Just Received my 35 Week Update & Thought I'd Share!

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Exciting huh? 5 1/4 pounds....if she's anything like John and I she'll pack on another 4 in the new few weeks. But hopefully not, because we were both late babies and I want her here sooner than later! Below are pictures of the changes that have taken place internally during my pregnancy. I was introduced to these during our child labor class and was (once again) amazed at what takes place inside. The first picture is what a normal body looks like inside, while the second shows the changes when the uterus has fully expanded. (Did you know the pregnant uterus is the largest muscle in a person's body??? Keep that in mind for Trivial Pursuit!)

Look at all the space for your bladder, small intestine, stomach, etc...

Where has all that space gone? Oh yeah...to the BIG baby developing inside. Pretty crazy, huh?!?

It's soo wonderful having Memorial Day off...

John and I didn't do anything to exciting this weekend, but having the time together was nice. I feel like we've been in the 'go, go, go' mood lately, so sitting around enjoying each other's company was just what I needed. I did go to dinner at Brio's on Friday with my team teachers. It was YUMMY! and the conversation was nice and fun! I think it definitely beat having a school baby shower because these are the ladies I've really grown to know and love over the last year. They are just as excited for Baby Kelsey as John and I are!

Besides that, I've just been cleaning like a mad lady!! I don't know if it's nesting, or just wanting to have a tidy house :) Either way, I am finally tackling Kelsey's room. It's been a mess since the baby shower. I washed all the clothes, sanitized the pacifiers, and organized towels, socks, shoes, etc. It's a BIG task. John and I also moved the second guest room around so we could store the strollers in there. We don't want them taking up space in the garage, and since we never go into the guest rooms, no one will even know they are there!

I just read my friend's blog and she is going into labor today...maybe even delivering in the next hour. It brought tears of happiness to my eyes, but also made me a little nervouse. Just from the few birthing classes we've had, I'm in awe of what my body is about to do to get this little girl out of me! God really knew what he was doing when He created human anatomy :) Well just a little update...8 more days of school and only 5 more weeks (35 days!) til Kelsey!!

Our Little Angel...

New ultrasound pictures taken on 5/18/09

Now, I know it's difficult for some of you to see, so I'll describe as best as I can. The picture above has her arm, (at the top of the ultrasound), covering her forehead a little. In the background, the darker areas are her eyes, nose and mouth. It also kinda looks like her left arm is laying across her chin. Awww...isn't she pretty?!?
Well - to the left of the word girl, you have Kelsey's 'private' parts. This is an picture as if she was sitting on the copy machine. Nice imagery right?

Last but not least, her little feet are at the top of the screen. They both look like they are turned to the left.

Picture Time!

Sisters at Laura's Graduation

The Whole Gang at Graduation (don't I have such a handsome hubby?!?)

And...the long awaited BELLY pictures. I know my mom is going crazy right now!

View from the front...poking out quite a bit, and my veins are starting to show alot!

My favorite night time outfit...look at that big baby! I can't believe I still have 5 weeks to grow!

Oh My Goodness...Only 5 1/2 more weeks!

Can you believe it? I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel :) Just playing, I still enjoy the pregnancy itself, it's the restless nights and fatigue that are making it more difficult lately. I have 10 more days of school, but technically I only need to keep the kids occupied for about 5. The last week of school is dedicated to our SMART conference, (where kids pick what exciting activity they want to participate in), awards ceremony and talent show. I can't wait for that last week!!

John and I had a GREAT weekend in San Marcos with my family. Laura graduated from Texas State on Saturday and we had a little gathering for her at this awesome cottage my mom found. We got to see sooo many people we haven't seen in forever and everyone got to see and feel our little addition. It really was a wonderful time with the family. I'm so thankful to have such amazing people to turn too. I'll put up pictures as soon as Mom gets them posted on facebook (hint, hint). Katie came home with John and I on Sunday and came to our ultrasound Monday morning. Kelsey is coming along just fine. She's head down with her back runnning up the left side of my body and her legs tucked to the right. I would have guessed that was her position by the kicks I get into my right ribs. I guess I'm having those motherly intuitions already :) Her arm was in front of her face again, but we were able to get a cute picture of her despite the fact. I can't wait to see what she really looks like. We opted out of the 3D pictures because I want it to be a surprise. Anyways - just a quick update before I get the kids. I'll get belly pics, weekend pics, and the ultrasound up (hopefully) tomorrow or Friday!!

7 weeks away feels like an eternity!

I was asked last night if at this stage in my pregnancy I felt like I had forever left or that it's flow by so quickly. My response was although it has flown by, these last few weeks feel like they have been playing in slow motion. I haven't felt or seen too much change in my body, Kelsey's still kicking, and school seems to be drraaggggging more slowly than it has before. This in itself may be the reason for the delay. I think when summer gets here they final three weeks will fly by.

