30 Weeks

30 weeks - only 10 more to go! Baby has reached a hefty weight of about 3lbs, similar to a head of cabbage, and measures approximately 15.7inches from head to heel. Most of the focus this week has been on Baby's brain - it's starting to "fold" (or become more developed and function more like a human brain) and apparently this takes a lot of energy because there wasn't a whole lot of growing done this week. As it stands now, Baby has approximately 1.5pints of amniotic fluid surrounding him/her - this volume will slowly decrease as Baby gets bigger and bigger, taking up more space and leaving less room for fluid. Baby's eyes are open most of the time now (provided Baby's awake), but the vision's not so great just yet...Baby's only seeing 20/400, which means Baby can only see things that are a few inches in front of his/her face (not that there's much to see in there!), but he/she can definitely respond to changes in light! Other developments this week: fingernails/toenails have finished growing! Not looking forward to cutting them...eek! Also, Baby's bone marrow is now making all of the red blood cells Baby needs - this is exciting because, if he/she were to be born early, it's less likely they would need a transfusion (not that we're going to have to worry about that, right Baby?!). Lastly, the fine coating of hair that has been keeping Baby warm for the past several months is slowly starting to shed; now that he/she is gaining weight and adding fat, this extra coat of protection isn't needed as much. 

Definitely starting to run out of room!

As you can see in the above picture, Baby's starting to get a little cramped, which means I get to feel every single move. Although this is very exciting, lately more of Baby's "bony parts" have been jabbing me, which doesn't always feel pleasant :) Often times, I feel like we have a littly gymnast growing; I've never actually had this experience before (obviously!) but I honestly believe this is one of the most active children ever...must take after Mommy ;) Hope Baby slows down a little bit before he/she is born - Mommy and Daddy won't ever sit down (or sleep, for that matter!)! Baby is very good at keeping me awake on my night shifts - I think he/she is most active during this time (again, probably not a good sign for our dearly beloved sleep....). However, with all that being said, we LOVE feeling Baby move so much - it's a good reminder that we have a healthy, active child and it's really helping us bond with him/her :)


Here's a little 30 weeker - that scary Darth Vader mask? It's called CPAP and it's helping this little guy's lungs stay open for better gas exchange; it's one step down from a ventilator, so he's still breathing on his own but needs a little assistance.

As for me, I'm slowly starting to feel less and less comfortable and more pregnant, if that makes sense? I just have a general sense of feeling more "off" lately, I guess that's to be expected :) Definitely sleeping a lot more too, I've noticed. But I'm not sure if that's because of Baby's growth or because I've been working so many night shifts lately...probably a combination of both :) I finally had to break down and buy some larger scrub pants today (sigh...). As depressing as this was, I feel SO much better at work!! And, thanks to Walmart's wonderfully cheap scrubs, I was able to get 3 pairs of pants (enough to get me through a normal work week) for under $30! These should get me through the last 10 week stretch, one can only hope ;) Other new developments for us: we started childbirth classes last Wednesday! Super exciting, ok, maybe not. But I will say that I'm enjoying them and feel like it's giving me just a little bit of comfort knowing what's coming and how to best prepare (yes, I know how terribly painful it's going to be, but I also know there are lots of things I can do to try to best prepare and to help keep myself calm...I think...haha). These will continue for about 6 weeks...crazy to think that when we finish, we'll only have 4 weeks until due date!! Tyler's been keeping busy building our mantle - he's almost done and it looks fantastic! I absolutely love it :) Can't wait to hang 3 stockings on it this year at Christmas!


One more cute picture of a little 30 weeker who is able to breathe completely on their own!

Please continue praying for the health of our little one, and for me also, as this pregnancy starts to wrap up. I know the discomforts will probably get worse before they get better, but prayers for any comfort would be greatly appreciated :) Also, we're still searching for a dresser/changing table for the nursery - kind of minor as far as prayer requests go, but we'd really like to find one for a decent price before Baby comes! Lastly, please be praying for childcare - we're still on a waiting list at a daycare center in Portsmouth, but may need some alternative options before a space opens up (we do have some potential options, but please be praying for clarity and guidance in this area!).

Love and miss you all; we think of and pray for you often - can't wait to see everyone in a few short months!

The Great Reveal...

