The Watermelon Crawl

Technically, this update is a day early, but it's been awhile since I've posted. Plus, we are really only hours away from 39 weeks. At 39 weeks, Jude is abot the size of a mini watermelon. At 39 weeks, the mom to be is definitely doing the watermelon crawl or waddle, depending on your perspective. Some of this weeks highlights include the continuation of adding fat to help regulate temperature and being approximately 20 inches long. Based on my calculations from the last sonogram, he weighs about 7 lbs 7oz.

I'm continuing to feel the pressure from him dropping more and more. I actually have people regularly commenting on just how low he looks. It's pretty obvious. As I sit here to type, it literally feels like I'm balancing a watermelon in my lap. Personnally, it just feels like he is about to come out.

Every day it hits me more and more that today could be "The Day" we meet him. My bags are packed and so are Jude's. We've bought snacks. We have the car seat in the car, although I have yet to read the manual to figure out how to install the thing. We're getting there. It's crazy not knowing when he's going to come. Every time I get any sort of contractions I start really paying attention in case 'this is it'. I'm caught in the middle though of wanting to finish as much school as I can and also just being ready to leave. Personnally, I'm betting on sometime between now and Monday. Michael says Thursday. I go to the doctor this afternoon. We'll see what she says...

For now, we are just caught in the waiting game wondering when our lives will really truly change. In the meantime, Michael and I are trying to spend as much time together as possible before our time together is a little more stretched thin. Be praying for our little family. We desperately want a safe and healthy delivery and baby.

38 weeks and a leek

Jude is now 38 weeks now. We are really and truly in the waiting stage. At this point he is about the size of a leak. Inside, he's really starting to plump up. Most likely he weighs about 7 lbs. Again, this is going off his last sonogram when he weighed 6 lbs and 1 oz. Babies gain approximately and ounce a day from that point. Given that information, he should be about 7 lbs. This is a little bigger than the average which is 6 lbs 8oz for this point in pregnancy. At 38 weeks, he has a firm grasp which will be fun for us when he's born! He also has fully mature organs and is ready for life on the outside. From this point forward it is really just a time of waiting to see when we will actually pop. As I said yesterday, I probably have at least another week left before I go.

Michael's mom gave me his birth stats a couple days ago. He too was born with a full head of hair! Also he weighed 8 lbs 8 oz. According to her our babies should fall somewhere in the middle of our 2 birth weights. I was 7 lbs 14 oz. I'm guessing that Jude will be 8 lbs 3-4 oz based off of that. Given his ounce a day statistic from this point, he should be 7 lbs 7oz by week 39 and 7 lbs 14 oz by his due date. That's exactly what I was. We'll see. Of course, some of this depends on when he actually comes. While I get braxton hicks contractions a little more each day, it is still nothing to make me expect labor to be around the corner. I have a feeling it will be a long wait...

My goal this week is to get things ready for the hospital. For those of you out there that have had babies, please comment with any advice on packing. I'm the worst packer in the world and truly will find this ardent task overwhelming. Help is appreciated!

37 weeks

Congratulations are due to Michael, Jude, and I because we have officially reached full term status! That means Jude can come at any time and he will be perfectly ready to function in this world. What a wonderful feeling! This will sound totally moronic, but he's a legit baby now. Based on our last sonogram, he is probably about 6 lbs 10 oz at this point, assuming he's gaining an ounce a day. He's getting pretty big! By this time next week, he will likely have hit the 7 lb mark. Length wise, he should be about 19 inches which approximately the length of swiss chard which our lovely picture portrays.

Michael and I are really getting ready for the big day now. We officially have the car seat, so we are free to take him home with us. I also have the basic essentials of bath wash, lotion, diapers, wipes, etc. Someday soon, I want us to go on a 'date' to find that first coming home outfit. This will be the first outfit we will be buying him together, and I'm really excited about it. Of course, when I mentioned this to Michael he said "An outfit? Can't we just bring him home in a white onesie?" Hah, great idea hun.

