Week 35

Only FIVE weeks to go! I can't believe how fast time flies.

These days Ryder doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's about the size of a honeydew melon. That doesn't mean he's stopped moving by any means. He still kicks the crap out of me every chance he can get :) Because it's so snug in my tummy, I can see his whole body move from side to side. I'm still waiting to see a little hand or foot pop out of my stomach! I've learned that the right side of my tummy must be way more comfy than the left, because he tends to hang out on that side, making me really lopsided. It's funny looking :) As for his development, 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.

My uterus — which was entirely tucked away inside my pelvis when I conceived — now reaches up under my rib cage. If I could peek inside my stomach, I'd see that there's more baby than amniotic fluid in there now. My ballooning uterus is crowding my other internal organs, too, which makes for lots of fun potty runs and the occasional spat of heartburn. It's really not too bad tho.

From here on out, I get to start seeing the doctor every week. The next fun test I get to do is a culture to check for bacteria called Group B streptococci (GBS). GBS is usually harmless in adults, but if you have it and pass it on to your baby during birth, it can cause serious complications, such as pneumonia, meningitis, or a blood infection. Because 10 to 30 percent of pregnant women have the bacteria and don't know it, it's vital to be screened. Yay.

This past weekend on July 24th we had our baby shower! I'm so thankful for all of you who came out! It was really fun getting to see everyone! Here are some pics below:


Cake and cupcakes compliments of Russell's sisters :)


The ever-so-fun baby food game...yum!




My mom and sister made this ADORABLE door hanger for our room at the hospital :)

Seesturs <3

Here is what Ryder might look like this week:



And here I am:

Week 34

This week, on average, most babies now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Ryder was just under that about 3 weeks ago, so I wonder how much he weighs now. We will get to have another sonogram after 37 weeks and see if he's turned head-down and how big he is. His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once he'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. The need to worry about preterm labor has pretty much diminished; 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.

As for me, I've still got a decent amount of energy, but these hot days are kind of getting to me during car rides and things like that. Russell always used to freeze me out every where we were, but now I'm the one freezing him out. I never thought I'd live to see that day! My bladder is also taking a major beating lately. I think Ryder is starting to drop and use it as a punching bag. Not too much longer to go!

I'm really excited about our baby shower coming up next week! My mom is coming up with so many cute ideas for it :) Can't wait!

Here is what baby boy might look like this week:



And here I am:

Week 29

Hooray for baby bedding! At my work shower last week, my mom suprised me with the fact that she bought Ryder's mattress and bedding for me. That all arrived this week and I couldn't wait to get it all set up. I didn't even wash any of it first haha. I set everything up and took a few pictures before I threw everything in the wash. I couldn't resist :) Here are some pictures of the setup:





We also started painting Ryder's room this week. We are painting three of the walls with a light tan color and the fourth wall is going to be painted to look like old barn wood. I got the idea from a room setup image that came with the bedding we got :) It's so cute!!! Heather has been so incredibly amazingly awesome to offer to paint the wood for me since I'm not *supposed to be* around all of the paint. I can't wait until it's done!

These days, baby Ryder now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds on average (like a butternut squash) 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 (it will be a big one if it's anything like his daddy's hehe). To meet his increasing nutritional demands, I'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. My doctor prescribed me an iron supplement because I'm at the point where I need to maintain my levels because they're getting kind of low. This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in our baby's hardening skeleton each day.

Here is what baby boy might look like about now:



And here I am:

Week 28

Hello third trimester!

Since last week, we've decided to tear up the carpet and go with a laminate wood floor that matches our office. I'll need to start looking for a rug or something to put down now to act as a sound absorber. I can't wait until everything is done and we can start setting up his room :) The crib came in this week and I came home to Russell getting it all set up for me! It's so pretty!

Also this week, my coworkers threw me a suprise baby shower! It was so much fun! I came into the kitchen at work expecting to be walking into our 'lunch and learn' thing that we do every couple of weeks where we learn about a new topic related to the software we use at work. However, this time I see my mom and sister, Heather, and Russell all sitting there! I was like um....what's going on!? Haha. Turns out there was no lunch and learn and it was all just a cover-up for the shower :) Here are a couple pictures of that:









And in baby growth news, by this week, Ryder weighs somewhere around two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures, on average, 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 my womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Here is what Ryder might look like right about now:



And here I am: