sábado, 31 de octubre de 2009

36!?!

35 WEEKS PREGNANT - 36TH WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT

 

Oh my, less than 5 weeks to go! Our little girl is between 18 1/2 and 20 inches long, and weighs around 6 lbs (about the weight of a crenshaw melon). These are all estimates, of course; I will ask at my next appointment on 12 Nov how big they think she is.

This week:
-Little Girl Geekling has soft bones and cartilage to help her through the birth canal
-Most of her systems are ready to go, except for her digestive system, which has been in practice mode for a while and will not start its active mode until after birth when she eats for the first time
-She has shed most of her downy covering of hair and a waxy substance called vernix caseosa that have both protected her skin while in the womb. Icky alert: she swallows these substances and they will come out in the form of meconium, the black, tar-like first bowel movement that newborns have.
-She is hopefully head down by this time, so that she's ready for me to deliver when she's ready to come out; again, I won't find this out until my ultrasound at my appointment on 12 Nov. I think she is head down, by the way I've been getting kicked.
-She's been kicking and moving a lot, which always makes me smile, even when it keeps me awake or hurts. I can actually feel what I think is a foot or a knee pressing up into my hand on either side of my belly. I love it when she moves; it makes me happy and keeps me sane, knowing she's okay in there.

As for me:
-No let-up on the nausea, of course, but it's as manageable as always. I'm SO ready for that symptom to go away!
-No let-up on the heartburn, either, but my combo of Zantac and Tums is still working
-My lower back has been giving me a lot of trouble lately, making it hard to sit, stand, lie down or anything else. I guess the pressure of the belly finally got to me.
-My poor feet are really swollen, a symptom not helped by the fact that fall in Japan has consisted of 70 degree weather so far. I'm really really ready for it to get cold outside, especially since they turned off our air conditioner.

We've been working really hard on the baby's room, and despite some pains with the paint colors (the color we need to touch up the ceiling - where I had messed up with the blue and Jim tried to touch up with the beige - doesn't seem to exist anymore), it's finished being painted and officially in the decorating stage. We're going to buy a rocking chair and some wood stain today, as well as a power sander (lucky Jim, although it means a lot of work in the next couple of weeks). We received my cradle from my infancy from my dad (my mom had kept it all these years) yesterday, and it will be sanded down and stained as well. We aren't going to use the cradle as a cradle, though, because it's really low to the ground (mom and dad, how did your backs not break!?); we will instead use it as a toy box, which is what it was for me up until I was a teenager. We are also going to get the crib mattress today and I will be able to put the bedding in the crib (Sakana will LOVE that). I can hardly wait until the room is done and I promise to post pictures of it in all of its elephant-themed, brown and pink wonder. Really, I'm just ready to have a wiggly baby girl to put in the nursery. I know parenthood is no walk in the park, but I'm so excited for the next step, and not just because I'm SO DONE with this part - pregnancy has not been fun for me! We're really excited about meeting our baby girl, and I know you're all excited to see her, even if it's just through computer technology for a while.

Love and hugs to you all!

domingo, 25 de octubre de 2009

Japan Shower

Some of my wonderful friends threw us a shower today, which was so much fun. Thanks, everyone, for coming and for your amazing generosity. Here is a photo array that Michelle made of some of her photos from the party:

To see all of the pictures, follow this link: picasaweb.google.com/JTDAngelo/JapanBabyShower?feat=directlink.

All photos were taken by my awesome friend and favorite photographer, Michelle (strikingshot.com).

sábado, 24 de octubre de 2009

Mid-thirties

34 WEEKS PREGNANT - 35TH WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT



Our precious baby girl is about 18-20 inches long this week and weighs between 5.25-5.5 pounds (about the weight of a honeydew melon - wish they were in season, that sounds great!). She's coming along!

This week:
-Her movement is steady, but she's not doing many flips anymore, since she's plumping up and running out of room
-Her kidneys are fully developed and her liver can process some waste products
-Her basic physical development should be complete!
-Still in development is her brain, which continues to develop at a rapid rate
-Hopefully she's head down in the right position; I think she might be, because my bladder is feeling the strain, and most of the movement I feel is up top, indicating that might be her little feet kicking me

As for me:
-My cold/cough/flu or whatever it was is dissipating, but I'm not out of the woods yet. I had to wear a mask and refrain from holding or touching the sweet little boy my friends had this week, which was hard! Making things worse, I think Jim may have caught what I had, but hopefully his won't be so severe since his immune system is strong, and mine seems a bit weakened by the support it's giving to the little one growing inside of me
-My nausea, too, has not subsided, and at this point I'm not thinking it will, I'm just hoping it won't hinder my labor and delivery
-It's hard to breathe sometimes, and I've been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions, but not so many that I need to worry
-The only symptom that seems to be escalating is my heartburn; now I have to top up my Zantac with Tums
-I've also had a lot of sharp pains down very low, which is not fun, especially when the pain hits me in public and I have to either grip through it so no one notices, or stop and breathe through it (which makes people think I'm in labor or something)
-I had my first total stranger belly-touching experience this week, which was humorous and unstoppable. I was waiting for the elevator in our building and the little Japanese janitor who cleans the lobby, elevators and basement every day came up and started rubbing my belly. I tried to tell her when I was due and that it was a girl, but I'm not sure if my Japanese was comprehensible. It was funny.
-I don't think the baby likes when I cough, because she's been very still the last few days. I've been pushing on and moving the belly around trying to get her to move. She moves a lot when I drink cold milk, so I've been drinking a lot to reassure myself that she's fine.