As the mom, I am hanging in there. Feet are huge and I'm generally miserable, but I'm still kicking it. I have parent conferences this week, so I'm just trying to make it through that. I'm spending all Tuesday working on sub plans. I figure come this Friday I should be comfortable with whenever Jude decides to come. I'll be 38 weeks at that point. That being said, I would just like to point out that they doctor still does not anticipate him coming until I'm 40 weeks. Truth be told I hope she's right, although I am getting really miserable and there just really isn't any more room for him to grow. He's taken up all available real estate.

On a funnier note, I had a school shower on Thursday with my Lee family. They had all this little toy decorations on the cake which they gave me and are now sitting on my desk. Friday morning my kids were fascinated by these. I explained to them that they were from my baby shower cake. One of my boys said, "You had your baby last night?!" I asked him if he thought I looked like I'd had the baby yet. Obviously he said no. What a bunch of nuts....

I also had a couple little girls whispering about me during my morning duty time. One little girl was going on about how she feels so bad for me. The other little girl didn't get it and asked why. The first little girl was like "she is going to be in soooo much pain!" Don't know how she knew childbirth was painful already....

That's all for now. Check back often- you never know when we'll PoP!!!

36 weeks aka 9 months!

We are now in our 9th month as of yesterday. The journey is really and truly ending. Jude will be considered full term by Friday, which is both crazy exciting and scary. I can't believe it sometimes. The fruit of the week is a crenshaw melon so should you see one in your neighborhood Kroger, think of Jude (and me with that inside rolling about). At this point in pregnancy, Jude should be gaining an ounce a day. Given that statistic and that he weighed 6.1 on Thursday, he is probably about 6lbs 3 oz today. Always gaining. Interestingly enough, I swear I can feel him growing within. Each day everything inside me feels more and more cramped. I honestly do not know where else he can possibly go. I'm sure he is just as miserable being cramped inside. Anyway, he should be able 18.5 inches long at this point. They didn't tell me a length at the sono, so I have to use my weekly updates to guestimate. He is actually measuring a little bit bigger than the updates suggest (by 3 oz.), so he may be a tad longer as well. Not too much is interesting at this point. Just gaining weight. He's shedding the covering he's needed while inside the amniotic fluid. It also says he should be in the head down position at this point. He was head down during the sono, so I assume we are good with this. I'm not sure whether to assume he will stay in that position or will flip around at some point. By the way they describe it, he must stay head down from this point. Honestly, I don't know how he could find the space to do too much moving really. Luckily, I guess I don't have to worry about a breech baby, atleast not at this point. Overall, we are just waiting and preparing for the big day. While the dr seems to think there is no indication he will come early, for all practical purposes, Jude could come any day now. I'm not really ready for him though, so I hope not! Still have several things to do. Keep praying for us!

My Little Honey Dew- 35 weeks

We are in the last week of the 8th month meaning we only have 5 more to go. Or 35 days, depending on how you want to look at it. I think it seems a whole lot sooner when you think about it in terms of days. Regardless, we are getting very, very close. Even though Jude still has a little bit of growing to do, at the end of the day, I feel like he could come at any minute.

Here's the breakdown for week 35:

* 18 inches

* 5.25 lbs (he gains a lb a week fyi)

* fully developed kidneys

* mostly functioning liver

* most physical development complete

How mom's feeling:

* Tired! I cannot describe how hard it is to get up and do anything. I am so stinking amazed with myself for working everyday. I'm a little stressed though with all that we need to get in place with housing, subplans, nursery, etc.

* Waddling horrifically.

* Discovered that the annoying pain on my right rib was actually Jude who apparently has a favorite spot, which is most uncomfortable for me. The doctor told me I could try to move him, but I would just feel bad for him. I think that's a mom attitude right?

* Back pain also horrible. Thank goodness for my amazing husband who is will to give me a massage at night.

* Feet swelling has reached gargantuan proportions. I have approximately 2 pairs of shoes I can wear now. I can assure you none of them are my cute shoes. Luckily Michael is willing to rub those after my long day too!

* Number of times I'm asked if I'm going to pop- 11,287. Today someone even told me I looked like I was dropping. Being unexperienced in pregnancy, I have no idea. It seems a little soon to me. One things for sure, I don't breathe easier. It will take the hand of God to convince Jude to not chill against my right rib. He's sleeping there as we speak. Spent all of my dinner playing around, then falls asleep inside my rib cage. Awesome.

