Pumpkin pics

"Party Bat" and "2-faced"

Jason's pumpkin

Janine's pumpkin

Gretchen's mom, Sonje, carved this pumpkin for Baby Orf!

Rascal with his pumpkin hat. He hates it. I quick got a pic

and he wanted nothing to do with it.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

I love halloween!! This yr I'm dressing up as a pregnant woman!!! : ) Seriously, I'm not dressing up as anything. J and I are just staying home and handing out candy. We don't get too many kids though, at least we haven't the past few yrs. I can't wait til next yr when we can dress Baby Orf in a cute halloween costume!! I will also post a few pics of our lit up pumpkins when I get home tonight.

I had a Dr appt yesterday. I was in and out of there. Everything is progressing well. Heartbeat was 145 yesterday. Heartbeat has always been high. The old wive's tale says high heartbeat equals a girl. Hmmm.....

I woke up with some terrible acid reflux last nite. I was awake for like 2 hrs because everytime I laid down, the acid would come back up. This is one thing I will NOT miss about being pregnant. I hate you acid reflux, go away!!!!!!!

Go and eat lots of candies today!!!!

31 Weeks!!

According to "What to expect" for this week, baby is measuring 18 inches & weighing in at more than 3 lbs. We can still expect the baby to gain at least 3 to 5 lbs, possibly more.



Baby's brain is working overtime these days, developing faster than ever. Connections between individual nerve cells are growing at a frenetic clip & baby can now perceive info from all 5 senses. Baby can't smell anything right now, but that's only becuz he/she is still submerged in amniotic fluid & needs to be breathing air to get a whiff of anything. Lucky for me--my scent will be one of the first the baby breathes in. :)



What does baby do all day long? Makes faces, hiccups, swallows, breathes, pedals with little hands & feet along my uterine wall and sucks his/her thumb. In fact, some babies suck their thumbs so vigorously while in the womb that they're born with a callus on their thumb. I feel the baby move all the time now. Sometimes it hurts a bit, but most of the time it doesn't bother me. One day last week, I swear it didn't sleep all day long. I'm sure the baby had a sugar rush that day though becuz I had a big vanilla cappuccino and chocolate long john for breakfast. Yes, the breakfast of champions!



For the past few days, I haven't been able to wear my wedding ring anymore. I don't really think my hands even look swollen, but I can't get it over my knuckle. My finger feels naked without it. I suppose I could buy some cheapy ring to wear, but I don't know if I will or not. I was hoping now that it's cooler outside that my hands would shrink. But I think I'm just getting bigger all over now. Boo-hoo.

Pumpkin Carving Party

Today was our 4th annual pumpkin carving party. Jason & I have had it our house the past 3 yrs, but Gretchen graciously offered to host it at her house this yr (Thx so much G!). What is a pumpkin carving party you ask?? We invite our family & friends and everyone brings a pumpkin & anything they need to carve it. We have chili/hot dogs/corn bread/chips/caramel apple dip & other assorted goodies to eat. We all carve our pumpkins & have a merry old time! It's really fun, I think everyone looks forward to it every year. Here are some pics from today's festivities!


Donnie with his Mizzou pumpkin.

Sandra with her Monsters, Inc pumpkin.

Jen with her pretty daisy pumpkin.

Lenny, Gretch, Soney and Leonard

Me, Cory, Mom, Kirstie, Dad & Marsh

Me

Me and my homemade shirt, "I swallowed a pumpkin"
Gretchy & Me

Cory, me & Kirstie

Me and Jason

Kirsten

Cory with her little pumpkin

30 week belly pics

Rascal is excited to be a big brother!!!

30 week belly shots

Online Baby game

Moved this back to the top to get some more guesses!!
Don't forget to click on the link below!!!

I thought it would be fun for people to guess the baby's gender, birth weight/length & the day it will be born. Just click the link below & click on "Enter a guess"!


http://www.expectnet.com/logingame.php?game_name=BabyOrf

30 Weeks!!!

According to "What to expect" for this week, baby's height/weight hasn't changed much in the past week, but the big news is baby's brain gain. Until now, the surface of baby's brain was smooth. Now it is taking on those characteristic grooves & indentations. The reason for change? Those wrinkles allow for an increased amount of brain tissue--a necessary change as the baby prepares for life outside the womb.

Another big change this week: Baby's bone marrow has taken over production of red blood cells (before, tissue groups & then the spleen took care of producing the blood cells). This is an important step, because it means he/she is better able to thrive on his or her own once born. Much of the lanugo--the soft, downy hair covering the baby's body--is beginning to disappear now because both fat & the brain are regulating the baby's body temperature now.

My headaches seem to have disappeared the past 2 days. Hopefully they will continue to stay away! I haven't had many cravings at all during this pregnancy. But the past week, I've really had a craving for orange juice. I've always like oj but I just don't drink a lot of juice. I guess it's a good craving to have since it's good for you!! It just tastes so good!! Thank you Minute Maid & Tropicana!

