Tummy Tuesday 29 Weeks

Sylvia is now around 2.5 pounds and just over 15 inches long- approximately the size of a butternut squash. Her muscles and lungs are still maturing and her head is getting bigger to make room for her growing brain. Her facial muscles are fully functional now and she can smile, especially when she is asleep. Sylvia can now kick, grasp and stretch, but soon she will start running out of room. Savoring all the sweet lithe kicks and rolls now, because all too soon I know she will be here in my arms and not my belly.

And momma is doing great! This must be the phase I remember so well when I say I love being pregnant. The only real complaint I have is that I am hot, but hey, aren't we all? It's in the high 90's every day- for the love! Other than my expanding belly just getting in the way I have little to no pregnancy symptoms or pains- no heart burn- no leg cramps- no back pain-no insomnia. Also soaking every minute of this up because all too soon I know I will be uncomfortable.

Tummy Tuesday 28 Weeks

This pregnancy has been almost identical to my other pregnancies with the girls, textbook I dare say.  Weight gain the same, symptoms the same, cravings the same, etc. But Sylvia's movements remind me so much of Mary Claire's. More fluid and all out front, lots of rolls with very little kicks and jabs. By this point I was already pretty uncomfortable with Margaret- her movements were more like karate kicks than a dancing ballerina, and I could feel her kicking toward my back and tailbone more that kicking out front. Not sure what that means? Maybe Margaret was lower in my belly, or some how positioned differently, or maybe it's because Margaret was 2 pounds bigger and 3 inches longer? If that's the case- that means Sylvia might be a tiny, little thing like Mary Claire. Only time will tell... Although, this pregnancy is similar to Margaret's in that I still do not have the dark line down my belly, yet. 

Although I am still suffering from severe pregnancy brain, or is it mom brain? Who knows? Regardless, I can't remember squat. But every now and then I get moments of pure genius. This being one of them.

Box fan blowing directly on me at night. PURE GENIUS! I don't think I have slept this good in months. HEAVENLY, I tell you.

My next appointment will be the last monthly appointment. Then we will be moving to 2 week appointments. Home stretch.... Hard to believe. Maybe I should start preparing for her arrival? So much to do, and approx. 12 weeks to do it in.

- Pre-register at the hospital

- Make "nursery"

- Organize and clean hand-me downs/ decide with needs replacing

- Buy additional items Sylvia needs

- Order breast pump

I'm sure there is more (oh, so much more) but thinking about it is overwhelming... so right now we are good with a box of discounted diapers and a cute hospital hat. Hopefully nesting will set in soon and I can start getting somethings done.

Baby Sylvia is now just over 2 pounds and almost 15 inches long, about the size of an eggplant. She can now blink her eyes batting those sweet little eyelashes that have recently appeared. Her toes have now caught up with her fingers to include little nails at the tips- that I can't wait to paint! Oh the joys of having girls!

Tummy Tuesday 27 weeks

Can you tell you it was a long, hot day today?

Momma had a good week. Very little back pain, heart burn, or insomnia- and only the occasional  night time leg cramps. My baby bump is getting bigger and more in my way, but not uncomfortable, yet anyway. Pregnancy Brain has again shown it's ugly head. It's a real thing- very very real.

Sylvia is now around 2 pounds and 14.5 inches long. She is sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and possibly sucking her finger or thumb. Her brain is very active, and her lungs are functional but still very immature.

I have had a few questions about her "nursery". I say "nursery" because she isn't really getting one. Does that make me a bad mom? or just the mother of 3 kids? 

This is the current state of her "nursery"

The older girls will eventually share a room, but Margaret is just not quite ready for a big girl bed yet. So long term Sylvia will have her very own nursery, but at first she will be in Chases' closet. Each of us has a good sized walk-in closet that has outlets and air vents so until Margaret is ready for a big girl bed Mommy and Daddy will share a closet and we will turn Chases' closet into a "nursery". Plus it will be nice to have her close to us, and not on the other side of the house. 

Tummy Tuesday 26 weeks

I'm claiming this as the beginning of the third trimeter! 

One, because there are differing timelines- some say 25 weeks, some say 27, so let's split the difference and say now. 

Two, because I am beginning to get the 3rd trimester aches and pains. Nothing too bad yet, but I can now claim heartburn, back aches, and insomnia as pregnancy symptoms. Some days I still feel great, others I am ready to tap out around 2pm. 

I had another doctor appointment today- Glucose test... whamp whaaaamp. But its funny how your perspective changes over time because I was actually looking forward to it. I had an hour to sit BY MYSELF and read a magazine while I waited for time to do the blood draw. It was like a mini vacation. :) Only problem was I remembered it was glucose test test day AFTER I licked the cinnamon roll icing container clean at breakfast. OOPS.... not my finest moment. 

and I wore my new maternity shirt too...

side note- I did put on real pants. 

