Thursday, November 19, 2009

39 Weeks Pregnant

How my baby's growing:

My baby's waiting 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 is weighing in at 7 pounds 14 ounces. Once he's born I'm sure he will be a bit over 8 pounds.

How my life's changing:
I have been so blessed to have had such an uncomplicated and stress free pregnancy. I keep telling Micah he has no idea how good he's had it, especially since I've continued to do everything at home that I did before like cooking, cleaning etc. After the baby it may be a different story but thankfully I will have my mother-in-law with us for a few days and then my mom will be here for a week.

Choosing the right doctor for your baby is an important decision: We'll be visiting the doctor's office six times in the first year for routine well-baby visits alone. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the choice. Some parents take their baby to a pediatrician, a doctor who specializes in the care of children. Focusing on children's health and practicing with kids each day gives pediatricians a leg up when it comes to expertise on children's medical issues. Other parents prefer a family practitioner, a doctor specializing in family medicine who can treat the whole family, from birth to old age. One advantage these parents point to is that the family practitioner should be well versed in health issues that pertain to your entire family. After interviewing a pediatrician named Martin Garza, who also attends our church, we felt confident we'd found the right doctor. He went above and beyond our expectations! If you are local and looking for a pediatrician I'd be happy to pass on his information to you.

Well with the Dr. going out of town and approaching 40 weeks we've decided to induce Sunday night. Mack should make his grand debut by Monday morning if not sooner! Lord willing that everything goes smoothly we should be home by Tuesday evening. And would you believe it - we're still hosting Thanksgiving at our house... of course I won't be doing much but thankfully between Radonna and Karen our stomachs will all be pleasantly satisfied.

Keep us in your prayers and we'll be sure to post updates and pictures soon.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

38 Weeks Pregnant

How my baby's growing:

The baby has a firm grasp, which we'll soon be able to test when we hold his hand for the first time! His organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Of course we're wondering what color our baby's eyes will be... Both Micah and I have blue eyes but that doesn't guarantee Mack will. We may not be able to tell right away. If he's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If he's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time he'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 he's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

How my life's changing:


We are just playing the waiting game at this point. So far everything is right on track, Mack is in position and I'm dilated to 2 centimeters already so he could come at any time. I still feel pretty good other than a little cramping here and there. It's funny because everyone assumes I'm just miserable but this pregnancy has been very blessed without any morning sickness, moodiness, complications or anything else that couples with pregnancy. Still getting around about the same, well maybe a little slower and actually starting to waddle just a bit. Haven't had any more swelling - praise God!9 months/38 weeks



Had my first craving for Cinnamon Toast Crunch.


Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Fall Favorites

I have to say, Fall is my favorite season even though we don't have much of a change in seasons in the Valley. Here are a few of my "Fall Favorites" in no particular order.

A big pot of chili shared with your favorite people.
A change in wardrobe, accessorizing with those scarves is always fun.
A warm cup of cocoa.
'Tis the season for baking.
Probably my most favorite is the change in scenery (although that doesn't happen here in south TX - it sure makes me miss home).
What are some of your favorite things about the Fall?



Blondies

Found a new recipe I like. I've been in this baking mood lately... don't know if it's the season that brings it on or my sweet tooth.


Blondies

Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 25 minutes
Oven: 350 degrees
Makes: 36 bars
  • 2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
  • 1 cup chopped nuts
  1. Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat brown sugar and butter over medium heat until butter melts and the mixture is smooth, stirring constantly. Cool slightly. Stir in eggs 1 at a time; stir in vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
  2. Spread batter in prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate pieces and nuts. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean (avoid chocolate pieces). Cool slightly on a wire rack. Cut into bars while warm
For an added bonus top with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream - yum!

Friday, November 6, 2009

37 Weeks Pregnant

How my baby's growing:

Yeah — my baby is full term! This means that if my baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though my due date is still three weeks away.

After having another ultrasound today, we found out Mack is weighing in at 7 pounds 6 ounces. I wonder what he'll weigh when he's born... I weighed 7 lbs 2 oz and Micah weighed 9 lbs 6 oz. Any guesses to what you think Mack may weigh at birth?

Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But They say not to 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 come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz. Micah had very blond hair until he was about 9 yrs old and I've always had brown hair. Hmm - who will he take after?





Buffi at 2 months old.

How my life's changing:


Braxton Hicks contractions are coming more frequently now and last longer and are more uncomfortable.

It's harder than ever to get comfortable enough to sleep well at night. So I've been taking it easy through the day — this may be my last chance to do so for quite a while. I believe we have everything ready as "nesting" kicked in 3 months ago and hasn't stopped, now it's just a chore to try and keep the house clean for it's many guests that will visit once Mack arrives. Thanks to my wonderful husband who's been chipping in and helping out. As a man finds his pride in his work so I find my pride in my home. It's very humbling to ask for help in cleaning my home but I know it will probably be much appreciated in the first few weeks Mack is here.

And last but not least I've experienced the first bouts with swollen feet and ankles - we're getting close!




Monday, November 2, 2009

36 Weeks Pregnant

How my baby's growing:

My baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long (We'll find out exactly when we do our next ultrasound). He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. My baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of his first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, my baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely he's in a head-down position. Again we'll find out the specifics this next week.

How my life's changing:

The baby has started to "drop" down into my pelvis. This process — called lightening — often happens a few weeks before labor if this is the first baby. Been feeling an increased pressure in my lower abdomen, which has made walking increasingly uncomfortable, and it's causing me to use the bathroom more frequently. Braxton Hicks contractions are also more frequent now.

I took some time this week to prewash the babies clothes - they are just so darn cute, I felt like I was playing with doll clothes! I realized I can wash a lot more of them at a time than Micah's clothes, however it was quite tedious sorting them, especially those little socks. The onesie that says "Daddy's little alarm clock" is one of my favorites.