29 Weeks!

So... getting closer to 30 weeks is fun! I'm excited for next week! :)

I'm 29 weeks pregnant today!


We're at the beginning of the 7th month of pregnancy! Hooray!
This month, baby is the size of a squash (a big squash?). Coincidentally (and it really is a complete coincidence), we're having squash for dinner tonight, lol.

The Facts of Ty:
-He is now around 16 inches long and weighs about 2 1/2 pounds.
-All five of his senses are in use, as he practices opening his eyes and viewing his surroundings (sight isn't really something that develops much in utero. His sight will develop and strengthen after he's born, but right now he can focus on shadows and will turn his head toward light).
-He's still moving a lot, but it's not the same squirmy, bubbly feeling. Now it feels like he is stretching or spinning. He's still breech, so when he stretches, I can feel his head hitting me up by my ribs.

Mommy Time:
Weight Change: Will find out next week.

Symptoms/Feelings: Same as always! I always forget if there is something new to mention. I've started getting back pain, so when I sit on the couch I use a pillow. I've also been doing random yoga positions which help (specifically cat-cow, which really helps, and is a good exercise for pregnant women). I've started getting really sore legs and feet, especially when I take longer walks. I've been reducing my walks to about 30 minutes instead of an hour, and it's been helping. I guess the weight of the belly is affecting me a lot!

Heartburn hasn't been too bad. My worst trigger is anything tomato based (like pasta sauce or pizza sauce), and cinnamon. It's a shame! But I can't complain as my heartburn really hasn't been bothering me too much.

Cravings: Pumpkin pie.

Appointments: None this week.

Anything big happening? Not this week! It's a really low-key week for us, though September is going to be pretty busy as we have some fun things planned for the end of the month.

Preparing for baby: My list of things we "need" is pretty short now. I need a few receiving blankets and I'd still like an exercise mat, but our main goal this month is to get the crib!

No belly pics this week. I promise I will have one next week.

New look & Green Earth Organics

I just vamped up my blog a bit with a background from The Cutest Blog on the Block! I wanted something that was more "me" while still being kind of cute in the "I'm gonna be a mommy to a baby boy" way. I also changed the name of this blog, as we fully intend on using this blog to update friends and family on our daily lives. It is hard living far away from the people we love, but the internet comes in handy! Between e-mail, facebook and skype, it is easy to stay in touch! This blog is just another tool to keep people involved in our day-to-day lives!

Doug and I decided that we wanted to start eating more vegetables, and in a wider variety than we usually eat. We fall into a "produce rut" too frequently, by eating the same veggies and fruits over and over. We decided to find a local CSA (community supported agriculture) group, but had a hard time finding one that was either close enough for us to get to, or that would deliver to us. We ended up finding a few produce delivery organizations which deliver in our area, and went with Greed Earth Organics for various reasons. We were pretty excited to get our first produce box yesterday afternoon! They dropped it off right at our front door! We decided to get the small box, as it best fits our budget, and still gives a good variety and amount of fruits and veggies. Yesterday's box had apples, peaches, bananas, red leaf lettuce, squash, red potatoes, onions, grapes, corn and savory.

We used half of one of the onions on our homemade pizza last night (whole wheat crust with tomatoes, green peppers and onions) and it was delicious! I'm looking forward to roasting the red potatoes with onions and savory with a nice roast chicken next week! We're hoping this helps us branch out in our vegetable consumption, as well as actually EAT more veggies! We pay for the veggies to arrive at our front door, so now we have no excuse not to eat our veggies. :)

28 weeks

We're 28 weeks along now!

Tyron
-Is now 2 1/4 pounds and 15 inches long. Getting bigger!
-Right now he is breech, but still has plenty of time to turn. We only have to worry about it between 34-36 weeks.

Uh... there's more stuff, but it's not really that new. Still able to see light filter in through the womb, still putting on fat, now has a 90% chance of surviving outside the womb (with medical help, of course).

Mommy
Weight Change: I gained 2.5 lbs in the past 4 weeks. Not bad! "They" say I should gain about 1 pound per week throughout the second and third trimesters. I've only JUST started gaining weight after a 30 pound loss, so we'll see what the weight gain looks like.

Symptoms/Feelings: Feeling Ty move more at night now. He responds (sometimes) if I poke him. He'll kick where I poke, but sometimes he just moves away, haha. Still dealing with a bit of morning sickness. Starting to get major pregnancy brain and crazy cravings.

