26 WEEKS PREGNANT - 27TH WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
Baby girl geekling will grow to about 15 inches long and about 2 pounds this week, about the weight of a head of cauliflower.
This week:
-She will begin sleeping at regular intervals (hopefully to continue after birth)
-She should be opening and closing her eyes
-She may start sucking her thumb or fingers
-Her lungs are immature but should be functioning (she would probably be able to breathe with medical help if she were born now, but hopefully she'll hang in there for another 13 weeks or so)
-If she has the hiccups I might be able to feel it; so far I haven't felt any hiccups, but I do feel regular movement, and sometimes a lot of it
-Her brain tissue is continuing to develop and her brain is very active now
-All signs point to this being the ideal time for us to start reading to her and/or singing to her since her ears should be able to hear our voices and her brain development is so rapid
-Her heartbeat is strong enough now that if Jim were to stick his ear up to the belly he might be able to hear it; I can often feel her heart beating in my abdomen or an echo of it in my chest or shoulder as I'm lying in bed at night
-Her tastebuds are very developed now and and if I eat super spicy food she might respond with hiccups after tasting it in the amniotic fluid (funny, because when I eat super spicy food I sometimes get the hiccups)
As for me:
-My indigestion, heartburn and nausea have not let up
-My back pain gets progressively worse, but I'm working through it instead of lying in bed all day in the one position I've found that doesn't hurt
-I've been swimming laps three times a week for my exercise; it's proving to be really good. I'm getting better at it and my endurance is getting higher, even though it does wear me out and I get out of breath easily
-I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, so hopefully everything will continue to check out
-I think the weirdest pregnancy symptom of all is leg cramps; it's so weird to wake up in the middle of the night and have to remind myself to relax my leg muscles
-My feet are swelling on a regular basis and it might be time for me to stop wearing my engagement ring, as much as I hate to think about that. The ring on my right hand and my wedding band are still okay
We successfully cleaned out our storage area to accommodate everything we wanted to store, and cleaned out the guest room and bought paint so Jim can get started on the transforming of the room into the nursery. We sold our guest bed and our extra dresser, and just have to get rid of our extra TV. I need Jim's help getting it to the car and then to the donation place. I wanted to sell it, but everyone that expressed "interest" in our ad didn't really seem to want it badly enough to make the effort to set up a pick up time. I just have to go to the base self-help store and pick up some tape, drop cloths and extra brushes (and light bulbs, but not for the same room) so Jim can get started. I'm very excited! If I didn't know Jim would get mad I'd start painting myself, but I know it's something he wants to do, and I know it's not exactly safe for me to do it either. :)
My great friend Megan set the date for my shower this week, and I'm so excited! If you're local, it will be on October 25. Details to follow. There's a baby sale on base next week, so I might be deleting stuff from our registry, you know, just in case you look one day and then the next day it's gone.
Well, I'm off to sit with a heating pad on my back and an ice cream sandwich in my hand (the hot and cold offset each other). :)
domingo, 30 de agosto de 2009
sábado, 22 de agosto de 2009
Not sure if this is tacky...
... but we registered at Target. The information is on the Registry page at the upper right. Just so you're aware...
Tara
Tara
viernes, 21 de agosto de 2009
26th Week
25 WEEKS PREGNANT - 26TH WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
In the 26th week, our baby will grow to about 14 inches long, or the length of an English hothouse cucumber, from head to toe, and more than 9 inches from head to rump. She will grow to a weight of almost 2 pounds! Hopefully she doesn't gain more than about 5 more! (I know, I know, I shouldn't hope to stifle her growth, I just really don't want to have to give birth to a baby who weighs 8 pounds or more!)
This week:
-Our girl geekling's eyes will be fully developed under her eyelids and she should start to open her eyes
-Loud noises and bright lights very near the belly might cause her to move around more
-She is more sensitive to our voices, so the more Jim and I talk around the belly, the more used to our voices she'll become
-She is now both inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is helping the crucial development of her lungs and helping her practice for taking her first gulp of air
-She's also continuing to put on baby fat; here's hoping she'll be super cute and chubby!
