Week 29: The Butternut Squash

Good Morning!

My doctors appointment on Wednesday was great - baby and me are growing steadily - and I passed my glucose test with flying colors. Excellent news since I did NOT want to drink that sugary drink again.... BLAH! In any case - I had a great 29th birthday, thank you to everyone that set me well wishes...it is the last one I celebrate without the little one!!! As you can see - a new bump picture, as promised, is posted. Enjoy!



Love,

Amanda and Jeff

How your baby's growing:
Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. To meet her increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because her bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

Week 28: The Chinese Cabbage

Good Morning!

So... we've made it to 28 weeks, 7 months down!!! What is REALLY fun to think about is that basically after 35 weeks or so - you are pretty much good to go to deliver. The baby just puts on weight after that... YIKES! As for our vegetable this week - a chinese cabbage - well I suppose timely as the Olympics are starting in China on Friday... otherwise I don't know much about this vegetable. Again, you have to wonder about the vegetable researcher behind all of these....

Next week I go to the doctor again - this time for my glucose test. I have this orange flavored drink I have to jug in 5 minutes and then have blood drawn exactly one hour after I finish the drink. Sounds really exciting, let me tell you. The biggest thing is I can't have my ONE cup of coffee that day. That is almost worse than the needle stick...

Till next time!
Amanda and Jeff

PS: We owe you a new bump picture - but Jeff is out of town this weekend. I promise to show a new photo of the ever growing (and moving!) basketball next week!

How your baby's growing:
By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

How your life's changing:
You're in the home stretch! The third and final trimester starts this week. If you're like most women, you'll gain about 11 pounds this trimester. (awesome)

Around this time, some women feel an unpleasant "creepy-crawly" sensation in their lower legs and an irresistible urge to move them while trying to relax or sleep. If this sensation is at least temporarily relieved when you move, you may have what's known as restless legs syndrome (RLS). No one knows for sure what causes RLS, but it's relatively common among expectant mothers. Try stretching or massaging your legs, and cut down on caffeine, which can make the symptoms worse. Ask your caregiver if you should try iron supplements, which can sometimes relieve RLS.

Week 27: The Cauliflower

Good Morning!

Not much new to report this week - all is going really good. We had our first baby shower over the past weekend - and got a LOT of baby girl things - I had to include just one picture. Could this bathing suit be any sweeter?? I can just see her little plumpers hanging out the bottom of the suit. TOO cute!

See you guys in a week... and on to the next vegetable...

Love,
Amanda and Jeff

How your baby's growing:
This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

Week 26: the English Hothouse Cucumber

Good Morning -

The babycenter.com is getting pretty specific in their vegetables. At this point, you kind of have to wonder about the person who came up with all of these comparisons. And what lead this specific individual to say that the baby is the size of a hothouse cucumber, not just a cucumber. Is there really that big of a difference? One is seedless...

We are off to California for our first baby shower this weekend! I know that everyone down there is anxious to see the basketball I've swallowed in person. I'm definitely excited to be down there with everyone! August starts our bi-monthly doctors visits - yep already - so we go on the 13th and the 27th this month. Starting in October we are at weekly visits!

Till next time...

Amanda and Jeff

How your baby's growing:
The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. She may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. She's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of her lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when she's born and takes that first gulp of air. And she's continuing to put on baby fat. She now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days. (PERSONAL NOTE: We are having a girl, so thankfully I don't have to worry about this upcoming, ummm, trip. But I'm certainly not surprised that something so special to the male gender would take 2-3 days to form. It is almost like a religious experience - the story goes it took God 7 days to create the world, so of course it would take 3 days to create testicles!)

Week 25: The Rutabaga

Hello Bloggers,

I'm not sure even what to say about the "rutabaga" other than it is really a pretty ugly vegetable. Does anybody even eat them?? I found an interesting fact about rutabaga's - Did you know that prior to pumpkins being readily available in the UK and Ireland (a relatively recent development), swedes/rutabagas were hollowed out and carved with faces to make lanterns for Halloween. Often called "jack o'lanterns", or "tumshie lanterns" in Scotland, they were the ancient symbol of a damned soul.

My Wednesday doctor's appointment was great - baby girl was WIDE awake and moving all around - so the doctor had to play chase with the heart monitor to get the beat count. She clocked in at 160 beats per minute (might have been the cup of coffee I had just finished drinking too, which according to my doctor does NO harm to the baby!)

See you in a week!

Amanda and Jeff

How your baby's growing
Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

Week 24: the ear of corn and the remodel

Hello Everyone -

As promised, although four days late, a new blog post and the reasons why we are running so late... included is a slide show to what happened in our house in the last ten days - or what I'm referring to is the man's version of nesting. The contractor SWEARS he'll be all done tomorrow...

In any case - baby girl is doing great! I have a doctors appointment on Wednesday. We got some of the furniture in the bedroom - and as you can see by my posted new side view picture - I'm growing right on schedule!


Here's the scoop on our little ear of corn:

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts her at just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Love,
Amanda and Jeff

Week 23 and 24 - Coming Soon

Hi Guys -

Last week was a little bit insane - and this week is probably going to be worse. In any case - a new blog entry with all the details will be posted on Friday. The baby is the size of a "large mango" which as far as I am concerned is smaller than a spaghetti squash... so I'm very confused.

In any case - to be continued on Friday the 11th!

Amanda and Jeff