Week 28

Baby's development: The baby is about 14 1/2 inches from head to toe and weighs about 2 1/2 lbs. The baby is growing at top speed. His lungs are capable of breathing air, but if he were to be born today, it would be difficult for him to breathe properly. His brain is also developing more grooves everyday and his brain mass is increasing. His testes are also beginning their descent into the scrotum!

I've heard from many pregnant women that there was a point when they "popped." I think that in the past two weeks, I have really popped. Not only do I feel bigger, but I'm feeling more of the uncomfortable symptoms of pregnancy. I've got sciatica on the left side of my body and my back is getting a little bit more tired when I walk for a while. However, I'm still feeling energetic and I hope to continue yoga and swimming in the next three months. I'm also feeling less comfortable while sleeping and I think that a body pillow might be my next purchase...maybe also a memory foam pad for the mattress.

There's an old wives tale that you can tell the sex of the baby by how you carry the baby. I've read that people tend to carry boys "high" and girls "low." I can say that is not true! I definitely feel like I'm carrying lower than some women that I have seen. I find myself bumping into counter tops a lot these days, like in the bathroom when I'm leaning over the sink, or in the kitchen when I'm reaching for something in the cabinet. I hope the baby is well insulated in there.

Ryan and I hung out with our friends Courtney and Eldora this weekend. We got a lesson in cloth diaper changing. Wow. I had no idea how to fold those diapers! We also got some great tips on how to avoid getting poop sprayed all over you by the baby -- make sure to change him with his butt NOT facing you. I guess Courtney learned the hard way. :)

Week 27

Baby's development: The baby measures 9 1/2 from crown to rump and weighs a little over 2 lbs. The baby's becoming plumper and rounder as the amount of fat increases. Thumb-sucking has been seen in ultrasounds as a favorite past time activity. The baby's eyelids also begin to open and the retinas begin to form. The baby can now detect changes in light, and studies have show that when a flashlight is shone against the mother's abdomen, the baby may move or sometimes away from its beam.

I have been sick this week and it's been quite uncomfortable. Ryan came back from Hawaii with a pretty bad cough and I managed to catch it pretty quickly. I read that pregnant women have suppressed immune systems because our bodies need to be less selective about rejecting foreign cells so that the body does not reject the baby. So basically, pregnant women are more prone to getting sick. There is a list of medications that I can take, but I've avoided them all because I haven't been able to call my doctor this weekend to check and make sure. I feel SO much better today though and the coughing has subsided a lot. I was coughing a lot over the weekend and felt pretty bad for the baby. I could feel him move around when I was having a coughing fit and could tell that he was not happy to be shaken so much. I've had probably on average three gallons of water and a ton of lemon and honey every day, so hopefully I am on my road to recovery.

So far I've gained 15 lbs, 7 of which was gained in just the last four weeks! That's almost 2 lbs of weight gain per week! The recommended weight gain is 25-35 lbs, so I think I'm doing well so far with weight gain, but I don't think I've ever put on weight that quickly before. I went for a short hike today and could feel the extra 15 lbs...a little more huffing and puffing than usual. Oh, and Jess totally kicked my ass swimming the other day. I thought swimming would be easier since I'd be more buoyant, but it's not. I swam 1000 yds in the same time that I would have swam 2000 yds prior to being pregnant and I was so tired!

This is my last week in the second trimester. Next week starts the final trimester. I start seeing my doctor every two weeks from now until delivery (as opposed to every four weeks). I'm suppose to start thinking about my "birth plan" right now to discuss with my doctor. So far, all I know is that I don't want a home birth and I want Ryan to be my coach (so no doula). I'm confident that he'll be great during labor and I'd rather have him around than someone else.

The baby has been kicking a lot while I've been typing this entry. It's been amazing how active he is. I swear that half the time he's doing summersaults in there!

Week 26

Baby's development: This week the baby is 9 1/4 inches crown to rump (13 1/4 inches head to toe) and weights almost 2 lbs. At this stage, the daily developmental benchmarks may seem small, since much of what is happening is just continual development of what has already formed. For example, the baby continues to swallow amniotic fluid to practice using his lungs. His eyes have completely formed and his pulse now quickens as he reacts to sound. He may even move in rhythm to music. This week, his testicles begin to descend into his scrotum.

