30 Weeks Pt. 2

I really can't believe I'm going to be a mom again in 10 very short weeks. It's crazy to think I'll have two little ones to love. I'm sure it'll be difficult at first but I know I'll get the hang of it fairly quickly. Especially since I've got such a caring family to support me.

As for events and updates, this week wasn't very exciting. I suppose the biggest news is that I had my glucose test which wasn't much fun at all. That sugary drink really made my tummy upset. And not to mention the fact that it's been super hot the last few days. Thank the Lord for central air. I don't think I'd be able to survive this heat and humidity without it.

Oh wait... what am I thinking. There has been one huge development this week and my pregnant brain has just seemed to forget it, until now. Pauly is walking! Ok maybe not all by himself all the time but he can do it. He just lacks some courage to get up and go so, if you encourage him and make a fuss, he'll do it. And what's the best encouragement for my son?
"Pauly, where's your ball? Go get the ball.". And off he goes. It's the cutest thing ever.

And what else has happened....??
Oh, we're having Jody back as our doula. Paul and I were so happy having her with us the first time that we didn't even think about it the second time around. It was more like "I'm more than halfway through my pregnancy, do you think Jody's available?". And we were so glade when she said she was.

And now that I'm 30 weeks along I'll be seeing the midwife every two weeks. And of course the nursery is nowhere near done. There isn't too much to do but I still don't want it to come down to the wire like last time.

It seems this post is headed in all sorts of directions but hey, that's the way my mind has been the last couple of days. And I'm trying to sort it out lol!

At 30 weeks my lil' bean is weighing in at about 3lbs. roughly the size of a cabbage. There is about a pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounding him/her, which will decrease in volume as he/she gets bigger. The soft lanugo hair that was protecting the skin is now starting to fall off. This lil' bean is keeping active by moving around and this can be seen and felt. And I can assure you this one will probably be just as active as Pauly. There's no stopping him/her. Breathing movements are also being practiced by moving the diaphragm which could lead to hiccups.

34 Weeks

Holy Shit! I'm 34 weeks into my pregnancy and time is not standing still. My lil' bean will soon be here and there's still so much to do. But not to worry...I'm not stressed out and it's unbelievable sometimes. I know some women would have everything done by now and I have practically nothing. Oh well. This lil' guy will have what he needs. Food, clean diapers, two loving parents and a place to lay his head when he needs to sleep. Anything other than that will just be extra. Nice extras, but I think we'll be OK for now. As for what's been happening this week, Paul & I met with Jody. We reviewed my revised birth plan and went through the breathing techniques, positions for labour, and initial breastfeeding holds. There's a lot of information to absorb so I've got to make some time to review all of this before my lil' bean decides to show up.

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful. I had to go to bed early on Friday so I could be in Guelph for my birthing class. We had to do the 7 hour classes because we work afternoons and couldn't make the evening classes. It was a long day and to top it off, I didn't learn anything new. We covered things like the growth of the baby, nutrition, the anatomy of the placenta and things that could go wrong during pregnancy. And although I new all about this stuff, there's one thing that this class did teach me. Keep your feet up when you sit!

For the last couple weeks I've experienced swelling in my feet, but nothing like Saturday. We had breaks every couple of hours and an hour for lunch but nothing helped. By the end of the day my feet were twice their normal size and I could barley keep my shoes on. I did nothing else that night in hopes that my feet would deflate, but no such luck. It wasn't until Sunday morning that they started looking like my normal tootsies. I got up and went to church but by the time I got back, poof...they were swollen again. And on goes the cycle. I get up with normal feet, and by the end of the day they look like potatoes. Tater toes is what I call them, but it's just plain ugly. Kankles do not look good on me!

On the bathroom front, I think we've picked out a bathtub. We've decided to take it one feature at a time and since the tub is going to be the big ticket item, we're working on that first. It's nothing too fancy, but does have two features that I'm not going to give up, even if we decide on a different model. It's deep enough so the water will come up to your shoulders, and it's got air jets for a therapeutic massage. We haven't bought it yet, and we'll probably look around some more but we really like this one.

Well, my lil' bean is now weighing in at 4.75 pounds and is 18 inches long. His weight is comparable to a cantaloupe. His central nervous system and his lungs continue to mature while his skin is filling out nicely. He is developing his own immunity to fight infections and his skeleton is hardening. If he were to be born now, there would only be a short stay in the NICU and he would most likely develop as well as a full term baby. But lets hope my lil' bean isn't done baking just yet. Only 6 more weeks to go.

