36 weeks

Hoping the belly looks bigger :)

So it's been a whirlwind of a week but looking forward to a nice weekend! It's my 31st birthday this Saturday and I keep forgetting I am even having a birthday. Not doing much for it, just dinner and a movie with my favorite person (that's John and of course Juliet will be with us also, my other favorite person)





Birthing class 4: We learned about C-Sections in class on Wednesday. Had to watch another video showing what they do to you during a c-section. I have concluded there is NO good way to get a baby out of you... It all look awful and painful, so until they teach fetus the art of teleportion I guess this is what us women are stuck with!!! I was also picked out of class to demonstrate a C-Section to the whole class, it was so embarrassing. I had to lay on the floor while other people stood over me pretending to be various doctors and nurses that would be in the room with you for a real c-section. We are learning a lot but thank god for John being such a good student in class b/c without him I don't think I would remember all the stuff we learned. At the end of every class we do a mock labor and he always has the right answers when the teacher asks for him and he remembers all the breathing patterns that I forget. The teacher has even promised John a cookie for two of his right answers that the rest of the class could not seem to get (ha ha) I don't think he will ever really see that cookie to his dismay.





Ultrasound: Some other things we found out at this weeks ultrasounds (yes the two I had this week!) Juliet already has hair on her head! They pointed out the hair to me during the ultrasound which I thought was pretty cool. Also, Juliet is still a Juliet b/c she still has girl parts and not boy parts. She is probably going to have big feet just like her daddy. The tech was showing us her feet and I said "those look big" so she measured them and they are already 3 inches long . Then the tech laughed and said "well I don't measure feet that much but that seems big to me!"

Photo Fun - Taken at 35 weeks :)

Here are some of our Maternity photo's --- Really happy with them, I think our photographer did a good job :) To see all the pictures follow these directions.

Hello!
I would like to invite you to view pictures Collins at Lauren Fitzgerald Photography. They are located at http://www.laurenfitzgeraldphotography.com/photocart.
When you go to the website, click the Access Gallery link and enter in the access code below:
Access code: 5b6a3bb4
After you do that, you will be able to view these pictures.

After no sleep last night....

Found out everything is back to be fine with little Juliet. The doctor at the Hospital (after they re-took all the measurements of Baby Juliet) said that she is measuring perfectly fine and now they predict her weight at 5 pounds 14 ounces (she grew so much in just a day! ha ha). They also say my fluids are now fine and back to a very normal level :) She said my belly is measuring small b/c my "abs are still working" and that is keeping the baby in closer to me. So I am very relieved!!!

I have a follow-up Ultrasound on July 26th to check on her one last time (hopefully) but all is good and healthy :)

Doctor's office called me back and...

Ugg… my doctor just called me back after they looked at my results again and I have low amniotic fluid, so have to go to the Hospital tomorrow at 9 AM for more tests :( Also decided they are a little worried about some of the measurements and want to have the hospital retake them... Now I'm REALLY worried.

Mid Week Growth Sonogram Update

I just got back from my sonogram and got to see little Juliet! We got some pictures of her face but this sonogram was done in my doctor's office so it was a little less clear then the nice 3D one's at the Hospital. (so still no idea what she really looks like!) She was sticking her tongue out at me, it was pretty cute!!!!



The results: So they told me pretty much I have a small baby. She is only 5 & a quarter pounds and she is measuring small everywhere proportionately (which they say is good) The bottom line is they think everything is fine but she is just smaller than the average baby. They predicted that if I go till 40 weeks and she keeps growing at a normal rate she will be almost 7 pounds by her due date. The midwife said that she is pretty sure they are going to schedule me for another growth sonogram in two weeks just to be on the safe side. (being on the safe side is good by me)



Good News: I have gained two pounds in a week and up to 19 pounds for my weight gain & it is confirmed by the sonogram that she is head down in the right position for delivery!!! I love my little peanut and can't wait to meet her :)

35 weeks

Does my Belly look any bigger to you?

