32 Weeks

32 weeks: Jicama (whatever THAT is)

32 weeks: By now, baby Brayden weighs 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in my uterus. I’m gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to Brayden. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth.

Life Update:

• Landen had his ear surgery!! The doctor said he was able to clean out a BUNCH of infection.
• I cannot keep ANYTHING in my hands… if it is droppable, IT WILL BE DROPPED!
• Baby brain has kicked into full gear! I keep getting words mixed-up (i.e. hotel v. hospital, pizza v. puzzle, etc)

Doctor’s Report:

This baby is going to be a whopper! He is ALREADY 5 lbs 10 oz, measuring 4 weeks ahead of schedule! My blood pressure is slowly rising and my doctor thinks I should consider working less hours. PLEASE pray regarding this decision!! Keith can’t have a job while he is in school and my working less will put a HUGE financial strain on our already dwindling bank account! She did say that with Brayden looking as healthy as he does, she MIGHT feel comfortable letting me go until 39 weeks. Brayden has hair that was visible on the Ultrasound… 1 cm long. His feet are 2 ½ inches long. Brayden currently weighs right about the same weight that Landen did when Landen was born… The doctor said he will continue to gain about a ½ lb per week until he is born! YIKES!

Pregnancy Update:

• How far along? 32 weeks  1 day
• Total Weight Gain? 10 lbs
• Fundal Height? I swear his legs are up in my throat sometimes… but the doctor says 34ish
• Baby Heart Rate? 137 bpm
• Baby Bump?  Absolutely
• Movement? He is moving and stretching and getting quite strong! He had the hiccups last night and every time he hiccupped, his head would hit me… (TMI WARNING: I felt like someone was thumping me in the crotch every couple of seconds)
• Cravings? Milkshakes, milk, water, juice, but not much in the way of solid foods…
• Aversions? I can’t put my finger on it…
• Symptoms? Contractions, Vomiting (no idea why, but I spent a good bit of my morning throwing-up today!), Moody (sorry…), CLUMSY, Pains (back, sciatic, leg, hip, neck, etc), Cramps (stomach, back, and into my thighs), Hands and feet beginning to swell, Legs falling asleep, Headaches, TIRED, Forgetfulness,  Blurry Vision, Heartburn/Acid Reflux, and a few very unpleasant unmentionables
• Sleep? Yeah, right.
• Gender? Boy! Brayden Daniel Thomas
• Belly button? In, but very shallow
• What I miss? Being comfortable!
• What I’m looking forward to? Finishing some name art for Brayden… I WILL do this before he is born! We have an OB tour on February 7^th; I’m excited to see the new OB building at my hospital!
• Concerns? Unpaid maternity leave. Possibly having to cut back my hours at work (less pay!). My blood pressure.

Blessings? Having a job. Keith. Landen. Family. Friends. Landen’s daycare. Seeing Brayden all huge and healthy on the ultrasound.

Pictures:



Here is his weight... if you look at the graph you can see he's chilling out around the 97th percentile





Side profile of his foot





Just FYI... if you know what it all means, it MIGHT be interesting to you





the pregnancy pose... 32 weeks





my very own arm rest/table top...





This picture didn't come out very well, but this is a comparison between my pregnancies...
Purple shirt is 32 weeks - Landen
Flowery shirt/dress is 32 weeks - Brayden



From the Mouths of Babes... and 31 weeks

Week 31: Watermelon (or Four Big Oranges)

31 weeks: Baby Brayden now weighs as much as four navel oranges (Length: over 16 inches, head to heel.) 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. 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

 

Life Update: 

