Los Richardsons Family Blog!

8 months

2011-12-02T15:00:00.000-08:00

This Month:

Language. babbling all day long he says dada randomly. He has a very raspy voice and love to make it deeper

Motor Skills. Is crawling 11/30/11, Just barely made in the 8th month. He is also really developing his fine motor skills his pincher grasp is mastered, and his aim to mouth is getting much better.

Focus. Love to sit and watch his sister play and loves watching tv.

Sleep. still going great had a lapse at the ball and when he got sick, Most night are great but there are still the random mights that he wakes up 2-3 times.

Teeth. still just two.

Growing Up. still constipated by solids but I think I finally figured out how much prunes to give him. He definitely loves food especially yogurt,yogurt bites, puffs, rice

Week 31:

Week 32:

week 33:

week 34:

This month in pictures:

7 months

2011-11-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

This Month:

Language. Lots and lots of babbling, Saying dada all day long

Motor Skills. Sits up with no assistance and can even catch himself if he starts to tip. He can also pull himself up from sitting to his knees. When on his belly he can kinda lift his legs up to crawling position. he scoots and rolls all over the place.

Growing up. Food is now becoming a big part of his diet we have now added the following : peas,ham, Chicken, turkey, apple, sweet potate, blueberry. He has also started finger food, he has had yogurt bites and puff cereal.

Focus. Loves to stare smile and laugh. doe not like it when mommy leaves the room

Sleep. sleep training heaven, sleeping really great at night and naps are starting to get more consistent.

Teeth. October 11 bottom left

Week 27:

Week 28:

week 29:

week 30:

This month in pictures:

2 years old

2011-10-22T14:23:00.000-07:00

Katelyn,

On your second birthday I want you to know that I love you more than I ever knew possible. You make everyday amazing, joyful and fun. You are an absolute Joy and I cannot thank God Enough for allowing me to be your mommy.

Baby girl you are growing up way too fast. Please slow down. I feel like I don't have enough time to soak in all your cuteness and love. You are becoming an amazing little lady, always polite and always happy. There is not an ounce of meanness in your body, even when you are sick, angry, mad you are still so sweet and joyful. This year your personality has really blossomed and you are so sweet, caring, loving and funny. You have truly amazed me.

At the tender age of two there are many things you love but nothing as much as singing and dancing. You love, Love , Love to sing and dance. Your favorite songs are "somewhere over the rainbow" and "i'm yours" but your happy as long as any song is playing. it so sweet to hear you singing in the back seat you know most of the lyrics to about 15-20 songs which is amazing to me. You love to sing and dance to all the songs on your NickJr cartoons. I've taken many videos that hopefully one day will not embarrass you too much. I'm really glad you inherited our love to music.

You absolutely adore your baby brother and have been amazing with him since the day he was born. You are very caring and gentle with him and you always make sure that he is happy. You always drop what you are doing when he cries to try and help make him happy either by ticking him or handing him one of his toys. I love watching you love him. You started off calling him ET and he has since graduated to baby brother or EEtan. I hope your love and patience for him never faids.

You love being outdoors, swimming and playing with your friends. You are quite the independent little girl and have no problem leaving me to play. But you are always happy to see me come back. You are great at playing by yourself and your imagination is starting to really explore new things. its amazing to watch your imagination grow. You've began testing the waters with small things, to see what you can get away with. Like calling me MOM instead of Mommy, sorry baby girl you are not allowed to call me mom for a very long time, i am not ready for that.

You love to do arts and crafts. We paint, color glue, chalk ever week and you always want more. You love Bubble and spray bottles. You love to help mamma cook and your favorite thing to eat is Peenie butter sanwich. In the last year you've become a little bit of a picky eater but I know it a phase and we're working through it. You are afraid of Men, loud noises like the vacuums and trash truck.

I want you to always remember that I love you and will always be here for you!

Happy 2nd Birthday baby Girl.

Love,

Mommy

6 Months

2011-10-02T16:46:00.000-07:00

This Month:

Language. Dada sept 15

Motor Skills. Sits up Completely Unassisted

Focus. loves his sister he will just sit and laugh with katelyn, he is starting to enjoy toys more also.