The Doctor's appointment this week :(

The bad news: They are slightly concerned about my size at the doctor's appointment on Wednesday, since my last appointment three weeks ago they said I have only gained a pound and that my belly is still measuring 31 centimeters (which is no change from last time). Since i have had no belly growth they are sending me in for a sonogram to check and make sure the baby is growing okay or that my fluids are not low for some reason. She also said that it could just be the position that Juliet is in, she could be curled up making her appear smaller than she is. The midwife also said she is now a little concerned that I have only gained 17 pounds and would like my weight gain to be a little more a week (around a pound a week). I have never ever skipped a meal the whole time I have been pregnant (when I say skipped a meal I mean 1st breakfast, 2nd breakfast, 1st lunch, 2nd lunch, 1st dinner and 2nd dinner--- plus snacks!) I will do whatever they tell me to do in regards to eating to make sure my little baby girl is getting everything she needs. Just a stressful doctors visit b/c I feel like I have gone above and beyond to eat a lot of healthy stuff to grow Juliet :( But trying not to worry to much but it's hard not to worry when you become a mother.

The good news: They checked her position and she is head down & butt up, which is right where she should be to prepare for birth! My blood pressure is good at 110/75 and the baby's heart rate is nice and strong at 145 beats per minute. Plus she is moving all the time which is a good sign she is doing great.

Tour de hospital: John and I went on our tour of Howard County Hospital this week! I got to see where I would be giving birth and staying for two days after the baby was born. It is a very nice hospital and I'm so excited about everything. I started to imagine myself in the birthing room and all the emotions I would be going through and what it would be like to see the baby for the first time... It was pretty neat. I'm ready for you labor (well not till the baby is fully developed then I'm ready!)

Maternity photo's: John and I took our "Maternity Photo's" yesterday and we will have the link to share with everyone in a little over a week. The photographer called John a J Crew model which I thought was so funny!!! She also had us gaze into each other eye's a lot which just made both of us laugh so be ready to have a good chuckle at some of the cheesy pictures we took.

What we learned in Birthing class number 3: (2 more left till we get our "child birth certificate" and I'm allowed to actually give birth to Juliet! Ha ha) This week we learned about pain medication in class and all the things they will do to you during labor with various instruments (think forceps) So it was a little disturbing, again sometimes I think ignorance is bliss! Other then learning about pain meds we discussed what to pack in the hospital bag, which they said to pack at 36 weeks. It crazy to me that I will be packing my hospital bag in one short week!!!!

34 weeks & so happy it's July!

34 weeks and happy it's July b/c that means next month I will get to meet Juliet (if not sooner!)
JULY!!!!! YEA! It's getting so close and I am getting very excited. I have a lot planned for the next couple weekends so that should keep me busy while I wait 6 more weeks to meet my little bundle of joy. We are also almost 100 % done with the nursery, just a few more storage pieces to add and we are done.

Fun dates July...

July 3rd - It's our 5 year wedding anniversary. John and I have been dating since I was 23 years old and I couldn't be happier. He is the BEST!

July 8th - John and I go and pose for our Maternity pictures... He is not pregnant but will be in the pictures with me ;)

July 17th - I turn 31 (I can't believe it) ha ha. I feel much younger.

July 23rd - I am considered "Full Term" in my pregnancy. Which means the baby is pretty much fully cooked but probably won't come out till 40 weeks... but who knows I could go early????

Birthing class updates: We had our second birthing class and we had to watch a video of a real birth with no drugs... so there was a lot of screaming and the women saying things like "I can't do this" I think I was the only girl in the class that cringed the whole time I watched the video. I really just wanted to cover my eyes! It's pretty crazy stuff and I think I liked ignorance better ;) But I know I can do it & hopefully I have enough time to get one of those nice epidurals that my friends rave about. I love modern medicine! But most importantly I just want the baby and I to come out of this healthy so whatever happens I will just try and go with it. I also have a great birthing coach (John of course!) who has been asking a lot of questions in class. It's pretty funny how much he raises his hand in class compared to the other men.