-Her movement is getting stronger and she's starting to move around a lot more; I could feel her yesterday when I was standing and walking for the first time. These movements are helping her practice for movement when she emerges from the womb. Her strongest movement for now seems to be against my bladder, but I'm sure in no time I'll be getting kicked in the ribs.
As for me:
-My primary concern this week is back pain, which has become so bad on the left side that I can't get comfortable sitting, lying down or standing. Unfortunately none of the massage places on base or nearby off base do prenatal massages, so I'm kind of out of luck.
-Besides that, my heartburn and indigestion are constant, along with regular nausea (but I haven't had any active nausea in more than a week... knock on wood).
-Per my doctor's orders I have been working out more this week. I swam 12 laps on Monday and 15 laps on Wednesday. It's a short walk to and from the pool, but I have been walking instead of driving just to give myself some extra movement. I had homework I had to finish up this morning, so I didn't get to go to the pool, but I plan to go back tomorrow morning. Funny story, though, I used a swim cap on Wednesday to try to limit my hair's exposure to the chlorine (my hair gets really dry and breaks if it is damaged; plus it used to turn green from the chlorine when I was little and I'd like to avoid that in my adulthood), and I forgot to put on sunscreen, so I had a sunburn line across my forehead. Cool.
In other news, this week we received the rest of the big stuff we ordered and since I couldn't wait, I already put it all together (except the high chair, I do have some restraint). So now we have a stroller, car seat, swing and pack-n-play in our living room. (Plus I ordered our jogging stroller, even though I was going to wait on that, because it was 10% off!) Really livens everything up! I also have been working really hard on the guest room in an attempt to get it in order to make it the nursery, and I finally finished everything I could do today. I took a pile of stuff to donate, and a pile of stuff to the trash, cleaned out the closet, sold our extra bed and television and posted our extra dresser for sale, and got a pile of stuff together to put in our storage room (my next project, so that everything I need to go in there will fit). As soon as everything is ready, Jim will paint the room, and then we can start making it into a nursery! Can't wait. I know it's early, but I really just want to get everything ready that I can so I don't have too many loose ends when I'm too big to be helpful.
Not much else to report from here. Just school for me and work for Jim (he's on a short break from school). We're getting into a groove with me not working and I'm starting to figure out how to manage my time so I'm productive and not just a bump on the unemployed log. :)
In the 26th week, our baby will grow to about 14 inches long, or the length of an English hothouse cucumber, from head to toe, and more than 9 inches from head to rump. She will grow to a weight of almost 2 pounds! Hopefully she doesn't gain more than about 5 more! (I know, I know, I shouldn't hope to stifle her growth, I just really don't want to have to give birth to a baby who weighs 8 pounds or more!)
This week:
-Our girl geekling's eyes will be fully developed under her eyelids and she should start to open her eyes
-Loud noises and bright lights very near the belly might cause her to move around more
-She is more sensitive to our voices, so the more Jim and I talk around the belly, the more used to our voices she'll become
-She is now both inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is helping the crucial development of her lungs and helping her practice for taking her first gulp of air
-She's also continuing to put on baby fat; here's hoping she'll be super cute and chubby!
-Her movement is getting stronger and she's starting to move around a lot more; I could feel her yesterday when I was standing and walking for the first time. These movements are helping her practice for movement when she emerges from the womb. Her strongest movement for now seems to be against my bladder, but I'm sure in no time I'll be getting kicked in the ribs.
As for me:
-My primary concern this week is back pain, which has become so bad on the left side that I can't get comfortable sitting, lying down or standing. Unfortunately none of the massage places on base or nearby off base do prenatal massages, so I'm kind of out of luck.
-Besides that, my heartburn and indigestion are constant, along with regular nausea (but I haven't had any active nausea in more than a week... knock on wood).
