17 Dec 2003 - 11:39am - Post LOTR Trilogy

Yesterday was a very good day... Lord of the Rings Trilogy kicked butt. It was great watching all three together, though I think I need to see Return of the King again - certain brain oozing was going on by the twelfth hour. A definite win for me.

I was pleased and surprised that the theatre didn't ask any questions when I brought in pillows, so I was comfortable for the most part. Surprisingly, my back did not bother as much as I was expecting - instead, my sources of pain are my hip joints and lower abdomen muscles. Though now, after a few hours sleep, my pelvic bone (pretty much where the spine meets the pelvic bone) is killing me as well.

The baby also did not appreciate the very loud battles, and was kicking and moving constantly throughout the Two Towers and Return of the King. S/he was actually the most active during the TT, but RofK was when the movement hit the really uncomfortable and sometimes painful stage. Or maybe our child really did like it, and just got all excited. ;) "Yay, Legolas!" s/he could have been cheering.

17 Dec 2003 - 4:12 pm - JAMguesses

So I came across this cute little online game - Baby Pools. Or, more accurately, Baby Guessing Games. It allows people to guess the gender, actual birth date, weight and height of our soon-to-be-here baby (just ten weeks remaining)!!

And I, personally, think it would be great fun to see what people guess, and who comes the closest in the end.

So, I highly encourage all of you to indulge us overly-excited parents-to-be and make some guesses! We'll think up some silly little prize for the winner!

So, go here and enter in the game name of "JAMguesses" (it IS case sensitive). You'll have to register to guess (and leave messages on the board for us), but registration is quick and painless and free.

17 Dec 2003 - 11:39am - 30 Weeks

Your baby's lungs and digestive tract are almost fully developed. And while your baby may soon grow more slowly in length, he will continue to put on the pounds.

This week your baby continues to open and shut his eyes. He can probably see what's going on in utero, distinguish light from dark, and even track a light source. If you shine a light on a your belly, your baby may move his head to follow the light or even reach out to touch the moving glow. Some researchers think baring your belly to light stimulates visual development. But don't expect 20/20 vision when your baby is born — newborns can see a distance of only about 8 to 12 inches. (Children with normal vision, don't reach 20/20 vision until about age seven to nine.) And to complete the picture, new eyebrows and eyelashes now frame your little one's peepers.

A pint and a half of amniotic fluid now surrounds your baby, but that volume decreases as he gets bigger and has less room in your uterus. As you and the baby continue to grow, don't be alarmed if you feel breathless, as if you can't get enough air; it's just your uterus pressing against your diaphragm. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, though. Usually about two to four weeks before labor (or during labor, if this is your second or third pregnancy), your baby's head will drop into your pelvis — to get ready for delivery — and that will make breathing and eating a lot easier.

You may be noticing some swelling of your ankles and legs. Between 40 and 75 percent of pregnant women will develop mild edema. It's most common in late pregnancy, particularly on hot days, or if you've been on your feet a lot. While mild swelling is normal, it's important to call your practitioner if your hands or face begin to swell, if swelling lasts more than 24 hours or if it's accompanied by a rapid weight gain or a rise in your blood pressure -- possible signs of preeclampsia. Your doctor or midwife will check your blood pressure, note the degree of swelling present and will probably decide to run a quick test to see if there is protein in your urine. Preeclampsia affects approximately 5 to 10 percent of pregnant women. Some studies indicate that proper nutrition can reduce your chances of developing this condition.

Your baby weighs three pounds and measures 14 inches from head to toe. In Scandinavia, the average birth weight is eight pounds. In the United States, it's seven to seven-and-a-half pounds. The reason for the lower birth weight among American newborns has been attributed to poor maternal nutrition. Because larger babies are easier to care for, and considerably healthier than underweight babies (defined as five-and-a-half pounds or less), it's important to maintain healthy eating habits. Brain growth and development are rapid now, so a nutritionally sound diet is vital.

...And another week passes. Is it really going to be Christmas next week? And here we are at the final countdown: 10 weeks remaining until our due date, the last of the double-digits. From here on out, it's the single digit countdown till our precious one arrives.

Christmas Day marks exactly 7 months pregnant as well.

So I think that little imp Murphy heard me when I remarked last week that I didn't understand all the complaints regarding third trimester aches, uncomfortableness, pain, and lack of mobility. At the very least, I've paid for it in spades this week.

Both John and I had begun to wonder if I would get stretch marks after all - their appearance is tied to genetics - as none had appeared prior to this weekend. But about the same time I started getting constant lower abdomen muscle achiness, the stretch marks began to make their fated appearance. I know a lot of women hate them, but I don't really understand why (then again, I've never been THAT concerned about my appearance). Is it a mark of pride, a badge of honor, that proclaims, "I am a mother?"

I spent much of last weekend off my feet, thinking I had strained my muscles again. But it didn't ease the constant ache in my lower abdomen muscles. Indeed, surprisingly, twelve hours watching the LOTR Trilogy yesterday has left my lower ab in far more pain than it had previously - not the ache I had expected from yesterday's very fun endeavour.

I also tend to have constant back aches, but especially in regards to my pelvic bone area. I'm going to ask my doctor about this come my next appointment Friday, as I wish to make certain I'm not suffering from any degree of pelvic dislocation (somewhat common in pregnancy due to the loosening of joints and ligaments during the third trimester). I can't really lie on my back these days without lots of pain in that area.

As a result of the lower ab discomfort, though, and my very big belly - I'm up to 38 1/2 inches now - I am definitely noticing a great restriction in my mobility.

Our little one, however, is very active these days, and even though there may be moments were it's decidedly uncomfortable, it remains the most amazing sensation in all the world. And that is just wonderful, and certainly worth the discomforts. S/he can kick hard enough to make my tummy jump, and when s/he moves about, you can often see just by the odd ways my tummy is distended.

I'm still carrying very high - all the picture of pregnant woman you ever see usually shows this nice round belly that is bigger near the bottom than the top. I tend to be top heavy, and many times you can feel the baby right beneath my ribs. Nope, I definitely have dropped yet, that's for sure - the baby likes it up there.

In the spirit of our Baby Guessing Game (click on the link and enter in JAMguesses for the game name), here are what some wives tales say we are having:

So yes, it's either a boy or a girl - glad that's figured out. ;)

It's nice to see so many people already making guesses in our little game. It will be fun to see who comes closest over all, and who comes closest in each category! I'm tempted to add my own guesses, but don't want people to therefore think they should guess according to my guesses. I don't necessarily know any better than you, though perhaps I have the benefit of mother's intuition... only time will tell when it comes to that. ;)

I think it's far better to be pregnant over the winter when I am less active in general, that's for sure. I find I lack the stamina I had previously, and tire very easily. And, dear me, I cannot function these days on little sleep.

That being said, I'm going to assume that the kicking from our little one right now is a nudge to go to bed and rest... at the very least, the rest of my body is saying I should go to sleep! ;)

We grow ever closer to welcoming our baby home. I know these last ten weeks will fly by... and yet crawl so slowly, so desirious I am to meet the little one I have come to know so well already.