Week 34

Yet another week down....

Family and Friends
We got to spend the weekend with the Grandparents Renegar and Uncle Eric this weekend.  Friday was a great rivalry baseball game that HVA managed to win - excitement for all! (This was also an opportunity for Baby Renegar and Baby Wade to hang out - we are on the left)

Other big news this week - we got a glider-rocker! It is fabulously comfortable (thank you!) and we even got Kirk's old Golden Books so that we can start reading to Baby.  The nursery is really coming together thanks to the generosity of our family and friends.

Mom and Dad
I know this is true for me, and I'm assuming it is for Kirk also - the past week has really gone quickly.  What with Baseball nearly wrapping up and family visiting, it's been a whirl-wind.  We had our second childbirth class this weekend and Kirk got to learn techniques for keeping me relaxed during labor. Ever the coach, I was reprimanded for not 'practicing hard enough.'  It continues to make me a little nervous learning about labor and pushing - as the time draws nearer I'm really starting to have the 'am I really ready for this?' feeling.  I don't suppose I have a choice - we wanted a baby, and now he's coming!!  And our homework this week is to practice relaxation and massage techniques - so that should be fun.

Baby
The baby continues to grow and put on weight this week, the average size baby at 34 weeks is about the size of a large cantaloupe (yum!).  If he's grown the average of 1/3 to 1/2 pound a week, we should be looking at somewhere between 5 1/2 and 6 lbs (bigger than some full term babies!) He also continues to stretch out and practice the movements he'll need outside of the womb although he's really getting tight for space.  This means continued knees and feet that rub right up against my ribs and a very interesting 'wave' effect as he rolls across my stomach (I'm still trying to catch that on video).  Within the next 5 weeks, he should drop down into the pelvis to prepare for delivery, but until then I have to deal with nausea and shortness of breath as my large baby wiggles around in his tiny home.  

Baby Shower Photos

Sorry there aren't more photos here.  Those of you who know me well understand my difficulty with candid photographs... so I had to choose wisely!!

Week 33

In the 8th month and moving right along!

Dad
A big happy B-Day to the daddy-to-be!! Kirk celebrated his 27th birthday on Monday. He also learned a lot this week (see 'Happenings' below)


Mom
Mom has been doing well this week - somewhat tired as Baby Renegar is determined to resume his nocturnal training sessions.  Just when I was learning to get comfortable the kicks and rolls showed up at 2am again....how I love this kid already!  Speaking of being comfortable, I'm having a tough time not just sleeping, but also sitting, standing, etc. I'm not sure what purpose the discomfort serves, but I know that there must be a reason.  Perhaps it gets mothers to think "surely it will be better if I just have this baby..."


Happenings
A lot has happened in the Renegar household over the last week or so.  As mentioned above, we had an early celebration of Kirk's birthday on Saturday followed by our first baby shower and childbirth class on Sunday.  A big thank you to everyone who made the shower a success -  I feel truly blessed to have so many who care about Kirk, the baby, and myself.  And it's wonderful that our little baby boy now has enough baseball outfits to last a solid 4-6 weeks of his life (don't worry there's always room for more!)  Another fun and exciting experience was the first childbirth class.  We covered the first 2 stages of labor - what to expect, how to behave, etc.  We practiced relaxation techniques and as I'm  fairly practiced at yoga and meditation, the big goal is to teach Kirk how to stay calm and focused during labor. (Yes, that is a little backwards, but I wouldn't have him any other way).

Baby
Baby continues to grow and develop this week.  He is about the size of a pineapple and his brain has made such big leaps forward that his head has grown between 1/4 and 3/8 inches.  (Yes, after watching the ultrasound tech measure his head a few weeks ago, the idea of it getting bigger does scare me!)  However, this growth is needed so that baby can learn new tricks such as coordinating breathing with sucking and swallowing (this means fewer hiccups).  And I did get to witness this first hand - baby's back is facing, sometimes laying, against my belly.  So the other day I could actually see my stomach rise and fall with the baby's 'practice' breaths - very cool. 

This week was our non-stress test, a procedure used to make sure that the baby is getting sufficient blood flow from the umbilical cord. This is determined by seeing heartbeat accelerations whenever he is active.  Of course my baby, being from such a stubborn and strong-willed family, decided that he wanted to sleep during the test - the worst thing he could do - and he was force-ably woken up by the nurse twice to get him moving.  Once he cooperated, we passed with flying colors.  (Yes, that's my giant belly!!)

