Week 36

24 days to go?!  OMG!  (Excuse me while I hyperventilate a little…)

Well my Doctor’s appointments are weekly now.  I was just in to see her yesterday and we covered the same old, same old.  (Any contractions? Bleeding? Baby moving well?) I am up 44 lbs so that’s worth celebrating…NOT!  It’s all baby of course. lol  She broached the subject of writing me off from work.  Foolish, loyal me said “That’s OK. There are too many loose ends to wrap up at work.  Let’s re-evaluate next week”.  I think I’m determined to go into labour in my cubicle!!  I also had the pleasure of getting the GBS test done. Gram B Strep is normally present in about 30% of the population, but can sometime cause problems to infants when passed during birth.  It’s a simple, “invasive” test that involves getting all your “nether” regions swabbed (inside and out) with a dry Q-tip. Pleasant!  At least they provided a coat rack to hang your dignity at the door!  It’s a good thing woman are tasked with this job of baby making or our species would be doomed.  Take the “Man Cold” for example….doomed I say!

Dr. Daisy provided me with some consent forms on cord blood banking…which seems to be a new thing since Bryce.  It’s run through the Red Cross, not a private blood storage company.  The Red Cross asks that you donate the available blood from the placenta and cord (not from Baby) to establish a bank of usable stem cells to treat things such as Leukemia. (Otherwise it goes to the incinerator)  If for some reason there is no match or the collected blood is otherwise unusable (due to collection technique or amount retrieved) it will go to research.  Having checked out their website, there are a lot of interesting projects on the go.  Stem cells are incredible little things….and I think it’s good Karma to give.  (God forbid we ever be in a situation where we could use some ourselves!!)

What’s happening with baby this week? “You’ve been pregnant for most of the year, and you’re probably exhausted and ready for this baby to come out already! Try not to stress or dwell on this; your baby will be here soon enough. You may still have a few weeks to go, so try to keep your mind occupied. Your baby will be here when he or she is ready. While most babies will do well if born now, it is best for them to be born after 39 weeks. This is why your doctor will not induce labor or perform a cesarean delivery before that, unless medical necessity dictates otherwise. Your caregiver may recommend a Group B strep test. Group B Strep (short for Streptococcus) is a type of bacteria that can be found in or around the area of the vagina or the rectum. It is not a problem unless your baby becomes infected as he or she comes out, in which case some serious conditions may develop. If the test is positive, however, antibiotics can be prescribed to take care of the problem. Your baby is growing at a much slower rate these days, about ½ ounce per day. Before, his or her skin was very loose and wrinkly. These days it’s becoming much smoother due to the fat building up under the skin. His or her lungs are well developed, and breathing movements are more frequent as the baby gets the hang of the inhale/exhale process. The amniotic fluid continues to decrease as your baby grows, and he or she weighs approximately 6½ to 7 pounds and is about 19 inches long by now. The baby’s hair has been growing rapidly, and depending on genetics he or she could have a full head of hair at this point.”

The countdown is on!!

Week 35



Does this dress make me look fat? lol



Well I posed the question last week…”Can I get any bigger?”  Turns out the question is YES.  Lol  I’ve gone from smuggling a basketball to a beach ball.  Perhaps it’s the “chevrons” that look deceiving?! I actually feel much better though…I think because he may have dropped.  GONE is that “I can’t breathe when sitting” feeling, or the “achey pulled muscle, gonna split open” feeling. ;)  Strangely enough, I did measure my “girth” again and I’m still sitting at 44”.  (I think the same as when I measured in week 33ish.  Still 1.5inches bigger than Bryce at 36 weeks!! lol)

What a wonderful Mother’s Day this year.  Not only did I get to celebrate with my “Mother Mentors” (Grandma, Mom, and Tracy) but we also got to anticipate and celebrate the impending arrival of Aiden with a surprise baby shower.  My Mom and Sister went above and beyond to spoil me with beautiful and thoughtful gifts.  And Nana got Bryce involved by having him wrap some things and sign a card.  He was pretty tickled and proudly showed my “His” card that he signed.  There were lots of gorgeous knitted items, a sweater and hat, baby blanket, and an Amish puzzle ball.  (Neatest little thing – Google it!!)  Also a fully stocked diaper bag, bottles, onseies, and other cute sleepers.   Then there was the much needed baby swing, as I sold Bryce’s.  I love the one they chose!  Super soft and cozy…and decorated with tasteful, neutral colours.  It’s not “loud” and obnoxious…splashed with primary colours.  lol  Matches my brown décor perfectly!!  I am concerned over Bryce’s interest in the swing.  He is a button pusher and I fear he will be jacking it up to the loudest and fastest settings.  He also likes to “swing” it back and forth with a little too much gusto! Lol  I’m definitely feeling ready for Aiden’s arrival now.  (Well at least in terms of being well stocked!)