Cravings: bologna sandwich with mustard and pickles. Just ate one for lunch. :)

Appointments: Had my midwife appointment today. My glucose tolerance test came back. I passed with flying colors! I was really worried, and my midwife was really impressed with my results. Everything was well within normal and not even close to borderline. My urine test came back normal as well. Tyron is breech, as I mentioned. He was laying on my right side, with his back facing out. The midwife felt his head and bum, but couldn't be sure which was which. Once she brought out the doppler and found the heartbeat was up higher, she determined that he is head up. I am measuring a week ahead, but that's not really a big deal. Everything else looks great. My blood pressure was 130/70 which is higher than last month, but still normal.

Anything Big Happening: Nope.

Preparing for baby: We are buying the crib at the end of the month, otherwise we're pretty much set!

a "pay-it-forward" kind of birthday

The wonderful Amy, at 4th Frog, is celebrating her 40th birthday today (happy birthday, Amy!).

And she wants to have the biggest birthday bash ever. But it's not just a normal birthday party with cake and presents and all that. It's extra special. There will be lots of giving, but it's not the giving of presents wrapped up in colorful paper and ribbons. It's a pay-it-forward kind of giving. Random acts of kindness in the name of Amy's birthday.

She wants as many people as possible to join 4th Frog's Fab 40 Fest. Click the link to see how she wants us to participate! I'm already thinking of what I can do to participate!

Week 27: Third trimester!

About Baby
**We are now in the third trimester! Some places say it starts at 27 weeks, some say it starts at 28 weeks, some say 26. I'm going with 27 weeks, which is today! Yay!**

-This week Tyron weighs over 2lbs (about as much as a head of cauliflower), and he is between 14 and 15 inches long.
-At this point, he would have an 85% chance of survival outside the womb. We want him to keep cooking though!
-We'll be considered full term in 10 weeks, and we are due in 13 weeks.
-He's continuing to grow at a rapid pace, and now most of our energy is going towards getting him fatter and longer.
-He continues to practice using all his body parts, and learning things about the world through me.

About Mommy
Weight Change: We'll find out next week.

Symptoms/Feelings: I can poke Ty now when he's in an active period, and he'll poke back. I can also tell he favors my right side. I've been getting rib pain as my ribs expand, and it's mostly been on the right side. Everything hurts by the end of the day, especially if I've done a lot of work. I have heartburn no matter what I eat, but thank goodness I can take Zantac. Hopefully it continues to work for me!

Cravings: None! So sad! I love having cravings!

Appointments: None this week. My next appointment is next Tuesday.

Anything big happening? Not really. Life is pretty boring around here lately!

Preparing for Baby: All our baby stuff is set up and organized. We have to buy a new crib, and then we're all set! I can't believe we're so close to being 100% ready for him!

No belly pic this week. I'll get one next week for sure!

Being a mother-to-be....

Being a first time mommy-to-be is a pretty exciting experience, and is so much different than I expected it to be. A few months used to seem like no big deal. The close of summer was an exciting time, leading to fall and then into winter and Christmas. These days, a few months seems to fly by, and I find myself planning not by seasons, but by the things we need to do before the baby arrives. We planned our "autumn cleaning" (our second version of spring cleaning) based on how big my belly would be, and thus how easy it would be for me to help out. When making plans for the next few months, everything becomes dependent on the arrival of our baby. Our traditional plans for winter and Christmas change as we imagine our lives with our son.

I've realized the strength and ability in my body. I'm amazed by the perfect creation of my body holding my baby boy, so tiny and fragile at this stage, nourishing him and providing him with what he needs to live. I feel my heart beat and know my heart is pumping blood not just for my own needs, but for the needs of this baby. When I eat, I am eating food that will not only strengthen and nourish my body, but will help my little one grow strong. It amazes me how a woman's body was created to carry a human life within her, without any sort of intervention, my body just knows what to do.

Though I have started becoming uncomfortable, my back arches a little to balance out the weight of my growing belly, my hips ache as the joints loosen and widen in preparation for childbirth. Everything becomes a little more difficult and I move a little more slowly. Sleep is not quite as restful, getting out of bed every 2-3 hours becomes more challenging, but I am amazed at my body's flexibility as it changes so drastically.

When I feel my little one thumping and squirming, it feels like a special secret. It feels like a treasure in these few months we get to be connected so deeply. I wonder, will my life always be so affected by his, from now on? Will his life be so affected by mine? I get nine whole months to learn about my baby boy before anyone else gets to meet him. He knows the sound of me, of my heart beat, my voice, my laughter. I feel so blessed to get this chance to bond with him before he's even born. His life is such a gift.