-Per my doctor's orders I have been working out more this week. I swam 12 laps on Monday and 15 laps on Wednesday. It's a short walk to and from the pool, but I have been walking instead of driving just to give myself some extra movement. I had homework I had to finish up this morning, so I didn't get to go to the pool, but I plan to go back tomorrow morning. Funny story, though, I used a swim cap on Wednesday to try to limit my hair's exposure to the chlorine (my hair gets really dry and breaks if it is damaged; plus it used to turn green from the chlorine when I was little and I'd like to avoid that in my adulthood), and I forgot to put on sunscreen, so I had a sunburn line across my forehead. Cool.
In other news, this week we received the rest of the big stuff we ordered and since I couldn't wait, I already put it all together (except the high chair, I do have some restraint). So now we have a stroller, car seat, swing and pack-n-play in our living room. (Plus I ordered our jogging stroller, even though I was going to wait on that, because it was 10% off!) Really livens everything up! I also have been working really hard on the guest room in an attempt to get it in order to make it the nursery, and I finally finished everything I could do today. I took a pile of stuff to donate, and a pile of stuff to the trash, cleaned out the closet, sold our extra bed and television and posted our extra dresser for sale, and got a pile of stuff together to put in our storage room (my next project, so that everything I need to go in there will fit). As soon as everything is ready, Jim will paint the room, and then we can start making it into a nursery! Can't wait. I know it's early, but I really just want to get everything ready that I can so I don't have too many loose ends when I'm too big to be helpful.
Not much else to report from here. Just school for me and work for Jim (he's on a short break from school). We're getting into a groove with me not working and I'm starting to figure out how to manage my time so I'm productive and not just a bump on the unemployed log. :)
sábado, 15 de agosto de 2009
25 - First of the last?
24 WEEKS PREGNANT - 25TH WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
According to some books and websites the 24th week is the end of the second trimester. According to others I won't get there until the 28th week. Either way, I'm pretty close, with only 16 weeks left to go. I can hardly believe in about four months we'll have a baby!
I had a doctor's appointment on Thursday and the doctor was optimistic. She noted that my ultrasound from last month looked "beautiful" and that everything was on track. The ultrasound showed I might be a few days farther along than they thought, but that they would keep my due date the same. And I was measuring right at 24 inches, so that was on track. She also said that all of my tests came back normal, another blessing. The baby's heartbeat was 150bpm (it's been about the same every time), and the nurse thought it was pretty funny that baby girl kept kicking when she was trying to find the heartbeat. The doctor also wasn't too concerned about my weight gain (although I was) although she said that it might be contributing to my lack of energy. She said that I should try harder to exercise at least 3-4 times a week and that it would help with my energy. Of course, it's so hot here that yesterday morning I went for a walk and it just made me so tired I could barely move. I think I'll try swimming. The outdoor pool is open for another 3 weeks and it's open for laps for 5 hours in the morning, so I should be able to find a quiet time when the lifeguards will be very attentive to a bad swimmer like me.
Anyway, on to the update.
This week:
-The geekling is 13 1/2 inches from head to toe, 9 inches from head to rump, and weighs more than 1 1/2 pounds. She's about the weight of a rutabaga, or four juice boxes.
-She is starting to gain some baby fat, looking less lean and more chubby
-She is growing more hair and it is becoming pigmented, so we'll see in a few months if she's blonde or brunette
-Her skin is growing pinker and less translucent, in part due to her capillaries filling up with blood
-This week the blood vessels in her lungs will fill with blood, developing them further, but they are still too underdeveloped to work on their own
-The baby's nostrils are starting to open this week and she will start taking practice breaths of amniotic fluid
-Her kicking is getting stronger and stronger; hopefully Jim will be able to feel it from the outside soon. In about a month she will not have as much room to kick, making it feel harder (and more bruising) as she gets stronger.
As for me:
-My hair is supposed to be fuller and more lustrous. To me it just looks more brown. Although, I was able to go almost 6 months without a trim, so I guess it is healthier these days.
-My indigestion and heartburn are almost unbearable and cause a lot of late-night issues if I don't finish eating by 6pm (and sometimes even if I abide by that rule). I get heartburn and indigestion no matter what I eat or drink. Tuna sandwich? Heartburn. Decaf frappaccino? Heartburn. Diet coke? Indigestion. It's ridiculous.
-My headaches got bad enough to ask for a prescription, to which the doctor obliged.
-My nausea was also more of a concern to the doctor this late in the game and she gave me a medication for it that she asked me to use sparingly (apparently it's very expensive and the military doesn't really like to use your tax dollars to pay for it).
-I survived my first week of not working, but I have to work on my scheduling so I don't waste away reading and watching TV instead of doing housework and homework.
-People I didn't announce the pregnancy to are starting to notice the belly and ask if I'm pregnant. This is good, because I've been asked once before when not pregnant if I was, and it's much easier to answer the question when it's true.
-My appetite is really touch and go. Sometimes I don't want to eat anything, and I hold off eating until baby girl gets impatient and hungry and starts kicking me. Other times I'm very very hungry.
-My doctor acknowledged my concerns about the frustrations I'm having with pregnancy and said, "Pregnancy sucks." That about sums it up. For all of you wonderful women who had easy, carefree, non-symptomatic pregnancies - I hate you (lovingly, of course). I'm thinking more and more that this will be my one and only naturally-born child.
Anyway, that's about all I have for this week. :)
According to some books and websites the 24th week is the end of the second trimester. According to others I won't get there until the 28th week. Either way, I'm pretty close, with only 16 weeks left to go. I can hardly believe in about four months we'll have a baby!
I had a doctor's appointment on Thursday and the doctor was optimistic. She noted that my ultrasound from last month looked "beautiful" and that everything was on track. The ultrasound showed I might be a few days farther along than they thought, but that they would keep my due date the same. And I was measuring right at 24 inches, so that was on track. She also said that all of my tests came back normal, another blessing. The baby's heartbeat was 150bpm (it's been about the same every time), and the nurse thought it was pretty funny that baby girl kept kicking when she was trying to find the heartbeat. The doctor also wasn't too concerned about my weight gain (although I was) although she said that it might be contributing to my lack of energy. She said that I should try harder to exercise at least 3-4 times a week and that it would help with my energy. Of course, it's so hot here that yesterday morning I went for a walk and it just made me so tired I could barely move. I think I'll try swimming. The outdoor pool is open for another 3 weeks and it's open for laps for 5 hours in the morning, so I should be able to find a quiet time when the lifeguards will be very attentive to a bad swimmer like me.
Anyway, on to the update.
This week:
-The geekling is 13 1/2 inches from head to toe, 9 inches from head to rump, and weighs more than 1 1/2 pounds. She's about the weight of a rutabaga, or four juice boxes.
-She is starting to gain some baby fat, looking less lean and more chubby
-She is growing more hair and it is becoming pigmented, so we'll see in a few months if she's blonde or brunette
-Her skin is growing pinker and less translucent, in part due to her capillaries filling up with blood
-This week the blood vessels in her lungs will fill with blood, developing them further, but they are still too underdeveloped to work on their own
-The baby's nostrils are starting to open this week and she will start taking practice breaths of amniotic fluid
-Her kicking is getting stronger and stronger; hopefully Jim will be able to feel it from the outside soon. In about a month she will not have as much room to kick, making it feel harder (and more bruising) as she gets stronger.
As for me:
-My hair is supposed to be fuller and more lustrous. To me it just looks more brown. Although, I was able to go almost 6 months without a trim, so I guess it is healthier these days.
-My indigestion and heartburn are almost unbearable and cause a lot of late-night issues if I don't finish eating by 6pm (and sometimes even if I abide by that rule). I get heartburn and indigestion no matter what I eat or drink. Tuna sandwich? Heartburn. Decaf frappaccino? Heartburn. Diet coke? Indigestion. It's ridiculous.
-My headaches got bad enough to ask for a prescription, to which the doctor obliged.
-My nausea was also more of a concern to the doctor this late in the game and she gave me a medication for it that she asked me to use sparingly (apparently it's very expensive and the military doesn't really like to use your tax dollars to pay for it).
-I survived my first week of not working, but I have to work on my scheduling so I don't waste away reading and watching TV instead of doing housework and homework.
