Baby Max is a growing boy

We got good news at the ultrasound today. Max is growing nicely and his measurements are lining up with the norm. I have plenty of fluids and may just be measuring small. He could weigh up to 4lbs 15oz. His hands and feet were still up by his face. He is also still breech and has a few more weeks before they get concerned about that. Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers, he's a good little boy already.

Pregnancy Survey- 33 Weeks

How Far Along: 33 weeks

Size of baby: This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him 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 his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Total Weight Gain: 19 lbs

Sleep: Still up to pee a few times a night, but sleeping pretty good with my pillows 

Symptoms: Feeling pretty good. We had a 33 week doctor appointment yesterday where they said that I was measuring too small. You are suppose to be the same number of cm's from your pelvic bone to the top of your uterus as the number of weeks you are (so approx 33- give or take). She said I was measuring only at 29/30 max. The heartbeat was fine and I have been feeling him move a good bit. We are scheduled for a growth check ultra sound on friday to see what is going on. Hopefully it is just his position making me look smaller. I did go to the appointment in the morning when I normally go after lunch so I measured after dinner and I was more around 31. Think good thoughts tomorrow and I will keep you posted. I'm trying not to worry too much so just keeping busy until the appointment. 

Cravings: I enjoyed eating a lot of these past few days with the holidays. I have had plenty of good food and desserts! 

Gender- Max David 

Movement: He's moving around a good bit still. 

Maternity Clothes: Yup, and just wearing some things a size up from my normal is working pretty good still. 

Best Moments this week: Having my family in town for the holidays. We had a great time at the baby shower (i'll do a whole post on that, it was very fun and everyone spoiled Max rotten), Christmas, shopping and getting Max's nursery up and going.  

What I'm looking forward to: Enjoying the rest of our Xmas staycation at home with David. Seeing Baby Max at the ultra sound tomorrow. 

Milestones: We surprised my mom and David's parents with a 3D/4D ultrasound where they could come with us to see Max. My sister and James also got to come and see him. He was very uncooperative by having his feet and hands above his head and covering up his face almost the entire time. I tried sugar and caffeine and he just wouldn't move them much. We did get a few good shots and the dvd that david edited. I'll do a sep. post on it, but here is a little teaser. His nursery is also moving along really well. David, James and my Brother did the customized closet unit, The gals bought and made decorative accents (wait until you see Max's name), Mom is making curtains, David made changing pad cover and pillows. Lots of projects to share soon. 

33 week belly shot taken on Christmas. 

Homemade Christmas Gifts

Hi Everyone, I am back... sorta. I am still on vacation from work, but wanted to share some of the things we've been doing over our Christmas break.

  I'll start with what David and I made for our families for homemade gifts. 

For my family I did these simple subway art frames. I used this print and just printed it on glossy paper and we spray painted some frames from Walmart with red. It was very simple and looks great. 

I also got this idea for decorative kitchen towels from pinterest. It was simple, but somewhat time consuming. You use flour sacks from walmart and just use an iron to put your hem on each side and pin it to your towel then just sew a nice hem on each side onto the towel. Who know hobby lobby had such cute kitchen fabric.

David also made these little earbud holders for the guys. He ran out of time though, it was going to have a zipper on it and be a little more fancy. 

We made fabric covered binder cookbooks for Davids family. I had made them last year for my mom and sister so we decided to make 8 more this year! 

They turned out really good and I just put some clear sheet protectors in with a recipe to get them going. So that is what we were doing for 2 weekends prior to Christmas in between all our baby classes. 

Pregnancy Survey- 32 Weeks

How Far Along: 32 weeks

Size of baby: 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, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth.

Total Weight Gain: 18 lbs

Sleep: It's getting a bit more difficult to get comfy. I hug a long pillow that goes underneath my belly to sleep.

Symptoms: Feeling pretty good, I am starting to get tired more at night after coming home from work/making dinner and all that, but it's not until 9-10pm so I guess it could be worse.  It could also be the holiday time and rushing around to get everything done.

Cravings: I could go for some pizza after hearing my sister say she had Pizza Hut.

Gender- Max David

Movement: He's still moving, not as crazy as the past couple weeks, maybe he's moved?

Maternity Clothes: Yup, and just wearing some things a size up from my normal is working pretty good still.

Best Moments this week: I loved going to take a tour of the hospital. I've never been to North Side and it is really nice there. The delivery room is huge and the rooms you go to after are all private and have private bathrooms and all that fun stuff. We now know where to drop off and check-in. It is getting more real and you could have left me there to have the baby and I would have felt good about it. I am almost ready.