The biggest news from our household this week is that I finished all of the requirements for my Master's! I took my comprehensive exam on Thursday (my college has an option for eCampus students to take a comprehensive exam instead of writing a thesis, which I opted for since I didn't think I could complete my research for a thesis over here and I didn't want to have to spend a few months in the States just to do it). Provided I pass the test I should be a graduate school graduate! Hopefully I'll get my diploma in the mail in the coming months and everything will be copacetic. A belated Happy Birthday to my wonderful dad, who celebrated his 52nd birthday (sorry, Dad, I can't lie) on Thursday. We miss you and love you so much!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to my good friends Eric and Patty on the birth of their precious baby boy, Alejandro! Big Al (he weighed more than 10 1/2 pounds!) made his entrance on Tuesday, October 20. I'm so glad I got to go through pregnancy with such a good friend and that our babies will be able to be good friends, too. They'll be stroller buddies when we can both run again!

lunes, 19 de octubre de 2009

Alien Child

From Geekling 1209

I took a video of Baby Girl Geekling moving around in my belly. I was trying not to breathe, so you can see me take deep breaths every once in awhile. But it's a pretty funny sight, her wiggling around in there. It's kind of an odd angle, taken from my point of view.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to my friends (and family of my family) Daniel and Marcy on the birth of their baby girl, Amelia Mae! Sending hugs your way from halfway around the world.

sábado, 17 de octubre de 2009

34th Week!

33 WEEKS PREGNANT - 34TH WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT

 

Oh my goodness, we're in the 34th week! That's so crazy to me. Our baby girl will grow this week to about 4.75-5 lbs, or about the weight of a cantaloupe. She may be about 18-20 inches long now.

This week:
-Her fat layers are continuing to fill out, so she's getting rounder
-Her fingernails have probably reached the end of her fingertips
-She would probably be just fine if she were born after 34 weeks, but we're hoping she holds on a bit longer than that
-Almost all of her organs and everything are developed enough for her to live outside of the womb
-Baby Girl Geekling has gotten a lot stronger this past week and has begun moving a lot no matter whether I'm sitting, standing, lying down or moving. Before recently she was only moving enough that I could feel it when I was sitting or lying down.

As for me:
-My vision might start blurring, which I hope my contacts will correct enough, and my eyes might start getting more dry
-Still no let up at all on my nausea; I had to get a refill on my anti-nausea medication
-The insomnia, too, hasn't subsided, but Tylenol PM is a good friend to have at bedtime
-My belly button has started to pop; it's most noticeable when I'm lying on my back or sitting down
-I caught some nasty virus that's been going around base. I'm hoping it's not the flu or H1N1, but I really don't think it is. My nose has been more stuffed up than usual (since I've had a sinus infection for the last 7 months) and my throat constantly feels like it's on fire. I'm hoping to kick it in the next couple of days. I've been miserable since Thursday morning, so it hasn't been long-standing, it's just a great annoyance on top of my pregnancy symptoms.
-I finally broke down on asking Jim for help with the little things, asking him to tie my shoes for me when I need my running shoes to go for a walk. It was a sad concession, but of course he's happy to help.

Baby Girl and I had a doctor's appointment on Thursday and everything looked good. Geekling's heart rate was about 140-145bpm, and the nurse said the baby felt like she was lying crossways in my belly. I can't tell; this little wiggle worm kicks, punches and squirms all over the place. Our next appointment will be on Nov. 12. At that appointment we'll have another ultrasound to estimate the baby's size and check her position. If she's not head down they can attempt to turn her manually. I'm hoping she'll be cooperative. I signed up for, but haven't been able to schedule yet, our birthing class. That should be sometime in November, and we'll get a consultation with the Labor & Delivery staff and a walk-through of the Family Care Unit. That should make everything more real!

Quick shout-outs to Marcy and Daniel who will be having sweet little Amelia on Sunday, and to Patty & Eric, who will get to meet Aloysius (nickname) sometime next week. Good luck and lots of long-distance hugs to Marcy and Daniel, and good luck and a loud I can't wait to meet him or her to Eric and Patty! It's a baby explosion all around the world!

sábado, 10 de octubre de 2009

33 already?

32 WEEKS PREGNANT - 33RD WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT



Oh my goodness, 8 weeks doesn't sound like a lot, but that's all we've got left! Baby Girl Geekling is still between 17 and 19 inches long but will grow to weigh a whopping 4 lbs (about the weight of a pineapple) this week. She's been moving like crazy, even when I'm standing sometimes, which was rare until this week, and getting stronger, by the effort behind her kicks.

