31 weeks

You baby weighs between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 pounds. She continues to gain weight at a faster pace than she lengthens, which will give her those cute chubby cheeks. She's about fourteen to sixteen inches tall, although individual growth rates vary. Your baby begins to run out of room as she puts on weight.
This week marks an incredible milestone in your baby's lung development. Before now, the air sacs and branches in your baby's lungs were present but not functional. The lungs were not able to inflate properly. However, now there is surfactant being produced in your baby's lungs. Surfactant prevents your baby's lungs from collapsing outside of the uterus and the baby is able to take in air and breathe properly. The fetal ear is almost completely developed both inside and out. Your baby can hear your voice and other familiar sounds that she will recognize after birth. Your baby is putting on white fat under the skin and the skin's color is pink instead of red at this point. Your baby's fingernails have grown to the end of her fingers and she may scratch herself while she is in the womb. 

How far along? 31 weeks.

Due Date: August 13, 2010

Total weight gain/loss: +5 Total. Same as last week. Cool! :)
Maternity clothes? ...... Yea.
Sleep: This week I started waking up at night... she decided that it is very fun to move a lot when I lay still.

Best moment this week: Childbirth class was fun and VERY informative and getting to see little Eliana again was SO cool!! WE GOT TO SEE HER BLINK!! She has my cheeks and chin, for sure! She weighs 3lbs,14oz (according to the ultrasound) which is the 54th percentile, right on track. :)

Movement: Constantly. It tends to be distracting and is getting to be painful sometimes... she figured out the way to make my belly bigger is to push from the inside I think. :)

Food cravings: Fresh food and sweets.
Food aversions: I haven't noticed anything lately.
Gender: A little wiggly girl!
Labor Signs: Not real labor, thankfully... and most of the Braxton-Hicks I feel aren't painful :) YAY
Belly Button in or out? I think I can still say in... but it is definitely starting to pop a little.
What I miss: Subway!!! Seriously... especially now that it is hot - I want to eat not-hot food.
What I am looking forward to: Seeing a friend (maybe 2?) from college! Shaula and I have the same due date! :D
Milestones: Eliana's lungs should not collapse! Since she is producing surfactant now her lungs can handle air! YAY!! She'd be able to breathe! (We still want her to wait for August.)

Other: Picture!  Bigger already?

30 weeks!

By this time, your baby's crown-to-rump length is a little over 10.8 inches and the total length of your baby is about 17 inches! Your baby weighs about 3 pounds now. Your uterus, baby, placenta and the amount of fluid will get larger over the next ten weeks. You should be gaining about a pound a week at this time. If your baby were born now, she would be able to keep herself warm. 

How far along? 30 weeks.

Due Date: August 13, 2010

Total weight gain/loss: +5... :) No change from last week! So, I kind of met my goal! +5 @ 30 weeks! I guess I'm supposed to start gaining a pound a week now so we'll see what happens?
Maternity clothes? ...... Yea.
Sleep: Like a rock. I'm exhausted when I go to bed.

Best moment this week: Baby shower! :) Last Friday was my first baby shower... so much fun! Our friends from Ohio stayed the night too :)

Movement: Constantly. It is a bit distracting... and uncomfortable when she decides she doesn't have enough space and she pushes out... hard! So I push back and she moves :)

Food cravings: No... and it makes it really hard to decide what to eat for dinner. 
Food aversions: I haven't noticed anything lately.
Gender: A little wiggly girl!
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks... definitely!
Belly Button in or out? In... barely! Looking very flat right now... I still have some in but it is changing fast. 
What I miss: Subway!!! Seriously... especially now that it is hot - I want to eat not-hot food.
What I am looking forward to: Saturday is Childbirth class and next Wednesday is our check-the-left-kidney ultrasound!
Milestones: I am 30 weeks pregnant... 70 days to go. The countdown alone is a milestone!

Other: Picture! I think I've changed grown a bit in the last 2 weeks :) I'll have to make a progression pic soon... my belly doesn't look attached. :P

29 weeks

Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments.

How far along? 29 weeks.

