36 Weeks

Development calendar says:

"I'm around 19 inches tall, weigh over 6 pounds and gain more than half an ounce each day!"

If that weight gain is close to correct, I am putting my guess in at right around 8 pounds for her birth weight. We will find out pretty soon....

I can't even believe how close we are. Going off of the 16th as the day they will induce me, we only have 20 more days to go. I guess it is possible that we have less than that, but I don't think I will go into labor early. I have made all the arrangements for my children to be tended, but I guess I should really pack a hospital bag just in case. I also need to teach Jason how to hand feed my baby cockatiels. I have 7 unweaned babies right now that he will have to care for while I spend a night or so in the hospital. That should prove to be interesting.

Marcella is quickly running out of room in my tummy. I am still measuring 41.5 inches around, which is the same as 4 weeks ago, but I know she is growing like a weed. When she is awake and moving my stomach rolls and twitches very visibly, and when I am in public I always wonder if anyone else notices.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, and I didn't think I ate TOO much, but apparently I was wrong. I was stuffed and uncomfortable for hours. There just is not a whole lot of room for food in there these days with all that baby.

34 Weeks

I finally did the 3D ultrasound on the 13th. It was amazing. It was estimated that she already weighs 5.83 pounds. That should put to rest any fears about inducing labor a week early. The whole experience was great. The entire session was burned to a DVD. In it you can see so many cute things. She had the hiccups half of the time, and once she gave a great big yawn. At one point it even looked like she was turning her head to try to suck on something that came near her face. What a sweet little doll. I cannot wait to mail the DVD to her mom and dad.

Look at those cheeks!

33 Weeks

Development calendar says:

"Baby is about 4.75 pounds and almost 18 inches tall. Her central nervous system is still maturing. Only 46 days to go."

I had to cancel my appointment for the 3D ultrasound last month because of a family event. I am rescheduled for this Saturday the 13th and I can't wait. At 34 weeks gestation, she should be fairly filled out and look almost the same as she will when she is born. Plus, they will be able to tell me a fairly accurate length and weight.

I cannot believe how close we are now. I need to pack a hospital bag, and I need to get with Margie and make sure all my phone numbers are updated just in case. I don't ever think about the what-ifs, but last week a friend of mine who was supposed to be due in January had her baby at 29 weeks gestation. The little girl is fine, but she was 3 pounds 2 ounces. That was a big eye opener.

If I am induced on Thursday the 16th, that means Jason will only have to take 1 day off of work. He is off on Fridays anyway, and since I can go home from the hospital and sleep as long as I want to, I should be fine to take care of my own kids by the following Monday.

My next OB check ups are November 15th and November 29th. After that I will be going in once a week until delivery.

32 Weeks

Development calendar says:

"Baby is nearly 17.2 inches tall and weighs a little over 4 pounds. Her skin is getting less wrinkled looking. Only 52 days left to go."

So at my OB check-up yesterday, Dr. Grose agreed we should induce labor on December 16th so that everyone could make travel plans ahead of time and we can all be home for Christmas. To be honest, I told him one of my biggest concerns with waiting to go into labor on my own was the distance between Mark & Margie and I and the amount of time it could take for them to get here on short notice. I think if they were delayed it would be very hard for me to spend a half a day in the hospital with Marcella before they arrive. I am prepared for this, but I am still human. I want them to be here when she is born so that everything is cut and dry the way it was meant to be. If that date works for mom and dad, this means we only have a little over 6 weeks to go!

I am having fun with this. I measured again today and my tummy is now 41.5 inches around. I feel good though. She is starting to drop down out of my ribs a bit and I can breath better and I am a lot more comfortable. I have, however, developed tendinitis in my right foot because of irritation from a small amount of water retention. I can't see the swelling looking at my foot, but I know the body starts to hoard fluids this late in the pregnancy to make up for what it will lose during delivery. I thought I had just pulled a muscle, so I didn't even see the doctor about it for almost 2 weeks. It is painful some days, but it isn't a huge deal. The doctor said to get an insole for my shoes that supports only the heel, and to make a point of relaxing and kicking my feet up a few times a day since I can't take anything for it. It is starting to feel better already.

My family dressed up as vampires last weekend for Halloween. It was funny because I kept getting comments from people saying 'I don't think that is how vampires reproduce. The second most common comment was 'oh boy, you are getting close, aren't you?'. I don't know how to answer that one. How close is close? I still have a month and a half to go.

30 Weeks

Development calendar says:

"Baby is over 3 pounds and 16 inches tall. Her skin is turning from red to pink from the fat deposits. Only 66 days to go."

I had an OB appointment today. Everything looks great. Baby is finally head down. Up until this last visit she was still breech. My doctor said it was not a concern at the time.

I am now close enough to delivery that I will be going in for my OB check ups every two weeks instead of every four weeks. After 36 it will be once a week and they will start checking me each time for cervical changes.

Sunday I met a woman who recently put in an application with Reproductive Possibilities to be a gestational carrier herself. She is a good friend of my husband's sister Brenda, and when she expressed interest in being a surrogate Brenda gave her the name of the agency I was working through. I am so excited to see that other people are becoming aware of this program. It has been amazing for me and I think there are a lot of people out there who would really enjoy doing this. A lot of people say that they have considered it, but they never really knew how it worked or where to start. Hopefully more and more women will begin to realize that it is really an option for the average person and it can make a huge difference in their lives as well as in others'.

I hope she is reading this. Good luck Velvet.

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.