Baby's still the size of a honeydew! (week 35)

Our baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 6.6 pounds. Because it's so snug in my womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same (which is a lot!!). Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical developement is now complete - she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Taken from: www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-35-weeks_1124.bc

Have you heard the news???

So there are a LOT of exciting changes happening with our little family right now. Probably shouldn't share all of them yet as they are not all set in stone, but one thing I will share is that we have signed up to stay in Korea for another year! So our new date to leave is now 26 Dec. 2012! While we will still miss being in the states we are both really excited to stay here a little bit longer in a country we have grown to love so much.

Also, can you tell we're really pumped about the HUGE signing bonus!?!!

We're thanking God for His perfect timing and amazing provision for our family...what better time to get some extra funds than when you have to stock a nursery and buy tons of baby stuff?? =)

Stay tuned for more updates!! =) xoxox

Baby's still the size of a honeydew! (week 34)

Our baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers - which will help her regulate her body temperature once she's born - are filling out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. Since we've been nervous about preterm labor, we're happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Taken from: www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-34-weeks_1123.bc

Baby is the size of a Honeydew! (weeks 33-36)

Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through my (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs…time to start practicing our lullabies! Growth (at least inside my womb) is starting to slow, and I may notice baby descend into my pelvis at the end of this month.

Taken from: http://pregnant.thebump.com/pregnancy/pregnancy-tools/slideshow/how-big-is-baby.aspx?page=22

***For a special treat, go to http://www.christianbook.com/various-artists/honeydew-jam/pd/DLF126659-15 and listen to song number 3 (Honeydew Jam)!!! A favorite from when I was little..... xoxox***

So Thursday night was interesting...

I was awakened at 2:45am by pretty bad stomach pains...realized once I woke up a bit that it was contractions! And boy did they hurt! After having 7 or 8 in half an hour I got a little concerned and wanted to slow things down a bit, seeing as I am only 32 weeks along...

Our doula, Tonya, had suggested drinking a tall glass of water and taking a warm bath for about 40 mins. should I want to slow down contractions, so that's what I did. The contractions stopped and I was able to sink back into bed and enjoyed the best, deepest sleep I've had all pregnancy!

I called Tonya in the morning to let her know what had happened and see what she thought. She was a bit concerned about preterm labor, so while I'm not on bedrest, I am now very limited in what I'm allowed to do. Our main goal is to keep me from going into labor at least until 36 weeks, which is the earliest I'll be allowed to deliver at the Army hospital, since they don't have a NICU. If I go into labor before then it'll have to be at a Korean hospital, which would be fine, except they're C-section happy and I want to have a natural birth.

So, here's to taking it easy!! =) Let's hope our little girl doesn't get any more impatient to meet Mommy and Daddy!
xoxox

Baby is the size of a squash! (week 32)

By now, our baby weighs 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in my uterus. I'm gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to our baby (thank God!). 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.

Taken from: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-32-weeks_1121.bc