What I'm looking forward to: I am so excited for the coming days. Michelle and James arrive this afternoon and mom, brother and sister-in-law tomorrow! Then it's baby shower time and Christmas festivities with family. It's going to be a fun weekend-week ahead.

Milestones: My crib bedding is IN! I really love it and can't wait to get the nursery going. David did a great mock-up of the closet and we'll be using some IKEA storage items for inside the closet. I'll document to show you how we're doing it. I am looking forward to getting a lot accomplished within the next 10 days. I am really starting to sprout now, lol I say this every week, but the belly is growing rapidly.

Merry Christmas!

In between trying to work, I have been trying to finish everything for Christmas and before family arrives. I did have the help of professionals to clean my house yesterday and it is amazing! I am looking forward to my family arriving Thursday and Friday and we are going to my baby shower on Friday evening! The boys have their own happy hour event at wild wings planned for the shower, so that should be fun for them.

On Christmas eve I will be making my grandmas sauce for all to enjoy and Shell and James are bringing their fried turkey maker.

After all the family Christmas festivities it is Max's nursery time. The boys will be working on the closet unit and other fun stuff while the gals shop around and make curtains and such. I got the crib bedding in yesterday, but will hold off in showing you since I don't have a mattress or anything else yet. I love it though!

From our family to yours, we hope you have a Merry Christmas! I will be back tomorrow for a survey, but will be taking a little blogging time off after that.

It's a Boy!.... Ok Not for Real Yet

This weekend we were all over the place trying to run errands, finish homemade gifts and just get through our to-do list. We also went to our hospital tour and baby essentials class at north side hospital. I had never even visited the hospital so it was nice to see where to go and what to expect. It's a very nice place with private rooms for labor and delivery and for staying there. I feel more comfortable about where to go and the care we are going to receive. We also learned a lot in our baby essentials class.

My favorite part was when they handed out the baby doll and asked the guys to pick them up first. She said that most women know by instinct or have held a baby more than the guys so they would go first. It was cute and the lady was so sweet when she nicely corrected what the guys were doing that may not work as well.

I can't wait to show you all the homemade gifts we finished. The new sewing machine is amazing. Our whole dining room table is full of homemade gifts.

David also decided since we were moving through our to-do list so fast that he would add another project to the list... okay maybe it didn't exactly happen that way. He wanted to run cable to another wall in the spare bedroom so he was in the attic drilling a hole when I heard some curse words and went to see what happened.

There was def. a big hole in the ceiling in the hallway from his foot that missed a beam. It was just in the worse spot too because it was in the stairwell and we had to get his brother's big extension ladder to reach. I am honestly surprised this hasn't happened before, it's just bad timing with everything we have to get done before the family arrives in town.

It really was a lot bigger than it looks.

Pregnancy Survey- 31 Weeks

How Far Along: 31 weeks

Size of baby: 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.

Total Weight Gain: 17 lbs

Sleep: I still get up a few times a night, but if I do get up around 5am I am up for a while. My mind starts waking up and I start thinking of the million things I have to do.

Symptoms: Still a little lower back/hip pain sometimes. I did have a horrible leg cramp after stretching my legs in bed this morning. Man, I won't do that again, it went all the way from my calf to my butt! Baby is transverse the midwife thinks. I went to the DR yesterday (starting my every 2 weeks now) and she thought he was sideways. She also said I was measuring at 29cm from pelvic bone to top of uterus and if he was in birthing position he would be right around 31 or 32. I asked about when he would turn and since I was interested and talking about it she put down another ultra sound in 4 weeks at my 35 week appt. to check the position! I am so thankful to have so many ultra sounds to check out baby. It makes your mind at ease knowing he's doing good in there when you see him.

Cravings: Nothing crazy. I am still loving my morning cereal with cold milk in it.
Gender- Max David

Movement: He's moving away all the time and I do still feel him on the right upper side and lower region. I have to elongate and sit up when he moves into my rib area to give him some extra room.

Maternity Clothes: Yup, and just wearing some things a size up from my normal is working pretty good still.

Best Moments this week: Hearing his heartbeat at the DR's. It was around 145. We also both had our work Xmas parties so it's nice to work for companies that have little gatherings to celebrate the holiday season.

What I'm looking forward to:  We are busy bee's for this coming weekend and straight into January. I have a lot to look forward to. We have our hospital tour and baby essentials class at northside hospital on Saturday. We are also finishing our xmas crafts on our new sewing machine! We are having our house deep cleaned by professionals this coming Tuesday (Merry Christmas to David and me) And this time next week, my family will soon be arriving for Christmas!

Milestones: My crib bedding has shipped!! It will be arriving before the holidays so that is very exciting news.