Another Week Down

Well, it's week 34 and D-day is rapidly approaching! Here is what is happening with Elmo this week:

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. The baby responds as a newborn with its eyes open while awake and closed while sleeping. S/he is developing immunities to fight mild infection. Those sharp little fingernails are at the ends of the fingertips already, and you might need to clip them during the first few days after birth.

For some reason, clipping Elmo's fingernails seriously scares me to death! I think I'm going to delegate that duty to Scott.

We got the crib and dresser/changing table this week. It's all ready and waiting for baby to arrive. On my "to do" list this weekend is to wash all the clothes we've received and get everything put away in the dresser. I would like to get the changing area all set up as well (probably the one area, other than the crib, that is the most important!). I also want to pack the hospital bags so we have it at the ready, just in case. I just don't think Elmo is going to wait until July 10 to meet the world. Of course, on July 11 when I'm still pregnant I will be eating my words but oh well.

Getting Ready for Baby!

On Friday after my OB appointment (everything went well and Elmo is looking great), Scott and I stopped at Babies R Us to pick up the stroller and a few other things. Here are some pictures of Scott putting the stroller together. What a great guy!!

Who knew a stroller would require that much assemby? Putting the crib together should be interesting.

What do you think? Great stroller, huh!!!

Scott is all set with the stroller and Baby Bjorn! Please ignore the mess all over the floor. Our house is in a constant state of "preparing for Elmo" these days. Right now we are just waiting on the delivery of the crib and dresser/changing table. Carol and Casey Carter generously purchased our glider for us. Thanks Carters!! Now we just need to install the car seat and have it checked out at the police station, wash all the new baby clothes and pack the hospital bag. I can't believe how close to D-day we are getting.

Yesterday the Carter clan got together at Chad and Danielle's house to celebrate Zachary's first birthday. The weather held up (thank goodness!) and a good time was had by all, especially the birthday boy who managed to make quite a mess out of his strawberries and cupcake. Oh well! That's what happens when you're one, right? In honor of his birthday, I'm posting some cute pictures taken when Scott and I babysat for Zachary a couple of months ago. Such a cutie-pie!

We're off to the cabin on Wednesday for the Memorial Day weekend. Yeah! This will be our last trip without having to pack a diaper bag and load the car with baby gear. I can't wait to get up there! I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday weekend!

Another Big Ultrasound...

Week 32....I've reached the eighth month. Wow! Things are progressing really well as we come down the home stretch. Elmo is as active as ever, especially in the mid-afternoon and just when I'm trying to fall asleep. My appetite is definitely picking up and I'm trying not to devour everything in the house. Here is what's happening with Elmo this week:

The baby is up to four pounds now and all five senses are functional. The toenails are completely formed and the hair on the head continues to grow. To accommodate you and your baby's growing needs, your blood volume has increased 40 to 50 percent since you got pregnant. With your uterus pushing up near your diaphragm and crowding your stomach, the consequences may be shortness of breath (check!) and heartburn (check this too!). To help relieve your discomfort, try sleeping propped up with pillows and eating smaller meals more often. You may have lower-back pain (absolutely!) as your pregnancy advances.

I have a little piece of advice to all my newly pregnant friends...enjoy the second trimester while you can! Go out on dates with your husband, do a weekend trip away just for fun, get as much stuff done as possible. Just getting up off the couch is becoming a chore, nevermind rolling over in bed or doing a simple flight of stairs. I've definitely got the pregnant woman waddle going on and I'm always having to ask people to slow down. Oh well...it's all for a good cause, right? I know once little Elmo arrives I'll forget all about these minor inconveniences!

On the schedule for this afternoon is another OB appointment with an ultrasound (YEAH!) followed by a trip to Babies R Us to buy some of the last remaining big stuff -- stroller, car seat, Baby Bjorn, etc. This should be a fun afternoon!

There's Something In The Water

It seems like more and more people are jumping on the Mom & Dad bandwagon. Scott and I want to extend congratulations to two more of our friends who are pregnant -- Greg & Nicole Skoge and Liz & Raja Bala. Greg & Nicole are expecting their first child sometime in November. Yeah!! Liz and Raja are expecting baby #2, a younger brother or sister for Lucas, in January. We are so excited for you guys!

