. Many went during the second trimester, when they were still feeling good. It took me a while to convince your Dad that we should go somewhere (for longer than a few nights). He was unsure about taking the time off. I just kept arguing that this would be our last chance at a child-free vacation, and since we've hardly done any big trips as a couple, we shouldn't pass up the opportunity. Our honeymoon six months ago was our first real vacation together aside from a weekend trip away here and there. I didn't want our honeymoon to be our first and last week-long trip together before you arrive! So finally Daddy decided that he wanted to go, and since we both had some money set aside that wasn't spoken for, we booked a trip to Mexico! We'll be going to Puerto Vallarta for one week, leaving on March 12th, so I'll just be starting my third trimester while we're there. We're staying at a resort that I've been to before with my family four years ago. We had a great time there so I have no hesitation about going there again. Daddy will have to drink my share of alcohol, and I will just eat a lot in order to get my money's worth! While we are excited about the idea of family vacations once you (and future sibling(s) are a little older, we're really looking forward to some quality time together, just the two of us. I will be sure to post a few pictures when we get back.

Week 25

Dear Sweet Pea,

Today I am 24 weeks along and that's a huge milestone! You've now reached the age of viability, which means that if you were born today, you would likely survive thanks to the advanced medical technology we have today. You're about 1.5 pounds now and are about 22cm long. You now look more like a full-term baby; your facial features are in their final positions. You have hair on your head and eyelashes too! Your sleeping and waking patterns are more predictable now, and you are becoming more aware of your surrounding environment. You are practicing your strong grip, and may even have a preference for your left or right hand already. Will you be a lefty like Daddy or a righty like Mommy?

As for me, I am still feeling good and enjoying the last few weeks of the second trimester. That being said, I'm definitely feeling big and noticing that I move a little slower now and am starting to experience back and hip pain again. My uterus is about the size of a soccer ball now (regular size is about that of a pear). My organs are getting more and more cramped in there, and the biggest symptom I've had of that is acid reflux! You are probably getting more cramped in there too; last night I'm sure you had a body part wedged under the bottom of my rib cage! You're still very active though, and move around a lot.

Week 23

Dear Sweet Pea,

Since I've only been taking pictures of my bump every two weeks, I figured I'll just do development updates every two weeks as well.
Today I'm 22 weeks along! I definitely feel you a lot these days, and you seem to be most active in the late afternoon and into the evening. Luckily you don't keep me awake at night (yet)! I've gained about 15 pounds so far!

You weigh about 1 pound now (450g) and are about 8 inches long (20cm). You are growing like crazy, and even people who see me regularly say I seem to be bigger everyday! Your little body is starting to plump up as fat begins to deposit under your skin. You drink amniotic fluid regularly, which is probably what causes your hiccups. That's about it for this week!