31 Weeks!!

Today we had our visit to the hospital to pre-register and find out all about the epidural. He asked if I had any questions after they made me read this 3 page warning about anesthesia. I said nope. He replied “watching a lot of discovery channel?” I said “something like that, I’m reading everything I can get my hands on.” He seemed glad to not have to sit and answer a million questions. I wonder how other ladies are. I’m not going to get worked up and crazy until I have to. If I have a question then, I’ll have no trouble asking. Plus, today was just to get all my paperwork out of the way. I told them my whole medical history, and they took my vitals. Weird thing though, I was nervous waiting in the lobby for them to call me back. I have no clue why!There was a fish tank in the lobby to keep me company. It turned out to be a piece of cake. Mmm, cake…

How far along? 31 weeks! 9 weeks (63 days) til due date, and only 42 days til we’re full term!

(outfits I just bought today for the monkey)

How big is baby? He's a head of lettuce. Still… what’s up What to Expect App?? Slacking this week?! Another website I follow said this: He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. A growth spurt you say? He doesn’t have much room left in there… I see new clothing in my future.

Development:
• Your baby boy continues to gain weight as increasing amounts of fat are deposited in the skin. This will cause his skin to become increasingly opaque in color.

• The hair on his head is more prominent, and the eyebrows and eyelashes have fully developed.

• Lanugo continues its slow disappearance.

• The survival rate for babies born at 31 weeks is about 96%; of surviving infants, the rate of serious medical complications is about 20%. Remember that survival and complications rates are highly dependent on the baby’s sex and race as well as the quality of the NICU.

• The baby's eyesight is improving, and the iris can dilate and constrict in response to light and dark; however, his vision remains far from 20/20. The iris is starting to become pigmented.

• Most light-skinned babies are born with blue eyes, whereas dark-skinned babies are usually born with brown eyes. The final eye color may take up to six months to be defined.

How huge is mama? Up another pound. Feels like 20. I’m a whale. LOL oh and my math was off last week, I’m up a total of 21 pounds now.

Sleep? Hah…

Movement? Slowing down but still good. He’s getting more defined sleep and awake patterns. Seems like he’ll get into a comfy spot and won’t move for a little bit. But while I’m sleeping (or trying to that is…) He goes NUTS. Like doggy paddling against my sides. LOL

Food? My stomach is sooooo sensitive now. Everything makes me sick. The other night, I had just fruit and cheese for dinner. I find that if its simple like just bread, I’ll be ok. So much for closing down the local Chinese buffet… Who are those lucky pregnant women who can actually eat???

Belly button? Shallow, but I doubt it‘ll ever be flat.

Pregnancy symptoms? Same as before, sickies and dizzies, but now (warning TMI) the bones in my lower region feel like… I don’t know how to explain it. Separating? Stretching? It’s just uncomfortable down there. Especially if I walk a lot. Oh, and my face is greasy as hell! So gross!!! People keep saying “you’re glowing,” nope, it’s just the sheen off my greasy face.

Crazy things giving me anxiety? What if I black out? I have been known to just black out. Adrenaline, too much sun, loss of blood… I am prone to black out… Think that’s a possibility during labor? That would be crazy…

Getting ready for Baby? Gayle ordered us some videos about preparing for the baby and they came today! Yay! I’m excited about them. They’re called “Laugh and Learn” so they can’t be too scary for me. :-P Also, Gabe’s friend at work gave him a TON of clothes. I don’t know why, but the dinosaur that says “roarrr” kills me.

I love it so much. There’s also little pants that the butt has a monster on it and the mouth opens a little and it says roar too. Ugh, so cute. Today, I went to Macy’s after my trip to the hospital and got a dress for the shower and an adorable outfit for the monkey…

Milestones? Figured out that I’m experiencing Braxton Hicks. (False Labor contractions) When I walk around or stand for too long, my tummy gets all tight and I have to sit. As soon as I do it goes away and doesn’t come back so that’s basically the definition of Braxton Hicks. Getting ready for labor!

Looking forward to next? Our first birth class will be next weekend. They said to bring a pillow and blanket so I’m sure we’ll be practicing pain management. I’m looking forward to that for some reason. Maybe they’ll teach Gabe to massage me… oh please! I hope so! (He HATES to massage…) LOL

This one was funny. Julie in particular LOVED it.
-31weeks0daysandcounting