29 Weeks

First of all, I have to tell you that right now the baby has the hiccups and it is so strange to feel that constant rhythm as well as her moving around! This is the first time I've noticed hiccups, so I'm pretty excited! Speaking of our precious baby, she is now (or was as of Saturday, since I'm a little late posting this) just over 15 inches long and weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (similar to a butternut squash). I can tell that she is filling out in there because I'm starting to feel some pain in my ribs which is most likely from her strong, little legs. Tim and I are trying to tell her to take it easy on her mama, but I would get antsy too if I was her!

As you can see, my 29 week picture is not the typical profile in front of our door to the garage. I actually forgot to take one this weekend since we were having so much fun on the west side with family and friends. I'm not sure how far along he is, but my brother is looking pretty pregnant as well these days! I just love this picture! Our busy weekend was filled with celebrations for both our little girl and my awesome sister-in-law who graduated from PLU on Sunday! We also took baby bird to her first Mariner's game and we saw Randy Johnson pitch and Ken Griffey Jr. almost hit a grand slam (just almost)! Beautiful weather, family and friends...it was perfect! See for yourself:

28 Weeks - Hello Third Trimester

Whew! I look extremely pregnant in this picture! Since we don't have a full-size mirror, I don't get this view very often and each week I am surprised at my expanding profile. At 28 weeks, baby bird weighs about 2 1/4 pounds and is about 14.8 inches long. At my doctor's appointment last week I was measuring at 30 weeks, so I asked if that meant I should plan on an earlier delivery date. As of right now, we are just going to keep an eye on my measurements and then I'll be given another ultrasound if necessary to do some more precise measurements of the baby. The increase in size that we're seeing could be a result of excess fluid or just how the baby is positioned in there. It's somewhat exciting to think that we could have a baby a little earlier than planned, though! Obviously I'll keep everyone posted as we find out more. Otherwise, the baby and I are completely healthy and moving along just fine. Well, I'm moving a little slower these days, but still mobile! This whole experience seems to be going by too quickly, but I am excited to meet my baby girl!

27 Weeks

This weekend baby bird weighs as much as a head of cauliflower (2 lbs) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. When I held this head of cauliflower I realized just how big she is getting and I even rocked it in my arms to see what it would feel like to hold her right now! I think I talked about her amazing activity level last week, but I am still so enthralled by how much she moves and grooves in there! Last night we sat a half empty water bottle on my belly and just watched how much it moved with her kicks and punches. We're pretty sure she holds a private dance party in there every night!

The weather was BEAUTIFUL this weekend and I'm so sad to see the gray clouds moving in this evening. I am ready for sun and warmth, but I have noticed that I'm getting sun burned a little easier now that I'm pregnant. I guess I'll just be more diligent about lathering up the sunscreen. Hope you all had a gorgeous weekend as well. See you next week!

26 Weeks

I obviously didn't dress up for you all today since I had a lazy Sunday planned with copious amounts of baking to do. I also didn't take the time to purchase the 'baby' veggie this week because...well, I just didn't, so you'll have to get out your rulers for this one! Our little bird is closer to 2 pounds now in weight and measures about 14 inches long (the length of an English hothouse cucumber). She is super active, too, so I'm curious to see how wiggly she'll be when we can hold her in our arms. 

We had another check-up last week and everything is still looking great. She is measuring just about a week ahead of her due date, but that could easily change between now and then. I also had a glucose test done to make sure that I haven't developed gestational diabetes and I am still waiting for the results. I am praying that it comes back negative because we all know how much the baby (!) loves her sweets :)

With this extra weight I am carrying around now, I have made a few minor adjustments and purchases to keep me as comfortable as possible. At work, I now have a little foot step under my desk to keep my legs elevated and the blood circulating. I also bought arch support inserts for my flatter shoes so that my feet, legs, and back would remain as pain free as possible. Just today, we finally picked up a body pillow which will hopefully allow me to get comfortable a little easier when it comes time to go to bed. I'm thankful that I feel so great, though, since I only have 14 weeks left! 

25 Weeks

We've hit the 25 week mark and I'm already feeling quite large! This belly of mine is holding the most precious package ever, but it sure gets in my way these days. As you can see, our baby bird is definitely growing - she is now about 13 1/2 inches long and a weighs a pound and a half. We still have 15 weeks to go so she needs to keep growing. We've come to the conclusion that she just likes to show off and steal attention so of course she is making herself known! Also, many people have asked me what we plan to name her and we don't have anything nailed down for sure, but our favorite name is Maria. We plan to keep our options open until she arrives because there are just so many choices. There is so much pressure when it comes to naming a human being. Usually my naming habits for animals and cars and things is pretty unoriginal, but it's much more difficult naming this baby girl!

24 Weeks

Well, these last 24 weeks have definitely flown by! Baby girl now weighs over a pound and is over a foot long (about the length of an ear of corn, which Tim says are not in season yet!) At least a few times a day it feels like she's having a dance party in there and I love to just watch her pokes and prods. On Wednesday this last week I did take a trip to the hospital birthing center because I hadn't felt any significant movements for about 24 hours. I called my doctor's office that evening and they suggested I just go and get checked out so I did. Of course she started showing off the moment I was hooked up to the fetal doppler, but I was thankful and relieved that I went. Tim has been the most wonderful husband throughout this entire pregnancy, which has not surprised me! He goes to the store whenever a craving hits (lately it has been grapes, cinnamon roles, and pie) and he even painted my toenails for me last night since they are a little difficult to reach :) Seriously, he is amazing! I can't wait to see how he treasures our baby girl.

23 Weeks

Happy Easter! How even more thankful I am for God's mercy and forgiveness in this season of life. I know I won't be the perfect wife or mother, but I am loved and forgiven! In this 23rd week of pregnancy, I can't even put into words how much I enjoy carrying this little girl inside of me. This is the ultimate experience of living in expectancy and each moment is filled with anticipation - for another round of kicks from inside my belly; for my family's future; for holidays shared with Tim and our child(ren).

This week, our baby girl is over a foot long and weighs just over a pound (the same as a large mango). She is kicking up a storm and I'm starting to notice her regular patterns throughout the day. I love seeing Tim's face light up when he can feel his daughter reacting to his voice! This is such a precious time for us and as excited as I am to have her here, I love everything about being pregnant.