32 weeks!

32!!! 8 months!
Time has flown. Someone said....that means the baby could come anywhere in the next 6 to 10 weeks. I am hoping for the 7 to 8 week range!
I think some people think I look ready to pop. Some days I feel like it:

Baby boy Klump is definitely growing that is for sure. One of my students always smiles and says "Mrs. Klump, your baby is really getting big, isn't he?" as she looks at my stomach. I think she is right. (Unfortunately, the scales showed it this week at the doctors office too. YIKES! I think these holidays falling in my third trimester is NOT a good thing. I have NO self control--especially when it comes to holiday foods and SWEETS)

Anyway, some growth updates in regards to Baby Klump (the growth that excites me):
* He is around 17 inches long
* He weighs around 4 pounds (he is to gain about 1/2 a pound each week he is in there now)
* He has fingernails, toenails, and real hair now
* His skin (which is no longer transparent) is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up
* He is able to suck his thumb now
* He is practicing swallowing, breathing, kicking, and sucking as he finishes off his last weeks in the womb

According to the doctor today (Nov. 28), he is still breech.
Now that we are at the hospital, instead of just visiting a small clinic, we don't get quite as many perks. So, we haven't actually seen the little guys for quite a few weeks now. Dr. Jean felt my stomach today and at first thought he may have flipped but then decided he hadn't. I think she was actually a little stumped on his position (as she wasn't really answering my questions about what body part I was feeling where). She did say she would do an ultrasound in two weeks. She sort of gave the impression that he needs to flip by then.
I am thinking we may go back to the small clinic this week just for an ultrasound (since they do one at every appointment). I want to figure out what position he IS in exactly. Until then, I will keep inverting myself everyday!
Please join me in praying for him to flip, if it is safe for him to do so. I would really like the chance to have a natural birth.

His heartbeat was good today and I was healthy (however, I feel like Dr. Jean should have told me to hold off on the food some).
The urine sample at this appointment went MUCH more smoothly compared to my last appointment. However, the lady taking blood did NOT do a good job. It hurt like crazy!

And on another note--Just yesterday I was showered with love, blessings, and gifts by all my co-workers and their spouses at my first baby shower. I will do a post soon about all that fun!
Here is my handsome husband (and daddy to be) before I left for the shower:

I sure do love this man! I can already tell these two men hold my heart!!

31 weeks!

31 weeks...only 9 left to go! We are in the single digits now!

For our little guy, this week means:
*He is about 16 inches long
* He weighs a little over 3 pounds
* He can turn his head from side to side
* His brain is making connections (trillions of them)
* He is already processing information, tracking light, and perceiving signals from all 5 senses
* He is QUITE active (which I definitely notice...I just thought it might be all the holiday sweets)

For me, some of those lovely symptoms of the third trimester are starting to settle in:
- achiness
- indigestion, acid reflux
- sensitive gums
- leg cramps
- a belly button that is ready to pop at any moment it seems
- difficulty sleeping some nights
- and some others we just wont mention :)

But, overall....I am still LOVING every minute of it. It is a true gift from God and such a miracle! I love that there is life inside me (one that God has fearfully and wonderfully made, knowing his name and how many hairs are on his head, and one in which God has a perfect plan for). It is just amazing to think, that God has chosen Cam and I to be this little guy's parents!

Here is another fun picture from this week. My co-worker(friend),Erin, is due just a week before me. One day this week we showed up at worked dressed as twins. LITERALLY. Same shirt and everything. Not on purpose...but fun! We had to get a picture:

30 Weeks

30 Weeks! Only 10 more to go!
3/4 of the way done with pregnancy and only 1/4 until we get to meet this little guy.
Time has just flown by. I can only imagine how fast these last 10 weeks will go (especially with both Thanksgiving and Christmas mixed in there).

Here is what 30 weeks is looking like for me:

I am feeling pretty good. Starting to get pretty tired (lately I have been falling asleep before 9). I also feel that baby is really growing right now and that my stomach is just stretching as tight as it can be. However, I know it will continue to stretch for weeks to come. My belly button is bound to pop out at any time, or at least that is what it feels like!