Sleep. Longer stretches for nap time. working on getting him out of the swing and directly into the crib, has graduated out of the swing and sleep training has begun in full force. He how "sleeps through the night" by medical standards. Waking up only once maybe twice to nurse.
Teeth. September 29th bottom right
Week 22:

Week 23:

week 24:

week 25:

week 26: No Picture this week

This month in pictures:

5 Months

2011-09-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

This Month:

Language. Lots of talking, laughing, Babbling, he has a very expressive mouth and loves to make random noises

Motor Skills. Loves to grab things and play in his jumper of neglect He can also roll from front to back. He's almost got back to front but still cant figure out out to do with his shoulder.

Focus. He LOVES his big sister and will smile and laugh when ever she approaches him.

Sleep. Sleep training has begun 8/11 day one nap 1 successful after that questionalble. And I gave up after a few days. we'll try again next month. Night time sleep has gone down hill. He wakes up all the time which is frustrating I'm sure its teething and or growth spurts but let hope this passes soon.

Week 18:

Week 19:

week 20:

week 21:

This month in pictures:

4 Months

2011-08-02T15:04:00.000-07:00

This Month:

Language. He is babbling cooing and laughing all over the place.

Motor Skills. He is really starting to get a grasp on his hand he can grab items and bring them in the direction of his mouth, sometimes he makes it sometimes he doesn't. He is also staring to try and roll. He can get leg over but cant figure out what to do with his shoulder. Oh yeah he has found his thumb and he loves it.
Focus. he loves is sister and will spend hours laughing and looking at her. he is also very focused on his Sofie
Sleep. Its taken a small down turn but is still great. he Naps 3 times a day and is now going down at 7, he'll sleep till midnight then 3 and then 6.

Week 13:
No picture this week :(

First night in crib 7/4/11
Week 14:

week 15:

week 16:

week 17:

This month in pictures:

3 Months

2011-07-02T21:04:00.000-07:00

This Month:

Language. Lots of Talking, laughing and grunting
Motor Skills. Can grab things and pull them to his mouth, is trying so hard to flip over can sit up in his bumbo seat
Focus. He loves to stare at things and will follow me with his eyes as I move
Sleep. he is a great sleeper goes down at 7;30-8 and sleeps till 2ish wakes up once more around 5 or six. Naps are still in his swing or on the go. but I'm working on transitioning him to his crib.

Week 9:

Lots of smiles

lots of talking

awake and happy times

Week 10:

week 11:

week 12:

This month in pictures:

2 Months old

2011-06-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

This Month:

Language. No talking yet just lots of grunting and complaining. Can't wait to hear the coo's.
Motor Skills. None :) he can kinda lift his head.
Focus. He loves lights and faces.
Sleep. Sleep has been variable, Overall he's been a good sleeper once my milk came in. The couple of days that we struggled was because he was gassy. Once we figured that out things went a lot smoother.

Week 5:

houdini w swaddler
moves at night
Starting to get into sleep pattern

Week 6:

Sleep is still good
lots of smiles
starting to coo and grunt

week 7:
coos and laughter
lots of smiles
sleep good but schedule is varriable

week 8:

Sleep is still good
lots of smiles

lots of

coo and grunt

Starting to loose newborn cry

This month in pictures:

1 Month Old

2011-05-02T01:41:00.000-07:00

This Month:

Language. No talking yet just lots of grunting and complaining. Can't wait to ear the coo's.
Motor Skills. None :) he can kinda lift his head.
Focus. He loves lights and faces.
Sleep. Sleep has been variable, Overall he's been a good sleeper once my milk came in. The couple of days that we struggled was because he was gassy. Once we figured that out things went a lot smoother.

Week 1:

Our first week has been a roller coaster, first he had a rough time with his circumcision, combine that with my milk not being in, made for a fussy baby. He did get some relief because his blood sugar was low he had to get a bottle of formula, I was not happy about this but felt that I had no choice, I did object to a bottle though they had to give it to him via tube.

Week 2:

Once my milk came in its been pretty smooth sailing, he is a great sleeper and a great nurser. He is a really strong boy he loves lifting his head

We had a couple of scares this week first, his bely button stump fell off already, way too early, and it had a weird smell so we went to go see the dr. she put some stuff on it to seal it off and gave me care instructions. The second scare was a heat rash. We weren't sure what it was so off we went to the dr. Luckily if wasn't anything more serious. Last think isn't really a scare but had us worried if that he is not pooping the recommended amount but when he does poop its massive

week 3:

I have truly blessed Ethan has been going a 4-6 hour stretch of sleep and then every 1-3 hours after, he
doesn't sleep as much during the day unless in sling but as long as night sleep is good I can't complain. He is still
nursing like a champ and is
10lbs now.

week 4:

This week has had its up's and downs he had some
gas issues fixed by little tummy's, and because of the gas his sleep has been unpredictable. but on a brighter note on
4/25/11 he gave me his first real smile.

