Week 31

Week 30 baby bump.

As your baby's weight increases (she weighs over three pounds this week!) the strain on your body will be noticeable. Your lower back and hips ache, especially at the end of the day. A growing baby also means less room for your internal organs. You'll be taking more breaths to fill your scrunched lungs. With your shrinking tummy, meals will need to be smaller and more frequent. On a happy note, a bigger baby means you'll feel more wiggles. At times you'll be able to distinguish arms, legs, and head movements. When your baby shifts positions you may experience numbness in your legs or a sudden urge to use the bathroom.

How far along? 31 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 15 pounds.
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Really getting uncomfortable.
Best moment this week: Finding out that I don't have gestational diabetes.
Movement: Constantly
Food cravings: None.
Gender: BOY!!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Being able to bend over.
What I am looking forward to: When the crib arrives.
Weekly Wisdom: The glucose test really isn't that bad.
Milestones: Less than 10 weeks left!

Glucose Test and Random 10 Friday

Today was the glucose test. I was instructed to drink this orange sugar stuff an hour before the doctor appointment. I'd heard that it is some disgusting tasting stuff, but I didn't think it was that bad. It tasted like overly sweet Gatorade. I then went to the doctor and they took my blood. I don't have gestational diabetes, thankfully! However, I am anemic. So, the doctor suggested iron supplements and just a extra prenatal vitamin that has DHA in it. The DHA is supposed to help the baby neurologically. Now we start our twice a month appointments. It's getting closer! I've had at least three different people at work tell me how small they think I am for being in the 3rd trimester. I can't believe it. I feel huge. Just watch, these last couple weeks I'll just blow up. Fun.

Random 10 Friday Tunes:

1. Lit Up- Buckcherry
2. Halcyon- Orbital
3. Running From an Angel- Hootie & the Blowfish
4. Spoonman- Soundgarden
5. Toxic- Crazytown
6. Africa- Andy McKee
7. Swing Life Away- Rise Against (amazing song!)
8. Original Fire- Audioslave
9. Fine Again- Seether
10. Slowburn- Rev Theory

Random Picture: 3 week old puppies.

Week 30

Week 29 baby bump.


Month 7 (weeks 29-32)- squash.
The light is visible at the end of the tunnel! Your oversized self and amazing growing baby have finally reached the single digits (in terms of weeks till birth)! The fine lanugo hair that has been growing all over their little monkey-like body is going to start falling off this week in preparation for the big day. But don’t be shocked if they’re hairier than you’d anticipated, some babies keep their lanugo until after birth. Still, it’s not any cause to be concerned as it will fall off eventually. No surprises here: your little porker is getting even cuter with increasingly pudgy arms and legs this week thanks to the ever-growing layers of subcutaneous fat. In terms of numbers, your baby should be weighing in at around 3 pounds 12 ounces (or more!) and be nearly 16 inches long.

How far along? 30 weeks!!!
Total weight gain/loss: 15 pounds.
Maternity clothes? Maternity jeans.
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: If I tuck the covers under my belly it's much more comfortable.
Best moment this week: Knowing I only have 10 weeks left, wow! It's gone by so fast!
Movement: Constantly
Food cravings: None.
Gender: BOY!!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Being able to bend over.
What I am looking forward to: When the crib arrives and being able to hold him in my arms.
Weekly Wisdom: Buy the crib way early, we still don't have it from the manufacturer and it's been 3 months!!
Milestones: 30 weeks! I can't believe it!

What baby kicks feel like

Before I was pregnant I always wondered what exactly it would feel like to have a baby moving around inside you. Before I felt any movement I read that it would feel like butterflies fluttering, gas bubbles, or hunger rumblings. To me that's not how I'd describe it. I would describe it more like muscle twitches. For example, if you've ever had your leg muscles twitch after standing on them all day or had a spasm in your eyelid or something, that's what it feels like.

You're supposed to begin feeling movement around 16-25 weeks or as early as 7 weeks for 2nd+ time mothers. It was hard for me to really know if I was feeling movement or not. After a couple more weeks, though, it's hard to miss.

By now you can see my belly move if he kicks hard enough. This is such a weird experience. I'm amazed some days that people standing around me aren't seeing him kick, especially when I'm at work. Landon has watched him move and agrees that it's very weird. Remington has a tendency to kick on my left side the majority of the time. His kicks have also moved up to slightly above my belly button. When I first felt movement it was usually below or right at the top of my pants. Now I can also feel a sort of pressure like he's leaning on a leg or arm, then he'll give a big kick. I'm not able to distinguish body parts yet, but maybe some day.