Due Date: August 13, 2010

Total weight gain/loss: +5 ... :) We got to it a week sooner than I was hoping but that's ok :) ... My baby weighs almost 3lbs and the water (I believe) should almost equal her weight so that means I haven't really gained anything! O:) ... but I know that no matter how healthy I eat, I'm probably about to pack on the pounds just because I'm nearing the end. Whoah - I'm nearing the end! Only 11 weeks... wow.
Maternity clothes? This is getting redundant. Yes.
Sleep: I sleep great! ... either she doesn't move much at night or I sleep like a rock because she doesn't wake me up... but when I'm first awake I usually shift into a different position and she does too :)

Best moment this week: I really need to write these down as they happen... I'm sure I forget great stuff! Sunday this week after we got home from church we sat in the car listening to music because Eliana was dancing around... Rusted Root - Send Me On My Way came up on our cd and there was a certain spot in the song that she just loved I guess and Geoff was sitting next to me so he really got to see my belly move! It was so cool! She loves bass in music btw :)

Movement: Yes, more and more all the time. She really jumps around to good music and after I eat. :) Sometimes she'll kick my arm off my belly if I have it resting there. :)

Food cravings: Nothing right now. 
Food aversions: I haven't noticed anything lately.
Gender: GIRL!! A healthy wiggly(!) girl
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks... definitely!
Belly Button in or out? In... barely! Sometimes the way I sit will pop out a side and it takes a while for it to go back :) 
What I miss: Subway!!! Seriously... especially now that it is hot - I want to eat not-hot food.
What I am looking forward to: Today is the first baby shower! :) I'll try to remember to write about it.
Milestones: Really starting to feel ready - I'm going to be a MOMMY IN ABOUT ELEVEN WEEKS!!

Other: I found a dresser on Craigslist for $20 and they threw in this modular cabinet thing :) YAY!! We definitely needed more dresser space and this should be perfect. :)

28 weeks

Your baby is equal in weight to a Chinese cabbage -- about 2 1/4 pounds. (Length: almost 15 inches, from head to heel.)

As your belly gets larger, that now-heavier-than-two-pound baby you've got hanging out in your uterus is stacking on the fat. What's more, they can sense light, blink (with their little eyelashes!) and move their head in response to bright light shone on your belly. You, on the other hand, are having more difficulty moving and would do well to sit down, put up your feet, and make sure you've got a good name for your little one.

How far along? 28 weeks.

Due Date: August 13, 2010

Total weight gain/loss: My appetite has been increasing so I shouldn't be surprised, but +4 total (means I gained 3lbs this week! Crazy.)
Maternity clothes? Yes... two of my normal shirts are about to be retired until after baby gets here and I have one maternity top that I'm stretching out the buttons too much and I may have to be done wearing!
Sleep: like a rock! I'm exhausted when I go to be and when I get up I feel like I could sleep for another hour at least.

Best moment this week: Seeing family that I don't normally see... and Geoff, Mom and my cousin all got to feel Eliana move!
Movement: Yes... but she apparently has stage fright... she'll be jumping around making my belly dance but when I try to get someone to see it? They are lucky if they catch a little bump.

Food cravings: TWIX - seems to be a rather consistent craving... if you can call it a craving :)
Food aversions: less... I'd rather not go into detail. I'm working on getting over it but talking about the food type that is questionable makes me queasy.
Gender: GIRL!! A healthy wiggly(!) girl
Labor Signs: Nothing.
Belly Button in or out? In... but feels like it is disappearing.
What I miss: Subway!!!
What I am looking forward to: Next Friday is my first baby shower! :) I'm excited to get some things to start settling in her room and then I might have an idea if I need more storage or not :P
Milestones: Third trimester! I'm officially in my third trimester no matter which source you check :) (Some books and websites said last Friday, some said today)

Other: I'm 100% positive that I've experienced Braxton-Hicks Contractions... my belly is so tight sometimes and other times relatively squishy. :) YAY! My body is practicing for labor! ... that makes me feel better for some reason!

Also: Geoff commented Thursday night that now, seeing me pregnant and how I get off the couch and move around in general, he realizes how great I was at my role of Betty in "263" (an annual play at my university - I was Betty for 3 years!) :) That made me really happy! :D

27 weeks

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

How far along? 27 weeks.