-People I didn't announce the pregnancy to are starting to notice the belly and ask if I'm pregnant. This is good, because I've been asked once before when not pregnant if I was, and it's much easier to answer the question when it's true.
-My appetite is really touch and go. Sometimes I don't want to eat anything, and I hold off eating until baby girl gets impatient and hungry and starts kicking me. Other times I'm very very hungry.
-My doctor acknowledged my concerns about the frustrations I'm having with pregnancy and said, "Pregnancy sucks." That about sums it up. For all of you wonderful women who had easy, carefree, non-symptomatic pregnancies - I hate you (lovingly, of course). I'm thinking more and more that this will be my one and only naturally-born child.
Anyway, that's about all I have for this week. :)
domingo, 9 de agosto de 2009
Twenty Four - Last of the Second
24TH WEEK OF PREGNANCY - 23 WEEKS PREGNANT
Our little girl geekling is going strong this week, weighing in at about 1.4 lbs and growing to a length of about 12 inches, about the size of an ear of corn. I'm sure with our genes she'll be cracking corny jokes in no time.
This week:
-Her body is beginning to fill out proportionally so that she can start to get all cute and chubby
-Her brain is growing quickly; we can't wait to fill it with all of our both useless and useful knowledge after her birth. We're hoping she'll be quite stuidous and geeky (and with us as her parents her chances are good).
-Her taste buds are continuing to develop.
-Her lungs are developing branches and cells that produce surfactant that will help her air sacs inflate for that first, wonderful, reassuring cry after birth (and all of the middle of the night crying after that).
-Her skin is still thin and translucent, but will start to change soon.
-Much of the weight she will gain this week comes from the growth of her organs, bones and muscles.
-Her face is almost fully formed and her eyelashes, eyebrows and hair are in place.
As for me:
-My nausea is still running rampant, and I'm just praying it will end soon. I'm almost to the end of my second trimester and I'd like to enjoy a bit of this pregnancy before things start getting super uncomfortable.
-My headaches, also, are not subsiding and are still quite forceful several times a week.
-I found my first stretchmarks this week. It was a very disheartening discovery, as I hoped that I would be able to skip that part of pregnancy.
-My belly button might "pop" soon, something else I'm not looking forward to. My stomach has been very tender already, and I know that as our little girl gets stronger it will only get worse.
-My uterus is now about the size of a soccer ball. Wow, that really puts things into perspective. It's so weird that she has all this room to roam around in there right now but will fill out that space pretty soon.
-I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday. I'll get to hear the baby's heartbeat and just a general check up. It should be uneventful. The doctor will order any other testing that will need to be done, but I don't think I have to have any more tests or blood drawn until about 28-30 weeks. I am, however, going to request some prescription headache medication. I think that the nausea, even active nausea a few times a week, and the indigestion and the heartburn are more manageable than feeling like someone is sitting on my head for 2 days straight!
In other news, Friday was my last day of work! I am now officially unemployed and couldn't be happier about it. I start my new (and last!) term of school tomorrow. I should be finished with my Master's about the end of October. SO EXCITED!
And finally, this week marked two big birthdays in our family. So to both Terry and Ruth, we hope you had wonderful birthdays! We love you!
Our little girl geekling is going strong this week, weighing in at about 1.4 lbs and growing to a length of about 12 inches, about the size of an ear of corn. I'm sure with our genes she'll be cracking corny jokes in no time.
This week:
-Her body is beginning to fill out proportionally so that she can start to get all cute and chubby
-Her brain is growing quickly; we can't wait to fill it with all of our both useless and useful knowledge after her birth. We're hoping she'll be quite stuidous and geeky (and with us as her parents her chances are good).
-Her taste buds are continuing to develop.
-Her lungs are developing branches and cells that produce surfactant that will help her air sacs inflate for that first, wonderful, reassuring cry after birth (and all of the middle of the night crying after that).
-Her skin is still thin and translucent, but will start to change soon.
-Much of the weight she will gain this week comes from the growth of her organs, bones and muscles.