I know that with my second, and third, and fourth pregnancies it won't be the same. The way I feel now is unique to being a first time mommy-to-be. So for now, I will sit and spend time gazing at my thumping belly, thanking God for choosing me as a vessel for this life.

26 Weeks

My Baby Ty
-he is now approximately 14 inches long and weighs just under 2 pounds.
-his eyelids, which were fused shut for about a month, can now open again. He is able to tell the difference between light and dark.
-We are in the last week of the second trimester. Next week we will be 2/3 through this pregnancy!

Mommy
Weight Change: No idea. I'll find out in two weeks.

Symptoms/Feelings: Same as always. Am starting to have difficulty sleeping. It is hard to get comfortable, and I am dying to sleep on my back or belly again, but whenever I've accidentally ended up that way, it is pretty uncomfortable. Last night was the worst night so far. I feel bad for Doug for having to put up with me! Other than that, everything has been the same. Heartburn, super hungry all the time, et cetera.

Cravings: Caramel popcorn! Finally got some today.

Appointments: Had my gestational diabetes test today. It wasn't so bad, though I have a big bump on the inside of my elbow from where they poked me. I had to have my blood drawn three times (plus an extra vial for something else) in a span of two hours, and they poked the same general area all three times, so it's a bit swollen now.

Anything Big Happening? We found out we are NOT moving soon. Not until a few months after Tyron is born. We're not concerned, or bothered at all, by this, but we are now making arrangements to get our bedroom organized. We're going to put the crib and change table in there this weekend.

Preparing for baby: We're almost all set. I bought a few of the smaller things we needed today, and now I feel much more prepared. This week we're focusing on organizing the bedroom and will be washing his clothes and getting his drawers all stocked with baby Ty clothes!

Baby Needs...

We found out today that we won't be able to move into a two bedroom apartment for a few months (possibly a few months after the baby is born). So now I can put my nesting to good use and we can start organizing and rearranging the bedroom to fit a baby.

It's gotten me thinking about what a baby really needs. I was getting so wrapped up in having Tyron's room decorated with puppies and paw prints, and getting a cute swing or having a brand new chest of drawers for him that I forget that those things are more for me than for the baby. He doesn't need any of those things. He needs arms to hold him, someone to feed him, lips to kiss him, diapers and clothes to wear and something to keep him warm. He needs to be clean and fed and hugged and kissed. He needs his mommy and daddy.

It's easy to get carried away when it's your first baby. You want the best for them, you want to give them everything. It's easy to forget that all they really need are basic necessities.

I tell Tyron all the time that I love him. I tell him that I can't wait to meet him, and that I hope I can give him everything he needs and some of the things he wants. I tell him that he's never going to run out of love.

And I am content knowing that he'll be provided for. Even if he doesn't have the wealthiest of parents, he'll have everything he needs.

25 weeks

Tyron
-is now an eggplant, lol.
-he is about 13 inches long and weighs approximately 1.5 lbs.
-Tyron's taste buds are forming, and he is developing preferences for certain tastes (apparently not milk, because it makes me sick now).
-My uterus is the size of a soccer ball! Crazy.

Mommy
Weight Change: No idea. I feel like I've gained some weight, and I know my belly has grown, so I'm assuming I did gain weight. I don't really care how much, though.

Symptoms/Feelings: Everything has been pretty much the same. Heartburn, morning nausea, runny nose, feeling kicks, etc. It's been pretty low key. I can't even tell you how much I enjoy pregnancy. I feel great, I get tired and hungry a lot, but I can still move around pretty normally (minus being able to bend over), I am not swelling at all, I just feel really good. I have no complaints about pregnancy. :)

Cravings: Sweets!

Appointments: Going in tomorrow for a urinalysis. Next week I have my glucose tolerance (gestational diabetes) test.

Anything big happening? We're still waiting to hear when we will be able to move. I'm really hoping it will be September 1st, but the longer we wait to find out, the less likely that is. :( At least if we move by October 1st I'll be okay.

Preparing for Baby: We're starting to collect big things! I think our next purchase is going to be a bassinet or a washer.

Belly Pics:

I feel like my belly is really tiny compared to other people around my due date. I know part of the reason is because I have a really long torso and a high waist, so the belly has a lot of room to grow up, and doesn't need to grow out so much. And I have a feeling that I'm just going to suddenly POP one day (maybe in a few weeks) and I'll look gigantic then.