Due Date: August 13, 2010

Total weight gain/loss: +1. :)
Maternity clothes? Yes. This is getting to be a silly question :P
Sleep: Doin' alright... if I lay "just so" I sleep great! The body pillow is a must!

Best moment this week: I realized that my belly is now definitely throwing off my balance! ... And we announced her name on Mother's Day. :) Eliana Elizabeth. :)
Movement: Yea - it is fun, she's getting patterns of sleep/awake time... and she can must be dancing when she's awake because she MOVES my belly!

Food cravings: Most recent: Nothing... it makes picking dinner very difficult. :P
Food aversions: I think I might be over most of it... the thought of creamy/spicy still makes me want to hurl... but it is a very specific spicy that I refuse to describe. :)
Gender: GIRL!! A healthy wiggly(!) girl
Labor Signs: Nothing. ... some slight crampyness... braxton-hicks?
Belly Button in or out? Still in... but definitely less in.
What I miss: Subway!!!
What I am looking forward to: Seeing family and family seeing me. :)
Milestones: First Mother's Day and announcing her name: Eliana (God answers) Elizabeth (Consecrated to God) . :)

26 weeks

How your baby's growing:

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel.

By this week, your baby's crown-to-rump length is approximately 9.2 inches. Remember, that is only from the top of his head to his bottom and does not include his leg measurements! Your baby weighs almost 2 pounds and is beginning to put on weight. Your uterus is about 2.5 inches above your bellybutton and you will continue to grow approximately 1 cm each week. If you have been eating a well-balanced diet, you probably have gained about 16-22 pounds so far. Because your baby has moved further up, you may get occasional pain underneath your ribs.

After a month of having his eyelids sealed shut, your baby begins to open his eyes again this week. Your baby's eyes are almost completely developed. Your baby's eyes are blue in the womb and may change colors later in life. This is true for all races because the pupils do not have their final color until a few months after birth. However, some babies are born with darker or lighter shades of blue. Your growing baby will continue to put on layers of fat until he is born. He is still lean at this point of the pregnancy though. By the time your baby is born, he will assume the typical newborn's plumpness. Your baby's skin will still be wrinkled and red, but the fat continues to fill the skin out.

Finger and toe nails continue to grow. Blood vessels start to develop in the lungs to prepare the baby for life outside the uterus. Your baby's blood circulation is completely functional. The umbilical cord system continues to grow and thicken as blood travels with considerable force through the body to nurture the baby. The placenta is now almost equal in size to the baby.

Even though it is still way too soon for your baby to be born yet, the chance of survival without severe abnormalities is now 70% provided it is born in a hospital.

How far along? 26 weeks.

Due Date: August 13, 2010

Total weight gain/loss: +/- 0 ... hm.
Maternity clothes? Yes. But I'm finding more regular shirts that fit... and they make my belly so cute!
Sleep: Doin' alright.

Best moment this week: Geoff bought me a Gardenia plant for the kitchen as an early Mother's Day gift :)
Movement: Yes. Lots. Constantly. Wiggly baby!!!

Food cravings: Most recent: Nothing specific... I doubt my love of Twix recently counts as a "real" craving.
Food aversions: I think I might be over most of it... the thought of creamy/spicy still makes me want to hurl... but it is a very specific spicy that I refuse to describe. :)
Gender: GIRL!! A healthy wiggly(!) girl
Labor Signs: Nothing.
Belly Button in or out? In... but definitely less in.
What I miss: Subway!!!
What I am looking forward to: My first Mother's Day and getting to see family next weekend that I only see about twice a year.
Milestones: "Even though it is still way too soon for your baby to be born yet, the chance of survival without severe abnormalities is now 70% provided it is born in a hospital" ... That sounds like a milestone to me!! :D And it just keeps getting better from here.

Other: This is my first Mother's day... :) Anyone can try to tell me this little ball of energy isn't a baby... but that's because they don't feel her kick all day! :D

Also: She has gained almost a pound in two weeks! No WONDER I've been so tired!

25w5d

5/5/10 = 100 days.

Starting tomorrow there will only be 2 digits left for my tickers online.

Baby's coming very soon.