This month in pictures:

He's Here!

2011-04-02T12:11:00.000-07:00

Ethan Paul Richardson

April 2, 2011 @ 12:11pm

30 hours after water broke

18 hours after contractions started

2 hours of pushing

My due date had always been up in the air, but for some reason I always felt it was going to be April 1^st. It's what I told everyone. So when I woke up early Friday morning I thought I had wet my pants, I was in disbelief. There is no way I was actually going to have Ethan on his due date! Plus, it was never a big gush like I thought it would be. It was more a series of small gushes. I brushed it off thinking I had just wet my pants, but when I got up for the day and it happened again I began to think it might be my water. I had to ask Paul if it smelled like urine to him and thought it smelled sweet. Holy crap I thought, it might just actually be broken.

After Paul confirmed that I had not peed my pants I decided to call Sherrie, my doula, and my mom just to give them the heads up. Sherrie was on her way to Disneyland and asked if she should not go. I told her to go ahead and go, as contractions had not started and I would call her if anything changed. My mom also asked if she should head over, I told her not yet.

I decided it might be a good idea to get adjusted to make sure my hips were ready. I hurt them pretty badly on Tuesday, to the point that I had to use a walker to get around. After the adjustment, we started calling around to see if anyone could watch Katelyn so we could go to my 40 week appointment, but no one was available. So she came along for the appointment. The whole way there I was debating if I should tell the Dr. my water had broken. We decided to play it by ear. We didn’t want to be put on the clock.

We arrived for my Dr. appointment a little late; we wanted to have the truck packed in case she wanted me admitted or if anything changed and need to be admitted. When they took my blood pressure it was high and there were trace amounts of protein in my urine. My weight was up to 192, a big jump from the week before and my legs, ankles, and feet were really swollen. She wanted me to go to Labor and Delivery to have my blood drawn to rule out Pre-Eclampsia. She also did a pelvic exam and said I was 1-2cm dilated, 50% effaced, -2 station and super soft and squishy. As soon as the exam was complete a gush of fluid came out. She thought she had broken my water and started apologizing, saying she didn’t mean to do it. At that point she said I really needed to go to Labor and Delivery. We told her we needed to go home and drop off Katelyn and pick up our bags. She said no problem.

The drive home was a little weird; we were going to meet Ethan in the next day or two. We were nervously excited. We decided to go get squishies at the same 7/11, it’s a family tradition. I got one the day we got married, and another one the day Katelyn was born, so we figured it would be appropriate to get one on Ethan’s possible arrival date. While on our way we thought it might also be a good idea to go get a pre-marathon dinner. I called Jennifer Angell and Sherrie to ask their opinion as to what I should eat, and they both suggested steak and potatoes, so off we went to Lazy Dog to have dinner.

We got home at about 5:45pm and my mom was already there. During the drive home contractions started, they were about 10-15 minutes apart and lasting about 60sec. We packed up some final Items and headed off to the hospital. I called Sherrie on the way to the hospital and let her know we were on our way and would call her when we were ready for her.

We got to the hospital at about 7pm and began our check in with nurse Angela. Luckily, since my water had broken, we got to go straight into a room and skip triage. We were told the Dr. Koperk was on call that evening, which I was not thrilled about but there is nothing I could do. At around 8pm he came in to do an ultrasound to confirm position, and he was still head down. But it was at this point that I realized I really did not want him to deliver Ethan. He immediately started with the negativity. He talked to me about his blood pressure concerns, told me if it was pre-eclampsia that a VBAC was out of the question. I questioned his reasoning and he said we’ll see when the results come back from my blood draw. At this point contractions were at 6-9 minutes lasting 60-80 seconds. At about 10pm blood work came back and everything looked good.

I was still handling the waves very well and Paul was being amazing at helping me work through them. At 10:50pm Dr. K came in for a pelvic exam, I agreed, as I wanted to see what progress I had made since my Dr. Appointment. He was really rough and the exam hurt more than any contraction I had had. I was still at 1.5 cm Dilated but was now 100% effaced and he was now +2 station. Contractions were 6-7 min apart. I was disappointed that I had not progress in dilation but happy that I was 100% effaced.

