Week 34 - And the Name Announcement!

Pregnancy Highlights for the Week

How Far Along: 34 weeks

Fruit/Veggie: A cantaloupe - 18 inches long head to toe and weighs 4.75 pounds.

Baby changes:  Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. You'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Best Moment this Week: Last Sunday our Sunday School/Bible Study group threw us a "storybook" themed shower.  Everyone was asked to bring a book for the little one, and it was really great to see the variety of books we got.  We have a place of honor to display them all in the nursery, and can't wait to read them all.  The shower was really great, and we feel really lucky to have found such a great church family.

We had a little bit of an adventure at last week's appointment.  The baby's heartbeat was going really fast, so they wanted to be sure that everything was okay and strapped me up to the heartbeat monitor, which tracks the heartbeat for a period of time.  Of course then her heartbeat was going really slow, so they gave my belly a little zap to wake her up and see how she responded.  Everything ended up being perfectly normal, but it made for a little excitement.  I guess we learned that there is no such thing as a normal boring appointment!

Gender: Sweet baby girl! We can officially announce the name now...Clara Jacqueline.  Jacqueline was my Dad's mother's name, and I am very excited that we were able to include her name and involve her in this new baby's life. 

Movement: She is still going strong, some days there are just little kicks and some days she seems more spastic.  

Food Cravings: Still the same, nothing too exciting.

What I Miss: Running, wine, being able to keep up when I walk with people, clothes fitting. 

Sleep: About the same, getting more uncomfortable and restless.

What I am looking forward to: We have two showers this weekend - one on Saturday thrown by my highschool friends' moms, and one on Sunday thrown by our college friends.  This little babe is loved!

We also have the next big appointment next Wednesday - we will get to do another ultrasound to see how she is positioned and the doctor will check to see how I'm progressing.  After this I start going every week - it's getting closer!

Symptoms: Still the same, getting really tired and slow and feeling huge :)

Peter "Cocktail" Shower

On July 23rd, my sister Kathy and sister-in-law Ashley hosted a Peter "Cocktail" shower for me and Clint and our baby girl. 

The dress was cocktail of course, and there were both real cocktails and mocktails...it was really fun to be able to get dressed up and have a night of fancy fun.  We had family that was able to come in for the festivities from all over the state, and it was really good to see everyone and be able to celebrate this exciting time.  And Kathy and Ashley of course outdid themselves with the food and decor. 

We couldn't be more lucky to have this support system around us, and I have a feeling that our little girl is going to be just a little bit spoiled...I mean loved... for the rest of her life!

The fabulous food

Beautiful cake

All of the goodies for Baby Girl Pasche

Hostesses with the mostest on the ends, with Pam in the middle - she brought them the adorable aprons, which made them look very "Mad Men"

Adorable diaper cake, and nail polish guest favors

Mom and Dad to be

Week 33

Pregnancy Highlights for the Week

How Far Along: 33 weeks

Fruit/Veggie: A pineapple - 17 inches long head to toe and weighs 4 pounds.

Baby changes:  She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Your baby continues to develop regular sleep-wake cycles now. So you might notice, for example, that she's very calm during your commute to work but kicks up a storm as you tune in to the nightly news. When your baby slumbers, she'll close her eyes (they're pretty sensitive to light these days) and she may even start to dream in a few weeks' time! But when your baby's up and at 'em, be prepared for some powerful kicks. You might be feeling them in a new place now -- your ribcage (just below your breasts). And wow, can they be sharp sometimes! But on the bright side, these movements are probably a sign that your baby's head-down, perfectly poised for her big birthday entrance. If she's not facing south just yet, don't worry -- your baby still has a few weeks to turn around. If she doesn't, and remains in what's called a breech position (when the baby's buttock or feet are pointed toward the birth canal), your doctor can try to steer her the right way, or else you might need a C-section to make sure she's delivered safe and sound.

Best Moment this Week: We spent last weekend running errands and getting stuff done around the house.  The nursery is really coming along and is looking cute.  My goal was to have everything done by a month out, and I think I might come pretty close. 

Gender: Sweet baby girl! I think we have decided on a name and have just started letting the families know, so maybe we will officially announce it next week.

Movement: She's still pretty active, but I think she's slowing down some.  And I definitely think that she's either big enough now to be in my ribs or has changed positions.  Sometimes when I'm sitting, especially getting in the car, I realize I can't really sit up straight without feeling pinched.  Hopefully that means that she is head down and ready to go!
Food Cravings: Still the same, nothing too exciting.

What I Miss: Running, wine, being able to keep up when I walk with people, clothes fitting. 

Sleep: About the same, getting more uncomfortable and restless.

What I am looking forward to: This weekend we are having a shower after church thrown by our Bible Study group.  We are really fortunate to have this group of friends and it should be fun to celebrate with them.

Symptoms: Still the same, getting really tired and slow and feeling huge :)

Thoughts from Clint - Baby Classes!!

Holy smokes, we went to our first “birthing class” last Sunday.  It’s the one with “the video”.  If you do not know what “the video” is, you have not been to a proper birthing class.