* Number of positions per night in attempt to get comfortable- 479. How many are successful? 0

* Waking up in the morning is the worst. I feel like my entire body is completely locked up. At those moments it really does feel like the baby has dropped and everything is down at the bottom. Miserable.

My next appointment is Thurs am. We have our final sono, which I am soo soo excited about. She will also be checking to see if I've started dilating at all. Scary stuff, but it will be reassuring to know where I stand regardless of what she says. Only 2 more weeks until Jude will be considered full term. We can definitely make it until then! Just hope we make it longer so that we can get our things done.

Please be praying for us with everything going on. I have so much to finish with school. We should be closing on this house in the next 2 weeks, so please pray that there are no more issues with that as well. Thanks!

Week 34

We are now in week 34, which means our due date is a whole whopping 6 weeks away. Really, really getting here fast. If I had a dollar for every time someone said "You're all baby" or "I don't think your going to make it much longer" or similar phrases, our upcoming hospital bills would be paid in full. (For the record, I don't mind people commenting on my clearly growing size. It's just reality, and it's for a great cause!)

Jude is now the size of your average cantaloupe, and honestly, I probably look as though I'm carrying a cantaloupe inside. He weighs 4.75 pounds and is 18 inches long. This blows my mind. I can't imagine growing at this rate-inches and half pounds a week. Goodness. Again, he's continuing to add fat layers which will smooth out his skin and appearance, although the true function is for body temperature. His central nervous system and lungs are also continuing to mature.

Awesome news in week 34- babies born at this point usually do fine. Generally, they just have a short stay in NICU and at most some short term health problems. Notice the short term. Every time I get one of these weekly updates that further reassures me Jude should survive from this point forward just fine, I breathe a little easier. With the way my body feels completely worn out with every muscle sore and tight, it's nice to know he'll be ok. Physically, I feel like he could come anytime. I think that's just being a working woman still.

Regardless, 6 weeks to go!

7 weeks to go!

We are 33 weeks Ladies and Gents with a lucky number of 7 to go. The anticipation is building as we get ever so close, although with the craziness of us buying a house in short sale (and our realtor failing to tell us how long it takes) we have a lot of apprehension as well. Please keep praying!

Week 33 is the week of the pineapple, which honestly makes me crave pineapple. Is anyone else as obsessed with fresh pineapple as I am? Yum. Our big boy is now over 4 pounds and 17 inches. Believe me, I FEEL like I am growing every day now. He's continuing to lose the alien fetus look, thank goodness. Although, when I think about childbirth, Jude being a cute, pudgy baby doesn't seem necessary. I'd love for him to hold out on that look until AFTER he is born. His skeleton is continuing to harden more and more, which is also good as we approach the birth day. I'm thinking its probably a good thing I feel this need to drink milk for breakfast and lunch...

7 weeks to go!

PS- Michael is almost done photoshopping my official unofficial belly shots. Those will be posted soon. Try not to judge me by how fat I look. It's about commemorating the experience...

32 weeks and a large jicama

So holy cow, we are 8 months pregnant! This ride has yet to slow down it seems. Jude is now 3.75 pounds and 16.7 inches long, or so. He is roughly the size of a large jicama. (I, for one, am not sure I have ever seen one of these.) I should be gaining a pound a week nowadays, half of which will go to Jude as he starts fattening up. He also now has fingernails, toenails, and adorable little peach fuzz hair. The real question now is will he be born with rock star hair like his daddy?

Other news, I started back to school this week officially, and I am feeling every bit of the 32 weeks and 35 lbs that I've gained. (Yes, I know 35 sounds like a lot, but my mom gained 50 each time so back off!) By the end of the day, I am fairly exhausted as expected. My feet our huge, as also expected. I love my new kids. Second graders are sooo much funnier than 3rd graders. My goal is to write more of this stuff down. I've already forgotten some of their funny pregnancy quotes. However, one of them gave me the quote of the century. Every year, I tell the kids a little about me. This year I was telling them about how I'm going to have a baby. As soon as I said that, this one little boy, Allen, says "So that's why you're so fat!!!" Then proceeds to have this look of relief wash over him. Apparently he was gravely concerned about my concentrated weight. Hilarious!