Many people describe feeling the baby move as an incredibly emotional and wonderful feeling. I think it's pretty cool at times, but eh, I'm not that emotional. There was a week (around week 24) where I was feeling pessimistic and worried about having a healthy baby. Nothing in particular happened to make me worried, it was just something that I felt. Anyway, I worried that he wasn't kicking as much as he used to and that something might be wrong so I started doing kick counts. I read that he's supposed to kick at least 10 times within an hour. I silently obsessed about this for about a week and would even poke and jiggle my stomach to make him move. Conveniently, we had an ultrasound this week so we knew he was okay and the movement soon picked back up. It was a very good feeling to feel a kick at this time, when I was freaking out. Now he kicks so much I wouldn't know what to do if it stopped.

Baby movement is definately a unique experience and sharing it with Landon, especially the first time, is one of the greatest things about being expectant parents. Besides the increasing size of the belly, baby kicks are a constant reminder that you will soon be holding a beautiful baby of your own. I can not wait to hold Remington and watch those kicks and punches come from chubby, little, pink toes and fingers. :)

Picture: A huge, stuffed dog my brother bought for Remington.

Random 10 Friday

Random 10 Friday Tunes:

1. Blue Jeans- Silvertide
2. Unforgiven- Creed
3. Shake Shake- Metro Station
4. Good Enough for Now- Wierd Al Yankovic (?)
5. OK- Live
6. Bron-Yr-Aur- Led Zeppelin
7. Please Come In- Black Stone Cherry
8. I Don't Know- Beastie Boys
9. Benign- Oleander
10. N.I.B.- Black Sabbath

*****
I'm back at work after the summer off. I haven't seen any kids yet, but have been spending my time scheduling them and going to meetings. I'll probably start working with kids at the end of next week. I plan to work right up until the baby is born then take my 6 weeks maternity leave and an extra week, which would go right up to Christmas break. Then I'd go back to work after break. This is considering the baby comes right around his due date. If he's way early or late, it'll change a bit.

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Random Picture: Pizza Hut light from the old Pizza Hut building they knocked down in town to build a new one. We bought two to hang over our bar in the basement theater/game room we're making.

Week 29

Week 28 baby bump.

How far along? 29 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 14 pounds.
Maternity clothes? Maternity jeans.
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Last night I woke up with cramps in both of my legs. Not fun at all!
Best moment this week: Buying his first baby blanket.
Movement: Constantly
Food cravings: None.
Gender: BOY!!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Being able to bend over.
What I am looking forward to: When the crib arrives.
Weekly Wisdom: Buy as much as you can online. It's so much cheaper.
Milestones: 3rd Trimester! Only 11 weeks left!

Random 10 Friday

Random 10 Friday Tunes:

1. Crossfire- Pillar
2. Floaty- Foo Fighters
3. Whatta Man- En Vogue
4. Fade Away- Seether
5. Ah Ha- Under the Influence of Giants
6. Betrayed Me- Adema
7. Waiting- Trapt
8. The Kill- 30 Seconds to Mars
9. Fragile- Sting
10. Now or Never- Three Days Grace

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The last two days I've started work again after summer vacation. They've only been teacher work days, so I've been bored. I can't really schedule too much yet because the teachers don't have their schedules done. Starting next week, though, I have inservices, then students start later in the week.

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Random Picture: Lego sculpture in Kansas City

Update on baby items

I know this is my 3rd post today, but oh well, just deal with it. :)
First an update on this post. Here are the pictures hanging in the nursery. I'm thinking about putting a shelf below the pictures, but I haven't decided yet.




Here are some baby items by sister in law brought back from her hometown in China. She said that all Chinese babies have these three items (shoes, drum, pillow). I love the shoes.

Our Baby Rocks!

I've already mentioned before that our baby is going to be a little rock star, well, here are some more items we've bought for our future rocker. There will be more to come later too. Right now, I've been looking for a cool way to frame concert tickets to hang in the nursery. After all, he's already been to his first rock concert last Sunday where he was kicking me through most of it.


Baby's first stuffed animal. A rat from Rock Star Baby.


Baby hat from Rock Star Baby.


My Crib Rocks plaque from Holiday Magic in Kansas City.

Book Review: Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy

So, I knew going into this book that I was going to more than likely dislike it, but I gave it a chance. I do not like Jenny McCarthy (the whole vaccine thing...don't get me started on her). Anyway, I wanted to see if she could redeem herself with this book. Well...she didn't. The book was not funny or informative. She also made sure to take every opportunity to point out that she's a celebrity (sorry, but Z-list is not celebrity). The only interesting part of the entire book was her birth story in the last chapter even though she's an idiot (which at least she admits here) and went to the hair salon while beginning labor. I would not recommend this book to anyone. Don't even read it just for a "funny" take on pregnancy. There are so many better pregnancy books out there. And if you want a real funny take on pregnancy check out: Sippy Cups are not for Chardonnay by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor.
Overall review for Belly Laughs: F

Week 28

Week 27 baby bump.

