La Vita E Bella

Baby Sesame - Week 37

With just three more weeks to go and at about six and a half pounds (though weight and height vary from fetus to fetus), your baby is doing just fine. You can expect weight gain to be about half an ounce per day. (Boys, though, are likely to be heavier at birth than girls. And here's a bit of boy baby trivia to back that one up: Moms carrying boys tend to eat more than moms carrying girls — a foreshadowing of teenage refrigerator raids to come.) Since your little one is considered full-term now, if your baby was to leave the wet nest this week, he or she would likely thrive. That's because Mother Nature and you have done such a fine job. So what's keeping your little one busy while waiting it out until D-day? Practice, practice, practice. Your baby is simulating breathing by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, sucking on his or her thumb, blinking, and pivoting from side to side (one day you feel the tushy on the left side, another day it has swung around to the right side). All these are skills needed for his next gig — starring as newborn. Here's an interesting fact: Your baby's head (which, by the way, is still growing) will, at birth, be the same size circumference as his or her hips, abdomen, and shoulders. And guess what's making an impression (literally) these days on those shoulders and hips: fat — causing little dimples in those cute elbows and knees, shoulders and hip, and creases and folds in the neck and wrists.

A Small Update....

Sorry I've been so absent. Our internet has been down and won't get hooked back up until Friday. For now, I am using the Newport Beach Public Library's internet. Not much to expand on since my last post. I ended up seeing the nurse practitioner on Wednesday instead of my ob/gyn so there is no new news on the induction front. My next ob appointment is Thursday, and I'm fully prepared to plead my case. I want this baby out ASAP. I'm finding it harder and harder to function. I ache all the time, and breathing has become harder and harder. Yesterday, while visiting my parents, I was visited all day by Braxton Hicks contractions. They weren't very regular, but were very uncomfortable and made me feel very uneasy. Thankfully they stopped last night and I was able to enjoy a peacful night sleep. I'm sure I feel the exact same way as most woman in their final weeks of pregnancy - and I'm sure I will not be the first (or last) patient to bug my doctor about being induced. My only prayer is that she agrees and schedules me for something early next week. I'm not sure how long my sanity can handle this :)

Nearing the Finish Line....

Today marks 4 weeks until Baby Sesame's official due date. I guess the countdown can officially begin! Although I'll be honest, I hope he makes his debut much sooner than that. I've hit the point of complete frustration and am ready for his arrival. My stomach has been stretched enough, the bouts of acid reflux are waking me up at night, and my back is aching. My ankles are swollen, the stretchmarks won't cease, and I'd love to be able to sleep on my stomach again - or get out of bed without feeling like I'm going to have a heart attack! Oh, and I can't forget just how anxious I am to meet him! That beats out everything. Next week, at 37 weeks, he'll be considered full-term and can arrive without much concern.

Today I had one of two weekly fetal monitoring appointments at the hospital. I already know the ropes - know where to park (free valet!), which elevators to use, how early to come in (to ensure I'm taken right away), and what to do when I'm escorted to my monitoring room. I brought Trei today because I'm usually left to myself for 30-45 minutes. I dragged him about of bed this morning at 8:45 to keep me company. Wouldn't ya know it - but today, a nurse I've never had before, sat with us the whole time explaining what was going on.

Baby Sesame - Week 36

Your baby's skull isn't the only soft structure in his little body. Most of your baby's bones and cartilage are quite soft as well (they'll harden over the first few years of life) — allowing for an easier journey as your baby squeezes through the birth canal at delivery (and less prodding and poking for Mom along the way). The skull bones are also not fused together yet so that the head can easily (well, relatively easily) maneuver through the birth canal. So your little bruiser (who you've now learned won't be bruising you all that much with those soft bones) is now about six pounds in weight and measures slightly more than 20 inches in length. Growth will experience a slowdown now, both so your baby will be able to fit the narrow passageway to the outside and also so he or she can store up all the energy needed for delivery. By now, many of your baby's systems are pretty mature, at least in baby terms — and just about ready for life on the outside. Blood circulation, for instance, has been perfected and your baby's immune system has matured enough to protect him or her from infections outside the womb. Other systems, however, still need a few finishing touches. Once such notable example: digestion — which actually won't be fully mature until sometime after birth. Why's that? Inside his or her little gestational cocoon, your baby has relied on the umbilical cord for nutrition, meaning that the digestive system — though developed — hasn't been operational. So your baby will take the first year or two to bring that system up to speed.

