Back to work!

I hope everyone had a very Happy Christmas (I'm saying "happy now" instead of "merry" because I'm trying to be cool like the English people *grin*). Ours was great but there were it's moments of family drama which sucks, but it happens whether you want it to or not. Aidan had a great time and loved all of his gifts. Christmas was awesome for him this year because it was the first year he REALLY understood everything that was happening. He opened almost all of his presents without help and I loved the look on his face when he got something he truly wanted. There were so many wow's. It was adorable.

Christian didn't recieve much in the way of Christmas gifts. He got a book from his Aunt Amber, Uncle Andy, and his cousins Zeke and Olivia and a Snugli from his Aunt Crystal, Uncle Nick and cousin Chelsie. I'm really looking forward to using the Snugli. I asked for one when I was pregnant with Aidan but no one ever got it for me. :o) Mark's family took bets on how much Christian is going to weigh when we were together on Christmas Eve. I think I had the smallest weight with 7 pounds even and Dallas guessed way over 8 pounds. Everyone else guessed in the mid-7 pound range. That was really fun, to get the family involved.

I am 34 weeks today and really feeling it. I've been feeling out of breath more and more lately and I hate that, plus my vaginal muscles and back have been killing me. 6 more weeks! That's kind of exciting and frightening all at the same time!

Here's how the little one is doing...I have to get back to work now. We're working Sunday thru Wednesday so that I can have a four day weekend this week. Then it's back to the old work schedule, at least until the end of January. :o)

How your baby's growing:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her 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.

See what your baby looks like this week.

SO TIRED.

I'm chalking up my exhaustiveness (is that even a word?) to the fact that I am very pregnant. Or it could be the extra hours they are making us work. Either way, it sucks and all I want to do is lie down and take a nap RIGHT NOW. I was so nervous that I wouldn't have been able to get my house cleaned in time for Christmas morning, but my husband came through and is helping out as much as he can while watching Aidan. I love you honey!!

Yesterday was my monthly OB appointment and all is going well. I gained three pounds since my last visit and Dr. Hulsen said it's a very good sign that the baby is hiccupping. It means his brain is functioning correctly and his neurons are firing and all that, apparently. While measuring my stomach and using the dopplar to listen to Christian's heart, it was determined that he is now head down, which means he's ready for delivery! Well, just about anyway!

I spoke with Dr. Hulsen about going on maternity leave early. He said that if I start dilating early, he's all for it especially since I have to drive so far to work everyday. So yay for that! My next appointment is in two weeks and after that I see him on a weekly basis. :o)

I guess that's all I have to say right now. My mind is very numb from sleepiness so I'm going to go take a walk to wake myself up. In case I don't update before then, Merry Christmas!!

It's almost Christmas!!

It's after 7am on a Sunday and I'm at work. I'm scheduled to work Sunday thru Wednesday from 5 to 1:30 everyday so that I may have Thursday, Friday and Saturday off. I'll be back at work next Sunday as well so that I may have a four day weekend after the New Year. It sucks having to get out of bed when my husband gets to stay home but having those few days off in a row pretty much makes up for it.

Today I am 33 weeks along and I'm feeling very pregnant even though people are still trying to convince me that I'm not "that big." I find myself getting tired easily and even my maternity clothes are starting to feel a bit snug on me. Only 7 more weeks and Christian will be here. That feels like no time at all, actually.

I'm so happy that Christmas is just 4 days away! I can't wait to see the kids faces when they open their presents, especially Aidan's. He's just going to be blown away by what we got for him. I also can't wait to open my presents either!! :o)

Tonight is the CheapTRX Christmas party and I'm looking forward to it, but not looking forward to having to go home early because of work tomorrow. Hopefully I'm not too tired!!

I also have my monthly check-up with Dr. Hulsen tomorrow. After this one, I believe I start seeing him either weekly or bi-weekly. O_o

And now I must return to work but here is how the little baby is this week:

How your baby's growing:

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. 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.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

32 weeks! Egats!

So I've hit the 8 month mark (even though people don't believe me and they tell me my math is wrong, but I checked What to Expect... twice, and yes, I am in my 8th month) and I'm freaking out a bit. I just have so much stuff to do, but I think we've finally figured out a place for Christian's crib in our room. Granted, it's going to make life a little more difficult for me because it means getting rid of my nightstand (which is covered in books), but such is life.

I've been headache free for over a week now and am super happy about that. It's so nice to feel good again!! We got all of our Christmas shopping finished and everything, sans one gift, is wrapped. We've also decided to hold my side of the family's Christmas Day at our house, instead of my parents house this year. I'm really excited!! I love being a hostess!!

I took Aidan to see Santa on Saturday along with my step-sister and my new niece. Aidan was so excited. I wish I hadn't forgotten to bring my camera because the look on his face was priceless. Granted, he refused to sit on Santa's lap, but he was ecstatic nonetheless.

I don't have much time to update right now, so I'll just go ahead with how Christian is doing this week:

How your baby's growing:

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up 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.

See what your baby looks like this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week.)

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

A late update.

I'm 30 weeks and will be 31 tomorrow so this update is coming a little late. My health has been suffering since Thanksgiving which is my reason for my lack of blogging. Ever since the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I have had the worst cluster of headaches. I was actually hospitalized overnight (again) and left Anderson with not much more knowledge about what was wrong with me than I did going in. According to my OB and neurologist, I am suffering from pregnancy-related migraine headaches, but according to my regular doctor I have a really bad case of sinusitis. So I have lots of Hydrocodone for the pain (which doesn't really do anything except make me sleepy) and I've been on antibiotics since this past Wednesday. And guess what? I'm still suffering. I wish they could just cut off my head!

Regardless of my health, though, Christian is doing just fine. He's apparently way more healthier than I am, which makes me incredibly happy. I just wish I felt well enough to enjoy it. I haven't been to work since before Thanksgiving and I'm starting to go a little stir crazy, but I really can't do a job where I stare at a computer for 8 to 10 hours per day when my head is pounding. I can take small intervals (such as right now) but after 30 minutes, I need a break. Most of the time, if I take a nap I feel okay for awhile afterwards, but eventually the headaches come back. *sigh*

It sucks because money is going to be extremely tight now and it's Christmastime, which makes it all more depressing. Mark and I have a little nest egg set aside for gifts, but we were planning on splurging it on us and using our regular money on our family. Now it looks like our nest egg will go mostly towards the family, which I really am okay with. Mark is a little sad about it though. Oh well. It's not about receiving anyway, it's about giving.

I'm also freaking out because we literally have like zero room in our house for an extra person. Mark wants to keep Christian in our room, which I was okay with when I thought it was just for a few months. Apparently he wants Christian in our room for like the first year, which means I have to figure out how to squeeze a crib in somewhere and I have no clue how I'm going to do this. I still have like nothing for the baby, with the exception of some of Zeke and Aidan's old clothes that I picked up from Amber's house. I am literally almost at my wits end. I was hoping to obtain some of the baby stuff at Christmastime, but Mark's family isn't planning on buying gifts for Christian until the baby shower, so hopefully my family comes through!!!

But anyway, here is where Christian is this week:

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease 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. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

And here is where Christian will be tomorrow (because I have no clue when I'll jump back on Blogger this week):

How your baby's growing:

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) 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.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.