Thursday, November 29, 2012

31 Weeks

I pretty much used up all my interesting news in the late update from last week so this one will be short & sweet.

I failed to get a picture of the baby's room before dad started painting, but you get the idea from the below.  It was actually the only room we didn't paint when Kiel moved in...weird.

First coat done.  Loving it!  One more coat and we'll be ready to get the crib set up :)


Still feeling those Braxton Hicks contractions randomly throughout the day.  They seem less frequent if I keep up with fluids and make sure I sit down and rest at night.  

Starting to feel him up in my ribs now which I knew was coming, but was just thinking the other day how I'm glad he's so low so I don't have to deal with that.  And then I got a little kick to the ribs like he was saying, "Hey mom, don't get so ahead of yourself."  I have to admit, it makes me laugh even though it's not the greatest feeling.  It's just so weird to think about what's going on in there. 

My book says I'll probably gain about a pound a week from here on out.  Gulp.  I'm already pushing 30 lbs...I could go without that extra 10.  BUT!  Anything for baby boy right??!??!?

Your baby's the size of a pineapple!
He's about 15.2 to 16.7 inches long and weighs about 2.5 to 3.8 pounds this month. He's getting so big, he's probably crowding your lungs. 
  • He's going through major brain and nerve development.
  • Eye development, too. His irises now react to light!
  • All five of his senses are in working order.
Next check up with Dr Ingram is next Tuesday, December 4th.  Should be pretty routine.  It's really starting to go fast now!  Don't think I can say that enough! 

-Nicole

Sunday, November 25, 2012

30 weeks - Happy Thanksgiving!

Week 30 update is a little late due to the hectic weekend. 

Thanksgiving was pretty laid back going to my mom's for lunch and Kiel's sister's for dinner.  LOTS of great food as always and I was not shy about eating for 2 :)  We sure do have a lot to be thankful for this year!! 

Proof not all the dead animals are in the house
Kiel had his first Black Friday experience Thursday night when Sears opened at 8pm.  With his hatred for crowded places, I was a little skeptical of how he was going to do, but he wasn't interested in the popular electronics so it wasn't really that bad.  He scored a tool chest and added to the start of his tool collection...which will be a big help when we're ready to open up that huge box & put that crib together!

While it seems crazy to most, Black Friday is something I have really gotten into the last couple of years.  I got up at 3:30am to meet Shilo in Bloomington at 5am so we could get the extra 25% off to the first 300 people at Gordman's when it opened. Glad I wasn't much later, because it took me about 20 minutes just to get into the store and there was only about 10 bags left when I finally got to the door.  Thankfully everything I went for was available so I'm half way done with Christmas shopping!  The 45 minutes I spent waiting in line to check out was totally worth it.  Black Friday made me very thankful to be having a boy.  I'm not sure I could afford to go shopping that day if this baby was a girl...luckily I got away only buying a few things for the little man and dang it they're cute! 

Hopefully that hat will fit his big bean!
My favorite BF purchase - Grey & White trunk for little man's room

 Saturday was another busy day celebrating the holidays.  My Grandpa Russell hasn't been feeling the greatest so the Russell Christmas got moved up a couple weeks.  While it seems very early to be starting Christmas parties, it was nice not to have to worry about ice storms in the middle of December.  We had a really great turn out, but were still missing quite a few.  Even though I'm there every year, the amount of people in our family is still a little shocking!  
Grandpa Ernie and all 11 kids!
16 Grandkids - missing at least 7
24 Great Grandkids + 1 and only Great Great Grandchild - missing at least 22

Santa visited like he does every year & what a difference a year has made for these 3!  Not a single tear!

The most timid, but she did it!

Talk to him about basketball & he'll be your bff

Aden actually RAN to sit on Santa's lap - finally figured out the present is worth it!

We finished Saturday up watching the Notre Dame game at The Henkel's in Fairbury.  Lena & Owen were much more entertaining then the game. 

                        Owen - Cheese!                                                                       Lena


First kiss caught on camera!
Daddy making sure Lena doesn't go in on the first date

Already being the gentleman

Notre Dame wins!
And last but not least, Sunday.  I managed to get the tree put up, most of the decorations out, and the presents I've already bought wrapped & under the tree.  Exhausted!  But so glad it's done!


