Baby is now just over 19 inches long and weighs about 4.4 pounds, approximately the size of a honeydew. She may grow up to a full inch this week alone, and her brain is developing like crazy. When Baby is awake, she is listening, feeling and learning. There are billions of neurons in the brain that make trillions of connections. Pretty soon, she'll be able to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing. Also, her bones are hardening, and she's started to keep her eyes open when she's awake.
Sunday, April 24, 2011 ~ Not a lot to report this week. I was on Spring Break and realized how much more difficult it is to work than to be at home during this point in the pregnancy. Even though I was very active this week, it was still so much easier and I really look forward to being on leave. I have three weeks of teaching left. I'm a little bit nervous about the substitute teacher situation. The last I heard, my department chair put a call in to a retired teacher that she used to work with at another school who is considering the job. I'm hoping that works out!
I had a major case of nesting syndrome this week and I feel good about everything that I got done but there's still a lot to do. I need to tackle organizing our closet because it's a mess and I would like to think that we will organize the garage but it's not high on the priority list. Otherwise, I think it's just a matter of getting "stuff," like the second car seat base and the crib mattress.
This is going to be another busy week (April has been crazy) but it looks like May is going to be much less packed. We have our birth class on Monday, I'd like to get to yoga on Tuesday, Wednesday is my last AP Calc review session and an awards ceremony at school in the evening, Thursday is the last of my monthly doctors appointments (we switch to every two weeks and then every week), and I hope to get to yoga again on Friday. Somehow I have to work in some more walking, as well. I plan on getting a good 6-8 miles in this morning and then hope to go on at least one more walk this week.
The baby is definitely running out of space. I'm not feeling kicks as much as before but getting a lot of stretching out. Often she will stretch her legs out and I can feel her foot on the upper left side of my belly and her butt on my upper right side. Sometimes I'll feel her entire back running down the right side of my belly. Most of the time it's fun but sometimes it's uncomfortable. We also felt the first case of baby hiccups about a week ago and I've felt it several times since then.
I am absolutely smitten and in love with this little person and can't wait to meet her!
Friday, April 29, 2011 ~ Yesterday's appointment was pretty uneventful again. Baby is still head down and her heartbeat is strong. I start going every two weeks now and will get checked for dilation and effacement starting at my next appointment. If there's nothing going on, I'll wait two weeks for the following appointment but otherwise I'll go every week. I got my release paperwork and have two weeks left of work. Preparing for five weeks off is quite daunting and I know I'm going to be pretty busy next week.
We have our last natural labor class on Monday and we will be doing a labor run-through using ice (not exactly sure what that's about but I'm looking forward to it). We also have a Baby Safety class at Hoag tomorrow.
I had lost my energy around the beginning of the third trimester and then found it again for about a week but have been more tired for the last week or so. Nothing compares to the lack of energy during the first trimester though! I have also had another very hungry week which seems to be tapering off, however again, nothing compares to the hungry week I had during the first trimester. I've had three stretches of about 6 days where I was ridiculously hungry.
Less than a month and a half to go!
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