Thirty-four weeks

How far along? Thirty-four weeks - 4/8/11

How big is baby? 

 

 Have I mentioned that I don't like cantaloupe?

(I don't like cantaloupe.)

 

Next appointment: April 12th.

Symptoms: I've been in denial about it, but I'm starting to swell a little bit. This wouldn't be so bad, except it's causing painful cramping that's been keeping me up at night. I only had swelling with my first pregnancy, so it's weird that I'm having it this time around. I had forgotten what it felt like. Other than that, just the usual stuff, accompanied by some pretty intense, frequent Braxton Hicks contractions. This is the "fun" stage.

(Side note: I'd like to travel back in time and punch Dr. John Braxton Hicks right in his ugly face.)

  

Reflections on this week: Had a lot of discomfort this week, but it was pretty decent, all in all. I don't really have much to report. That's probably a good thing.

What I'm looking forward to: My appointment next Tuesday falls on a pretty special day, which we will refer to as "Black Tuesday." I'm hoping my appointment goes well and that Nathan and I will get to do something fun afterward. I wonder if we qualify for senior citizen discounts yet? Anyway, I think I might put some thought into starting to pack up for the kids' inevitable overnight stay at my parents' house and my stay in the hospital. It doesn't hurt to be prepared. After all, Zoe came almost two weeks early, so I'm ready for anything. The rest of the month will be pretty busy, so it will make me feel more prepared if I can take care of some things now. 

More about baby: Baby now weighs about 4.75 pounds and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. 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.

Thursday Nostalgia: A baby story

My mom has approximately five billion pictures of my brother and me. I've been able to borrow a few of them to scan, in hopes that I can keep them forever and reproduce them if I want to. I was thinking about them this week, and decided that I would try to post one here each week. We'll see how diligent I can be about that. You never know what's going to happen over here!

Since I'm about to gain another year (yep, the big 3-0), I thought a birthday picture would be perfect for starters.

April 12, 1981

I hope my mom doesn't feel embarrassed about the picture, but I think she looks beautiful! This picture means so much to me, for so many different reasons. I was a little emotional when I pulled it up to post. Look at my mom's face - she's in love! (Either that, or she's plotting her escape...as soon as my dad puts down the camera.) My relationship with my mom is one of the best things about my life, and this is where it all began! Now that I have children, and am about to have another, I understand exactly what she was feeling when this picture was taken. I also have so much respect for my parents in general, because raising children is no easy task!

I won't post her labor and delivery story here, but there are some really funny bits. For example, when they arrived at the hospital, my dad took the time to stop and show the nurses that his socks matched (so they couldn't tease him about rushing and being frazzled). Also, I didn't cry when I was born. I was too busy sucking on my fist, which I had shoved into my mouth at some point during delivery. Just like in the picture.

I love you SO much, Mom!