I had a doctor's appointment this week. Everything seems to be going well. She thinks everything looks good. The heartbeat was 153. (Heartbeats are supposed to be between 120-160 fyi). Jude's was a little bit higher than his normally is because I had just eaten a cookie- ha! She also noticed my fat feet and is suggesting that I get prescription stockings. As if it's not enough I was already suffering from being self conscious about my fat belly, I have to add prescription stockings to my sexy ensemble? Really!? Not excited. Don't expect a picture of THOSE to come anytime soon.... I still haven't dropped that prescription off...

FYI Michael took maternity pics of me in a field (that left us both with chigger bites). Those will get posted sometime this week as soon as he gets done photoshopping them.

8 weeks to go!

31 weeks- 4 navel oranges

We have made it to 31 weeks!!! Unfortunately, there is no fruit to adequately describe Jude this week, so he's four navel oranges. I guess that's one orange for each limb? He is now about 16 inches long and weighs 3.3 pounds. These days, I feel every inch and pound quite clearly!

Most exciting news this week- We are heading into a growth spurt ladies and gents! What a way to jump start the new school year! Perhaps I should do a measurement lesson where the kids and I measure the bump every day and compare. Yikes.

Basically, Jude is going to start plumping out as he gets more fat. This is awesome because it means he's really starting to look like a cute little baby. Everything seems good so far. They say that active babies are healthy babies, and Jude definitely is active! I have a Dr's appt Monday. Hopefully, I will learn even more about his progress then.

9 weeks to go!!!!

30 weeks - Cabbage Patch Kid

We have officially crossed another milestone in Jude's birth journey. We are now in the 30 week homestretch. I don't know about you, but for some reason 30 weeks sounds so much farther along than 28 or 29. I can't believe how fast this is going by! Here are some interesting facts about week 30:

* He weighs at least 3 lbs now- about like a cabbage.

* He is about 15.7 inches long.

* His eyesight is strengthening, although when he's born he will really only be able to focus on things close to him.

Mommy news at week 30:

* I will be feeling clumsier as my center of gravity changes. Heels might be out of the question :/

* Mood swings return. Poor Michael :(

Most exciting part about this- a REAL countdown can begin. 10 weeks to go!

The Scoop- Butternut Squash Baby

Here is some info on what is going on with Jude this week: Week 29

He weighs about 2.5 lbs, which is about the same as a butternut squash. He is over 15 inches long. His head is getting bigger because his brain is growing. Yay! His muscles and lungs are also continuing to mature and get ready for their entrance in to the world. He's getting more active now... Finally, his bones are getting harder which means mom needs to be drinking more milk! Do you think ice cream counts?

Welcome to the End

We are officially in our third trimester as of Friday! Unbelievable! At week 28, Jude is almost 15 inches long and weighs over 2.25 lbs! He can blink and he has eyelashes. He's also beginning to put on more baby fat. Luckily, as the mom, that means I can look forward to gaining more weight too! My favorite.

Speaking of weight, one of my friends came to church with me today and actually said she noticed a weight increase. We hung out 2-3 weeks ago and apparently there is a noticeable difference. Sweet. My mom also said the same thing this weekend when she was up helping us move. Yay to getting the homestretch started with a bang!

For those who are keeping up, please be praying for Jude as he finishes up developing, for me as I start back to school soon with all this extra weight, and for our family as we are trying to trust God to help us find the right house SOON!

The Scoop- wk 27

We are in the last week of our 2nd trimester. Week 27. You would think 9 months would be a really long time, but it feels like this whole pregnancy has flown by! Now we get to the scary part- 3 months and we have to jump right in! Very exciting, but very scary at the same time. The awesome thing about having made it this far is that Jude's lungs can officially function with help. Basically, if something happened and we went in to premature labor, he would be able to survive with help. That's such a huge relief. Luckily though, everything has gone really well so far. The sonograms, heart rates, and my weight gain have been right on target.

By the time you get to week 27, you start to feel like you're "getting to know him". We know that he will punch and kick if you disturb his sleeping. We know he doesn't like the doctors and nurses prodding around my stomach looking for him. We know that without fail, he will wake up when I want to go to sleep. We know when he's up, he's going to play hard and when he wants to sleep, he's out. And we haven't even met him yet. It's amazing how much you can tell just from pregnancy.