31 weeks

How far along? 31 weeks - baby is almost 17 inches long & weighs around 3.5 lbs

Symptoms: Heartburn/reflux, starting to get more tired, fatigued & uncomfortable, feel the need to pee all. the. time.

Weight gain/loss: + 1 lb (total of 18 lbs gained so far)

Maternity clothes? yes - all the time now

Sleep: Is starting to go down hill :( I fall asleep easily but wake up every couple of hours to change positions as I am uncomfortable. I have a feeling it is only going to get worse from here on out.

Food cravings/aversions: the pasta craving is back!!

Movement? oh yes - Baby T is an active little guy! He did a somersault while laying in bed Saturday night which was the weirdest feeling ever & something I hope he doesn't do again anytime soon! He was head down at the time but now I'm pretty sure he is head up & feet down due to the now lovely kicks to my bladder. 

What I miss: the usual....cold turkey sandwiches, wine, ice cold beer, sleeping through the night.

Best moment(s) this week: seeing Baby T on the 3-D ultrasound

What I'm looking forward to: my work baby shower this Saturday

Next appointment: Tuesday, Dec 4th - weekly biophysical ultrasound & NST check

Milestones: Baby T can turn his head from side to side now & his arms, legs, & body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He is sure to be moving quite often now so there may be some trouble sleeping as baby's kicks & somersaults are keeping you up - all signs that Baby T is active & healthy. He is expected to start gaining about a half a pound of weight per week from now until about two weeks before birth.

Symphony

Tonight I had a "date" with my girlfriend Jilly whom I hadn't seen for several weeks! We first went out to dinner to catch up & later had tickets to the symphony at the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts. This building is just a year old & it is so pretty inside & out!

We watched the KC Symphony perform Handel's "Messiah" along with a local choir & it was amazing! The acoustics in that place are unreal & we thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Baby T was kicking & rolling around all over the place so I think he liked the music also! It definitely won't be the last symphony performance we go to!!

3-D

Today we had our 3-D ultrasound which was such an amazing experience. Little did I know when I called to make the appointment that they only do these scans between 27-30 weeks. Unfortunately, the only appointment that I could get into was a late afternoon appointment at almost 31 weeks so Shane wasn't able to get off of work :( I didn't want to go alone so I had asked my dear friend Jen (who is 22 weeks pregnant) to come with me & she was more than happy to oblige. We have been through so much together & it was so nice having her there to share in this experience with me!!

Baby T was being a stubborn little stinker & wasn't cooperating very well as he had his hands all up in his face the entire time as well as facing the wrong way for good quality pictures. After lots of pokes, making tons of noise with a cow bell & many fingers crossed he started to cooperate. But not after showing us how he really felt about it by flipping us off:

30 weeks old & already a little stinker :) 

Here are a few more from our "photo shoot". This one shows the front of his face with his arm making a fist in front of his mouth:

This one shows Baby T with his fists resting up under his chin. His nose is a bit smooshed but the tech quickly reassured me that he isn't "deformed"! He is just wedged up against the uterus:

And just incase there were still any doubts whether Baby T is a he or a she:

I think it is safe to say we still have a boy :)

The tech gave me a CD with over 30 pics on it so once Shane got home from work we sat down & went through them all. He loved seeing all the pics & couldn't believe how much it looks like a real baby at this point. So amazing!!

30 weeks

I arrived home this evening at 5:15pm from work & it was already too dark to take my weekly pic so I will have to try & get it sometime this week for the baby book. Since I had put the Christmas tree up yesterday I thought I might pose by the tree instead! Not too shabby if I do say so myself:

How far along? 30 weeks - baby is around 16 inches long & supposed to weigh around 3.5 lbs

Symptoms: I noticed this week that I am starting to feel uncomfortable. Sitting for long periods, sleeping, laying in the recliner, getting out of the car, even trying to get up off the toilet is all starting to get harder to do with this belly.

Weight gain/loss: Will weigh in later this week so as of right now we will say I am still holding steady at a total of 17 lbs gained so far.

Maternity clothes? yes - all the time now

Sleep: Is starting to go down hill :( I fall asleep easily but wake up every couple of hours to change positions as I am uncomfortable. I have a feeling it is only going to get worse from here on out.