This week I started my reduced work week.  I’m now only working Monday’s, Wednesday’s, and Friday’s.  Hooray!!  I had so much planned to do on my first day off (nesting),  but ended up spending most of it resting.  Feels like a wasted day.   In actuality, I probably only have a couple weeks left at work anyways.  Most Doctor’s officially write their patients completely off by 38weeks….well except for mean Dr. A.  (My last OB-GYN)

What’s happening with baby this week? “Your baby now weighs about 5.25 pounds / 2.4 kilograms and measures approximately 18 inches / 45 centimetres from head to toe. His elbow, foot or head may protrude from your stomach when he stretches and squirms about. Soon, as the wall of your uterus and your abdomen stretch thinner and let in more light, your baby will begin to develop daily activity cycles.  This week, your little one is now sporting fingernails and has a fully developed pair of kidneys. His liver can also process some waste products.  There's much less amniotic fluid and much more baby in your uterus, which has expanded to a thousand times its original size. You've probably put on between 25 and 30 pounds (Ya right) and your weight gain has hit its peak. Even your belly button has got bigger and has popped outward. You may be feeling breathless now that the top of your uterus is up under your ribs. Try getting down on all fours to take deeper breaths. (Ya that will look cute in the office) Although the pressure on your bladder will make the bathroom your second home, don't drink any less water - your baby needs the fluids. But you may like to cut down on diuretic drinks such as tea and coffee, which will make you have to urinate even more often.”

Week 34

Can I get any bigger?!  A mother at the playground last night said, “any day now eh?”.   I just laughed and said yup.  (Except that she’ll see me 4 weeks from now with my beach ball belly and think I’m REALLY overdue!!)   But I also had a Mother and her children walking behind Bryce and I, who was really surprised when I turned around.  Shocked enough to tell me that I looked so “neat and tidy” from behind that she was surprised to see my baby belly.  I told her that I didn’t feel so neat and tidy!!!   And of course everyone at work has something to say.  There is a running commentary every time I enter a meeting, or walk through the lobby.  People say I’ve dropped, I’m carrying high, that I need a new shirt, that I’m all baby, that I should go home, that they are going to start wearing rubber boots, or put mats down on the floor…I even had one supervisor laugh when he saw me making my way towards him!  (Laugh it up laughy pants.  Just hope I don’t go into labour at work while you’re on duty!  Karma!)

I had another Dr.’s appointment this week.  Same as always.  She measured my belly and I am on “target”.  (Though she never ever gives me the number…hmmmm!)  I listened to his heart via Doppler.  Again, not as exciting anymore when I have my own at home.  She did comment on my elevated BP, and my irregular heartbeat.  (Heartbeat normal & benign for me.  I think Paramedic school caused it!!)  She said she would support and endorse a reduced workweek anytime and to just call her office for a note when I’m ready.  Much different than my last OB who cracked the whip right up till the end!! I think after my next appointment (May 21), I’ll be seeing her every week.  Countdown is on!!

I ordered a little bassinet for Aiden to sleep in next to my bed.  It was on clearance for ~50% off.  Not totally boyish but gender neutral enough.  (Couldn’t justify spending twice the price just to get something blue)  For Bryce, I used a playpen that had a raised platform…but found that a hassle to drag around.  This bassinet is very portable if I wanted it downstairs or even outside on the deck.  It’s the perfect bedside height, glides back and forth, plays music, has a mobile…and even a nightlight to check on baby.  Not bad for $68!! Can I just say I love Walmart.ca.  Not only is shipping free…but they deliver in like 2 days…to your door!!   A busy Mom’s best friend!!

I was reading a funny post on Facebook about a Mom’s “apology letter to her second born”.  I have a feeling I should print it off and place it in Aiden’s baby book.  It said things like “as you look through your incomplete baby book and see all the empty ‘place photo’s here’….it’s not because I didn’t love you, I was just too busy wiping your Brother’s bum.”   She said she documented every spit-up and sneeze of her first child, but practically missed the first steps of her second child because well, life is busier with 2.  Hopefully I can still find time to keep this blog going (like I did for Bryce) and have it printed into a “baby book”.  Then there will be no empty “place photo’s here”!!

I won't miss the swelling!! :s

What’s happening with baby this week? “Your baby now weighs about 4.9 pounds and measures about 18.4 inches long.  Your baby is fully developed at this point, but is growing and gaining weight now.  Baby’s chances of survival outside of the womb are very good now, with only the lungs needing further development.  Baby is probably in the head down position now and the skull is soft so that baby can move down the birth canal during birth.  Pressure from the baby being head down can make you have to urinate frequently. The immune system is continuing to mature now and preparing to fight infections.  Because your baby is rapidly building up fat, little dimples are forming at the elbows and knees.  Creases are forming around the wrists and neck.  Bones are continuing to harden now and the waxy substance covering your baby’s skin, vernix, is thickening.  There are several prenatal tests that your health practitioner may recommend at this point.  One that you need to ask for, if your doctor or midwife doesn’t suggest is, is the GBS (or Group B Step) test.  This test screens for harmful bacteria that you can pass to the baby at birth."