31 Weeks

This week was nonstop. I had something to do each day of the week and then to top if off, it was my turn to work Saturday! Monday was the viewing for Stan, which of course was very unpleasant. I didn't know Stan as well as most of the people there but I couldn't help but empathise with them. There was a slideshow playing that really made me think about how short his life was and how precious it all is. There was no epiphany but a grounded realization that the minor things in life aren't always important. That work doesn't always come first even though it pays the bills. That time spent with others will always be worth more than time spent alone. And even though I've always known this, I've never really done anything about it. I go about my usual routines and I'm guilty of letting the little things get to me. But not anymore (I hope!). I've got great people around me and my lil' bean on the way. All good reasons to let go. To enjoy the journey and no let the details get in the way.
As we all said our final goodbyes to Stan on Tuesday, I prayed for all those I'd lost over time. Never anyone as young as Stan but even 90 years seems too short when you think of the family and friends you'd leave behind. The grandkids or great-grandkids you'll never be able to spend time with. Even though life, weather it's been a short or long one, will always mean death, may they all rest in peace and watch over us from above.

Wednesday was our first official meeting with our doula Jody. We spent about 1.5 hrs discussing my pregnancy and everything I want out of it. My expectations, and what I want to avoid. We also reviewed my birth plan which went very well. I wasn't sure if I was expecting too much or if my requests went right along with the doula/midwife philosophy. As it turned out, Jody and I were on the same page.

Thursday was another visit to the midwives. The lil' bean is doing well, as am I. There was a little concern because my fundal height was measuring 34 weeks but nothing to be alarmed about. We'll see where things stand when I go back in 2 weeks. I remembered to bring my food log so the midwife & I went through 6 days of my eating habits. There was only a couple of things she mentioned. The first was that I needed to eat more veggies and less fruit. And I had to eat the right type of fruit. Apparently the grapes and bananas that I like eating so much have too much fructose and glucose in them. Go figure... I've never heard of fruit being bad for you? Anyways, the second thing she mentioned was that I need to drink less juice. Again with the sugar thing. She actually told me to drink coffee instead of juice...hmmm. Now I haven't been one of those people who have avoided coffee at all cost throughout the pregnancy. I still have a cup a day or maybe every other day. Instead, I've decided that water would be a better choice. So now between meals (I refuse to give up juice when I eat) I'm drinking water. And it's not like I wasn't drinking it before... but now I'm having more.

Friday was just a short jaunt to the bank before work. Paul & I wanted to reorganize our finances and I think we did a great job of it. As for the weekend, it was also busy. It started at 7am, with work. I was there from 9 - 1 which is only a half day but still tiring. I stopped at the library on my way home to return some things and pick up others. When I got home Paul was working on the closet. He had been working on it all day and was finishing it up. I would have loved to crash on the couch but I decided against it because I knew I'd get nothing done if I rested. So I collected my shopping bags and off to the Superstore I went. I got our grocery shopping done and bought a little pair of sneakers for the lil' bean. They're going to be part of his coming home outfit, if I ever get around to looking for one!

Sunday was a little slower but still busy. I did the laundry, which I had put off for 2 weeks, and in between I was cleaning upstairs. I got around to testing an infant carrier I borrowed from my sister and came to the conclusion that the car was going to have to be sold. The base fit OK but trying to get an empty carrier in the back was impossibly awkward. I couldn't step into the car while holding the carrier because the passenger seat doesn't move up far enough. Plus, when I tried to place the carrier in the cradle, there's barely enough clearance to get it into the back seat. It was horrible. So to add to my to do list, which I guess wasn't long enough, I now have to look for a new vehicle. But as of Sunday night, I now have a huge, finished downstairs closet. I just have to wait for the stain to dry before filling it!
Right now my lil' bean weighs in at about 3.5 pounds, about the weight of 4 navel oranges, and is roughly 18 inches long. He can turn his head from side to side and his brain is going through another rapid phase in development. He can now make out noises instead of just the vibrations and his eye sight is sharpening. He can track things with his eyes and the irises will respond to light as he blinks. The lungs and digestive track are almost mature and he is still building up that layer of fat and filling out. Only 9 more weeks to go...