Food cravings/aversions: No real cravings this week

Movement? oh yes - doing my "count kicks" daily & Baby T never seems to disappoint :) He's a very active little guy! 

What I miss: Sleeping through the night.

Best moment(s) this week: getting the Christmas tree decorated along with setting out all the holiday decor throughout the house. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas throughout the Taylor house!

What I'm looking forward to: seeing Baby T at our 3-D ultrasound this week

Next appointment: Wed, Nov 28th - biophysical exam & non-stress test of Baby T as well as our 3-D ultrasound on Thurs, Nov 29th

Milestones: A pint & a half of amniotic fluid surrounds Baby T but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger & takes up more room in the uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not yet very good. Even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision - which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. The fine lanugo hair that covers his little body will start falling off this week in preparation for the big day!

Black Friday

As much as my husband would like to disagree, I am not a huge shopper. I usually only go "shopping" when I want/need something & rarely will I shop just to browse around the store. I am a girl on the go usually with a list or two in my hand so I don't have time to waste wandering the mall or a department store just casually shopping with no goal in mind.

With that said, Black Friday shopping does not appeal to me & I really don't understand what all the hype is about. I have several girlfriends who live for this day, love every minute of it & have asked me several times to join them but I always decline. I just have no desire to a) lose any of my precious sleep b) stand in line out in the cold in the middle of night c) sit & drive in the crazy KC traffic or d) have anything on my list that is so urgently needed where I will save enough money to warrant doing the 1st three things for. 

Now don't get me wrong, I did manage to try it once - around 10 years ago. I woke up at 4am to be in line at Target for when the doors opened at 5am to buy a camera that I really wanted that was marked down to some crazy price. When the doors opened, I about got trampled to death & once I finally made my way over to the electronics - which for some reason is always in the back of the store - there was only 2 cameras left & 3 of us crazy women fighting as to who got there first & who was going to get the last 2 cameras. 

After much aggression, pleading & saying a few obscenities I managed to get one of the cameras. Then I had to wait over an hour in line to pay for my $99 camera. When it was all said & done it was almost 7am & I said "to hell with this", drove home & went back to bed. I swore I would never attempt Black Friday shopping ever again.

Now I know today the rules are different. Stores are starting to open the evening of Thanksgiving - which I don't agree with. Stores have a system in place so the items are easier to locate, get & pay for & from what I hear doesn't seem so chaotic as it was 10 years ago. But with all that said, I still can't bring myself to get out with my girlfriends & participate in this annual event.

With that said, being an anti-Black Friday shopper, I did however manage to score a few excellent deals myself while at work.

From the luxury of my work computer :)

I ended up ordering my nursery furniture set, recliner/rocker as well as my crib bedding online & much to my surprise it all ended up being on sale for the day of Black Friday only. 

I also got free shipping/delivery, as well as an additional 20% off the furniture for using my JCPenny's credit card & $120 off the crib bedding. So what would have normally cost me almost $1700 I ended up paying around $1000 for a crib, 2 dressers, a recliner/rocker & crib bedding! I may or may not have done a little happy dance right in front of my co-workers!

And amazingly enough I didn't have to get up early, stand in any lines, fist fight with other shoppers, drive in traffic or lose any sleep! 

Now if you ask me, that is my kind of Black Friday shopping!!

Giving Thanks

 

I am on call for the Thanksgiving holiday & am having to work on Friday so the holiday will be a short day off for me. I usually have my family here & cook a huge feast so without them visiting, sadly it just doesn't feel like Thanksgiving. Shane's brother & his girlfriend were supposed to come over late in the afternoon but got busy with her family so it ended up just being Shane, me & the furries spending the day together & to my surprise it was actually kind of nice.

That morning I had woke up at 4am to Baby T practicing his martial arts moves in my belly :) I immediately said a prayer & thanked God for this little blessing & thought how we have so much to be thankful for this year. His little kicks & jabs always remind me of how far we have come to even get to this point & how I will never stop being so very thankful.

Since I was on call I was worried about cooking & getting called away only to come home to a burnt turkey. So I had asked Shane what he thought about ordering turkey dinner from the Hen House grocery store & unfortunately the look on his face said it all - he was not having it. Turns out he loves my cooking, enjoys the turkey feast I fix every year & wanted lots of leftovers. How can I say no to that?