Doc said all is well. Heart rate was normal (143bpm), belly was normal (22inches), and weight was good (a lady never tells her weight, lets just say up 25 pounds). Also got the pertussis booster to prevent whopping cough. Something about cocooning effect it will have on Sylvia. Whatever you need to do doc to keep my baby safe and healthy.

Sylvia is now 14 inches long and weighs 1.75 pounds. Her lungs are fully formed, but not quite ready for the outside world. She is breathing in and out small amount of amniotic fluid to prepare them to breath air. And her hearing is becoming more and more acute. She can now discern difference voices- she knows my voice verses her daddy's, and sisters. 

Tummy Tuesday 25 Weeks

Is it Tuesday already? Really?- This long weekend has me all thrown off.

Again this week was uneventful, not much to talk about... "Auto-pilot" as the Doc calls it. 

Sylvia is now 13.5 inches long and weighs about a pound and a half, but slowly packing on the pounds to fill out all that wrinkled skin she currently has. I can tell she is getting bigger because it is getting harder and harder to catch my breath. If I get too long winded explaining something to a patient, or telling a story I start getting short of breath. Looks like she is already big enough to be squashing my lung capacity. And, apparently she is also growing more hair and if we could see it we could discern it's color and texture, but I am calling bull on that. If history tells me anything, it's that my babies are born BALD and remain BALD well past their first birthdays. 

I am getting more consistent heartburn, especially at night- and back pain is beginning to show it's ugly head at the end of a long day. For the last few weeks my belly has been getting too big to comfortably sleep on my stomach, but we are now officially over that hump. I'll be sleeping on my back or side from now until mid September, which I guess can be expected since my uturus is now approx the size of a soccer ball. I've got a pre-natal massage I have been saving for when I can't lay on my back any longer. Wonder what they would charge just to let me come in and lay on the pre-natal pillow thing and take a nap?

There has been one new pregnancy symptom this week. Insomnia..... UGH! I never had it with either of my first pregnancies so I am not positive it is pregnancy related, but the internet says it can be- so that means it must be true, right? I can go to sleep just fine. Like, most nights I am sleep before my head hits the pillow, but after my middle-of-the-night-bathroom-break it is a crap shoot whether I am going to be able to go back to sleep. I have never.... never had a problem sleeping- and this is super frustrating.

But on to a bit of exciting news....Sylvia has gotten her first item specifically purchased for her. 

A box of diapers that were on clearance because the box was damaged. They will absorb body fluids all the same regardless of what the box looks like...Bless her little 3rd child heart!

Tummy Tuesday 24 Weeks

We have now reached 24 weeks (and 5 days) and this is a monumental turning point, because 24 weeks is the approximate age a baby can first survive outside the womb. Especially being a white female- the odds are in her favor. Hard to believe.... I just hope she stay put an cooks a good bit longer. 

Sylvia is now 12.5 inches long and a 1.5 pounds. She has a very lean figure at this point, but will soon start to plump up. At her check up today doc said we were on "auto-pilot"- everything looks good, sounds good (136bpm), and feels good. Next appointment is in 3 weeks for the glucose test. Guess I should maybe stop eating cookies for breakfast between now and then, huh?

And I am still feeling great! My uterus is now above my belly button which is great because my hernia no longer hurts, but bad because that means heart burn is getting more frequent. Bathroom breaks are a little more regular now, although I am not getting up in the night nearly as much as I did with her sisters. No real complaints.... yet, anyway. We even took a 4 mile family walk a few days ago (I was talked into it with the promise of a snow cone 1/2 way though)- and I just knew I would be sorry the next day, but my body felt fine. I think the exercises to keep my hips aligned must be really working because my knees and back feel much better than they did with Margaret. So, fingers crossed I don't get super uncomfortable this time.

Tummy Tuesday 23 Weeks

Welp, here we are 23 weeks. Nothing too exciting to announce. 

Still feeling great! Running once or twice a week- whenever I can sneak away from the girls because pushing them in the stroller while running ain't happening. I have a feeling it will be a lot more walking starting next week once MDO closes for summer. I am starting to get some heart burn and occasional back pain but nothing to complain about...yet. Hopefully if I keep up the exercises my  personal physical therapist (ha, just kidding- just a good friend I annoy the snot out of with my aches and pains) gave me to keep my hips in line I won't have the pain I had with Margaret. 

Sylvia is now 12 inches long and weighs just over 1 pound. Such a big girl! Her ears are fully formed and she can hear what's going on in the outside world. Common loud noises (vacuum, dog barking, sister screaming, etc) will not be alarming to her as a newborn since she is hearing them in the womb. She is big enough now that I can see some of her squirming from the outside- not only do I feel her, I can now see her move! Supposedly she will start hiccuping soon. She hasn't yet, but I'm sure soon will.