I kept laboring with Paul’s help until about 1:30 at this point I was getting tired and really needed to focus to get through them. I told Paul it was time to call Sherrie. Things get a little hazy at this point. Sherrie got there and between the two of them helped me get through the waves, which were 3-4 minutes apart. Sometime around 3am we told Paul to take a nap so he could be refreshed when I needed him. While he was napping, Sherrie thought it might be a good idea to get checked again, and the nurse came in at around 6am. I was still at 1.5cm and 100% effaced but during the exam she was able to break up some scar tissue I had from my leep cone biopsy and quickly progressed to 3cm. I was devastated. She also told me that my bag of water had resealed and suggested that I have it rebroken. I agreed so she summoned the Dr.

I had to get my blood drawn yet again, and this was the one time I was vocal during my whole labor. The Lab tech came in and ignored Sherrie to give me a second as I was in the middle of a wave. He kept saying “good morning” thinking I was asleep. After the 3^rd time I finally told him to shut the eff up, I was in the middle of a contraction. He left me alone. Soon after the Dr. came in and broke my water. It was another painful exam. At around 7am Sherrie had to leave and was relieved by Cathy. Cathy and Paul convinced me to leave the rocking chair and try out the shower. I didn’t want to but I did. I spent what felt like 15 min in the shower; it was actually close to 2 hours. Paul and Cathy were amazing, showering me with warm water while I bounced on the ball. Finally, I'd had enough. At around 9am I gave up I said I needed an epidural, not because I couldn’t handle the waves, but because I was so sleepy, little did I know I was in trasition. Paul finally agreed with me after fighting very hard to do without it, he knew how important it was tome to be drug free. I got out of the shower and they started prepping me for the epidural.

While all this was going on, I suddenly had the urge to poop. Since I had just been checked 3 hours earlier no one thought anything of it but the nurse asked if she could check me just in case. I was 9.5cm! Holy crap! I went fron 1.5-9.5 in 3 hours. The room turned into a circus getting everything ready for delivery. At about 10am I started pushing with contractions, which was actually a relief because I got to sleep in between contractions. I pushed for about 2 hours, but it really didn’t feel like it was that long. And at 12:11 Ethan Paul was born and immediately put onto my chest.

Feeling the warm slimy baby was the best feeling in the world. I could not believe I had done it. I gave birth to my son! I held him on my chest for a couple of minutes, then they had to take him to the warmer since he was having a little bit of trouble breathing. But I was on cloud nine. As soon as they stabilized him, he was back on my chest while I delivered the placenta. Then they sewed me up for a 2^nd degree tear.

Everything was looking great until about ½ hour later, when I started to hemorrhage badly. They gave me Pitocin and Cytotec and did uterine massage until they were able to stop the bleeding. I think they said I lost about 1800cc of blood. Because of this fiasco our family time didn’t go quite as planned. Katelyn got to briefly meet Ethan, but then everyone had to leave so that they could stabilize me. It was so cute though Katelyn made the connection and pointed at him and said ET. The next day I had two blood transfusions.

40 weeks 3 days

2011-04-01T14:15:00.000-07:00

Waist Measurements: ???" at the belly button

Weigh in: 192lbs

Pregnancy Symptoms this Week:

Hurt my pubic symphysis
difficulty sleeping
menstrual like crampyiness

My Pregnancy Brain: Hurting my hips was really scary, I could not walk or move, I really feared going into labor.

Pregnancy Prep: Still trying to finish up the nursery.

Dr Visits: we're having a baby!
Belly Shot:

What the baby looks like this week: A bit over 20 inches long, your baby has continued to grow and may now weigh almost 8 pounds. As cozy as he is, your baby can't stay inside you forever.

40 weeks

2011-03-27T21:38:00.001-07:00

Waist Measurements: 48" at the belly button

Weigh in: 183lbs

Pregnancy Symptoms this Week:

tiredness
difficulty sleeping
menstrual like crampyiness
sharp pain under right breast
Hip pain

My Pregnancy Brain: is she here yet?

Pregnancy Prep: Still trying to finish up the nursery.

Dr Visits: yep just my weekly visit. Noting new

Belly Shot:

What the baby looks like this week: It's hard to say for sure how big she is, but the average newborn weighs about 7 1/2 pounds and is about 20 inches long.

