29 Weeks

Development calendar says:

"Baby is 15.5 inches and weighs almost 3 whole pounds. She can also open and close her eyes. Only 73 days to go."

My tummy measurement this week is 39 inches, and I have gained a whopping 6 pounds.

28 Weeks

Development calendar says:

"Baby is about 15 inches tall. She is beginning to regulate her own temperature and blood production. Only 84 days to go!"

I can't seem to get enough sleep this week. It is funny because I feel alright during the day, not overly tired, but if left with no reason to get up in the morning I could easily sleep until noon. Today I laid down to cuddle with Jason (he is on graveyard shift so he sleeps all day) and I accidentally took a 2 1/2 hour nap. I woke up to a two-year-old who had pulled off her diaper in her crib and now I have a mountain of sheets and blankets that need washed because they smell like pee.

I went through my closet again today. I put away all the small/first stage maternity clothes that are getting too tight on me and pulled out all my size mediums. I am gaining a pretty good wardrobe again, but I sure wish I hadn't given away all my original maternity clothes when I decided I was done having kids. I guess this time around I know to hold on to all this stuff- you just never know what the future will bring.

Yesterday I found a picture taken the night before I had my son Ashley in 2003. I was HUGE! I don't think I will get quite that big this time around. After all, it was my genes as well as Jason's that made Ashley a 10+ pound baby, and this little gal doesn't share any DNA with us. Then again, I haven't asked how big Mark was when he was born either. I could be in for a surprise.

27 Weeks

Development calendar says:

"Baby weighs about 2.4 pounds. Her eyelashes are growing and she is finally getting covered in cute baby fat. Only 91 days to go!"

I think the 'Honeymoon Stage' of this pregnancy is over. I am getting big and starting to get uncomfortable. I measured again today and my belly is 38.5 inches around. That means I have grown an inch and a half in the last 2 weeks. My poor husband probably wants to start sleeping on the couch by now to get away from all the pillows I use for support at night.

So I had a pretty good laugh with myself a few days ago. I bought a new top that I absolutely love. It is a stretchy black snakeskin print. I had been wearing it for at least two hours before the irony of the look hit me. In my current condition, I pretty much looked like I was digesting a rabbit! Oh well, I love the shirt. I will just hope no one else catches on to what I see.....

I made an appointment to go do a 3D ultrasound in October. I am so excited. I wanted to do something fun for the Mom and Dad to be- Lord knows they have done much more than they needed to for Jason and I. The studio I am going to will record the whole thing onto a DVD as well as print out 2 color 3D photos and 5 black and white 2D photos, and put all the pictures they take onto a disk so we have a digital copy. Counting down the days. I have seen some great shots online where you can see the baby's face perfectly before they are even born. I wish they had had neat things like that when I was pregnant with my own children.

26 Weeks

Development calendar says:

"Baby is 14.4 inches tall and by now you may be able to hear her heart beat using a stethoscope. Only 98 days to go!"

Oh it is hard to drag myself out of bed these days. That is the only problem I have. I feel good but I am soooo tired sometimes. It can be pretty hard to get a good night's sleep between having a belly in the way and having to get up a few times in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. I made the mistake of sleeping against the wall last night and with no stomach muscles left, I had a hard time getting up out of bed. I need the edge where I can roll over and fall out when I need to get up without waking Jason!

Yesterday I learned what the baby's name might be. I won't post it here because I don't know if it is common knowledge yet, or if it is final. But I will say that I am absolutely delighted.

At the drugstore this week I had someone ask me if I was "still planning on giving this baby up for adoption." That hurt my feelings a lot. And I was already having a rough day because me and my youngest daughter both had strep throat. The person who said it was someone I really do like in general, but she just could not understand what I meant when I said this was not my baby to give. I actually told her no I was not and I do not think her parents would be very happy about it if I did. Thankfully, that kind of thing doesn't happen very often. Most people- if I tell them or if they hear about it from some one else- do have a fairly good understanding of the concept and think it is really neat. It seems like anyone who understands the in-vitro process understands how easy it would be to transfer someone else's embryo to your body.

25 Weeks

Development calendar says:

"Baby is just under 2 pounds and is 14 inches tall. She can now respond to noises from outside the womb. Only 105 days to go!"

I am just in shock at how fast this pregnancy is flying by. I have nothing to prepare or stress out about being ready for, so I am not constantly counting down. This is a very new feeling for me, and I have to say I like it. It seems like with my own children this was already the point of asking 'are we there yet' one day, and the next saying 'oh boy I need more time'. It is nice to be able to be excited and happy without all that overwhelming anticipation. I bet mom and dad are starting to stress a little by now, though.

I measured around my tummy today and it is 37 inches at the biggest point. Amazingly, I have only gained 2 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight and I am now 6 months along. Looking at the pictures I guess I was a lot fatter then. Now I am losing weight everywhere else and just gaining a baby bump. At our check-up earlier this week I asked my doctor if this was ok, and he said I am as healthy as a horse. I also asked him to take a peek and reassure me that she was still a girl- I would hate to have Mark and Margie get a surprise later. She IS still a girl.

24 Weeks

I am starting to feel big finally. I feel great, though. Quite often I forget I am pregnant until I try to get up off the couch or I bump into something!

The baby is very active, and very strong. There have already been times when other people can actually see her kick and move around when I am holding still. She hates it when there is any pressure on my stomach, and she fights back. If Jason puts his arm around me when we are sleeping it doesn't take long before she starts kicking him. I doubt he has ever noticed this, as he is a very sound sleeper. I just lay there and try not to laugh.

Our next OB visit is on Tuesday the 7th.

I did my 20 week ultrasound today, and it's a girl! Everything looks great. She appears to be perfectly healthy and growing at the right rate.

Profile. You can even see her little nose.

Here is a cute shot. This is the kind of picture that should be enlarged and framed! If you can't make it out, it is her bum and the backs of her feet curled under her.