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It's been so nice since Wags dropped. I haven't had any of those bad pain nights - I could eat more than an ounce at a time... happy things. Last night I had that hiatal hernia pain again. And, because it's so close to due date and I'm a firm believer in Murphy's Law, I was sure I would go into labor... and die.
Thankfully, they didn't last all that long (about an hour and a half - and, no, it wasn't labor... it was steady - no break between "contractions"). I'm still kind of groggy and I'm going to go back to bed for awhile today. Another doctor's appointment tomorrow. Personally, I think Wags is holding out to see how long it takes the "ticker-baby" at the top of the page to fall off the end... like the climbing guy on The Price Is Right.
How your baby's growing: Your baby's ready to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) Your baby's organs are fully developed and in place, and the outer layers of skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.
(As a "warning" - the italicized part of the next section is rather descriptive. Feel free to skip to the regular text for the prenatal update) (more)
I'm still here - just didn't update yesterday. I'll do that when we get home this afternoon. =)
... please come out. I can't take this laying on my left side anymore. I'm sure my left hip will thank you.
I have been working on this baby blanket for Wags since the end of May. Now, that makes it sound like it's something elaborate since it took me almost 9 months to finish it. But it's not =) When we first found out we were expecting, I had Geof pick out the colors of yarn and the pattern from the book I have. It really didn't look like it would be all that bad... but it was. When I first started it, I noticed after about 5 or 6 rows that it was starting to look like a pyramid - that wouldn't work. So they were torn out and I started again. Actually, the pattern itself (which this book called Catherine Wheel - but many different sources have different patterns by the same name) is not that bad - it just has to be counted pretty much the entire way. And I would occasionally put in an extra stitch here or skip one there... then I'd discover it close to the end of the NEXT row. So there was a lot of tearing out a row or two along the way.
I don't have the camera available right now to take a picture (we have that packed for the hospital), but I will eventually post a photo of it - most likely with a baby on it =) For now, here's a photo of a small section that I took to show the pattern to a friend... (more)
How your baby's growing: Your baby has really fattened up. She likely weighs between 6 and 7 1/2 pounds now (boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls), and she's probably between 19 and 20 inches long. She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test with your pinky! Her organs are fully developed and in place, but her lungs and brain — though developed enough for her to function now — will continue to mature right through childhood.
Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If your baby is born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.) (more)
Congratulations! Your pregnancy is now considered full term — meaning your baby is developmentally ready to handle life outside the womb. (Babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 weeks are post-term.) Your baby probably weighs a little over 6 pounds at this point and measures between 19 and 20 inches, head to heel.
Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children are born blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz. (more)
Yesterday we went into the city for the breastfeeding class. It was interesting - not a whole lot that I didn't know already, but nice to at least get together with other moms and dads to be around the same stage of pregnancy. And we met a little girl who was due this coming Sunday - but was already 8 weeks old (born at 31 weeks and some change). She was a tiny 5 lbs 6 oz - up from 3lbs 1oz at birth. Made me even more thankful that Wags is staying tucked nicely inside - causing my pains and all.
Today has been a day of preparations, too. (more)
How your baby's growing: Your baby is still putting on the pounds — about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds and is a little less than 19 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the creamy substance that covered and protected her skin during its submersion in amniotic fluid. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, which will stay in her bowels until birth. This blackish mixture, called meconium, will become her first bowel movement.
At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Babies between 37 and 42 weeks are considered full-term; a baby born before 37 weeks is pre-term and after 42 is post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position by now, which is optimal for a smooth delivery, but if she isn't in the next week, your provider may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position manually, by manipulating her from the outside of your belly. (more)
Today we have a prenatal appointment in the afternoon and then a breastfeeding class (that went along with our Bradley classes but had to be missed when we were out of town for the pastors' conference) in the evening. In between there we're going to try and get our baby-stuff loose ends tied up. If everything doesn't get finished today it will on Friday when we're in the city for a LaLeche League meeting (well, I'll be at the meeting... Geof will be drooling in Best Buy or something!). So tomorrow's update will have info on these things as well.
Otherwise, the regular church schedule resumes this week - Bible studies and LWML meetings... so this will be a long and tiring week. Thankfully it's all stuff we enjoy - but it's safe to say I'll be stealing naps whenever I can =) |
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"What's so unusual about that?" you ask. Well, there was no instrumentation involved. I stuck my ear to mommy's tummy and heard the faint sound of the baby's heartbeat! No squishy, squishy this time; it was a normal beating sound, muffled by all the layers of organs and water and such. But it was there!
The birth is so close, I can almost feel my child! The thought of another Wagner living in this house is so amazing. I can't wait! To those who are flying out, if you aren't looking at air fares yet, now's a good time to start. Of course, we'll let you know the moment labor starts and we are heading to Sioux Falls. We'll see you soon!
How many times have I scrambled to mommy's tummy to ask this question? I've even asked it at the doctor's office when the microphone was on her tummy, just in case Wags would answer when we could hear. Still, he or she will not let us know...
Whatever was ailing Atlantis' part of Freeshell has been corrected. Or so it seems. As I know that the admins are still working on updating all of their machines, Atlantis and all sub-sites are still liable to go down. But, we're up for now.
What a nice surprise to find an email in my inbox that we have just been given some money through Paypal. Andrew, that was a nice gift. If you read this, please email me your mailing address so that we can formally send you a thank-you!
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Raising a child (and preparing to raise a child) is expensive. Now, I don't want to make this sound like a plea for aid, but I know how generous people can be. Anyone wishing to share their generosity with us is welcome. We accept gifts through PayPal. If you would like to snail mail us, contact us for our mailing address. Thanks to everyone for well wishes and prayers! |