33 weeks!

This week baby Andersen 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.

Well, this has been the first really tough week. I switched to a new doctor who i feel so much more comfortable with and who is also much much closer to me. the practice is a family practice so he will be the baby's pediatrician too, very cool. the hospital i will be delivering at is highland park hospital, about 45 minutes away. in the process of switching doctors it was discovered that my blood pressure is higher than they would like it to be. this is new, its been normal until now. i am also borderline anemic and retaining alot of water. these are the symptoms of preclampsia which would not be so good and i am really hoping to avoid.

the good news is i have a whole list of things i can do to help turn this around and i am doing them all! most of them are dietary changes, more protein from meat, less whole grains and a whole bunch of different supplements. they also have me drinking a daily gallon of distilled water for 3 days. ive been taking a walk everyday which is really great because it is so beautiful up here, spring is coming yeah!!

i have 2 baby showers coming up, one this saturday, and i am so excited! ill post some pics and all the details soon!

7 weeks to go and cant wait to get this baby out!

32 weeks!

By now, baby Andersen 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, 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.

thanks a million!!!

ive been feeling really lucky lately and i want to thank the other people that are helping me so much and making life much easier for me.

a big gigantic thanks to josh who has been so awesome throughout my whole pregnancy. we've always been a team and done just about everything together and during this pregnancy he's had so take care of so much without me and take care of me at the same time. he hasnt complained once! everything ive asked him to do he does, he does everything he can to make me more comfortable and brings me flowers. yes, i know.. im the luckiest girl in the world.

also a huge thanks to tom and ruthmari (josh's mom and dad). they have done so much for us and i cant thank them enough. the fact that we can all live under the same roof and not want to strangle each other is really a testament to how cool they really are, love you 2! ruthmari takes me on errands often and i am so grateful for this.

thanks to the rest of our families and friends who have been really supportive and excited along with us about our baby!

im totally crying rignt now.. im such a cliche pregnant lady!

a shout out to my very special friend rosie!

my very special friend rose is every pregnant womans dream! she has been coming to my house every tuesday and giving me a fantastic pregnancy massage. i cannot even begin to explain how great this feels.. i finally have relief from lower back pain! rose is a massage therapist, soon to be certified. if you need a great massage.. i can put you in touch with rose. best massage ever.. i aint lyin!

ultrasound pictures.. so cute!

our ultrasound yesterday was amazing! they had a new setup that included the ultrasound on a big screen tv right in front of us.. we could see it all! no.. we still dont know if its a boy or girl.. its a surprise for all of us. josh's mom (ruthmari) and sister (ashley) came along with us. so far the verdict is that baby andersen looks like greta.. what do you think?

oh, and you should all know that i am having a nice big baby.. this baby is already 4.6 lbs, not the 3.something that the average baby is at 31 (almost 32 weeks). the doctor estimated that baby andersen will be 8.6 lbs at full term!


cant wait to kiss those lips!

here the baby smiled for a few seconds..


look closely.. its the babies profile..

baby greta.. this was the youngest pic i had..

newborn baby josh..

31 weeks!

This week, baby Andersen 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.

30 weeks.. waddle in full swing!

Its offical, i am now a full time waddler. it used to be just when i was tired, now i walk like a duck!

Baby Andersen is about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

29 weeks.. on the road

we were on the road last week.. in kentucky! we just need a relaxing get away so we spent 5 days driving through illinois, indiana, kentucky, virginia, tennessee and a small corner of ohio. we had a great time, did some sight seeing.. here are a few highlights from our trip..

the appalachian mountains

hush puppies.. we decided that breaded deep fried cornbread was pretty much gross!
gatlinberg.. the wisconsin dells of the midsouth on steroids!

Baby Andersen now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.