• Keith was talking to Brayden, aka my belly, last night and Landen decided he would too! Landen put his mouth against my belly and was yelling, “WA WAWA BAWA WAWAWA.” I was covered in drool by the end of Landen’s conversation, but it was possibly one of the funniest things I have ever experienced! I still don’t know if Landen has ANY idea that there is a baby in my belly. 
• We were able to get several things in the house ready for Brayden over the 3 day weekend:
• Pack-n-play
• Cradle (used to be Keith’s mom’s cradle)
• Baby book
• Bottles and slow-flow nipples
• Infant pacifiers
• Baby monitor
• Cleaned and sorted infant toys
• Replaced batteries 
• Landen is seeing all his old stuff (i.e. toys, bottles, pack-n-play, etc .) and thinks it’s all for him… he’s said “MINE” 16,871,846,741,684 times this weekend
• Landen is getting tubes in his ears on Friday! He woke up Sunday night with a nasty cough, so we took him to the doctor yesterday. The doctor said it wasn’t anything to prevent his surgery on Friday, but she gave him some medicine to make sure it doesn’t turn into anything… because dang-it WE ARE GETTING TUBES THIS FRIDAY come hell or high-water! Oh, and he has a double ear infection and he’s teething his two-year molars.
• Landen has become VERY talkative lately… VERY TALKATIVE! He will talk non-stop, but there is always a question of what he is actually saying… some words sound the same as others, some have a slight resemblance at one point of the actual word, and some words sound a little inappropriate…
• Football (easily confused with Momma) sounds remarkably like butt-hole… this we HAVE to work on ASAP!
• Gus (our cat) sounds like “cgusth”
• Cracker, tractor, doctor, play-dough, and door (I think he may be saying ‘the door’) sounds like “duh-doh”… and these can be all be confused with football and momma
• Bee (the buzzing creature), B (the letter), R (the letter… confused with B), and Wee (the exclamation) all sound like, “BEE”
• Boot, booboo, and poop sound like, “Boo” or “Poo” depending on the day
• Paci sounds like, "Bat-thee"
• Car, star, go, shoe, door, and dog sound like, “daw” (but can sound like “duh-doh”, too)
• Please, peas, tree, and piece sound like, “Peeethz”
• Papa sounds like, “bot-BAH”
• Puzzle-piece sounds like, “Buh-duh PEETHZ” (although it periodically gets additional syllables)
• Macaroni-n-cheese sounds like pure gibberish with “EETHZ” on the end
• Cat, hat, sock, and that sound like, “dat”
• Jacket sounds like, “dat-dat” which can be confused with daddy
• In addition to all of these, sometimes Landen will add “yo” to the end of words, just to keep you on your toes…Not to mention the constant sounds and combinations that he says in-between all his old and new words!
• Keith and I have been working on a puzzle that is so tricky and difficult! I LOVE puzzles, and I can usually fly through them… not this one! We have been working on it, little by little, for weeks now! (If you really know me, you would know that NEVER happens!) But it’s fun!
• Our church opened it's new building a couple weeks ago and it has been awesome! We are already bursting at the seams!
• My sweet friend Brooke cut my hair this weekend! It was great to see her and her precious daughter AND my hair hadn't been cut in close to a year... WAY overdue! It looks MUCH better!
• Landen is in the process of moving-up to the next class in daycare... they are letting him spend part of the day in his old class and part of the day in his new class. He seems to be loving it! It is SUCH a blessing that he is SO happy at his daycare!! 
• Apparently, last night Keith realized that we are about to be the parents of TWO children instead of just one... who knew!?

Pregnancy Update:

1. How far along? 31 weeks 0 day
2. Total Weight Gain? 7 lbs
3. Fundal Height? 31ish
4. Baby Heart Rate? 140s-150s
5. Baby Bump?  Absolutely
6. Movement? He is moving and stretching and getting quite strong! He had the hiccups last night and every time he hiccupped, his head would hit me… (TMI WARNING: I felt like someone was thumping me in the crotch every couple of seconds)
7. Cravings? Chocolate, milkshakes, milk...
8. Aversions? Meats, ONIONS, spicy stuff 
9. Symptoms? Contractions, Moody (sorry…), CLUMSY, Pains (back, sciatic, leg, hip, neck, etc), Cramps (stomach, back, and into my thighs), Hands and feet beginning to swell, Legs falling asleep, Headaches, TIRED, Forgetfulness,  Heartburn, and a few very unpleasant unmentionables
10. Sleep? Yeah, right.
11. Gender? Boy! Brayden Daniel Thomas
12. Belly button? In, but shallow
13. What I miss? Being comfortable!
14. What I’m looking forward to? Making some name art for Brayden
15. Concerns? Unpaid maternity leave.
16. Blessings? My blood pressure seems to be maintaining. Having a job. Keith. Landen. Family. Friends. Landen’s daycare.

Brayden is getting BIG and so am I! - Updated

Week 30: Large Cabbage

This week: Baby Brayden rivals a good-size cabbage in weight, tipping the scales this week at 3 pounds (<--- Actually 2 weeks ago he was weighing 3.5 lbs) (Length: about 15 3/4 inches, head to heel) . A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

Life Update:

Keith started back to school. Landen is attending daycare 5 days a week. Landen has an appointment tomorrow with a Pediatric ENT to schedule surgery for tubes in his ears. Keith bought a 20 bag of pinto beans while grocery shopping --> an attempt to be economical... so we MAY be buying stock in Beano or Gas-X in the very near future! I have approximately 7 more weeks of pregnancy! Oh, and ROLL TIDE!!!!!