Added baby weight is taking its toll on your body. Chances are you're feeling aches and pains all over! Your feet, ankles, and hands may be swollen. Cramps may cause intense pain in your legs, especially at night, and it may be hard to find a comfortable sleeping position. You may also be experiencing false contractions (called Braxton Hicks) where your abdomen tightens, then relaxes. Hang in there—you're getting closer to your due date!
Your uterus is around three inches above your navel. If you are Rh negative, you'll be getting a RhoGam injection right around now. And those tightening sensations? Braxton Hicks "practice" contractions.
***So far, I haven't felt any Braxton Hicks that I can tell. I don't have any swelling, but after the concert last night my legs and ankles were killing me. I am Rh negative, so I have that RhoGam shot to look forward to. :)


How far along? 28 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 14 pounds.
Maternity clothes? Maternity jeans.
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Fine
Best moment this week: 3rd Trimester!
Movement: All the time. He kicked a lot during the concert we went to on Sunday.
Food cravings: None.
Gender: BOY!!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Being able to stand in one place for a long time. My legs were killing me after standing at the concert for 7 hours.
What I am looking forward to: When the crib arrives.
Weekly Wisdom: Husbands are great for rubbing sore legs and feet.
Milestones: 3rd Trimester!!

Random 10 Friday

Random 10 Friday Tunes:

1. It's a Long Way to the Top- ACDC
2. The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite- REM
3. Flower- Soundgarden
4. Mechanical Animals- Marilyn Manson
5. Ticks & Leeches- Tool
6. Kidding Ourselves- Stabilo
7. Trippin' On a Hole in a Paper Heart- Stone Temple Pilots
8. Let It Loose- Metallica
9. Little Sister- Queens of the Stone Age
10. Killing the Fly- Union Underground

***Bonus: Home Sweet Home- Motley Crue***** We're off to Cruefest 2 this Sunday in Kansas City to see Motley Crue in concert for the 4th time (Wichita, Denver, Omaha, now KC)!!!! They're Landon's favorite band. We'll also see Theory of a Deadman (one of my favorites) for the 3rd time, and Godsmack and Drowning Pool for the first time. It outta be a great time!!!

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My sister got out of the hospital a while ago, but she still has to have an IV for antibiotics twice a day everyday for at least another week.

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School starts in a week. Next week on Thursday and Friday I'll start working at two of my 3 schools. The week after that students start, however, since I have to work with all the teachers and sped. teachers to schedule (which is a nightmare) all my students, I won't start seeing my students until they're in school for at least a week. Last year, since it was my first year, I took like two weeks to schedule all my students, but it should go better and faster this year. I so do not want to go back. Two months of kids then maternity leave, though. Yay! I'm just afraid of what will happen if the baby comes sooner. Like what if I go into labor at school?!? Yikes.

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We still don't have the crib that we ordered back at the end of May. According to the store, the manufacturer quoted them mid August. We'll see.... We're lucky we ordered it so far ahead of time if it's taking this long to ship it to the store.

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Random picture: Motley Crue concert in Omaha, the last time we saw them.

Starting the Nursery

This past weekend, Landon and his mom painted the nursery. The room looks much better (paintwise) now.
Before with purpleish blue walls and creamish trim:




After:




We still need to figure out what to do about the painted floor and touch up the paint a bit. Definitely an improvement, though.

Zooples & Co.

While I was browsing Etsy for wall art for the nursery I came across Zooples & Co. and iDesignMyWorld. There are super cute prints that are perfect for a baby's room. They also sell magnets, stickers, flash cards, coasters, and notepads. I ordered one 8x10 print and four 5x7 prints to surround the 8x10. I also bought a set of the ABC flash cards. The shipping was fast and I love how the pictures look. I'll post a picture of what I ordered when we hang them in the nursery. In the meantime, be sure to check out Zooples & Co. on Etsy.

Week 27

Week 26 baby bump.

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

How far along? 27 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 13 pounds.
Maternity clothes? Yes. I finally bought maternity jeans Wednesday.
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Better this week.
Best moment this week: Knowing it's the last week 'til the 3rd trimester.
Movement: All the time.
Food cravings: None.
Gender: BOY!!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Not having pain in my ribs from the baby pushing on them.
What I am looking forward to: Decorating the nursery.
Weekly Wisdom: Buying online is great. We bought our crib bedding set, diaper bag, and nursery wall decorations online so far.
Milestones: This is the last week of the 2nd Trimester.

The diaper bag we ordered from My Baby Rocks.