Week 34, April 8 - April 14

Thursday, April 8th (48 days to go)
I can't reach my feet well enough to clip my own toenails anymore. So I'm going to go get a pedicure today. :) It'll be nice.

No news on Ella. She's still in there... growing and making my growing belly itchier and itchier every day.

Baby Update: The baby is still growing rapidly. During this week, it will grow 1/2 inch longer. - "The Pregnancy Journal" by A. Christine Harris, Ph.D.

Friday, April 9th (47 days to go)
The first baby shower is tomorrow! Yea!

Baby Update: The baby's eyes will open during alert times of its daily cycle, and close when it sleeps. The eyes are usually blue at this time regardless of the final color they will become, because the pigmentation that colors the eye is not fully developed. Final formation of eye pigmentation generally requires a few weeks' exposure to light. - "The Pregnancy Journal" by A. Christine Harris, Ph.D.

Saturday, April 10th (46 days to go)
First baby shower today!

Got an outdoor lawn swing so we can sit outside with Ella this summer. I love to sit outside and read but there was nowhere comfortable to do that. Now there is. I'll be able to sit there and read and swing and the swinging will put her to sleep. It'll be nice. :)

Baby Update: In addition to the immune protection provided by you, the baby is also beginning to develop its own immune reaction to mild infections. - "The Pregnancy Journal" by A. Christine Harris, Ph.D.

Sunday, April 11th, Easter(45 days to go)
We had a really good shower yesterday. I'd like to say thanks to my two best buds, Dana and Jaime, for throwing the first shower. Played some good games (Isaac won one, I won none), and only a couple of people had to taste pureed peas. Ella's little nursery is getting full and there are still 2 showers to go. It's amazing though, we always manage to find room for stuff. Right now there's a bunch of stuff piled in the crib, but eventually they'll take up space elsewhere in the this little house.

Some of the items we got were the kick & play bouncer, baby bathtub, floor gym, a diaper-changing toolbelt for Isaac, pacifiers, bottles, lots of clothes, baby washcloths, hooded towels, bath thermometer, comb and brush and a blanket. I think that pretty much wraps it up. So much stuff and yet more to come. Her nursery is going to be packed full. She's a very lucky baby.

I think my rash on my belly is getting worse. I'm debating calling the doctor tomorrow. We'll see if anything changes overnight. But speaking of itchies, I'm going to go try and ease the itch. I hope every one had a wonderful Easter.

Baby Update: In the next three days, the baby's fingernails will reach the ends of the fingertips. - "The Pregnancy Journal" by A. Christine Harris, Ph.D.

Monday, April 12th (44 days to go)
The Monday stuff. Here's the heartbeat for 34 weeks, and here's Baby Center's take development at 34 weeks. Sounds like in another week if Ella is born early she'll be perfectly fine. So maybe in another week I'll start coaching her to come out early. :)

The doctor I saw last week for my itchy belly called in a perscription to a local pharmacy for an oral cortizon today... so hopefully that'll do more than that cream, which did nothing. I'll keep you posted.

On the docket this week is our 3rd of 6 "parent preparation" classes tomorrow night, my 34 week appointment with Dr. Lawrence is Thursday morning, and then Saturday we have the second of 3 baby showers. Should be an eventful week (though hoping the dr. appointment isn't too eventful).

Baby Update: Since the amniotic fluid volume has reached its maximum, [the mom] can now think of [her] baby as resting on the walls of [her] uterus rather than floating in fluid-filled space. It is still bathed in amniotic fluid, of course, and that fluid is replaced continuously by [the mom's] efficient system. - "The Pregnancy Journal" by A. Christine Harris, Ph.D.

Tuesday, April 13th (43 days to go)
I got a new perscription yesterday for my itchy belly. I'm skeptical that it will work. It's a 6-day deal, where I take so many pills each day for 6 days. Considering that the only "cure" for this rash is to actually have the baby, I don't see how these pills are going to keep the itch away long term. But we'll see. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Baby Update: By today, the baby's fingernails have reached the ends of its fingertips. You may find you have to cut its nails after birth. Even though the nails are small, they can still scratch (babies scratch themselves more often because of their poor muscle control). The newborn's face may even have some scratch marks on it from its own long fingernails. - "The Pregnancy Journal" by A. Christine Harris, Ph.D.

Wednesday, April 14th (42 days to go)
I'll put up a couple of pictures, and then I'll talk a bit about our parenting class last night... not that there's much to tell.

First, the bi-weekly belly shot. As you'll notice when comparing this picture to the previous one, there isn't much of a difference. At this point the rate at which Ella is growing has slowed down, even though she's supposed to gain a couple more pounds before birth.



I just found this picture on the digital camera. For those who haven't seen me in awhile, you can see what I look like in regular clothes and without my belly sticking out. I look really sick or tired or something in this picture, but I was feeling fine. That's Uncle Henry... he was pretty impressed with the belly and Ella let him feel her move. I think she'll get a kick out of him.



Parenting class: Still not much news-worthy going on. I'm beginning to wonder if it was a waste of money. We did, however, get to watch the infamous "birthing video". Even I was a little horrified watching it. I'm so not going to be one of those women want a mirror nearby so I can watch what's going on. No way! And feel the baby as it's coming out... nada. As far as I'm concerned, get her out, clean her up, and bring her to me. There are women who want to really "experience" the birthing process. I think I've mentioned before that if I could bypass the whole procedure and just magically have Ella out, then that's what I'd do. So, I'm beginning to think a c-section isn't such a bad idea. Maybe even hoping for one. We'll see what happens.

We ran out of time so we didn't get on the floor and do breathing exercises last night. Bummer. :)

Baby Update: If [the] baby is born now, it will not only be able to make an efficient transition from the womb to the outside, but it will also be able to resist disease. - "The Pregnancy Journal" by A. Christine Harris, Ph.D.