My guess is that with all this bad economic news, we all found better ways to spend our time!

Big Purchases

I'm so excited! Scott and I ordered Elmo's furniture last night! It is so beautiful and I absolutely can't wait to get it. Of course, I'm not entirely sure how it's all going to fit but those are just details. It's a beautiful crib and dresser and I couldn't be happier! Here is a picture from the website although what we ordered is a little different.

Here is the crib although the one we ordered doesn't come with the little drawers attached. Unfortunately I can't find a picture of the dresser online so if you want to see it, you'll just have to come visit us once Elmo arrives. It's a beautiful dresser though with five drawers and two shelves. Everything should be here in 1-2 weeks. We also now have our pack-and-play (thanks again to the Gourmets!), an exer-saucer and bouncie seat and lots of other wonderful toys and clothes for Elmo. We're going to be getting our stroller, car seat and glider sometime next week and I think at that point we should pretty much be set for the big stuff. Now we just have to wait for Elmo!

We've made it to Week 31 now. Here's what's going on this week:

The only major organ left to fully develop is the lungs. 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. The only major organ left to fully develop is the lungs. 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.

I can definitely attest to the fact that Elmo is moving alot! Last night in particular it seemed that he was having a dance party all of his own right in my belly. Clearly, he has his father's dancing genes!

P.S. For some reason I couldn't create spaces between paragraphs in this posting. Sorry if it's hard to read!

Showers, Appointments & the Hiccups

It's been a fun few days. As I mentioned before, this past weekend I traveled back to Sioux City for a baby shower thrown by some of my Mom's dearest friends. What a wonderful time! It was so much fun to see everyone again. We all had a great time and I think Elmo is definitely going to be one spoiled little baby! After I arrived back home on Sunday night, Scott and I organized everything that we've gotten so far and made a list of things that we still need to get. Our house definitely looks like we're expecting a baby. The cats were a little confused by everything of course.

I had another OB appointment yesterday. All went well and we were informed that we get a few more ultrasounds. The first one is a week from Friday. Yeah! I was fully expecting not to be able to peek in on Elmo until he arrives sometime in July. We're excited to see how things have changed in the last 12 weeks. Hopefully they will print out some pictures and I will get them posted on here as soon as I can. Other than that, everything looks good. I measuring about one week ahead and the heartbeat was strong. All good things!

Elmo has developed a little problem in the last week or two however -- the hiccups. It seems hardly a day goes by without at least a short episode of the hiccups. I think it's a good sign though, and it sure is fun to see my stomach move up and down with each one!

Week 30 Happenings

I want to quickly congratulate some friends of ours, Brian and Annie, who just found out that they are having a boy in September. Scott and I are so excited for them! I'm sure there will be lots of playdates and Twins games as our kids grow up. Congratulations Gibsons! You are going to be great parents!

Another week down, 10 more to go. I can't believe I've made it into the 30s. It seems like just yesterday I was eagerly awaiting Elmo's first kick and now he's moving all day long, especially in the mid-afternoon and late evening. I can actually see my stomach move when he decides to flip over. The Braxton-Hicks contractions are also in full swing. They started maybe two weeks ago and have been getting progressively more frequent. From what my OB says, however, this is all normal and just my body's way of preparing for the big event. Monday night in our childbirth class, we take a tour of the Labor & Delivery floor at the hospital. I have a feeling that that will make everything very real! I'm so excited though and really can't wait to meet Elmo! Here is what's happening with Elmo this week:

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.)

I'm off to Sioux City this weekend for a baby shower that is being thrown for me by three of my Mom's closest friends. I've known these women practically my whole life and am so grateful for everything that they have done for me over the years (I know this means the world to my Mother too). The same three ladies threw me a wonderful bridal tea the morning of our wedding in 2007. I can't wait to see everyone again!

Thing I'm most grateful for this week: warmer weather -- it's beginning to get quite difficult to put socks on! Being able to slip into sandals or flip flops without bending over is wonderful!