Baby Size: According to the growth ultrasound, she's right around 5 pounds now, and the doctor thinks she's on her way to between 6 and 7 pounds at birth. Apparently I bake 'em small. This week at my appointment, her heart rate was 146, and still sounded really good! I'm up 10 pounds over the past 3 weeks. Prime rib, turkey and all the Christmas sweets really caught up with me! This means I've gained a total of 26 pounds so far, which is still right on track.
Sleep: I wake up pretty regularly around 2:00 am, and again around 7:00. I'm OK if she wants to keep that schedule once she's here!
Diet and Exercise: I've managed to do yoga every day this week, which seems to be really helping my hips and back. I also think it's responsible for my continued flexibility. The treadmill I only did on Monday, since I got a pretty bad toe infection that made walking a bit painful. It's feeling much better, and I should be back to walking this week. Diet is getting better with the holidays being over, but I feel like I'm still eating a ton. I'm going with my standard mantra--if I'm hungry, I'm going to eat!
Movement: Every night around 9:00-10:00 she really starts rocking and rolling. I think Brian thought I was exaggerating, until he actually felt her do it last night! It feels like she's attempting to burrow out of my left side, while simultaneously kick my right. Her kicks on the right are now almost halfway around towards my back, which is a very odd experience. She also pretty consistently moves in the morning when I first wake up, around noon, and at 2:00 am (which triggers the bathroom run). I'm actually going to miss feeling her move after she's born--it's such a cool feeling!
What I Miss: Sushi. We have to get some soon!
What I'm Looking Forward to: Our baby shower is next weekend, and it's going to be really fun to see everyone and hang out for a while. Brian's birthday dinner with his parents and sister is also next weekend, which should also be a great time.
Best Moment this Week: Getting to see Jacquizza again. Actually happened twice, as I'll tell you about below.
Pregnancy Body-New and Exciting!..maybe: Really no new complaints. Again with the hips and back, and the constipation and related hemorrhoids, but I seem to be able to handle it. The only bad thing is when she kicks up into my ribs. That really takes my breath away.
Baby Milestones: Jacquizza is still gaining weight like crazy. Pretty much all she'll be doing until she's here!
Food Cravings: Hot chocolate. The Starbucks stuff in a can is evil!
How's Dad?: He and I went to a Baby Basics class yesterday, in which we got some instruction on how to care for a newborn. I think it helped him feel a bit more comfortable about having a baby around. We got to practice changing a diaper, bathing and dressing a babydoll. I think he felt silly during the class, but it's definitely going to help him out.
I am feeling kind of bad for him--since I'm now not working outside the home and don't see anyone all day, once he gets home, I talk his ear off! He is getting a pretty good deal, as I've taken over cooking detail. I'm not a good cook, but I'm doing my best!
Tid Bits: So as I mentioned, my progress is under a bit of controversy. The doctors have apparently been going by my last menstrual period (LMP), which makes my due date 2/7. However, since I didn't get a positive pregnancy test until 3 weeks after my LMP instead of 2, I'm pretty sure my due date is around 2/16. This really hasn't been a problem until my appointment this week. As I mentioned, I had my growth scan (the last ultrasound before birth) to check Jacquizza's size and position on Thursday, and she is measuring small for the 2/7 due date. Honestly, she's measuring a bit small for the 2/16 due date as well, but I have been maintaining a high level of activity (exercising every day will do that), which tends to keep babies small (as the OB said, "Runners don't have 11 pound babies."). However, the OB was worried enough about the discrepancy, that she sent me for a high level ultrasound (basically another anatomy scan, like I had at 20 weeks) to make sure Jacquizza doesn't have intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). IUGR is a very serious condition, which results in very low birth weight babies that have trouble thriving. I didn't realize until I got home from the appointment why the OB was so worried, since I didn't pay attention to the due dates (although having another ultrasound really worked out, since Brian wasn't there for the one in the OB's office, but was able to take off work for the high level one). I'm going to have to talk to the doctor at my appointment on Thursday to make sure we're on the same page. I don't want them pushing me for an induction when Jacquizza actually has a few more weeks to go! As I told Brian, though, it's not like they can sneak attack me with pitocin--I do have to give consent in order to be induced!
I have hit the point when my doctor's appointments are weekly instead of every other week. I feel like I'm going to spend more time at the OB than at home!
We had my favorite week of the University of Phoenix class this week--evolution! I have a bunch of very hardcore Christians in my class this time around, and it's been very interesting trying to make my case that I don't give a crap about their personal beliefs, as long as they can acknowledge that religion is not science! I have 2 more weeks of class left, and then I'm on full maternity leave!
As I mentioned, we took the Baby Basics class on Saturday, and have more classes coming up. I decided to take the breast feeding class, which is on Tuesday this week, and we have our hospital tour next weekend. Also next weekend is dinner with Brian's family at Ravenous, a restaurant near where we live, that I'm hoping is as good as Mulvaney's--it's Dine About Town week in Sacramento, and I procrastinated too long in making the reservations and we couldn't get in. I feel absolutely horrible! I wish I'd called sooner! Also this weekend is our baby shower, and then the shopping to complete the registry. I'm very excited about this upcoming week!
I'm glad Brian knows how to change a diaper now, although he could always have changed one of the thousands Charlotte's used over the past 2.5 years! And I hope you can get that due date discrepancy fixed -- my doctor said they'd use the first ultrasound to measure the due date, and it was exactly what I thought it was.
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