At birth your baby has a total of 300 bones. Some of the bones will fuse together later, which is why an adult has only 206 bones. Fascinating, no?

39 Weeks

2011-03-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

Waist Measurements: " at the belly button

Weigh in: 175lbs

Pregnancy Symptoms this Week:

Muscle discomfort at the top of my belly
Heartburn
Pelvic Pain
Bathroom every 2 seconds
Crampy feeling
pelvic pressure

Pregnancy first this week:

Pregnancy Prep: Cleaned up Ethan's room a little, hopefully I can finish it next week

Dr Visits: BP was lower this week and they didn't mention protein in my urine so thats good. Lets see what happens next week

Belly Shot:

What the baby looks like this week: Is about 20 inches long and over seven pounds, maybe, depends, who knows. The lanugo that used to cover his body has mostly disappeared, but we may find a bit leftover on the shoulders, forehead and neck, we'll see. Because there is no air around your baby, when he practices breathing, it can cause amniotic fluid to get into his windpipe, resulting in those regularly spaced thumps that make you think you're carrying a jumping bean in your belly.

38 Weeks

2011-03-13T21:08:00.001-07:00

Waist Measurements: 46" at the belly button

Weigh in: 170lbs

Pregnancy Symptoms this Week:

discomfort sitting certain ways
pelvic pain
heartburn
rib discomfort
tiredness/ out of breath
headaches
cant get comfortable to sleep

My Pregnancy Brain: This has been a particularly hard week for me, I hate complaining about my pregnancy discomforts because I'm an so proud of my body for making and carrying a life, but this week it seems like my body is getting overwhelmed. I'm still trying to stay positive and listen to my hypnobabies when I feel overwhelmed. I know he need to cook as long as he needs to but I wouldn't mind if he decided to come a little early. If not I will continue to do my best to be an incubator for him while keeping a smile on my face.

Pregnancy Prep: Put the car seat in the car, packed our hospital bag, and put the glider in his room. Now I just need to finish cleaning up the room and we should be ready to roll.

Dr Visits: Had one this week. things are a little sketchy right now. good news is my GBS results came back negative so that means no IV for me. But the bad news is my BP was 143/90 and +1 protein in my urine. My Dr. didn't seem to worried, but of course that doesn't help me. we'll see what next week appointment says. Till then I'm upping my protein and trying to relax as much as I can.

Belly Shot:

What the baby looks like this week: He has really plumped up. He weighs about 6.8 pounds and he's over 19 1/2 inches long. He has a firm grasp, his organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

37 Weeks

2011-03-06T19:51:00.001-08:00

Waist Measurements: 46" at the belly button

Weigh in: 165lbs

Pregnancy Symptoms this Week:

Belly Dropped
Tiredness
Loss of Breath
extreme heartburn
pelvic pain
emotional

Pregnancy first this week: The heartburn is getting unbearable. I really hate complaining and I try not to, except to poor paul, but this is getting ridiculous. I keep telling myself "this too shall pass"

Pregnancy Prep: I redid Katelyn's room so I could move the glider into Ethan's room. I'm hoping to have his nursery done by next weekend.

Dr Visits: Yep I'll have one every week from now on. I got my group B strep results today! came back negative!!! Woo Hoooo! No IV for me!

Belly Shot:

What the baby looks like this week: At this point babies vary in size, but the average length is between 19 and 20 inches and most babies weigh approximately 6 pounds. Baby's growth slows down dramatically this week.

36 Weeks

2011-02-27T21:12:00.001-08:00

Waist Measurements: 45" at the belly button

Weigh in: 162lbs Pregnancy Symptoms this Week:

Tiredness
Loss of Breath
Pressure
Lower back pain
pubic symphysis pain
Major Heartburn

Pregnancy first this week: The heartburn has been really bad, so bad that even my go to tums have stopped working. Luckily I have a great network of women that have given me a plethora of suggestions for things I can do to help it and it seems to be working.

Pregnancy Prep: I washed and put away all the baby clothes and bought fabric to make the curtains for his room. I also finally finished his carseat. Now I just need to finish my list of things I need to buy and go buy it. I'm hoping to have the nursery done in the next two weeks along with our hospital bag. holy smokes that means he's going to be here soon.

