our baby this week

We had a great weekend. It was the first in several weeks that A, Kevin didn't have to work, and B, we didn't have any major travel or social commitments. We spent a lot of time getting everything ready for baby Whitman. We made some returns of stuff we decided we didn't really need and stocked up on some other stuff. We also washed all of her blankets, bedding, towels and clothes and found places in the nursery for everything. We are very well-stocked on blankets, towels and 0-3 month clothing! Having it all ready to go makes her impending arrival seem so much more real and exciting! And I wrote all of my baby shower thank-yous. We also visited Doug, Sue and Gus at Christ Hospital. Gus is so cute, and it was great to celebrate such a happy event with them. Most of all, though, it was fun to just hang out with Kevin with no set agenda.

We have a busy week coming up. Wednesday we have a breastfeeding class, which I'm really looking forward to. (Another score: I got a free gently used breast pump from a girl I went to high school with and who works with my mom. Those things cost $200 to $300!) Thursday, we're having dinner at Bryn's. And Friday, we have two Fourth of July parties to attend. And here's what's going on with our little one this week:

Week 32
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

welcome, gus

Our friends Doug and Sue (who I just posted a picture of below) had their little boy two weeks early last night. They named him Gus Harper (so cute!), and he rang in at 6 pounds, 14.7 ounces, and 19.75 inches. We're going to meet him tomorrow--and get another chance to check out the hospital where we'll be delivering (we had a tour last Saturday). Congratulations to our dear friends!

our baby: 31 weeks

We had a doctor's appointment this week and all is well. He did all the usual stuff, including a quick internal exam, and said I'm right on track--and all baby, which you can see from the photos. My recent symptoms, which include gall bladder pain, the return of the rash on my stomach, and swelling of my hands and feet, are all normal and tolerable. I'll see him again in 2 weeks, then have another ultrasound 2 weeks after that to see how big she is. Here's what's going on this week--and a shower photo of me and my friend Sue who is due in just 2 weeks on my birthday (July 11th)!

Week 31
This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

shower number two

We had my Cincinnati baby shower at our house Sunday. Katie and Mom did such a great job with all of the food, decorations and games, and it was fun to have it at home so we could show off our nursery! We had about 20 guests who were all very generous with gifts for our little one. It was a nice mix of family and friends--Kevin's mom even made it down from Edgerton. And Kevin helped me open gifts again, which was so helpful for me and fun for him.
Some of the gift highlights for me:

The "diaper cake" that Katie made for us. You can see it in one of the many photos I've posted here--the diapers are brown because they're Seventh Generation chlorine-free dipes, so they're not bleached white. (I'm also still loving the cute cupcakes she ordered for the party!)

Two of my own baby outfits that Mom cleaned and wrapped up for me, including crocheted bibs and booties made by my great grandma Leola. I don't have photos of those but I'll take some later.

An authentic Chinese kimono that Dad bought for his first granddaughter back in 2004, the year Katie and I got married (there's a photo of us opening it).

And a sweet lavender bath towel set Gramma Candy made just for our little sweetie.

Needless to say, it was a fun day, and we're feeling very blessed!

our baby: 30 weeks

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

it's finally here!

If there is one thing that I have been obsessing over since we decided to have a baby, it is strollers. Blame it on my love for cars and anything that involves transportation and "gadgetry" but I couldn't help myself. Everywhere I go for the past two years, I've been looking at other people's strollers and infant carriers trying to decide which one is right for us. Well, I was very excited today when I came home to find the Chicco Cortina Travel System in the "Adventure" pattern. This is it. Our perfect travel system. Consumer Reports and Babies R Us agree, this is the one. And so do our friends, since we know of at least three other couples who have purchased the same one, in different color schemes.
Anyway, I think our baby is very excited about her new stroller and infant carrier...

our baby: 29 weeks

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

shower number one

This weekend we traveled to Edgerton to visit Kevin's family and for our first baby shower. Saturday was a relaxing day. We got to see Kurt's family and both of Kevin's grandmothers, and spent the day with his mom and dad. We had the shower Sunday. The cake, plates and napkins had a Kanga and Roo theme--very cute! The cake was delicious--layers of white cake with raspberry filling and white icing. There were also sweet little white chocolate, coin-shaped, pink candies with baby-related items molded into them. And Christy made yummy punch! We played a few games, which Casey, Chloe and Cayla facilitated. One thing they do at showers in Kevin's hometown that's different from our Cincinnati traditions is to give all the game prizes to the guest of honor. So I got lots of little--but important--baby items like bottle supplies, washcloths, hangers and burp cloths just from the games. Kevin helped me open presents. We got lots of great stuff and had fun oohing and ahhing over all the adorable baby clothes. Two of my favorites are the pink-and-white diaper bag tote that Kevin's mom made for me and the little pink armchair Kurt, Christy and the kids gave us (you can see it in the photos; it will be her "watch me grow" chair for those of you familiar with the early days of Katie Fanelli's blog). We'll also cherish the afghan Kevin's Grandma Whitman made for her (pink, green and white) and the silverware set from Grandma Engler. Kevin's mom has already started a scrapbook for the baby, which is awesome because I don't like to make scrapbooks, but I do love to look at them! We got home around 10:30 last night, so it was a full weekend. I took the day off to relax and catch up on some chores; Kevin had to work. Things are slowing down a bit for him, though, and we're really looking forward to our Cincinnati shower in two weeks!

test results

My gestational diabetes test was negative, but my iron was a little low, which is common at this point in pregnancy. My prenatal vitamin has moderate doses of iron, but isn't packed with high levels of it like some others, so I just have to take a low-dose iron supplement in addition to the vitamin. Happy news overall (I had no desire to take the 3-hour, fasting glucose tolerance test, but I don't mind popping an extra pill)!

doctor, doctor

I had my 28-week doctor's appointment today, along with my gestational diabetes test. The glucose drink that I had to take one hour before the blood draw wasn't nearly as disgusting as I feared (mine was orange flavored). In fact, it tasted kind of like one of those sugary little hugs drinks that come in the tiny plastic barrels. I should have the results back by Monday.

My size, weight and blood pressure are all on track, and the baby's heart rate was good (158). I have to see him in 3 more weeks, and he'll start doing internal exams then, which I'm not looking forward to, but I think will provide some helpful info since I'm always curious about everything. I asked if he could tell how she was laying, but he said she's probably still moving around a lot. I just feel her moving all the time on my right side of my abdomen, just below my ribs, and sometimes that spot gets really hard. It's a weird feeling.

I also met with a dermatologist last week, which was very uneventful. I was already taking Zyrtec per her suggestion, and that seems to have cleared the rash up almost completely. She said there's not much else I can do except moisturize and, should the rash flare back up in an extreme way, get a steroid injection. But it was good to establish a relationship with her in case anything else pops up since dermatologists are notoriously hard to get into.

So, all is well and I'm feeling good about traveling this weekend. And I'm getting very excited about my shower Sunday. I'll have lots to post about that next week!

our baby: 28 weeks

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.