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