32 Weeks

We're headed for the finish line....

Dad
Dad has been working very hard this week - leading his team to 2 wins and a great battle with the #1 team in the district.  He owes some of this improvement to a very intense 'talk' with his players after a disappointing performance earlier in the week.  Watch out baby - don't make Daddy mad!!

Mom
Mom has been feeling great this week - and is very excited about the news that my work out routine and healthy eating changes helped me to gain a very normal 3 1/2 lbs last month. I am finding it difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position - but once I do I'm sleeping like a baby (oh wait! They don't sleep, or so I've been told!). I've also been having what I believe to be Braxton-Hicks contractions - just a mild tightening that isn't painful, or really even uncomfortable. 

Baby
The baby has developed a new skill this week - he can now sense temperature.  That makes the ultrasound tech's comment about cold ultrasound gel making him move make much more sense!  Of course, this also means that Dad's hot hands will also wake him up and make him move. Speaking of movements, unless it's into my ribs, the baby has changed from kicks and punches to rolls and squirms.  All of the baby books say that by 32 weeks the baby has started to run out of room due to weight (3 1/2 lbs on average) and more than 16 inches long.  Of course, at an estimated 4 1/4 lbs - this kid is definitely cramped for space. The baby is supposedly sleeping 95% of the day, but unless his schedule has flipped and he's now sleeping when I am, I don't buy it!  I feel that squirming and moving much more than just an hour total each day. However, during those sleeping times the baby now has the ability to dream - although what he dreams about will always be a mystery.

This is probably what the baby and his living space looks like about now.

Ultrasound Update

We had our ultrasound today!  All was well, baby was awake but not moving much because he's a little cramped for room.  We did get to see him sticking out his tongue to swallow some of the amniotic fluid - and get a taste of the cashews I snacked on about 30 minutes before the scan.

Baby is weighing in at an estimated 4 pounds 4 ounces - he's nice and chubby and on track to be about an 8-pounder at birth. I'm attempting to upload the new video - so check back for an update!  It's tough to get a good face shot with the baby already head down but I've added a profile picture below (he's upright)- his nose is a little smushed because he was squished up against the placenta. 

Week 31

I think it's time to panic!! I have just over 60 days until my due date..... and I'm really not feeling prepared.  It didn't really hit me until I typed week 31 and realized that meant I was down to single digits!! 9 weeks to go.....

Extended Family
The Grandparents Hylton and Uncle Josh came for Easter this past weekend.  It was wonderful to get to see them and I really appreciate the work they did in the baby's room.  We now have a closet that is 95% organized and a bumper set for the crib.  Grams Hylton also helped me to pick out some fantastic fabrics for the baby's hand-made quilt!

Dad
Dad continued to have a busy week despite it being spring break for him.  The week was full of baseball planning and playing - only 4 weeks left of the season (and then another 5 weeks until baby!).  The poor guy is going to go from one crazy schedule to another!

Mom
Mom doesn't really feel like she only had a 4 day work week this week! Of course, that could have to do with a double-header baseball game on Friday and a weekend full of family activity.  I did make sure to spend some time with my feet up on Sunday, but the rest of the holiday weekend was busy, busy.  I've encountered a wonderful pregnancy symptom that I think affects 99% of women who are lucky enough to be pregnant over the summer - swelling!  I've switched to flip-flops full time and I say a little 'thank you' each morning when I can still fit into my pants! This month it's not the weight gain getting me down - it's the water retention.  But what can you do when it is 80+ degrees outside in March and early April?  I really thought that I could be comfortable until at least May (wishful thinking!)   

31 Weeks

**On a side note, this pic turned out better than expected and makes me feel a little better about myself!!

Baby
Baby continues to grow and put on weight this week (wow, he's getting kinda boring - all this growing and getting fat!) and we find out on Tuesday his estimated weight.
There are some interesting things happening in brain development this week. The nerve endings in baby's ears have developed to the point that the brain can now distinguish between noises.  Instead of just hearing a humming vibration he can actually tell the difference between voices and types of music. Vision is also continuing to develop and the little guy really enjoys his time outside in the sun- apparently, my skin is translucent enough that he can actually make out the outlines of my hands when I sit in the sun with my hand on my belly.  Touch and taste are also in full swing.  The only sense that hasn't been exercised yet is smell - but the first scents baby picks up after birth (Mom and Dad) will quickly become his favorite (and most recognizable) smells.