Week 31, March 18 - March 24

Thursday, March 18th (70 days to go)
We purchased a recliner today. I was originally looking in to rocker-gliders, but if I wanted one I should have started looking longer ago since the special ordering of them can take over 2 months. We found a recliner at the La-Z-Boy Furniture Gallery near Southcenter in the color we wanted, on sale because the style is being retired, and in stock at the store. We bought the last one actually... and as we were leaving we saw some older lady sitting in "our" chair. So now we'll have us a chair in which to rock the baby to sleep... and I'll bet I end up falling asleep in it with Ella at night. It was quite comfy. We'll be picking it up Tuesday. I'll bet my pregnant body will love to sit in that chair!!!

Baby Update: [The] baby's crown-to-rump measurement is now over 10 inches. Its weight is at least 2 3/4 pounds (yea... way over that one by now!!!! She weighed more than that 3 weeks ago!!) - "The Pregnancy Journal" by A. Christine Harris, Ph.D.

Thursday, March 18th (69 days to go) - Entry #2
The doctor's office called this evening and I found out I get to do the 4D again... so I'll get the video clip that I never recieved, and I'll get to get another vhs tape. I am so happy!!! And it's free... guess I should mention that part. Isn't that nice of them? I'm luck I've got such a nice group of doctors and staff that I see. Now I have to hope that Ella will be as cute as she was last time. The doctor that called even mentioned that he heard ours was a particularly good session (figures, huh?). Nice to know though, that Ella is all ready entertaining the world, and she's not even born yet.

Friday, March 19th (68 days to go)
Looks like I'll be doing the 4D next Thursday at my all ready scheduled ultrasound appointment... which is what I kept asking could be done (more for their convenience than mine). So I'm happy. Yea!

Another development today is that I have an appointment for next Tuesday with a prospective pediatrician at the PacMed here on Beacon Hill. They call it a "meet and greet". I'm hoping I like her because I don't really like these "consultation" things very much... and I'd like to have the job of choosing a doctor for Ella over with as soon as possible. Once that's done I'll be able to pre-register myself at the hospital. That'll be cool.

Baby Update: The baby's growth in height and weight will begin to slow between now and birth. Even so, the baby will gain about two pounds this month. - "The Pregnancy Journal" by A. Christine Harris, Ph.D.

Saturday, March 20th (67 days to go)
Baby Update: If the baby is born now, it may have a callous on its thumb from sucking it in the womb. - "The Pregnancy Journal" by A. Christine Harris, Ph.D.

Sunday, March 21st (66 days to go)
Baby Update: For about the last month, the baby has assumed the fetal position in [the] uterus. The legs have been drawn in to the chest, because there isn't room for them to straighten out. - "The Pregnancy Journal" by A. Christine Harris, Ph.D.

Monday, March 22nd (65 days to go)
Let me get the regular Monday stuff out of the way before I begin to babble about how I'm feeling or what happened over the weekend.

Here is this week's heartbeat sound. And here is Baby Center's take on 31 weeks.

Well, it's another beautiful day here in Seattle. Blue skies... supposed to be a high of 62 degrees today. And we are now officially in the season in which this baby is due to be born. Yea! We are nearly to the 2 month mark as well. I am so ready. This week I am visiting two doctors. I think I all ready mentioned that I'll be visiting a prospective pediatrician for Ella tomorrow afternoon. Hope that goes well. And then I have a doctor's appointment Thursday morning in which I'll get to re-do the 4D ultrasound, as well as find out how big Ella is now, followed-up by a visit with the doctor. I've been eating really poorly again... so I'm not looking forward to seeing my doctor. Other than those 2 doctor's visits I don't have much going on this week.

A development over the weekend is that we changed our living room a bit to accommodate the coming recliner (and essentially, the baby). We took down the beloved bookcase that we had in there. :( Now there's just one big room instead of a room divided in to two by a big bookcase. I know it had to be done, but I'm still sad. Some day we'll move some where bigger and we'll put it to good use again. Tomorrow should be recliner day. I'm very excited about that. Normally sitting on the couch and having to watch tv at an angle wouldn't be a problem, but while I'm pregnant the most comfortable position is a straight on one... otherwise my back starts to hurt really bad. So I'll be sitting in that recliner quite a bit once it gets here.

Have I mentioned yet how ready I am to not be pregnant yet? My nights just get more and more sleepless... I know, I know... practice for when the baby gets here... but it seems worse to be wakened because of a sore back or sore hips rather than by a baby that needs to be fed... at least there's a reward in that. And with the recliner I'll be able to spend almost the whole night there with Ella... both of us sleeping.

I write nothing for two days and then it just spews out on the third day. :)

Baby Update: There are four layers of tissue in the placenta separating your blood supply from the baby's. Unless some breakdown of the placenta occurs, the baby's blood does not mix with [the mother's]. - "The Pregnancy Journal" by A. Christine Harris, Ph.D.

Tuesday, March 23rd (64 days to go)
Thought I'd get this entry done before the day got busy. This is some kind of record for me... It's 8:15 in the morning! Roky is letting us borrow his truck today so we can go get the recliner, and since Isaac has 2 morning shows I get to drive Roky and Wendy to work. It's not a long drive... just means I have to be up early. But on the flip side, I'm getting a recliner today! Yea!

What was up with the weather yesterday? It started out so nice. At the moment there is sun over the house, but to the north I can see really dark clouds. Isaac said it's supposed to rain this afternoon.

My "meet and greet" with the pediatrician isn't going to happen today. Her office called yesterday to reschedule. She's going to be out all week so the new appointment isn't until next Tuesday... the same day as our first parenting class, the first of 6. So we're nearly to that point. We are getting so close to the end now. It's about time!!!!

Baby Update: The baby's brain is still developing rapidly, increasing the number of interconnections between individual nerve cells and identifying groups of cells that will perform complicated functions throughout the baby's lifetime. - "The Pregnancy Journal" by A. Christine Harris, Ph.D.

Wednesday, March 24th (63 days to go)
Got the recliner yesterday. It's nice. It still doesn't solve my back problems, but hopefully delivery will. I think it's because of how Ella lays most of the time... with the heaviest part of her body on the right side of the uterus. I think my back is trying to compensate for that, so it's just the right side that hurts. Have I mentioned lately how much I'm looking forward to this pregnancy being over?

Tomorrow is an ultrasound and doctor appointment day. And it's not just a regular ultrasound, but a do-over of the 4D. I should also learn *about* how much Ella weighs right now. I think it was 4 weeks ago that she weighed about 3 pounds. She could be anywhere from 4 to 6 pounds now.

Baby Update: Going to skip this entry because it'd only be relevant if I were having a boy, which I'm not, and the entry is super long. Don't feel like typing a ton of irrelevant information for you all. Sorry.