So earlier in the week I had made out the menu, bought all the groceries, & the morning of put my apron on & slaved away in the kitchen. Now when it comes to preparing turkey dinner I have a system & I don't mess around. I first put the turkey in the oven at 9am, then I make all the sides & fixin's ahead of time, 2 hours later pull the turkey out to carve it while the sides bake away in the oven & by noon we were enjoying our Thanksgiving dinner....with lots of leftovers :)

We laid around the rest of the day with our full bellies watching football, catching up on some DVR'd shows & later enjoyed some homemade apple pie with vanilla ice cream - YUM! Lucky for me the holiday was a quiet one on call - just one more thing I was thankful for!!

Hope you all were able to enjoy the blessings of the day with your families!

29 weeks

Today I saw my OB & had my first biophysical exam with NST testing (which Baby T passed with flying colors) along with a growth scan. Everything with the growth scan was right on track. The US tech measured his leg & arm bones, his head, abdomen & checked his heart, kidney's, bladder, & stomach. All looked perfect! 

Baby T is quite the chunky monkey - he is estimated to weigh around 3lbs 9oz, is in the 78th percentile (50 is the average) & is measuring over a week 1/2 ahead of schedule at 30 weeks 5 days according to the measurements. He is growing well & putting on some baby fat so his pics look more like a baby now & not so skeletal. Here are a few pics from today's scan:

1) Baby T's sweet face:

 

2) Foot by the head:

3) Still a boy :)

My appointment with the OB was uneventful. No sugar or protein in my urine, blood pressure was 110/70, weight is holding steady & the OB said I was doing & looking fantastic! Let's hope I keep up these "uneventful" appointments!

How far along? 29 weeks - baby is around 15 inches long & supposed to weigh around 2.5 lbs

Symptoms: Feeling reflux/heartburn every night before bed, constant stuffy or runny nose, frequent potty breaks!

Weight gain/loss: + 0 lb - still holding steady at a total of 17 lbs gained so far

Maternity clothes? yes - all the time now

Sleep: Sleeping really good - still waking up around 4am which then Baby T feels the need to have a dance party in my belly - lol!

Food cravings/aversions: Me & Baby T are liking sweets this week :)

Movement? oh yes - felt my first kick to the ribs this past week which caught me off guard & Baby T likes to punch my bladder which feels awesome - NOT!

What I miss: being able to tie my tennis shoes easily - it is quite the struggle with this growing belly!

Best moment(s) this week: Seeing Baby T again on the ultrasound

What I'm looking forward to: getting the nursery completed & our 3-D ultrasound next week

Next Appointment:  - Wed, Nov 28th - ultrasound of Baby T & nonstress test & Nov 30th 3-D ultrasound

Milestones: Hiccups are a fairly common occurrence at this point, due to Baby T practicing breathing for his big birthday. In addition to getting a round of butterfly-like hiccups, he has managed to accumulate enough baby fat to account for nearly 3.5% of his overall body weight. May not sound very impressive, but considering they used to have NO fat, it’s certainly a healthy (and body-warming) accomplishment. Baby's spleen is now in charge of hematopoiesis — the name for the process involved in building up certain important blood components.

Private

I have been thinking about this for quite some time now & with the upcoming arrival of Baby T along with hearing some creepy stalker stories from my girlfriend Cori, I have decided it is time to make this blog private. As much of a pain as it might be to set it up, I truly think it is for the best. Unfortunately, that means that some of you will have to create a Google sign-in account if you don't already have one but it will only be to accept the invitation & continue viewing my blog & not for anything else.

So with that said, if you want to remain a follower of my blog then I ask that you please send an email to taylorh522@yahoo.com & request to remain "BFF's for life" so that you don't miss out on the exciting & crazy happenings in the life of HT :)

I plan on making the blog private on Nov 21st so that gives you all a week to send me your emails & add you to the private list!

Sorry for the inconvenience, but I am beginning to realize that there are too many crazy people out there & that you can never be too careful! Thanks Cori for convincing me of this :)

28 weeks

According to my OB, this week marks the beginning of a huge milestone! I am now officially in the 3rd trimester - woo hoo!! Can hardly believe that I have made it this far & even harder to believe that Baby T will arrive in around 12 short weeks!