-Her face is almost fully formed and her eyelashes, eyebrows and hair are in place.
As for me:
-My nausea is still running rampant, and I'm just praying it will end soon. I'm almost to the end of my second trimester and I'd like to enjoy a bit of this pregnancy before things start getting super uncomfortable.
-My headaches, also, are not subsiding and are still quite forceful several times a week.
-I found my first stretchmarks this week. It was a very disheartening discovery, as I hoped that I would be able to skip that part of pregnancy.
-My belly button might "pop" soon, something else I'm not looking forward to. My stomach has been very tender already, and I know that as our little girl gets stronger it will only get worse.
-My uterus is now about the size of a soccer ball. Wow, that really puts things into perspective. It's so weird that she has all this room to roam around in there right now but will fill out that space pretty soon.
-I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday. I'll get to hear the baby's heartbeat and just a general check up. It should be uneventful. The doctor will order any other testing that will need to be done, but I don't think I have to have any more tests or blood drawn until about 28-30 weeks. I am, however, going to request some prescription headache medication. I think that the nausea, even active nausea a few times a week, and the indigestion and the heartburn are more manageable than feeling like someone is sitting on my head for 2 days straight!
In other news, Friday was my last day of work! I am now officially unemployed and couldn't be happier about it. I start my new (and last!) term of school tomorrow. I should be finished with my Master's about the end of October. SO EXCITED!
And finally, this week marked two big birthdays in our family. So to both Terry and Ruth, we hope you had wonderful birthdays! We love you!
domingo, 2 de agosto de 2009
Mango Baby
22 WEEKS PREGNANT; 23RD WEEK OF PREGNANCY
Our little girl is really growing. I can feel the weight of her more and more when I roll from one side to the other in bed. She is now about 11 inches long and a little over a pound in weight (about the weight of a large mango).
This week:
-She can feel me moving now, so if I were to go dancing (hardly likely, with my lack of rhythm) she could sway to the music with me.
-She is also more able to hear sounds, so we can help her get used to loud noises like the vacuum (and the noisy upstairs neighbor) and it won't affect her so much after birth. She'll also get more used to our voices and know us after she arrives.
-The blood vessels in her lungs are preparing her for taking her first breaths.
-Her skin is quite saggy now, but she'll start to fill out as she packs on the pounds in the coming weeks.
-Her organs and bones are visible through her translucent skin, which is a reddish tone because of the veins and arteries that are developing underneath. Her skin will become less transparent in the coming weeks, but if she has my fair skin tone her veins will still be visible through her skin as purple and blue lines.
-Her grip has developed and she might have taken to holding on to her umbilical cord, since there's nothing else to grab on to.
-Her sense of sight is more developed and she can now perceive light and dark through her fused eyelids (but of course she primarily lives in darkness).
-Her eyelashes and eyebrows have formed. I hope she has my eyebrows and Jim's eyelashes (no offense, Joe, on me not wanting her to have your family's eyebrows :).
-The hair atop her head should be continuing to grow, and if my heartburn is any indication (if the old wive's tale holds true), she will have one full head of hair. Right now the hair lacks pigment and is bright white. We'll just have to wait and see if she has blonde hair like the majority of my family or dark brown hair like Jim's.
As for me:
-My nausea has not eased a bit, and neither have my headaches.
-My heartburn has increased along with my indigestion (which doesn't help the nausea). I am still popping Tums as often as is safe, and I'm drinking a lot of milk to try to push everything back down.
-Water retention might start becoming a problem, as will circulation as I begin retaining water. Exercise should help with circulation, but I'm always so tired and/or nauseous that exercise is hard to accomplish.
-My skin is reddish and blotchy a lot more often, a side effect of pregnancy thatcan change skin pigmentation. It looks as if I'm flushed or overheated a lot, but I'm not.
-My water intake has been steady, so I'm definitely hydrated enough. My eating habits are still touch and go, but I eat when I can stomach it and I eat as much as I'm able, which is generally about half or a little more than half of the size meals I used to consume.
