Week 34

This week Baby Sonny is about 18 inches from head to toe and weighs about 4.5 to 4.75 pounds.  He is still roughly the size of a honeydew melon.  Baby's protective coating, his vernix, is becoming much thicker and his lanugo continues to be shed.  Baby Sonny is still gaining fat layers to help him regulate his own body temperature.  His lungs are also continuing to mature in preparation for the outside world.

The most exciting accomplishment this week is that Jeff and I have agreed on a name for Baby Sonny!!!  We will be waiting to share our selection until we meet him in person.  We want to make sure that Baby Sonny and his name are a good fit.

I've been working a lot these past few weeks, 60+ hours.  But this week I'm working 34 hours; it's like a small vacation!  Today I washed all of Baby Sonny's clothing, bedding, blankets, etc.  His crib is ready and waiting for him!  And all of his clothes, or rather his newborn and up to 3 months clothes, are in the drawer or hanging in the closet.

The only other excitement this week was my shopping excursion yesterday.  Hannah called and told me about a sale at a consignment baby store.  We have a franchise nearby so I had to check it out.  They had fall/winter clothes on clearance, 10 items for $10!  I found quite a few great items.  The lobster sweater is my favorite.  And I really like the striped newborn sweater that matches Baby Sonny's going home outfit.

Week 33

This week Baby Sonny is about 18 inches from head to toe and weighs about 4.5 pounds.  He is roughly the size of a honeydew melon!  He has reached an important milestone; his immune system (in addition to the antibodies from me) will be able to provide protection from mild infections.  His skeleton is hardening although the bones in his skull will not yet fuse together completely.  This will allow him to fit through the birth canal more easily.

Last Saturday my mom hosted a fantastic shower for Baby Sonny.  My friend Lynn was able to drive all the way from Pittsburgh and joined us on Friday night.  Liz and Kristen flew in on Saturday morning from DC.  Their flight was delayed not directly because of the weather, but due to a windshield wiper that needed replacement.  Katie traveled from NYC on Friday as well to avoid the worst of the snow fall. Roughly 6 inches of snow fell on Saturday, I couldn't believe it!  Baby Sonny and I were very fortunate that many friends and relatives braved the snowy roads and joined us.  I had a fantastic time, and I hope everyone else did as well.

Toilet paper game: everyone guessed the diameter of my belly.

Everyone guessed OVER the actual size of my belly, hmmm...

Mom (I mean Oma) and I

 Vicky, Linda, and Kathy looking comfortable

Liz and Lynn

Looks like I was having a good time

Delicious carrot cake made by C&B Creations

 Flowers from Suzanne

Flowers from Emilie; is it time to start saving for college already?!

Liz, Kristen, and I before heading to the airport :(

Week 32

This week Baby Sonny is about 18 inches from head to toe and weighs almost 4 pounds.  It's amazing how much he has grown!  Baby Sonny is busy plumping up in preparation for delivery.  My baby books state that half of my weight gain each week is going directly to Baby Sonny.  I sure hope it goes someplace useful!  My books also say that at this time Baby Sonny has fingernails, toenails, and real hair.

Tonight is our last birth class.  Wow, it is really amazing how fast time flies by.  Baby Sonny continues to be very active.  He loves to punch in one direction and kick in the opposite direction.  Today he had a case of the hiccups that lasted about 15 minutes, poor guy.  Jeff and I have been busy clearing out the nursery.  We're almost done removing the extra items, now we just need to arrange the new baby items.  But this part is a lot of fun :)

Hannah and I had an amazing time at our shower this past Saturday.  Aunt Judy, Liz, Olivia, and Sue did an amazing job.  Baby Sonny and Baby Girl T are so fortunate to be surrounded by such loving, generous, and creative family members and friends.  I could not have asked for a more special day, Baby Sonny and I are very loved.

The theme of the shower was "Feather the Nests"

Aunt Judy made the poms poms and the tree- how beautiful!

 The delicious spread!

Olivia made banners for Baby Girl and Baby Boy

Mobiles that Liz made

The grandmothers, whether they are ready for the name or not!

Having a good time :)

With the diaper cake creators, Liz and Olivia

Baby Girl T and Baby Sonny wanted to say hello to each other

Bedtime Stories

Jeff and I have begun reading bedtime stories to Baby Sonny. My baby books say that he can recognize our voices, so we thought we would get in the habit of talking to him. As strange as it seems, I feel less silly reading out loud than I do just talking to myself. So far he has moved around quit a bit during the stories and then settles down. I can't wait until we can read to him in person.