...of my growing baby bump! Haha, you probably thought I was going to tell you the gender! As of now, we still don't know what we're having, sorry to disappoint you ;) But, as promised...here are some pictures of my ever-growing baby bump from early in March through today!

Approximately 8 Weeks?

Not much of a bump, but I thought I was getting huge already :)

15 Weeks

Itty-bitty growing bump

I was excited about there being a little bump - and also feeling a little silly about taking pictures like this :)

20 Weeks

Baby is getting bigger, therefore bump is growing!

25 Weeks

Definitely starting to pop out now!

Yep, I can still see my toes!

30 Weeks

Really noticing a LOT of growth in the last 5 weeks!

Love our little rapidly-growing Baby :)

As you can see, it's been quite a progression of growth, especially in the last 10 weeks. One can only imagine what the next 10 weeks of growth will look like...yikes!!

Ok, time for bed now before my night shift - I'll post about Baby's growth and development tomorrow. Just wanted to share some of our pictures with you all, as promised :)

Have a great day!

28 and 29 Weeks

Ok, so I have no excuse today other than the fact that I'm just getting lazy...I'm actually surprised this hasn't happened earlier. Hoping I will get better and keep you up-to-date for the remaining 10-11 weeks! Did you get just as excited reading that as I did typing it?! Holy smokes! Less than 3 months to go!!!

28 Weeks:

This week, our baby weighs 2.25lbs (approximately), which is about as much as this Chinese cabbage and, let me tell you, it feels like a pretty heavy cabbage!! Baby measures about 14.8inches (specific, huh?!) from head to heel - starting to fill out! Not a whole lot of specific changes happening this week, just more growing and filling out. I can tell you that Baby has flipped into the head down position. I felt this wonderful (ahem) sensation towards the end of a night shift last week - holy pressure, Batman! When it happened, I wasn't sure what it was but at my doctor's appointment last week, the midwife confirmed that Baby was indeed head down and was actually able to show me exactly where the head was (I got to feel it by applying pressure on both sides of it - pretty awesome!). Speaking of my doctor appointment, everything is going well! Baby's heartbeat was 131bpm, which is a tad slow but nothing to be concerned about - probably just napping after a busy night shift with Mommy :)

29 Weeks:

Butternut squash - not a big fan of this vegetable, but apparently it weighs about 2.5lbs, which is the weight of our baby this week! Lengthwise, Baby measures about 15inches (or 1ft 3in) from head to heel (for you visual learners, about the length of a loaf of bread) - growing so fast! Unfortunately for Baby, he/she is pretty squished as there's not a whole lot of room left in the uterus, which he/she is protesting at the moment as I feel kicks and punches as I type. Baby has been so active in the past 2 weeks - it's been wonderful! So now that Baby's eyes are officially open, he/she has been practicing blinking and closing his/her eyes in response to bright lights. All of Baby's bones are starting to harden, with the exception of a few "soft spots" on the skull that will remain that way to allow for passage through the birth canal (gulp!) in a few short months. Baby's adding lots of fat in these next few months to keep him/her warm in the outside world. Also, all of the organs continue to mature and more specifically develop. Good news - Baby now has a 90% chance of survival if born this week! Baby could breathe on his/her own, but would more than likely tire out and need a little assistance, but not much. This is very exciting, however, we're going to keep praying Baby stays in for at least another 10 weeks :) Baby's brain is now developed enough to control breathing and maintain a stable core body temperature - two very important parts of survival for infants! Baby also has the ability to cough, and his/her sucking reflex is becoming perfected - hope he/she puts that to good use when it comes to feeding after birth! All in all, from here on out, it's mostly just specific development and maturation, adding of fat, and coming one step closer to making Baby's grand entrance to the world!

As for me, I'm definitely starting to feel all of those 2.5lbs - in my back! I've had pretty consistent backaches (thankfully, my wonderful hubby is able and willing to give me some great, much needed back massages after a long day at work) and heartburn (yay Tums!) this past week. I've also had some pretty sore hips and ankles - guessing it's all of those ligaments adjusting and simply just feeling some extra weight that they're not quite used to. Definitely not fitting into pre-pregnancy clothes anymore :( Slightly depressing, but I guess I'll just have a new and exciting wardrobe to come back to once Baby is here (and I'm able to work off all of this extra weight)! Noticing that I get tingly feet if I cross my legs for too long or lay on my back - all evidence of a growing uterus with a growing Baby! Although I'm not a huge fan of the back/hip pain, I'm glad that Baby is growing big and healthy :)

Looks a little cramped in there, doesn't it?!

