Week 33

My doctor's appointment went well. I gained 2 pounds, but according to Tom's Aunt it looks like I lost weight - sounds good to me! Kassandra has been very active and is going to be a boxer. Her favorite thing is to punch my bladder.

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Week 32

This was a good week. Tom and I are looking forward to our L.A. baby shower this weekend. We can't wait to see everyone.
I have my doctor's appointment next week for our biweekly appointment. I am not expecting much to happen at the appointment.

Here is our week 32 update:
How your baby's growing:
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

Kassandra's Room

Tom has been working on Kassandra's room. It is taking longer than expected, but I knew it would because of the amount of detail in it. It is coming along nicely and I can't wait to see it when it's done!

Here is the before pictures. 4 white walls.... so plain







Now as you can see the ceiling is done.







Then came the start of the grass and the mountains:




















Then came the rainbow, the outline on the mountains and Kassandra's name on the wall















Next will be the Peanut characters. Tom is working on them now, but due to a hectic schedule it will be a few weeks before they are all complete. So hang tight there is more to come.

Ultrasound appointment 2/12/10

Kassandra is looking good, weighing in on 3 lbs 11 oz. Below are her ultasound pictures. As you can see by the first picture Kassandra looks like she has chubby cheeks.

Weeek 31

We have an ultrasound appointment today. I will have pics soon.

How your baby's growing:
This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Week 30

I now see the doctor every 2 weeks and my next appointment is on Monday. Overall everything has been going pretty well. I started having Braxton Hicks contractions and understand that this is not even close to what real labor will feel like, however all I can say is OMG!!! I have had a few that felt like Kassandra was trying to make her way into the world now.

This weeks update:
Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)