Dr Visits: None this week

Belly Shot:

What the baby looks like this week: He now weighs almost 6 pounds and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. His size will start displacing amniotic fluid over the final few weeks. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. He swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of his first bowel movement.

Even in the womb, your baby can listen, feel, touch and see. Other highlights this week: His gums are firm with ridges that look somewhat like teeth, though his actual pearly whites won't start breaking through until he's between three months and a year old. Your baby has definite patterns of sleep and wakefulness—opening his eyes while awake and closing them while sleeping.

35 Weeks

2011-02-20T20:39:00.001-08:00

Waist Measurements: 44.5" at the belly button

Weigh in: 162lbs according

Pregnancy Symptoms this Week:

Heart burn
Tiredness
Loss of Breath
Pelvic Pain
sciatic nerve pain
extremely hot

Pregnancy Prep: tried to do some more sewing but my machine is broken :( so sad. My mom is sending me hers so I can finish my projects.

Dr Visits: Had one this week nothing too exciting. everything looks great. Next appointment they are doing an ultrasound to check position, hopefully he cooperates and is cephalic.

Belly Shot:

What the baby looks like this week: He is now about 5½ pounds and over 18 inches long—about the size of one of those price-club sheet cakes. Because it's so snug in my womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

34 Weeks

2011-02-13T20:55:00.000-08:00

Waist Measurements: 44.5" at the belly button

Weigh in: 158lbs

Pregnancy Symptoms this Week:

Slight hand and feet swelling
Heart burn
Pubic symphysis pain
Hip pain
linea negra appeared
can no longer wear wedding ring :(

Pregnancy first this week:

My Pregnancy Brain: Now that the nursery is started its really starting to hit me that we are going to have another baby very soon. I cant believe how quickly time passes.

Pregnancy Prep: Lots done this week. Nursery is put together and almost completely cleaned up.

Dr Visits: None this week

Belly Shot:

What the baby looks like this week: He now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once she's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well.
He is begining to develop his own immune system, instead of relying solely on antibodies received through the placenta.

33 weeks

2011-02-06T20:19:00.000-08:00

Waist Measurements: 44" at the belly button

Weigh in: 155lbs

Pregnancy Symptoms this Week:

Heart burn
Lots of pelvic pain and pressure
Tiredness
hard to sit for long

Pregnancy Prep: Finished painting the crib, thanks babe :). started cleaning the room so hopefully we will have the room set up in time for the shower next weekend.

Dr Visits: Had one this week nothing special, just the usual. except now i'm going in every two weeks, holy smokes that means were in the home stretch.
Belly Shot:

What the baby looks like this week: This week he weighs a little over 4 pounds and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal.

Kicks and movements are practically visible from space now. The big news this week is lung development—baby's respiratory system is almost completely mature. That means if your baby was born this week, odds are he'd be a healthy bouncing baby with a just a little help from his friends (aka, the NICU). Some of the specifics are: Your baby can now detect light and tell the difference between night and day. His pupils will constrict and dilate in response to light.

32 weeks

2011-01-30T20:09:00.001-08:00

Waist Measurements: 43.5" at the belly button

Weigh in: 155lbs

Pregnancy Symptoms this Week:

Heart burn
emotional
pelvic pain

Pregnancy first this week: The pelvic/hip pain is pretty bad this week making it hard to walk at the end of the day.

My Pregnancy Brain: I am starting to feel overwhelmed with the amount of stuff I need to get done before ethan gets here. Luckily we got a lot done this week. we finally sanded and primed the crib. we would have painted it to but it started raining. I also finally made the bedding. Hopefully next week I can clean the room out and put the crib in.

Dr Visits: None this week.

Belly Shot:

What the baby looks like this week: By now, he weighs 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth.

31 Weeks

2011-01-23T20:27:00.000-08:00

Waist Measurements: 43" at the belly button

Weigh in: 150lbs

Pregnancy Symptoms this Week:

Pelvic & hip pain
Heart burn

Pregnancy first this week: Is it possible for a fetus to claw his way out? cause it sure feels like it sometimes. This kid is doing cartwheels in there. But I love it.

My Pregnancy Brain: Starting to get worried about getting the nursery done it feels like I have so much to do and not enough time.

Dr Visits: Had one this week, Finally. Everything looks good. I also got some good news, the hospital I'm delivering at has Tubs, and they will let me take off the monitors if everything is looking good.

Belly Shot:

Im not sure why I look surprised!