Seeing Spots

On Friday, I was eating lunch & I just started seeing "spots" and having some blurry vision. This lasted for maybe 10 minutes. Then I got a terrible headache that pretty much lasted the rest of the afternoon. Then on Saturday, I was at Kohl's by myself and I started seeing the "spots" again. I had to hurry up and pay for my stuff and get outta there cuz I didn't want to faint or do anything to embarrass myself. Then on Sat nite, I woke up with this horrible stabbing pain on the right side of my head that would not go away. Then last nite, I was doing the dishes and started seeing the spots again and got another instant headache. It's like one minute you are fine and then the next you are in agony. So I called the dr this morning to explain all this to them. She wanted me to come in to make sure everything was alright with my blood pressure. My blood pressure was fine and the baby is fine. I did have some blood in my urine so I ended up having an internal to make sure I wasn't bleeding or anything. But she said everything is ok "up there". I thought all this " seeing spots" stuff could have been from the flu shot, but the Dr said she'd never heard that before. It must have just been a coincidence. If I have more spots, I'm suppose to call her and I might have to see a neurologist. Otherwise she said I might have some kind of virus. Who knows? All I know is I don't want any more spots or terrible headaches!

Dr appt

I had a Dr appt today. These appts are so quick! I was planning on asking my dr about a flu shot today. I know prego women are suppose to get them. I've never had one in my life because I don't get sick very often. Plus I've heard some people have gotten sick from getting the shot. But anyway, that is the first thing the nurse asked me, "Have you gotten your flu shot??" She read my mind. She said I couldn't go just anywhere to get one though becuz I needed to have the preservative-free one which most places don't offer. So I just got one today at the office. So that is done. I've been stuck with a needle a total of 6 times in one week! 2 times in each arm for the glucose test, a blood draw at the endocrinologist yesterday & now the flu shot today. Oh well!
Dr said things are still looking good. Baby's heartbeat was 160 beats per minute today. Pretty fast!!

29 Weeks!!!

According to "What to expect" this week, baby is almost 17 inches tall now & close to 3 lbs. His or her wrinkled skin is smoothing out as more fat is deposited under the skin surface. This fat, called white fat, is different from the earlier brown fat that the developing fetus accumulated. Brown fat is necessary for body temperature regulation while white fat actually serves as an energy source.

Space in the baby's living quarters is now at a premium, so I'll be feeling jabs & pokes from elbows & knees mostly. Kicks will be more vigorous than before because the baby is stronger & excitedly responding to all sorts of stimuli. Yesterday, I got a chocolate shake from McD's
(yes, I am so glad to be able to eat sugary things again!) and the baby went nuts! He/She was doing a major happy dance in my belly! It felt like an earthquake. On a side note, as a treat to myself for passing the glucose test, I also bought some limited edition jelly belly's in cold stone ice cream flavors. Can't wait to try them!

You'll also recall that the baby's baby-teeth buds formed weeks ago, but now the buds for permanent teeth are forming in his or her gums as well.

Only 11 weeks to go! Where did the time go???

Good News!!!

I passed the 3 hour glucose test!!! YAY!!!!!! That is a major relief! The nurse told me they test you on 4 values and I got normal in each rating. She said you could even be abnormal in one rating & still pass. No celery cake or special diets for me. : )

We had our final birthing class last night. Those classes went by fast! We just talked about what to expect after the birth, like what will happen with my body & how to cope. She showed us these humongous pads we wear after giving birth. Holy cow! Those things are big. All the girls were laughing. We did some deep breathing and that was about it. We got done early last night. All in all, I'm really glad we took these classes. Although, I think Jason was bored a lot of the time, but I still think he learned a few things. Ask him what the 511 rule is! I learned things I didn't know and I feel a bit less fearful about giving birth. Don't get me wrong, I'm still scared though!

3 Hour glucose test

I took off work on Friday & went to do my 3 hr glucose test. I arrived at 7am & couldn't eat or drink anything beforehand. They did my first blood draw & then I had to drink a bottle of that super syrupy drink again. For some reason, this one tasted a bit better than the other one. Maybe it had to do with the flavor?! I had orange this time. I did feel a bit sick about 10 minutes after drinking the glucose. My stomach started really hurting, I think it's because of all that sugar on an empty stomach. But it went away. Then they drew my blood every hr for 3 hrs. So I had a total of 4 blood draws. I guess the worst part was all the waiting around, but I just played Nintendo DS the whole time. I felt a bit tired after all this & was kinda hungry & thirsty but overall, I was fine. I will probably find out the results on Monday! Keep your fingers crossed!!!

Pics from last weekend

Mom, Dad, Corinne & I at the reception.

My cousin, Heather, & cutie 2nd cousin, Carsten

Melissa & Patrick amid bubbles.

Awwwww, Look at the cute newlyweds!!!

Jason & I

27 week belly pic (Just for you, Erika Herring!!)

28 weeks!!!