Tyler has officially started work on our built-in shelves and mantle - hoping to be done by next weekend! It looks great - so thankful for such a talented husband! It's going to really add a homey touch to our place :) Also, we've put together our crib and all of our "toys" that we have for Baby thus far - swing (thanks Aunt Joyce and Jenn), bouncy seat (thanks Mary and Kaitlyn) and our travel system of carseat and stroller. We also received an AMAZING glider-rocker/ottoman combo from Tyler's boss - so blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives who are willing to help us out! All in all, the nursery is definitely starting to come together and look very cozy - I promise to post pictures as soon as it's all together (we still have a few "storage" items to get rid of first!). Still looking for a dresser/changing table combo on Craigslist - hoping to find one soon, as I'm really itching to have it all set up!

Here's an adorable little 29 weeker! I actually admitted a baby this size last week and it was kind of fun to see about how big/small our baby was at the time. The baby I admitted is doing very well :)

I think that's all of the updates I have for you all at this time :) Please continue to pray for Baby as he/she grows and develops; also pray that God allows us to carry to term :) We are having a 3D ultrasound on Saturday Sept. 1 (eek!! - so excited!) - pray that God would allow us to see our sweet little Baby's facial features and that he/she wouldn't be as camera shy as last time ;) Still hoping to keep the gender a secret, though! I would appreciate prayers for the pain in my back and joints to ease and remain bearable for the rest of the pregnancy. Also continued prayers for Tyler and I as we get closer and closer to delivery - we're both starting to feel a little nervous along with all of the excitement...it's a big change and we want to make sure we're fully prepared to raise this child! Lastly, please pray that we're able to coordinate travel plans and visiting schedules for family coming out to see us when we deliver (still a ways away, but I know we'd all love to start planning!).

Thanks so much for all of your love, support and prayers - you all mean the world to us!
God Bless!

26 and 27 Weeks

Woops! Got all caught up in our vacation and forgot to blog last week - so, this week I'll update you on last week and this week...lots of growing going on!

Week 26:

Our baby is now about 14inches long (as long as the cucumber pictured above) and weighs-in at 1 2/3lbs! Brainwaves are detectable in Baby's brain now, which means he/she is able to register changes in light and sounds (meaning he/she DOES hear what we're saying and can recognize a difference between sounds now!). The retina in the eyeball is also now fully developed, which means that if it weren't so dark inside, Baby could actually see things! Baby continues to practice his/her breathing every day, strengthening those little lungs to prepare himself/herself for life outside the womb. Baby's also continuing to put on the baby fat, which will be boosting his/her weight as well as preparing Baby to keep warm after delivery.

Not much changing on my end, just continuing to grow :) Also started noticing some swelling in my feet - completely normal, though not pleasant! Love feeling Baby move all of the time, he/she is definitely one a pretty regular schedule - little movements here and there and more active movements at specific intervals around the clock. Unfortunately, it still feels like Baby is more active at night - calm down, kiddo - don't you know we all like to sleep at night?! I can't complain - I love feeling Baby move!

Funny side note - Baby did very well flying! Seemed to notice the pressure changes more on descent and was extremely active at this time. This usually wasn't a problem, unless I'd forgotten to go to the bathroom during the flight which meant that Baby thought my bladder was a punching bag - super uncomfortable! Definitely had to do the pregnant-lady-has-to-pee waddle through Atlanta International :)

Week 27:

Wow! Baby's up to 2lbs (weighing about as much as a head of cauliflower - don't suppose that extra weight could be contributing to my back pain?!) and measures 14.5inches long from head to heel. Super exciting development this week - Baby's eyes are no longer fused shut!! This means Baby is opening his/her eyes in utero (probably not seeing a whole lot, since it's so dark) - so exciting!! Another exciting marker - Baby's lungs are continuing to develop and are to the point now that they are able to breathe oxygen on their own, giving Baby an 85% survival rate outside in the real world (NOT that we want to put those statistics to the test, but it gives me a little less to worry about!). Because Baby is continuing to swallow amniotic fluid, he/she occasionally gets the hiccups (which I think I may have felt for the first time today?). Also, as I mentioned above, Baby's brainwaves are very active now, with his/her nerve endings firing like a normal newborn already...our Baby's a genius :)