What the baby looks like this week: He weighs about 3½ pounds and measures a little over 16 inches. From this week on, he will continue to gain around ½ pound a week until shortly before birth. He can now process information from all five senses. By now, your baby's lungs are the only system not fully mature. She 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.

30 weeks

2011-01-16T18:46:00.001-08:00

Waist Measurements: 42" at the belly button

Weigh in: 147lbs

Pregnancy Symptoms this Week:

Pelvic Pain
Heart burn
Tiredness

Pregnancy Prep: Starting sewing some stuff :)

Dr Visits: None this week, we got rescheduled again. i think I'm going on week 7 with no dr. appointment.

Belly Shot:

What the baby looks like this week: He is about 15.7 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in my uterus. Is starting to get a little crowded in there, but still has room to wiggle and roll and punch and kick.

Big news for baby's brain this week: It's starting to to form Gyri and Sulci! This is due to the rapid growth of his little genius's brain cells. Other highlights this week: Fingernails and toenails are finally finished, Plus, the bone marrow is completely in charge of red-blood-cell production now.

29 weeks

2011-01-09T21:49:00.000-08:00

Waist Measurements: 42" at the belly button

Weigh in: 144lbs

Pregnancy Symptoms this Week:

Heart burn
Tiredness
Loss of Breath
Pelvic pain
Slightly Anemic :(

Belly Shot:

What the baby looks like this week: Is sucking up every drop of calcium I have as her bones continue to harden and become more bone-like. He now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds 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. Due to the impressive advancements of medical technology, if Ethan was born this week, he'd have a 9 out of 10 chance of survival, which is seriously great news. Other awesome developments: His brain can now control his breathing and body temperature. He can also cough, and his sucking abilities have been perfected. Look out, boobs!

28 Weeks

2011-01-02T19:58:00.000-08:00

Waist Measurements: 40.5" at the belly button

Weigh in: 142lbs according to the Dr.

Pregnancy Symptoms this Week:

Heart burn
Slight Anemia
Tiredness
Pubic Symphysis Pain
Pregnancy first this week: Starting to really feel the weight of the pregnancy. I get tired running after Katelyn, Oh man this is going to be fun! :)

My Pregnancy Brain: I feel like I'm falling behind on prepping for ethan, I really need to start sewing and getting his room ready to go.
Pregnancy Prep: Finally cleaned out the garage, Sold the desk and put the painted changing table and dresser in Ethan's room. Progress :)

Dr Visits: Yep had my Glucose test! I didnt think the drink was that bad but maybe i'm just weird. Here's hoping I passed and dont have to do the 3 hour test. Other than that everything looks great!

Belly Shot:

What the baby looks like this week: Continues to get a longer and fatter by the day. His weight has actually doubled in the past month alone. Weight is around 2.5 pounds right now and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world. His eyes have color now, too. It may not be the color he ultimately ends up with, especially if they're light gray or blue. The eyes typically don't settle on a final hue until nine months after baby is born.

27 weeks: enter the 7th month and 3rd trimester

2010-12-26T18:09:00.000-08:00

Waist Measurements: 40" at the belly button

Weigh in: 140lbs
Pregnancy Symptoms this Week:

Tiredness
Increased Heartburn

Pregnancy Prep: Cleaned out the baby's room some more. I set up the bassinet, its really weird to walk by and see a bassinet in the room.

Dr Visits: None this week

Belly Shot:

What the baby looks like this week: He is as big as a teddy bear :) Eyelids (which have been fused since 11 or 12 weeks) can now open and close.This week, he weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, his brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now. —baby's brain tissue and neurons are all developing at a rapid pace. His brain waves are now firing away just like those of a newborn baby.

third	seven	27-30
	eight	31-35
	nine	36-40

Week 26

2010-12-19T21:08:00.000-08:00

Waist Measurements: 39.5" at the belly button

Weigh in: 139lbs

Pregnancy Symptoms this Week:

Tiredness
Lower back soreness
Killer Heartburn

Pregnancy first this week: The heartburn is definitely worse than last time. Also the movement is a lot more, This kid is bouncing off the walls. :) I love it. Another new thing is that it seems like i'm already nesting, I cleaned my kitchen and living room so thoroughly that I even impressed myself.

Pregnancy Prep: I got tons of hand me downs this week so i

started sorting it and putting it in boxes according to size. We were going to clean out the office this week but its been raining for a few days so it didn't happen. Soon I hope. I really want to start putting it together.