According to "What to expect" this week, baby weighs in at about 2 1/2 lbs & stands at almost 16 inches (measured head to toe). Baby Orf is right on schedule then because it weighed 2 lbs, 4 oz at the ultrasound last week. Impressive new talents include blinking its eyes, coughing, more intense sucking & better breathing.

Baby may be dreaming now too. Brain wave activity measured in a developing fetus shows different sleep cycles, including the rapid eye movement phase, the stage when dreaming occurs.

The good news is that babies born this week, though premature, have an excellent prognosis because their lungs have reached the point (for the most part) of maturity. Of course, it's still best if a baby doesn't check out of the uterine hotel just yet, there's still a lot of growing & maturity to do over the next 12 weeks.

As for me, still doing good overall. I've been sleeping a lot better this week and actually have been sleeping in our bed instead of camping out on the couch. Maybe the insomnia has gone away for a bit. Hopefully, I don't jinx myself. Feet still get swollen but I guess I will expect that for the rest of the pregnancy. My skin has started to itch a lot more too. I better start lotioning up!

3rd Birth Class

Last night the main topics we discussed were C-sections and deep breathing. We watched a movie on the whole process of a C-section. They even showed the actually cutting of the abdomen & everything. Um....Eew. It's good to know what to expect though just in case I would happen to need one. Then we did some breathing techniques. "He-He-Who", that is what you are suppose to say when u do one of the techniques. So anyway, of course, I was doing it wrong and the instructor noticed, so she came over and breathed with me. Then we did some stretching, rocking back & forth and I got to bounce on the birthing ball. : ) Fun stuff. Only 1 more class to go.

Failed!

Well, the Dr called on Friday & I failed my 1 hr glucose test. MAJOR BUMMER!!! So now I will doing the 3 hr test this week. I'm really not looking forward to it at all. I'm also hoping I do not have gestational diabetes (GD). The nurse already informed I'm not suppose to be eating cookies, candy and pretty much anything sweet. This is not fun because anyone that knows me, knows I really likes sweets so it's tough for me not to eat them. Maybe that is why I'm in this predicament to begin with. I never realized how much sugar is in certain foods too, I've been checking the nutrition labels for sugar content. I've also looked up some GD diets just to see what I may end up having to eat for the next few months. Guess we'll see what happens.

On a happy note, we went to Wisconsin over the weekend to attend my cousin's wedding. It was a beautiful day for it!! We had a good time. It was nice to see everyone since we won't be going to WI for Xmas this year because of the pending birth of Baby Orf. I think Melissa & Patrick are a great match for each other and I wish them all the best! CONGRATS you guys!!!! Those 2 are some dancing fools, I hardly saw them sit down all night long! I will try to post some pictures sometime this week.

Dr appt

Today was a busy day!! First off, I drank that glucose drink to be tested for gestational diabetes. It was gross. It tasted like nasty cough syrup. I thought it was gonna taste like super super sweet kool-aid, no such luck! I'm glad the bottle was small because it was hard to drink it all. I'm also glad I chose the non-carbonated one, cuz I had to drink it in 5 minutes. Carbonated would have been harder to drink fast. She had given me the bottle of it at my last appt so I was just able to drink that at work. Then I had to make sure I was at the dr office in time becuz they draw your blood exactly 1 hr after u drink it. I will know the results of that next week. I hope I pass. Otherwise you have to do the 3 hr glucose test. I've heard that one is definitely not fun.
Then I had an ultrasound to check on things. Everything is looking good. Baby is head down at the moment and according to the tech, pretty far down. She assured me that didn't mean I was going into labor or anything though. That is good to know. But obviously with still time to go, the baby can move into all types of positions & may not stay head down. I was thinking it was still breech cuz I alway feel kicks in the same place (lower abdomen). But those kicks must be fist punches instead! Baby is weighing in at 2 lbs, 4 oz. The heartbeat was 150 beats per minute. She pretty much said everything looks perfect. The baby was being a little stinker though and the tech couldn't get a good head measurement. I guess it's face was smooshed into my placenta. We did get a cute face pic though. Other than that, no good pics though.
Then I had my dr's appt. Nothing exciting to report here. I have to start counting the baby's kicks and keeping track of them. I will also now be going to the dr every 2 weeks instead of every month.

27 weeks!!!

WOW! I'm now in the 3rd Trimester!!! Only 3 more months and Baby Orf will be here!! I seriously can not believe how fast the time is going. When you think about a pregnancy, 9 months is a long time, I mean, it's almost a year! But it really hasn't felt long to me at all. Maybe because overall, I feel fine most of the time and everything is going well. I hope it continues like this.

According to "What to expect" this week---Beginning at this stage, baby's length will be measured from top of head to toe--which makes baby nearly a full 15 inches now and weighing in at just over 2 lbs.

Baby's hearing is progressing as the network of nerves to the ears matures. Even though the sounds your baby hears are muffled (thanks to the creamy coating of vernix covering those ears) he or she may recognize both me and J's voices.

Baby's taste buds are very developed now too. (with more taste buds than he or she will ever have outside the womb actually).