Keeping Myself Occupied....Day by Day

My first week of "no work" hasn't officially begun yet. I worked a half day today and will work a half day on Thursday, and then I can tell you my feelings on being temporarily unemployed. My Monday was exhausting. It was extremely wonderful sleeping in with Trei and not hearing the annoying ring of my alarm clock. We spent a majority of the day out and about - running errands. Trei picked up a shift at work, so he was gone at 3:15pm. I had wondered what in the world I would do, but it was amazing how easily I occupied myself. I ran to Target and the grocery store which burnt up a few hours - I was home around 5pm, made some dinner, and crawled into bed in my pajamas to watch the first season of Friends.

Baby Sesame - Week 35

At about 20 inches and five and a half pounds (but with about five more weeks to grow), most of your baby's growth over the next month or so before you meet will be in weight (with a gain of anywhere from one pound to several), not height (baby's pretty much reached the in utero limit in that department). Accordingly, fat continues to accumulate at a rapid pace these days (on baby, not just on your hips). Back in the middle of your pregnancy, your baby's weight was made up of only two percent fat; now that percentage has soared to closer to 15 percent (and will increase to 30 percent at term). Which means your baby's once skinny arms and legs are now quite plump…and irresistibly, squeezably soft. Also continuing to grow at an amazing pace is your baby's brain power. Luckily, the part that surrounds that amazing brain — the skull — remains soft. And for good reason: A soft skull will allow your baby to squeeze more easily through the birth canal. (Mother Nature was really thinking this one through — imagine trying to push out a rock-hard head…ouch!)

You Mean I Don't Have to Work Anymore???

In the last 24 hours I've had to make some major adjustments, or atleast begin to make some major adjustments. My mom said it's all in preparation for motherhood. I think I'll listen to her, and believe that my life as know it (all neat and folded into my imaginary box) is going to forever be shaken.

Went to the doctor's yesterday. Haven't gained any weight since my appointment 2 weeks ago. The baby is now measuring 1 week ahead which means he's slowing down a little (and that's a good thing!). His heartbeat sounded perfect, and the doctor said things were progressing well. Well, not perfectly. My blood sugar has not stabilized, so they are sending me to a perinatologist for medication (either oral or insulin) sometime next week. I will also be visiting the hospital twice a week for fetal monitoring (non-stress tests to make sure his heart rate isn't fluctuating, and he's moving alot). I will also be getting ultrasounds at these fetal monitoring appointments (to check his growth and fluids). On top of these appointments, I'm also on my weekly ob/gyn appointments already - which basically means it will seem like I'm living at the doctor's.

"Now my Belly is as Noble as my Heart"

It is definitely that time again. It's been 4 weeks since my last belly shot, and there is a good difference this time. Not just in size, but also the appearance of my pals - stretch marks. I'm getting closer to D-Day, and I seriously can't imagine my tummy getting any bigger. I know it will though, so I'm looking forward to Week 38! Happy Looking!

Oh, Do I Have a Story For You!!

I had a drama-filled evening last night. The story told from my mouth is much more interesting than anything I could type – but since I couldn’t possibly tell this story to every single one of you – I will attempt to type it out for your viewing pleasure.

It started around 5:30pm. Trei had left for work already and I was sitting on the phone with my mom while browsing the internet. Suddenly, I hear a very loud , almost violent knock at the front door. I tip-toe over to the door and look through the peep hole only to discover a very agitated young man pacing back and forth yelling “Hello??”. Suddenly while my eye is against the door, he knocks again – this time even louder. I freeze. The whole time, my mom is telling me not to open the door, and inquiring as to what is going on. I’m trying to whisper and hint that I can’t talk or else this guy is going to know I’m home.

Celebrating Our Baby!

Wow – I've really been lacking in the update department. Seeing as today is my 34 week update on Sesame, and the last update on my page was week 33 – I'm behind, by a lot!!

This past weekend was my baby shower. My mom and sister did an incredible job putting it together. I was so excited to spend an afternoon surrounded by a bunch of woman whom I love dearly. Saturday morning at 8:30am, Trei and I picked up his mom at the airport. We spent the next few hours eating breakfast and getting ready to make the drive into the valley. Trei had given up his shift at work so he could spend time with his mom that night, and we talked him into driving with us and hanging out with my dad and brothers while the shower was going on. We made it into the valley about 2 hours before the shower started and helped set up and also chatted with my Aunt Judy and cousin Elizabeth while we waited for the guests to start arriving.