As for me...some websites say that I am officially in my 3rd trimester, others say this is the last week for the 2nd trimester - either way, we're almost there!! As of Aug. 4, I only have 3mos to go until due date! Really exciting and also a little scary at the same time. Tyler and I watched an animated video of "what happens during birth" - needless to say, it freaked both of us out a little (not that it was new to me, but this time...I have to think about the fact that it's gonna happen in 3mos or less!!). We have officially purchased Baby's crib (gotta love Craigslist - found a beautiful white convertible crib for $100 less than retail price!) and bought a rug from Ikea to put in the nursery - slowly but surely starting to come together. No, no pictures yet - still way too much other "stuff" being stored in there temporarily ;) Also, had my glucose test today - NO PUKING!!! Yay :) The sweet cola really wasn't too terrible (tasted like flat fruit punch) and they were able to draw my blood easily - should know the results in about 1 week!

2 things to note - 1) this 27week old baby is tiny (note how big the preemie diaper is!) but still significantly larger than other babies in previous pictures; 2) no ventilator! This baby can breathe on her own (with the help of external oxygen)!

Tyler and I just finished our vacation time for the summer - we had a blast! Got back into Ft. Wayne late late on Thursday, July 26 in preparation for my mom and Sam's wedding on the 28th. Perfect day, beautiful wedding, wonderful couple - great time had by all! So glad we could be home to experience it with them :) On Sunday the 29th, my wonderful aunt Nancy and cousin Lauren threw me a BEAUTIFUL baby shower, complete with baby-food guessing and diaper-smelling games. It was wonderful to share the excitement of Baby's arrival with friends and family...thanks so much, ladies, for hosting such a perfect shower! Sunday night Tyler and I headed up to Big Barbee Lake for some much needed rest and relaxation with Dad and Sandy. Couldn't have asked for a better 2 days - weather was GREAT and got to spend some quality time out on the boat...perfect! Wednesday was our 3 year anniversary - didn't celebrate because we were supposed to be traveling all day (notice I said "supposed to"....). Had several flight delays/cancellations/etc that left us in Ft. Wayne for 1 night longer than expected - a little frustrating, but at least we got to see my mom and Sam another night! Thursday we finally made it back to Norfolk around 2pm and were finally able to celebrate our anniversary with a nice dinner at Freemason Abbey - yum! Friday we made a trip up to Ikea (in Woodbridge, VA - 2.5hrs away and only about 30min from Washington D.C.) - what a successful trip! We came away with 3 very large picture frames, a dresser for the two of us, 2 nightstands that match our dresser, 3 lamps, and a rug for the nursery. Surprisingly, it all fit into our Camry...barely ;) Saturday and Sunday were spent putting furniture together and getting things done around the condo. Needless to say, our vacation was perfectly busy/productive/relaxing - we had a great time off together and were very sad to see it end this morning :(

Here are some pictures from our visit - more on Facebook and on my camera (which have yet to be uploaded...)

Can't believe how big Alex is getting - miss this kid!!

One picture from the wedding - waiting for more to come up on FB (ahem, mother....): Me, my lovely Mom, and Katie Shirring on the wedding day!

Here begin pictures of the baby shower (courtesy of Lisa, pictures stolen from FB) - enjoy :)

Don't worry - the "dirty" diapers were melted candy bars!

Is this bib perfect or what?!

This week, our friends Brok and Andrea Lahrman are coming out to spend a few days with us - really looking forward to spending some time with them and showing them around our lovely area of residence :)

Sorry to have kept you all waiting - I'm sure everyone was very disappointed about the lack of blogging last week ;) Seriously though, thanks for reading and praying for us. Please continue to pray for Baby's growth and development, for our preparation for him/her to grace us with his/her presence, and for all of the little things to get smoothed out (nursery, childcare, finances, etc). Also, please pray that my glucose test results will be normal :) A few extra prayers for my sanity as we get closer and closer to the big day wouldn't hurt either!

Love and prayers of thanksgiving for you all - thank you for all that you do!