This week:
-Her skeleton is hardening (except for her skull, it won't start fusing until after birth to help her head conform to the shape of the birth canal and accommodate her brain as it grows - did you know your brain doesn't fully fuse until early adulthood?)
-She's filling out even more and probably looks more baby like and less like a wrinkled little alien
-She is absorbing my antibodies as her immune system continues development so that she'll be able to fight those mid-winter germs upon her exit into the world
-She's getting stronger, and also getting low on room, so her kicks feel stronger, her movements sharper, and sometimes when she moves it's just painful!
-She'll continue to gain about half a pound a week for the rest of her time in my belly

As for me:
-My third trimester insomnia kicked in hard core this week. The earliest I made it to sleep at all this week was 1:30am and the latest I stayed up was until about 4:30am last night. People keep telling me it's my body's prep for sleepless nights, but I'm hoping Baby Girl won't be up until that late every night (of course I won't mind if she wakes up at 4:30, but I don't want her up until 4:30!)
-I have still had nausea and heartburn a lot this week, but I've been feeling a bit more mobile, and took a long walk the other night which felt really good
-Another strange symptom I've been feeling is random numbness in my hands and upper stomach area. Apparently this is normal, but it strikes me as strange, just as leg cramps while sleeping do.
-I'm still not waddling, and I was told on three separate occasions this week that my belly looked small, so I'm rebelling against not being able to walk properly for as long as possible!
-However, it is difficult to get up from the floor, couch or bed. And putting on my socks has been proving to be one of the most difficult tasks of my daily routine. Good thing all my favorite and most comfortable shoes just slip-on!

I have a doctor's appointment (check-up) on Thursday this week and I have a class on Friday called "Bundles for Babies." Fun fun!

sábado, 3 de octubre de 2009

What's a jicama?

31 WEEKS PREGNANT - 32ND WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT



What's a jicama? Well, whatever it is (Wikipedia says a yam or Mexican turnip...), that's about how heavy our baby is this week, weighing in at between 3 3/4 and 4 pounds. She's also between 16.7 and 19 inches long - not much more to go (or any, maybe) in length!

This week:
-Baby Girl Geekling is practicing the skills she'll need outside of the womb, like swallowing, breathing, sucking and kicking
-She can suck her thumb, a skill she'll lose in the first few months of her life outside, at least until she gains enough motor control to hold her hand to her mouth
-She's gaining about 1/2 a pound a week these days, fattening up now that she's almost as long as she'll get
-She has toenails, fingernails and real hair (and a lot of it, apparently, because my heartburn has not let up one bit!)
-Her skin is turning more opaque (at least as opague as mine, which is still pretty translucent, as pale as I am)
-Baby Girl's digestive system is all ready to go, should she arrive early, but we're hoping she'll hang on for about 2 more months; for now she'll continue to receive her nutrients from the umbilical cord
-I think she's positioned head down, but I won't have another ultrasound until late October or early November to be sure. For now I can't tell if she's facing my front or my back, and I haven't been able to identify specific body parts. Perhaps that will be easier to do after I see her on the next ultrasound.
-She is pretty calm throughout the day, kicking and squirming a bit, but mostly reserving her primary movement for between 6pm and 11am. I'm supposed to be evaluating her movement now (kick counts - counting up to 10 movements each hour), but since she likes to sleep - just like her dad - she isn't very cooperative. Instead I just antagonize her with excessive pushing on and moving of the belly when I haven't felt her in awhile (poor girl) and then rely on her active time to get a feel for her activity levels. She still pretty much only moves when I am sitting or lying down, hardly ever when I'm standing.

As for me:
-No let up on the nausea (thanks for your support, though, everyone! you've been great!), but I think I finally found the magic combination of medication and timing to allow me to feel okay in the mornings and sleep through the night without the nausea and heartburn waking me up
-My Braxton Hicks contractions are escalating, but still not painful most of the time
-I've been having a lot of cramping and strange pains, but nothing that makes me worry
-It's still difficult to get a lot of sleep, but I'm trying; poor Jim has to put up with my restless legs, hot flashes and waking up to use the bathroom every couple of hours
-I'm still trying to swim a few days a week, aiming for 3-4 times
-My back pain is escalating, and moving all over my back, but it's not unbearable (since the super painful pinch went away about a month ago)
-I'm having more and more trouble standing up when I'm lounging; sometimes Jim has to help me get up from the couch
-I have a lot of shortness of breath, especially when there's a lot of heartburn or when I'm swimming, but I'm okay overall

I'm trying to stay positive as things just continue to progress. I'm definitely on the downhill slope and I can't believe we're in the single digit week countdown! I can't wait to meet our little girl. Jim's been painting in the nursery and we're hoping to start setting stuff up in the next week or so. I've got about three more weeks left of school before I'm done, which is great and scary at the same time. Jim's been super busy with work and school. So things around here are going on as normal. Hope everyone is well.