Dr Visits: None this week

Belly Shot:

What the baby looks like this week: He is almost two pounds. All five senses are fully developed. The network of nerves in his ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both of our voices as we chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs.

Week 25

2010-12-12T21:37:00.001-08:00

Waist Measurements: 39.5" at the belly button

Weigh in: 137lbs

Pregnancy Symptoms this Week:

I can poop :)
emotional

Dr Visits: None this week

Belly Shot:

What the baby looks like this week: Weighs about 1 1/2 pounds and is 13 1/2 inches long. Is growing more hair, with a distinctive color and texture and everything. My uterus the size of a soccer ball . My fundal measurements have grown about an inch-and-a-half in the past four weeks alone. He's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. His hands are now fully developed and he spends most of his awake time groping around in the darkness of my uterus. Brain and nerve endings are developed enough now so that he can feel the sensation of touch. Also his nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, have cleared out and he can practice breathing through the nose. The structures of his spine are now made up of 150 joints, 33 rings and some 1,000 ligaments. The capillaries, the teeniest blood vessels, are now forming in his body, giving his formerly translucent skin a pink glow. The blood vessels in the lungs also develop this week.

Week 24

2010-12-05T20:56:00.000-08:00

Waist Measurements: 39.5"

Weigh in: 134lbs

Pregnancy Symptoms this Week:

Back ache
Insatiable Hunger

Pregnancy first this week: back ache every night.

My Pregnancy Brain: This child is bouncing off the walls and I love it. Its a constant reminder of his presence I cant wait to meet him.

Pregnancy Prep: Bought the fabric to make Ethan's crib set and blankets, now I just need to get sewing.

Dr Visits: yep had one this week, got a new dr since my old one disappeared. I see it as a blessing in disguise because i got a really good vibe from my new dr.

Belly Shot:

What the baby looks like this week: Is just about a foot long now. Is still very skinny looking, with translucent skin, but this will all start changing soon. Is officially at the edge of viability, and most hospitals would automatically attempt every possible life-saving option if your baby were to be born now. Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant.

Week 23

2010-11-28T20:59:00.000-08:00

Waist Measurements: 39" at the belly button

Weigh in: 134lbs

Pregnancy Symptoms this Week:

Very Hormonal
Forgetfulness
Insatiable Hunger
nightly back ache
still cant poop

Pregnancy Prep: Still just cleaning the office.

Dr Visits: None this week.

Belly Shot:

What the baby looks like this week: Is a tad bigger than last week! The pancreas is kicking into gear sometime around this week, and blood vessels continue to develop in the lungs. Lung development is a Big Thing right now, since babies born around 24 weeks gestation can often survive outside the womb. Her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance.

Length of Pregnancy Likelihood of Survival
23 weeks 17%
24 weeks 39%
25 weeks 50%
26 weeks 80%
27 weeks 90%
28-31 weeks 90-95%
32-33 weeks 95%
34+ weeks Almost as likely as a full-term baby
Sources: March of Dimes, Quint Boenker Preemie Survival Foundation

22 Weeks

2010-11-21T18:24:00.000-08:00

Waist Measurements: 38" at the belly button

Weigh in: 131lbs.

Pregnancy Symptoms this Week:

Forgetfulness
Back ache
cant poop

Pregnancy Prep: We started looking at strollers, and cleaning out the office. Once my sisters baby shower is over I can start sewing for Ethan.

Dr Visits: None this week

Belly Shot:

What the baby looks like this week: Is about 11 inches long, which is just about one inch shorter than your average 12-inch ruler. Has likely crossed the one-pound mark in weight. Is getting more defined facial features every day, and already looks unmistakably like himself or herself on a 3D ultrasound. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Her eyes have formed, but her irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment.

21 Weeks

2010-11-14T20:13:00.000-08:00

Waist Measurements: 38" at the belly button

Weigh in: 130lbs according to the wii.

Pregnancy Symptoms this Week:

Heartburn
back spasm
cant poop

Pregnancy Prep: Finally started paining the furniture, now we just meed to clear out the room.

Dr Visits: I had an Ultrasound & a Dr. appointment, everything looks good, he is one active little boy!

Belly Shot:

What the baby looks like this week: Is about 10 1/2 inches long, head to toe. He is like, kicking for serious now.