As far as baby boy, here is how is coming along at week 30:
*He is about 17 inches long this week
*He weighs somewhere around 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage)
* His eyesight is continuing to develop
* His brain is starting to look like a brain (with the grooves and indentations that we think of when we think of a brain)
* His brain is starting to take on tasks now that were previously delegated to other systems, like temperature regulation. His brain is now capable of turning up the heat...which means that he will start shedding all that baby fuzz that is covering his body right now!

The desire to nest and get ready for baby boy's arrival is kicking in full force. Here we are sorting clothes this weekend:

I have so many 'projects' that I would LOVE to get done. With work though, most projects are just going to have to wait until Thanksgiving break or Christmas vacation!
AND...by the time Christmas vacation is here, I will also be done working until he shows up (so that SHOULD give me plenty of time to nest and get crafty).
I was just thinking about it...after this week, I only have 3 1/2 weeks of teaching left. WOW!

On another note, Cam and I have settled on a hospital to deliver at and we met the doctor yesterday that will deliver the baby. It was not how we really imagined the 'first' meeting to go with the doctor, but we know things will be great. We feel confident in both the hospital and the doctor.
Here is the somewhat humorous story of how our appointment went, for those of you who want to know:
-So earlier that day, I got the run down on what to expect from my colleague (and friend) who is due just the week before me. She had went to this hospital last week to register and meet the doctor for the first time as well. She explained all the steps, and Cam and I set out.
We took the bus and easily found the hospital. When we walked in, the ladies at the front registration desk were VERY helpful. These three little old Chinese lady volunteers helped me to fill out the forms (writing in Chinese for me), speaking in English when they could, holding my hand while they weighed me, etc.
I paid my 300 NT (10 dollars) and was showed where to go and wait for my number to be called (to see my doctor). I was second on the list...even without setting up an appointment.
I was really glad to be the second one waiting because I drank a whole bottle of water on the bus and was really, REALLY needing to pee. However, my friend told me that I was going to have to do a urine sample, so I was trying to wait.
At one point the nurse came out and asked for 'my book' and I tried to explain that I had to use the restroom, but she spoke NO ENGLISH and just told me to wait.
Later, the nurse popped her head out in the hallway again....and I tried again to tell her that I REALLY needed to use the restroom, but she basically just smiled and shut the door.
After a few more minutes, my number popped up and it was my turn. FINALLY!
I walked in to the little room and Dr. Jean (our new doctor who we are meeting for the FIRST time) was sitting there. She smiled at me, and said "So, your first baby right?"
I didn't even really respond or say hi but rather just blurted out "I am sorry...but I have to go to the bathroom REALLY bad, and I know you need a urine sample. Can I do it right now?"
She said I could but that I had to go back to the front of the hospital where I came in and registered and that is where they take the urine samples. They would give me the cup there.
So, Cam and I bust out of her office, down the hall, across the lobby and walk up to the "lab place" across from the restroom.
The lady sitting there looks at me and I say "I need to do a urine sample." Of course, she doesn't speak any English and just stares at me. So I say urine again and do the motion for a cup.
She asks me (in Chinese) where my papers are. Of course, we have nothing because we are in the middle of our appointment with Dr. Jean...but we can't explain that at all. The lady actually just leaves us standing there and ignores us. So, as I am almost in tears because I have to go SO bad, Cam takes off running back to Dr. Jean's office to tell her we need the paper work that says I need the urine sample. He is gone longer that I think he needs to be, so I start walking to meet him (thinking that something must be wrong), but also knowing that I could pee my pants at any time :)
Just as I get all the way there, he comes out of her office with the print outs. He runs it back to the desk, while I am basically wobbling at this point.
We hand the paper work to the lady and she look at us and ask for our insurance card. ARE YOU KIDDING? Of course, Dr. Jean has it back in her office.
As I am just on the verge of tears at this point, I just basically yelled "Can you just give me a cup? I need to go NOW!"
The lady gives me a cup, Cam takes off running back to Dr. Jean's office to get my card (leaving his bag by accident) which means I have to take it (plus my two bags) but at this point...I don't care. I cram into this TINY bathroom (with three bags on my shoulders) and finally get to use the restroom.

