Showering Ashlynn Pippa

On November 12, I was blessed with another wonderful shower! Many of my friends - Anissa, Ashley, Claire, Crystal, Jessica, Kim and Sheri - put together an absolutely adorable pink and green shower.

34 Weeks!

Baby's now the size of a honeydew!
Things are heating up inside as well: Baby may grow up to a full inch this week alone, and his brain is developing like crazy. Pretty soon, he'll be able to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing. Also, his bones are hardening, and he's started to keep his eyes open when he's awake. At less than two months to go, he weighs in at about 4.2 pounds to 5.8 pounds and measures about 17.2 to 18.7 inches.

Mommy at 34 Weeks:

November 25, 2011 marked 34 weeks.

32 Weeks!

Baby's still the size of a squash!

Ready or not, baby's getting ready to emerge. She's probably in the head-down position by now, with her bottom facing up. This is the comfiest way for her body to fit in your increasingly cramped womb and will make her eventual exit (only a few months away now!) much easier. (If she's still head-up, don't panic -- there's still time for a flip before birth.)

At 32 weeks, our baby was still in the transverse position (sideways). The doctor assured us that there is still time for her to move the right way.

Mommy at 32 weeks:


November 11, 2011 marked 32 weeks.

31 Weeks!

Baby is still the size of a squash!

Baby's going through major brain and nerve development these days. Her irises now react to light, and all five senses are in working order. (She won't pick up anything from her nose until after birth, though -- smell is transferred through air, not amniotic fluid.)

Mommy at 31 weeks:

November 4, 2011 marked 31 weeks.

30 Weeks!

Your baby's the size of a squash!

Baby already measures about 15.2 to 16.7 inches long. Right now, she weighs about 2.5 to 3.8 pounds but she's still got a ways to go -- can you believe she'll triple in weight before birth? Baby's energy is surging, thanks to white fat depositing beneath his skin. And since she's growing so fast (weight will triple by birth), things are getting kind of cramped in the womb. What all this means for you: Get ready for some more kicks and jabs to the ribs. Her skin is getting smoother.
But his brain is getting wrinklier -- to make way for all that essential brain tissue. She's now strong enough to grasp a finger!

The Halloween celebration at my work marked 30 weeks. My co-worker, Cari, came up with this adorable costume idea. In all honesty, we weren't quite sure how it was going to turn out until that morning when we assembled, but it was definitely a success. We didn't take into account the fact that it was going to be hot and not-breathable, so I got a bit foggy after a few hours! :) Sadly, I did not win the costume contest, but all of the kids definitely loved it. Halloween sure made for a more festive photo than the other weeks!

Mommy at 30 weeks:

October 28, 2011 marked 30 weeks.

Ultrasound!

Michael and I went in for what was most likely our last ultrasound on October 12. During this ultrasound, we were delighted to find out that my placenta previa had corrected itself. If it had not corrected itself, we would have to had to schedule a c-section at that time. I really did not want to do that. I will be perfectly fine if that is how our baby decides to enter the world, but was hoping that decision wouldn't be made 12 weeks early. As much as it will surprise everyone who knows how much of a planner I am, I really didn't want to schedule the c-section so I don't know her birthday. I really hope that we will have a surprise and will get to go to the hospital unexpectedly.

28 Weeks!

Baby's still the size of an eggplant!

Baby's lungs are mature enough that, if born right now, she has a pretty good chance of surviving (with help from medical technology). Her skin is still pretty wrinkly (one byproduct of living in amniotic fluid) but will smoothen as fat continues to deposit.

Mommy at 28 weeks:

October 14, 2011 marked 28 weeks.