Pregnancy Update:

1. How far along? 30 weeks 0 day 30 weeks 2 day
2. Total Weight Gain? I won’t know until Wednesday 7 lbs
3. Fundal Height? I won’t know until Wednesday 30 cm
4. Baby Heart Rate? I’m guessing it is probably still in the 140s in the 150's
5. Baby Bump?  YES! It is definitely getting in my way… but hey, if you need your table/counter wiped off, you just let me know I’ll be glad to wear your food/dust/flour/etc across my belly!
6. Movement? He is moving and getting quite strong!
7. Cravings? Pizza and Caesar salad dressing… still!
8. Aversions? Meats
9. Symptoms? Contractions, Pains (back, sciatic, leg, hip, neck, etc), Cramps (stomach, back, and into my thighs), Hands and feet beginning to swell, Legs falling asleep, Headaches, TIRED, Forgetfulness,  Heartburn, and a few unmentionables
10. Sleep? I wish I could get some decent sleep!! Between bathroom trips, contractions, uncomfortableness, and ridiculous dreams… it’s practically a lost cause. Seriously, my dreams seem to be combining every awkward moment in my life and every argument I’ve ever had with any unknowns I currently have in my life... what the heck!?!
11. Gender? Boy! Brayden Daniel Thomas
12. Belly button? In, but shallow
13. What I miss? Being able to adjust the seat in my car, Energy, Sleep, Mobility, Laying down without getting heartburn, Seeing the stairs as I am descending/ascending, etc
14. What I’m looking forward to? bedtime
15. Concerns? Unpaid maternity leave. Retaking this stupid blood sugar test… I REALLY don’t want to have gestational diabetes!!!!!!! And I really don’t want to show my face in the doctor’s office lab again after puking EVERYWHERE on my 1^st attempt at the 3 hour glucose test last week!!

**NOTE** I was looking at my pregnancy journal from when I was expecting Landen. I failed the 1^st glucose test (the 1 hour one) with Landen, too. To pass it, your blood sugar level has to be under 140 – with Landen, mine was 167 and with Brayden it was 173. Hopefully, with the levels being so similar, I will pass this 3 hour test tomorrow and be in the clear!! I just need to keep the syrup in my tummy long enough to actually take the test!

Well, I had to stay the FULL time to take the Glucose test because in hour 2 my blood sugar went UP!? I still don't understand that! Ultimately, I now know that I DO NOT have gestational diabetes!! WOOHOO!! And, as far as showing my face in the office again, everyone was really nice and even let me lay down in a dark room with my very own trash can... just.in.case.

16. Blessings? My blood pressure seems to be maintaining. Having a job. Keith. Landen. Family. Friends. Landen’s daycare. Normal blood sugar!
17. Pictures:




Landen with my Grandmother (90 yr old)... I wish she were looking at the camera.

 



Sweet little package :)





Our little family of 3 1/2





Thought this would be a cute picture, but every time I try to post it on here it shows up sideways... whatever.





He finally got the concept of toys being in the stocking



Landen getting opening his "Big Boy Bed" (toddler bed)

Week 29: Brayden Daniel

This sweet baby FINALLY HAS A NAME!!! Brayden Daniel Thomas!

Pregnancy Update:

1. How far along? 29 weeks 3 day
2. Total Weight Gain? 3 lbs
3. Fundal Height? 30 cm
4. Baby Heart Rate? 140s bpm
5. Baby Bump?  I’m carrying him LOW
6. Movement? Definitely feeling him move all the time and he's getting MUCH STRONGER!
7. Cravings? Ceaser Salad dressing with pizza... just go with it.
8. Aversions? Meats
9. Symptoms? Pains (back, sciatic, leg, hip, neck, etc), Cramps (stomach, back, and into my thighs), Legs falling asleep, Braxton Hicks, Congested, Headaches, TIRED, Forgetfulness,  Heartburn, and a few unmentionables
10. Sleep? no so great...
11. Gender? Boy! 
12. Belly button? In but rather shallow
13. What I miss? Energy, feeling safe climbing (and descending stairs), sleep, easy mobility, lying down without getting heartburn, etc
14. What I’m looking forward to? Making a name plate for Brayden!
15. Concerns? Maternity leave (or lack thereof). Finances while I'm out on my non-maternity leave. Retaking this stupid blood sugar test, AGAIN… definitely threw-up all over the doctor's office Wednesday morning in my attempt at the 3 hour glucose test! Now I have to do it all again this coming Wednesday.... ugh!
16. Blessings? My blood pressure maintaining. My job. Keith. Landen. Family. Friends.