It was a good experience, I am glad we did it – and I am glad Melissa is my wife, because there is no way I could have sat through that class and not laughed a lot.  Imagine a classroom with 15 pregnant women and their ‘partners’, all walking in with their 2 pillows as requested in the confirmation email.  Some of the women having 'birthing binders' complete with their 'birth plans' - a little too intense for me.

The walls were filled with several intimidating diagrams and photos of things that should not be photographed.  And then on the front table is this giant knit-stocking cap with something inside of it – here is a photo of one I found on the internet…

 The instructor squeezed it (mimicking a uterus) and of course, a baby starting popping out.  So here came the baby doll, complete with umbilical cord and yes, after a bit more squeezing, out came the placenta.  Holy smokes – that was a revelation!

It was all typical stuff, I guess – but then they had us doing breathing and relaxation exercises.  I guess I am just too goofy for that to work.  Fortunately, Melissa has a great sense of humor.   We all got mats, and took the pillows we brought and spread out across the floor.  The instructor turned off the lights and turned up the Yanni music.  We first learned a lower back massage technique, my wife, of course, does not like massages…  Highlight though were the ‘pelvic tilts’.  Basically you get on all fours and arch your back – they suggested you do this 3 times per day, 20 reps each.  As Yanni inspired us, Melissa got to tilt #3 looked at me and said, “This is stupid, I am getting an epidural.”  Awesome.

We also went to a breastfeeding class – pretty amazing stuff.  It is truly remarkable how this all works and how the mother’s body can provide exactly what the baby needs.  Nothing really funny in class except for when we walked in, we saw this:

You’ll notice that there are 12 baby dolls and to keep it PC, there are 2 different races represented.  In our class, there were 11 white couples and 1 African-American, and 7 white dolls and 5 black dolls.  They sent us to a break and told us to grab a doll on our way back in.  Let’s just say we were white couple #7 – not an important deal, but of course we giggled a little bit as the other couples walked in and didn't have a choice...

That’s about it – we’ve had a great time pulling the nursery together – it’s just about ready.  Just need to settle on a name and wait out 7 more weeks and it’s baby time!

Week 32

Pregnancy Highlights for the Week

How Far Along: 32 weeks

Fruit/Veggie: A large jicama - 16.7 inches long head to toe and weighs almost 3.75 pounds.

Baby changes:  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.
Best Moment this Week: Our first shower!  Kathy and Ashley threw a fantastic shower on Saturday.  We got a lot of great things and cute clothes - we are definitely very lucky to have such supportive family and friends!

Gender: Sweet baby girl! Still working on a name, but I think we are really close.

Movement: She's still active, hasn't run out of space yet.  I try really hard to guess if I'm being kicked or punched, and which way she is positioned, but I have no idea.

Food Cravings: Still the same, nothing too exciting.

What I Miss: Running, wine, being able to keep up when I walk with people, clothes fitting.  I've started outgrowing some of my early maternity shirts...that can't be a good sign :)

Sleep: About the same.

What I am looking forward to: We have another pretty unplanned weekend coming up, so hopefully we will get some more work done on the nursery and rest of the house.  August is going to be really busy so I will definitely enjoy having a weekend that isn't too crazy. 

Symptoms: Pretty good, starting to get a little more uncomfortable by the end of each day.  The heartburn has started to kick in some days, and I'm back to being pretty tired most of the time.  But all things considered, I really can't complain. 

Week 31

Pregnancy Highlights for the Week

How Far Along: 31 weeks

Fruit/Veggie: 4 naval oranges - 16 inches long head to toe and weighs almost 3.3 pounds.

Baby changes: Baby is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She'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.

Best Moment this Week: We had a pretty low-key week, but did some work on the nursery.

Gender: Sweet baby girl! Still working on a name.

Movement: She's still active, hasn't run out of space yet.

Food Cravings: Still the same, nothing too exciting.

What I Miss: Running, wine, being able to keep up when I walk with people, clothes fitting.

Sleep: About the same.

What I am looking forward to: Our first baby shower is this weekend!  Can't wait to see everyone there.

Symptoms: Pretty good, starting to get a little more uncomfortable by the end of each day.

Week 30

Pregnancy Highlights for the Week


How Far Along: 30 weeks

Fruit/Veggie: A head of cabbage - 15.7 inches long head to toe and weighs almost 3 pounds.

Baby changes: 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.)

As baby's skin smoothes out, her brain just keeps getting more wrinkled. All those grooves and indentations increase surface area, meaning more room for that oh-so-essential brain tissue. She's also adding some brawn -- her grip is now strong enough to grasp a finger.

Best Moment this Week: I spent the weekend with most of the women in Clint's mom's family - ages 27 to 82.  It's always a fun time, and although I'm a little slower than normal I think I kept up pretty well.  We also had an appointment last week - everything looks good and is right on track. 

Gender: Sweet baby girl! Still working on a name.

Movement: She's still moving around a lot, the nurse had to chase her a little with the machine they use to pick up the heartbeat last week.

Food Cravings: Still the same, nothing too exciting.

What I Miss: Running, wine, being able to keep up when I walk with people, clothes fitting.

Sleep: About the same.

What I am looking forward to: Not much going on this week, which is a good thing.

Symptoms: Same as before, just getting a little more slow and tired.  But really, I feel good and think that I've had a great pregnancy so far!