upcoming due date

I wanted to use this blog to share about our life and our journey to becoming a family. There has been something that I haven't blogged about that really is no secret but I am sure other people can relate to.

Two weeks from now would have been my original due date. Dutch and I were excited when we got pregnant right away. We celebrated for the first 6 or so weeks of being pregnant and wondered if it was too early to announce to our families at Christmas. I have always loved the Christmas holidays and it was exciting to think our child would be with us next Christmas to celebrate.

Unfortunately things didn't develop correctly (which statistics say can occur in a very large number of pregnancies, most of the time people don't even know they are pregnant yet). It wasn't meant to be for us at that time. We understood that it is common, we had a bright future ahead of us and would get through it. I was thankful that I was able to be home and off of work due to the holiday break. Almost all of the mothers around me young and old have gone through similar experiences. Its not something you've done wrong and nothing to be ashamed of or keep secret. Please reach out to me if you ever need someone to talk to.

We did get through it and became blessed with our next pregnancy only 2-3 weeks later. We were cautiously optimistic and so relieved to see Harper's tiny little blob of cells 7 weeks. (she was the size of a blueberry) We could see her heart beating and knew we had increased our chances of a successful pregnancy. Once we heard her heart beat at 11 weeks and she passed her downs/neural tube defects screening, we knew ,pending any huge problems, we would get to meet her.

Now at 31 weeks, we have a squirmy girl who is loved by so many people even though they have never met. She has a closet full of leggings with ruffles on the butt, socks with bows on the toes, and her first pink teddy bear. We cant wait to meet you baby girl! I cant wait till they put you on my chest & when your daddy gets to hold you for the first time.

Its just important to remember that life truly is so delicate and so much is out of your control.

Now all we have to do is prepare your "sisters" for her arrival. They aren't going to know what hit them : )

Mommy Update 30w5d

Current Stats: 30 weeks 5 days. (65 days till my due date)

Baby Size - Between 15.2- to 16.7-inch, & 2.5- to 3.8-pounds

Clothes - Wearing all maternity dress pants/jeans. I have a few maternity dresses and a few pre-prego dresses that still fit. Tank tops are starting to get a little short in the front but I just wear them to bed.

Food Aversions- Nothing is really that amazing these days. I cooked pasta and meat sauce last night (something that was a go-to recipe for me pre-prego) and this time it just seemed to bland. Then it seems like a waste of money to make an entire meal and not really like it. Its happened with a lot of items I have made which basically makes me just want to eat panera broccoli cheese soup every night :)

Symptoms - Heartburn has gotten better the past few days! yay! I have realized if I take my pill later in the morning and again right before bed, the timing works better. I also have realized that it gets really bad when I'm hungry. If I try to eat a snack around 530 I can fight off the heartburn till I need to take my pill at 10. Its the small achievements I appreciate these days.

Lower back/hip/pelvis? pain... I know its from sitting at work all day & arching my back to account for my new weight inbalance. Its pretty uncomfortable to sit most places these days so Im constantly shifting around. By the end of the day I feel like an old lady.

I also am HOT a lot of the time. At work I have a fan at my desk and everyone teases about how cold they are while I'm sweating up a storm. Im ready for the fall and to be able to snuggle up in blankets again. Oh and my belly button is still an innie... any bets on how long that will last?

Missing - having more energy, being able to bend over to buckle my shoes, being comfortable

Preparations - I did my first load of baby laundry last night... oooh the smell of Dreft : ) I wanted to wash her sheet, some newborn onsies/pjs, her little hats etc.

I also have started to pack my hospital bag. I figured you can never be too prepared. There are also too many different items that I want to pack and it would be hard to just tell someone what to grab if worst case scenario happened. Our goal is to not over pack. I threw in some travel toiletries, I bought cheap toothbrushes to just keep in the bag, theres one 2 going home outfits for her. (one newborn, one 0-3 months just in case) a receiving blanket, some nursing clothing, hair brush, makeup, chap stick, slippers and socks, etc. Any been there done that mommies feel free to email me with anything you wish you would have packed or wish you didnt pack.

Saturday I have a breastfeeding class at the hospital. Then 2 other Saturdays this month Dutch and I have our childbirth prep classes ... should be interesting ...

Ive been reading lots of books. Ill be doing a book review post later for anyone who is interested. The key ones I am reading now are what to expect when your expecting, what to expect the first year, babywise, and a breastfeeding book. Its helping me feel more prepared. Especially for what happens once we come home from the hospital. Everyone preps you for every detail of pregnancy and the delivery, but not so much what to do day 1 at home.


Looking forward to - Our first baby shower this Sunday! Also, my Dr. appts have moved to every 2 weeks. I look forward to the passing of each week knowing we are one week closer to her being healthy and to meeting our daughter. I have two other showers this month (one fun girly brunch and one at work). Im looking forward to celebrating with everyone! Oh and my last day of work (Sept 28th) yesss.... Not to return until Jan 2nd!

Please keep us in your thoughts that everything continues to go smoothly and that Harper makes her debut as close to on schedule as possible : )

90% Nursery!

Harper's nursery is about 90% done.... I still have a few things to straighten up/put away, a few projects in the works (her butterfly mobile) a few things to acquire (hopefully through one of my upcoming showers) like a changing pad (to go on her changing table/dresser in her closet.) but it is done enough to give all of you a little sneak peak : )

Enjoy

29.5 weeks!

Whew... 29.5 weeks down... cant believe it sometimes... "only" 10.5 left to go... are you ready? : )

Weeks 27-30

Week 27 - Rutabaga 

• She's practicing inhaling and exhaling with her rapidly developing lungs.
• It's official: Baby's showing brain activity! And her brain will keep on getting more complex.
• she is waking and sleeping in regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes and sucking on her fingers.

Week 28 - Eggplant

• She's starting to develop more fat, so her wrinkly skin will start to get smoother.
• Her lungs are mature enough that she'd probably survive if she was born now. Wow!
• she is now blinking her eyes which now sport eyelashes.
• her eyesight is developed and she can see the light that filters through your belly.

Week 29 - Acorn Squash

• She's getting a little cramped in there, since she's growing so fast. But you probably already realize that, since you're getting all those jabs and kicks.
• She's growing white fat deposits under her skin, and her energy is surging because of it.
• Feel a subtle twitch? It might be baby hiccupping.
• Muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is getting bigger to make room for her developing brain.

Week 30 - Cucumber 

• Her skin is getting smoother.
• But her brain is getting wrinklier -- to make way for all that essential brain tissue.
• She's now strong enough to grasp a finger!
• She is living in a pint and a half of amniotic fluid.

23-26 weeks

Way behind... Heres the highlights....

23 - She's forming little nipples (yeah, really!) Her face is fully formed now -- she just needs a little extra fat to fill it out. Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

24 - Her see-through skin is gradually becoming more opaque. And it's got a new pink glow, thanks to the small capillaries that have recently formed. Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

25- She's enjoying her new sense of equilibrium -- she now knows which way is up and which is down. Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

26 - Her eyes are forming, and his eyes will soon start to open. And her eyelashes are now grown, too. She's getting her immune system ready for life on the outside by soaking up your antibodies.She's taking breaths, too. They're of amniotic fluid, not air, but it's still good practice. The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel.

Texas!!

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