Since daylight savings, I have been having a hard time getting my weekly picture taken as I would usually take it after getting home from work. Am going to have to start taking them on the weekend. Unfortunately, it was dark again when I got home this evening so I am using a pic from my shower:
 

How far along? 28 weeks - baby is around 14.8 inches long & weighs 2 1/4 lbs

Symptoms: Starting to feel more tired by mid afternoon, I seem to get full really fast when eating so I have not been able to eat as much as I used to - which is ok :) Having to take a lot more potty breaks throughout the day too but other than that really no complaints!

Weight gain/loss: + 1 lb - total of 17 lbs gained so far

Maternity clothes? yes - all the time now

Sleep: Fall asleep pretty quick but wake up several times throughout the night having to change positions. My sister gave me her body pillow to use so I am hoping this will keep me from waking up uncomfortable several times throughout the night.

Food cravings/aversions: not really craving any specific thing this week

Movement? yes - Baby T is really active around 4am, early mornings & evenings. You can see him rolling around in my belly & see little jabs & kicks which is pretty amazing!

What I miss: being able to tie my tennis shoes easily - it is quite the struggle with this growing belly!

Best moment(s) this week: spending time with my family this past weekend & my 1st baby shower

What I'm looking forward to: getting started on Baby T's nursery

Next Appointment: Tuesday, Nov 20th - ultrasound of Baby T & nonstress test

Milestones: Baby T's eyes now have eyelashes & are doing lots of blinking this week because they’re now responding to light & dark. Bone marrow is now present & is a major construction site for blood cells, while his adrenal glands are now producing androgen & estrogen — which will stimulate my body to begin milk production. Also, Baby T is putting on more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Showered

On Thursday evening, my sister Jen & little niece Jensen flew in from Wisconsin for my 1st baby shower as well as my mom, sister-in-law Rachel, niece Joslyn & long-time family friend Mary Ellen who all made the trip from South Dakota.

Friday morning my sister & I met up with my brother Steve at Sweet Tomatoes for lunch & then some shopping. Later in the afternoon we met up with the rest of my family & headed over to the OP Convention Center where the Holiday Boutique was being held. It ended up being a scaled-down version of Holiday Mart with some of the same vendors but was still a lot of fun walking up & down the aisles, checking out the booths, holiday decor, crafts, sampling of food & seeing what they all had to offer.

After we were all shopped out, we headed back to my house where we dined on Papa Murphy's pizza & spent the rest of the evening catching up! I just love being able to hang out with my family!

Saturday was a day I never thought I would ever see happen or get to experience. It was the day my 1st baby shower was to be held. Friends & family all gathered together to celebrate the upcoming arrival of this precious little miracle I have come to call "Baby T".

My sister Jen (on the right) & one of my bestest girlfriends Jilly (on the left) hosted this wonderful event at Jilly's house & it was perfect. I soon found out that the shower had a KU baby Jawhawk theme which was fitting seeing how Shane & I are huge fans & of course so will Baby T :) 

My sister started the shower by going around the room & having everyone introduce themselves, share how they know me & for how long along with a word of advice to this first-time mom. The words of wisdom were priceless & will be forever remembered. Especially those spoke by my girlfriend Nickie who made me - along with half the room - tear up by her very thoughtful words!

Next we played a couple of games & then it was time to open presents! 

Everyone was SO very generous & I got such wonderful gifts! I got several things I registered for like my pack-n-play, high chair, changing pad with cover, baby monitor, diapers, wipes & crib mattress cover & sheets . I also got lots of great things for Baby T like rattles, lots of cute outfits, little hats & LOTS of books which I loved! Looking forward to starting the nursery & getting it finished so I can put all these wonderful gifts away!

After opening gifts, everyone enjoyed a lovely spread along with yummy cake & cupcakes. Jilly outdid herself as usual with all the food & my sister's spinach/artichoke dip & beer bread were a hit! 

Before everyone left, I was able to get pictures with all the guests which will be a great keepsake for Baby T's baby book!

My sister Jen & niece Jensen:

 
Posing with the game-night girls (minus Michelle & Natalie):

 My dear friends Nickie & Cori:

 

 Me & my sister-in-law Rachel:

 
Lo (Jilly's mom), Jilly, my mom & me:

 

 Jenny & I:

 

 Me & Mary Ellen:

"Auntie Heather" with my nieces Joslyn & Jensen:

It was a wonderful afternoon spent with my wonderful family & very special friends & I am so very thankful to have them all in my life to celebrate the arrival of this very precious miracle!

27 weeks

This morning I had the pleasure of taking my glucose tolerance test. Around 8am I had to drink 8 oz of this sweet, orange, syrupy liquid & at 9am I was having my blood drawn. I got the results back at my afternoon OB appointment & I am happy to report that I passed - YAY :) No gestational diabetes for me & Baby T!!

The rest of my appointment went well. My OB was happy with my weight & how much I have gained so far, my BP was low at 118/64, no sugar in my urine but there was a trace of protein which means I need to be drinking more water - ugh, so hard to do when I am working! 

I had mentioned to her that I have been having some lower abdominal "pulling" sensations which she said is probably just ligaments stretching but just to be sure she did a cervical check. She said my cervix was behaving nicely - no one has ever said that to me before - lol :) It was firm, high & closed which is good - no sign of premature labor. So it was yet another uneventful appointment & my OB couldn't be happier with how things are progressing. 

In 2 weeks, I will begin my weekly biophysical profile appointments with a nonstress test to monitor the health of Baby T during the last 12 weeks - yikes - did I just say last 12 weeks? Where is the time going?? If he is under any kind of stress or if my amniotic fluid gets low we will be able to tell. So hard to believe I will be starting the 3rd trimester next week!!!

Seeing how I had the wonderful news of a negative glucose test today & a fabulous appointment, I thought I might celebrate by getting a sugary-filled cupcake at Smallcakes :) So yummy...

I ended up meeting my neighborhood girls for happy hour this evening so by the time I got home to take my weekly picture it was dark :( So the bathroom pic will have to do...

How far along? 27 weeks - baby is around 14.5 inches long & weighs 2 lbs

Symptoms: I'm noticing my lower back is starting to get more achy, spider veins have appeared out of nowhere on my legs, I am starting to "huff & puff" more when I am really active & reflux has joined the heartburn which makes for a lovely time but other than that, I am doing/feeling great :)

Weight gain/loss: According to the scale at the OB's office + 2 lbs (Total of 16 lbs gained so far)

Maternity clothes? yes - all the time now

Sleep: Still able to fall asleep easily but am waking up a lot to change positions & try to get comfortable. I have a feeling it is only going to get worse from here on out.

Food cravings/aversions: not really craving any specific thing this week

Movement? yes - Baby T is really active around 4am, early mornings & evenings. You can see him rolling around in my belly & see little jabs & kicks which is pretty amazing!

What I miss: Being able to hold my bladder for 10 hours like I used to - lol :)

Best moment(s) this week: being on call all weekend & not getting called in once - love those kind of call weekends!

What I'm looking forward to: my 1st baby shower on Saturday & getting to see my family at the end of the week!

Next Appointment: Tuesday, Nov 20th - ultrasound of Baby T & nonstress test

Milestones: Baby T is sleeping & waking at regular intervals, opening & closing his eyes & even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, his brain is very active now. His lungs are already capable of breathing air as his vascular system can now handle oxygen/carbon exchange & his brain stem can now regulate rhythmic breathing as well as basal body temperature. Hiccups will be pretty common from now on also.

Spoiled

Baby T isn't even here yet & is already spoiled rotten. In the last few weeks I have had friends send & give me gifts for the little guy "just because" & I am so very thankful for their generosity. 

Here are a few pics of the some of the things we have received so far:

KU gear from my co-worker Darcy (who lives in Lawrence, KS :)
 

 Pillow & blanket set from my girlfriend Stacey in South Carolina:

Addition's to Baby T's wardrobe courtesy of my dear friend Jen:

Ginormous teddy bear for Baby T's room from my girlfriend Deb:

More KU gear - a bib from my neighbor Susie & paci's from my co-worker Stephanie:

At this rate, I'm not going to have to buy Baby T any clothes or KU apparel at all :)