I'm noticing changes in my body as well. The vericose veins are still there, but so far, no stretch marks! I'm still having pain in my left butt muscle when I bend over, but there isn't much I can do. All the hormones making my joints loose are probably causing this pain, so I don't anticipate much relief until after the baby is born. My belly is still itchy beyond belief!

Ryan has been playing games with the baby recently by pushing back against the baby when the baby pushes against my stomach. Ryan will poke the baby and then the baby will move, but then the baby will kick the same place that Ryan just poked him at. It's pretty cool to feel that the baby is responding to what we are doing. It feels like the baby is active 24 hours a day too. If I have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I'll feel him moving around after I lay down again. This is usually at 3 am! I'm trying to sleep baby!

I've also noticed that my uterus is moving up and now I feel the kicks more near my ribcage. Even though my appetite has mushroomed, I definitely feel like there is less room for food in my stomach. Everything is being pushed up! I was short of breath the other day after climbing three flights of stairs! I went to regular Hatha yoga class the other day (but the instructor also teaches prenatal yoga, so she told me how to modify some of the poses) and I really liked it. I did find the balancing poses a little more difficult, however. First, I'm more front heavy now, so doing half moon pose without touching the ground was a little scary. Second, I have no ab strength at all. I had to rock myself up from the couch the other day.

Ryan and I begin our 7 week birthing class in about a month. I'm excited to meet some more parents to be in Fort Collins!

Week 25

No belly pic this week because Ryan is in Hawaii and has the camera.

Baby's development: The baby measures 8 1/4 inches crown to rump, or 13 inches head to toe and weighs about 1 1/2 lbs. It's about the size of a papaya! The baby is developing fat quickly so that his skin doesn't look so wrinkled. Blood vessels continue to develop in his lungs and his nostrils begin to open. Teeth are also now developing in buds. He has been so active recently! He is constantly kicking, pushing, and pressing on my bladder! I go to bed feeling him move around and wake up feeling him. It's one of the most comforting things though. I love sitting down and putting my hands on my belly and feeling him move.

Even though there are no belly pics this week, I can assure you that I am getting bigger everyday. It's obvious to most people that I'm pregnant now and I only have one jacket that I can zip up. Otherwise, my belly protrudes through my other coats. My belly button has become huge, but as Gloria put it, "at least now you can clean all the crevasses in there." Yes, my belly button is very clean these days.

Ryan and I have decided not to tell people the baby's name until he's born. We realize that everyone has an opinion about names, or has some negative association with a name that we like. So, we will just keep it a secret until he's born. Then, even if someone has a bad association with his name, they'll have to make a new good association with that name and our baby.

I just realized that in about two weeks I will move into the third trimester. Holy s@#t! Time flies.

Week 24

Baby's development: This week the baby baby is about 8 1/2 inches from crown to rump (but has long legs) and weighs about 1 1/2 lbs. His brain is developing quickly and so are his taste buds. If he were to be born today, he would have a one in four or five chance at survival, partly because his lungs have developed just enough to give him a chance of surviving in a neonatal intensive care unit. Don't worry, I'm going to do everything within my power to keep him the womb for another 16 weeks!

As my stomach has been expanding, I have found it to be incredibly itchy. I found some wonderful pregnancy body oil made by Weleda that soothes it a little, but I still can't stop myself from scratching constantly. I also made another some what disturbing discovery - varicose veins on my right inner calf! It's still faint, but I can see them. One website I visited said that sitting with your legs up is good for reducing varicose veins, but then I read a comment at the end of the article from someone who works at an office that performs surgery on varicose veins, and she said that putting your legs up is the worst thing you can do. So...I guess the only thing is to walk around more during the day and make sure that I'm not sitting at my desk for too long.

I went to my first prenatal yoga class the other day. It was nice being in a room with other pregnant women (some of whom were VERY pregnant), but I was rather disappointed by the level of the yoga. It was a lot of breathing exercises. While I understand the importance of breathing techniques, I also want just a little bit more cardio and muscle toning. Nothing insane, but enough to feel like I'm doing somewhat of a work out. I'm still searching for that perfect yoga class.

I included a photo this week of the baby's first socks and hat. After seeing Tracie knitting a bunch of cool hats a couple of weeks ago, I also decided to give knitting a try. I finished one small hat and then ended up buying a pair of baby socks because I had a $5 credit at the maternity store. Knitting baby stuff is really fun. You can finish a project very fast!