Last night, John and I had our core group meeting with friends from church. It was the first time Brian and Kelly brought their little girl Alyssa to the meeting. She turns one month old today and she was so cute and cuddly during the meeting. As I was holding her and just staring in awe again, I couldn't help but think about what life is going to be like in 47 days! If I'm so drawn to holding other people's babies, I can't imagine how I'm going to be with my own. I apologize in advance if I don't pass her off as much as you may want me too :) haha...only kidding. But it really was incredible watching her little hands and feet move all around. It was at that point where I saw all Kelsey's movements in Alyssa. John can testify to the power of her movements lately. As we were lying in bed last night, she kept kicking me in my right rib, so much to the point where my body flinched from the quick pain. John rolled over and asked if I was ok and felt my stomach to see what was going on. I don't remember his exact repsonse but it was something along the lines of "Oh my gosh, that is a big body part" and it was. I'm guessing that instead of just her foot, it was her shin area as well. And she was pressing against my tummy hard. I'm sure if we had the lights on it would have looked like one of those scenes from aliens where they are trying to push their way out. No, I'm not comparing my daughter to an alien but I can't think of a better way to describe her power last night. It made John more eager for Kelsey to be here as well. I think everytime he gets to make those connections with her he gets more and more excited about her being here! And of course that makes me happy to hear, Dad's (and boys in general) aren't always the best at expressing their pre-baby emotions. I can understand how it doesn't feel near as 'real' for them. They aren't experiencing the weight gain, baby movements, lack of sleep, need to pee every two hours at night, inability to find a comfortable sleeping position, etc. haha, it's not as bad as I make it seem - just the last trimester! :) I guess some of those experiences are going to stay around after the baby arrives though!

John also borrowed a book from our friend Jeremy called "My Boys Can Swim", it's the official guy's guide to pregnancy. I stole it this morning and read some of it during my conference. Pretty funny. It describes (in complete guy terms) what to expect during each trimester. I think the thrid trimester and delivery is the funniest, and most prevelant at this point. He'll have to give it a read tonight. I'm sure it will be way more entertaining than the guide to pregnancy I have! :)

Anyways - on to the baby. This week Kelsey is about 4 pounds and 17 inches in length. She'll only grow a few more inches, but she'll gain about 3-5 more pounds so she can plump and be that cute, cuddly baby that everyone loves!! She weighs about as much as a pineapple this week. This week she is losing that wrinkled, alien look (yes, that's how the website described it) and her skull is beginning to harden. I didn't know this but a baby's skull isn't fused together at birth. This makes it easier for the them to fit through the birth canal, but it is also the cause for the cone-head appearance. Interesting fact - I've learned soo much in the past 7 1/2 months. Besides that, I'm feeling pretty good, just slowly awaiting our little blessing :) I'll post some new belly pictures tomorrow or Friday.

32 Week Updates

Congratulations! You've made it into the 32nd week. Your baby is taking up more and more space in your uterus and weighs as much as a large jicama -- about 3 3/4 pounds. (Length: about 16 3/4 inches, head to heel.)....so there you go, this week my baby is a large jicama. I don't even know what that is; thank goodness for the picture!! :)
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds 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.

And here are the belly pictures I know you are all eagerly awaiting. Don't worry about the lines, I took this after I woke up this morning so I must have been putting a lot of pressure on the sheets!

I feel Kelsey's feet right by my ribs when she kicks, but this picture actually looks like she is sitting a little lower than in the past. I have my 34 weeks ultrasound on May 18th and my little sister Katie is going to be able to watch with John and I. She is sooo excited, as am I. It's been a long time since we've been able to see Kelsey inside my tummy! Still no stretch marks (although I here they come within the last weeks), I'm just praying that Palmer's lotion will help the elasticity of the belly!

On another note, I had my breastfeeding basics class last night at Memorial Hermann. I gave John the night off, although the class may have given him some good insight into the fabulous world of breastfeeding. I really enjoyed it and learned a lot from it. It is going to be a very big challenge the first week but I want to stick with it and make it work. It seems like it's becoming more of a 'thing of the past' in today's world, but the benefits are so worth it for the baby. They were telling us that in the first week you need to feed anywhere between 8-12 times a day. That means every 2-3 hours from the time your baby starts. Well if it takes 45 minutes to do this, I'll be getting maybe an hour and a half in between feedings. It stresses me out to think about it, but after I voiced my concerns with John last night he made me feel better. He's very supportive and I know he'll do everything to help me out, especially when I'm exhausted and grumpy :) I have the best husband in the world and I can't wait to see him with Kelsey. Last night he felt her foot movements for the first time and said, "Feeling this actually makes me think there's a little person in there!" haha, and he also asked how I could put up with that feeling all day. It's tough sometimes becuase her kicks and movements are getting to the point where they hurt a bit and I have a jerk reaction to them. I bet 10 out of the 16 hours I'm awake she's moving around. Hopefully all this movement now will translate to sleep when she arrives! Nice thought huh?? That's about it for today. I can't believe we only have 8 more weeks!

The pains of pregnancy..

I hope I don't sound like a baby, but under my left rib (where the bra line meets my ribs), I've been having SEVERE pains. I've looked for remedies online and unfortunately I haven't found any that will work. Most people just say it's something that happens in the last trimester because my ribs are expanding and the pressure from that and my chest are creating a very tight area. Plus Kelsey is sitting really high and my uterus is pretty much up to my chest at this point. I used to be able to cure it by standing up straight or laying on my back in bed, but now neither of these remedies work. :( Saturday I put muscle relaxer on the area so it would numb the feeling. I did that last night as well for bed and it helped but it's definitely back up and hurting today! We've got 8 more weeks to go - hopefully with her dropping (eventually) the pain will lessen a bit. That's all for now...I'll update size and pictures tomorrow!