This will be my last week of work and I couldn't be more thrilled. I am so tired in the evenings when I get home from work that my last term of school was a near disaster, with my striving at the last minute every week to turn in my homework. So being able to focus on homework during the day will be great. Plus I'll have time to exercise while still fitting enough sleep in and should have enough time in the day to do some housework as well (provided the housework I choose doesn't nauseate me). I know that there are many women out there who have had rougher pregnancies than mine, but being nauseated by so much, and having been nauseated every day for the last 14 weeks is hardly ideal. Plus my headaches and the exhaustion debilitate me and make me rather worthless at being able to accomplish anything. I don't know how women do it with more difficult pregnancies and working full-time and going to school or running a family or both. I have the utmost respect for women who can make it work; I am not one of them! So needless to say, quitting my job early is the best option for me, for my sanity (and for Jim's) and for my schooling not to suffer.
Our little girl is really growing. I can feel the weight of her more and more when I roll from one side to the other in bed. She is now about 11 inches long and a little over a pound in weight (about the weight of a large mango).
This week:
-She can feel me moving now, so if I were to go dancing (hardly likely, with my lack of rhythm) she could sway to the music with me.
-She is also more able to hear sounds, so we can help her get used to loud noises like the vacuum (and the noisy upstairs neighbor) and it won't affect her so much after birth. She'll also get more used to our voices and know us after she arrives.
-The blood vessels in her lungs are preparing her for taking her first breaths.
-Her skin is quite saggy now, but she'll start to fill out as she packs on the pounds in the coming weeks.
-Her organs and bones are visible through her translucent skin, which is a reddish tone because of the veins and arteries that are developing underneath. Her skin will become less transparent in the coming weeks, but if she has my fair skin tone her veins will still be visible through her skin as purple and blue lines.
-Her grip has developed and she might have taken to holding on to her umbilical cord, since there's nothing else to grab on to.
-Her sense of sight is more developed and she can now perceive light and dark through her fused eyelids (but of course she primarily lives in darkness).
-Her eyelashes and eyebrows have formed. I hope she has my eyebrows and Jim's eyelashes (no offense, Joe, on me not wanting her to have your family's eyebrows :).
-The hair atop her head should be continuing to grow, and if my heartburn is any indication (if the old wive's tale holds true), she will have one full head of hair. Right now the hair lacks pigment and is bright white. We'll just have to wait and see if she has blonde hair like the majority of my family or dark brown hair like Jim's.
As for me:
-My nausea has not eased a bit, and neither have my headaches.
-My heartburn has increased along with my indigestion (which doesn't help the nausea). I am still popping Tums as often as is safe, and I'm drinking a lot of milk to try to push everything back down.
-Water retention might start becoming a problem, as will circulation as I begin retaining water. Exercise should help with circulation, but I'm always so tired and/or nauseous that exercise is hard to accomplish.
-My skin is reddish and blotchy a lot more often, a side effect of pregnancy thatcan change skin pigmentation. It looks as if I'm flushed or overheated a lot, but I'm not.
-My water intake has been steady, so I'm definitely hydrated enough. My eating habits are still touch and go, but I eat when I can stomach it and I eat as much as I'm able, which is generally about half or a little more than half of the size meals I used to consume.
This will be my last week of work and I couldn't be more thrilled. I am so tired in the evenings when I get home from work that my last term of school was a near disaster, with my striving at the last minute every week to turn in my homework. So being able to focus on homework during the day will be great. Plus I'll have time to exercise while still fitting enough sleep in and should have enough time in the day to do some housework as well (provided the housework I choose doesn't nauseate me). I know that there are many women out there who have had rougher pregnancies than mine, but being nauseated by so much, and having been nauseated every day for the last 14 weeks is hardly ideal. Plus my headaches and the exhaustion debilitate me and make me rather worthless at being able to accomplish anything. I don't know how women do it with more difficult pregnancies and working full-time and going to school or running a family or both. I have the utmost respect for women who can make it work; I am not one of them! So needless to say, quitting my job early is the best option for me, for my sanity (and for Jim's) and for my schooling not to suffer.
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