Week 31

This week Baby Sonny is about 17 inches from head to toe and weighs just over 3 pounds.  His individual  nerve cells are growing at a fast rate and he can perceive information from all 5 senses.  Baby Sonny is busy making faces, hiccuping, swallowing, breathing, pedaling with his little hands and feet, and sucking his thumb.  New this week: his irises can dilate and respond to changes in light and he can turn his head from side to side.

On Friday I had a quiet evening at work so I asked the ICU staff if I could use the ultrasound machine.  Nicole used the ultrasound on my belly while I laid back and we both enjoyed watching Baby Sonny on the screen.  You could see him visibly kick the outside of my belly and then follow what he was doing via ultrasound.  He likes to place his whole hand or bottom of his foot against my abdominal wall and just PUSH away.  No wonder why I can feel him so sharply at times!

This Saturday we picked up our furniture with the help of my brother.  It was so exciting to start putting Baby Sonny's room together.  His crib and dresser are now in place!  We just need to get the other junk out of the room...

On Sunday my mom and I went to Foxwoods to see the Princess Diana exhibit.  Turns out we had to wait for over 2 hours to get into the exhibit, but it was well worth the wait.  We saw some childhood memorabilia, like photo albums and school uniforms, and 27 of her dresses.  The best part of the exhibit was seeing Princess Diana's 1981 wedding dress on display.  The 25 foot train was impressive to see in person.

Tonight Jeff and I had our second birth class.  We learned about methods to cope with labor, including pain medication.  This class concluded with a half hour video of a live birth.  All I could think was, I'm not ready yet for labor!

Take a peek at the crib, quilt, and crib skirt!

Three Quarters There! 30 Weeks

This week Baby Sonny is about 16 inches long and weighs approximately 2.75 to 3 pounds.  He is roughly the size of a big squash.  Although he hasn't gained much in length or weight this past week, his brain continues to rapidly grow.  Up until now the surface of his brain has been smooth, but now his brain is beginning to form characteristic grooves and indentations.  These wrinkles allow for an increased amount of brain tissue and more closely resemble an adult brain.  In addition, this week his bone marrow has taken over production of red blood cells.  Before now mostly his spleen has been mass-producing red blood cells.  Every week it's exciting for us to learn the changes occurring with Baby Sonny

It's amazing to think that we are three quarters of the way through pregnancy.  It looks like it's almost time for a count down, 10 weeks to go, or 70 days!


Tonight Jeff and I had our first Birth Class.  It was held at my hospital and we both learned a thing or two.  Jeff did not know that labor has 3 different stages and it is a much more active process than he imagined.  He thought women usually are in bed during labor, but walking around, moving, and changing positions can not only help relieve labor pains, but can actually help speed labor along.  I learned various techniques to help deal with my recent back discomfort.  We discussed making motions with your hips like hula-hooping or lunging gently to the side.  These techniques can help alleviate the pressure of the baby on the spine and may even reposition baby away from the spine.  The best part of class was when we discussed massage techniques and the dads got to practice on their partner's back!  That's also a homework assignment :)

Today my boss asked if I wanted to stop taking overnight and long shifts (16 hours) during the last month of my pregnancy.  Yes please!  I feel a little guilty having my colleagues cover my overnight shifts for one month before and during my maternity leave.  My boss and coworkers think it will be too stressful for me to work those hours when I will already be exhausted.  I consider myself very fortunate to have such supportive and caring colleagues.

This week we've also started cleaning out our second bedroom.  Jeff had been using it as his office, but now his office has moved into the dining room.  Poor Jeff got displaced.  Yesterday I spent my time organizing items from that bedroom, making a pile for Goodwill, vacuuming, cleaning, and getting the room ready for Baby Sonny.  Not sure, but I may have started "nesting."  Baby Sonny's furniture arrived while we were on vacation, soon we will have a place for it!

30 Weeks

Jack wanted to get in the photo

Dear Baby Sonny

Dear Baby Sonny,

I can't believe how much I love you already.  It was love at first sight when I saw you on the ultrasound screen.  It was music to my ears when I heard your heart beat.  I've seen you on the ultrasound screen with the hiccups and sucking your thumb- you were super cute and even more lovable.  I learned what it feels like when you move around, and now I love you even more.  You kick and punch me, but instead of being unhappy when you wake me up, I love knowing that you are happy and healthy in my belly.

I love you always and unconditionally.

Love,
Mom