After all that drama, we go back to have our appointment with Dr. Jean. It went well. Her English was great. She seemed thorough. It wasn't a week for my actual check up, so she basically made sure she had the info she needed from all my other prenatal checkups at the clinic. Then she felt my stomach and listened to his heart beat. Unfortunately, as she felt around....she could tell he was still breech. She gave me some exercises to do to try to encourage him to flip.
She then set me up to come back in two weeks for my "actual" scheduled 32 week appointment.
I had a list of questions I wanted to ask her since this was our first time meeting her...but with all that had taken place at the beginning of the appointment, I was too flustered.
So, as we were packing up to leave, I basically asked very bluntly:
-So...you will be delivering babies in January right? Even with Chinese New Year? (she assured us yes)
-We are pretty sure we are going to have a doula. Are you ok with this? Can she be around? You know here, right?
(she smiled and said that she was just there that morning helping with another delivery and that it was just fine)

With that said, we said our goodbyes and walked out.
Lesson learned. Urine samples are usually done at the end. So next time I will go to the bathroom when I get to the hospital. Then drink more water so that I can go again before leaving :)

Sorry for the long story...hopefully if you made it all the way through, you at least got a good chuckle!

29 weeks...11 to go!

72 days! We are anxiously waiting and watching as time goes by. Isn't it strange how we long for dates in the future, but then marvel as we look at the time that is now passing. We have much to do and much time we want to spend together. So we will continue to TRY and not wish away the days in excitement, but continue to enjoy the WHOLE process.
I think the hard part is work. I am ready to be done at work! And the countdown has really begun in my head for that. But, I know, that even that, I will miss.
So, I pray that God will help me to enjoy and be present in the PRESENT. May he help me to rest in him and rest in the now :)

Presently, this is what I look like:

I have gotten quite a few comments in the past week about how big I am starting to look. Sort of scares me to think that there are 11 weeks left.

My babycenter update this week said that Baby Boy Klump is growing RAPIDLY. I almost feel like I can feel him grow. I know that is not truly the case, but boy has he been moving and BOY, does my stomach just feel like it is streeeetching!

Week 29 was a pretty cool update. Here are some of the fun facts!
* He should be about 2 1/2 pounds (which I am pretty sure he is a bit over that) and he should be about 15 inches long
* This week he was compared to a butternut squash. So sad, because we actually had a butternut squash in the house when we took this picture. Why didn't I pose with it. (This is the first time that I have really related to the size of "fruit/veg" that they compared him to. It does seem like a butternut squash is just about right)
* His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature
* His head is getting bigger (not sure I like the idea of that) but it is important as this growth is caused by his developing brain
* His skeleton is hardening up and soaking up LOTS of calcium. (Good thing I am sitting here drinking a big glass of milk...not mentioning that I am only drinking it to wash down the pumpkin spice muffin with cream cheese icing that I am currently inhaling)
* He is much more active now. I hope that means he is turning and making his way "down". Last I knew he was breech (at week 28). Right now, I so wish I could tell what all the little hard parts that I feel every day when rubbing my belly are!)
(I guess when we have an appointment again in just a few weeks we will see if I need to start doing some hanging upside down or other exercises to get this little guy to flip!)


Some side notes:
-We are 95% sure we know which hospital we "plan" to deliver at. We should be getting an appointment set up with that doctor in the next week or so!
-I say "planning" because baby #3 from among my coworkers, came this past weekend. About three weeks early and SUPER SUPER fast. Its a fun story though. Sort of like the movies!!! In a way I think there was some good to it, but I am sort of hoping for not QUITE so dramatic!
-My wonderful friends, co-workers, and family here are going to be having a baby shower for me in just a few weekends. So, we are busy making lists and trying to determine the last bit of needs and wants!
-I have some fabrics for the nursery. I plan to start sewing soon!