And for Jase - he was probably in a food coma for the majority of the weekend, so he didn't seem to mind all the running around I did until today.  After a great start to this holiday season, this mama is S.O.R.E and ready for a nice relaxing evening on the couch.

Hello belly!  I didn't get to take my normal Thursday picture so 30 weeks was taken on Sunday, post holiday binge eating.  Yes, that's my belly button sticking out...it's like a bubble...really getting big!!!!!
Your baby's the size of a cucumber!
Your 15.2- to 16.7-inch, 2.5- to 3.8-pound baby continues to grow. 
  • His skin is getting smoother.
  • But his brain is getting wrinklier -- to make way for all that essential brain tissue.
  • He's now strong enough to grasp a finger!
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  
- Nicole

Thursday, November 15, 2012

29 weeks - RIP Chevy Cavi 2008 - 2012


Kiel's Cavalier finally gave out on him a couple weeks ago, so he'd been on the hunt for a new little work car that gets good gas mileage to avoid driving the truck the hour to and from work everyday.  As attached as he was to the Cavi, I'm not even sure he'll be able to miss it because he essentially bought the same car, just a different model.  At 6' 4", it's pretty hilarious to picture him in these cars....

From a '97 White Chevy Cavalier to a '99 White Ford Escort....Sport  





Grey Paint - Orange & White Chevron Fabric
Project Nursery has officially begun.  Paint color has been chosen and the crib has been ordered!  I decided against ordering a bedding set since you can't use half the stuff it comes with in fear of suffocating your baby so my mom has graciously agreed to make a crib skirt, a changing pad cover, and 2 runners to go on his dressers - the fabric for all of that arrived this week.  Very exciting!




Here are his dressers my dad refinished awhile ago with new hardware.  Very happy how they turned out! 




I think my biggest challenge will be figuring out what to do with everything that is currently in the dressers.  It's easy to just say, put it in the basement, but it's mostly Kiel's clothes so we have some adjusting to do with limited space.  We'll get there.   

I'm not 100% sure, but I think I felt my first Braxton Hicks contractions yesterday 11-14-12.  Just a few times during the day and once when I was at home at night, my belly just tightened up for a minute.  I wouldn't say it hurt, just more of an uncomfortable feeling - much different then how it feels when he's just moving around in there.  I haven't felt it again since so it might just be in my head.  Speaking of when he moves around, it's gone from just little jabs and rolls to being able to touch my stomach when he's pushing on me and actually feel whatever body part it is that's pushed up against me.  It feels like if my stomach wasn't stretched so tight, I'd be able to grab hold of him.  Yes, it feels just as crazy as it sounds! 

One of the not so pleasant things I've been experiencing is a sore tailbone.  WOW!  I'm sure it's because I sit for the majority of my day at work, but it is unbelievable how sore I am by the time 2 or 3:00 rolls around.  It always feels better in the morning after I've been off of it while sleeping, but I know by the afternoon I will once again be sporting the pregnant waddle.

According to the pregnancy website I get the food comparisons from, due date is only 74days away...how in the world did that happen???!!??!


Your baby's the size of an acorn squash!
Baby already measures about 15.2 to 16.7 inches long. Right now, we weighs about 2.5 to 3.8 pounds but he's still got a ways to go -- can you believe he'll triple in weight before birth? 
  • He's getting a little cramped in there, since he's growing so fast. But you probably already realize that, since you're getting all those jabs and kicks.
  • He's growing white fat deposits under his skin, and his energy is surging because of it.
  • Feel a subtle twitch? It might be baby hiccupping.
 -Nicole

Thursday, November 8, 2012

28 weeks - Big Boy's 4D Ultra Sound

Let me just say, getting to see Jase as he's growing inside me is something I will never take for granted...it's surreal every time he's on screen.  He has changed SO much even since our 3D ultra sound just 4 weeks ago...

In my opinion, he looks just like his Aunt Amy when she was a baby, but with my nose.  Grandma Pam got to go with me and she agrees, but like I said, he's changed so much since the last one when I said he looks like Kiel so who knows how much different he'll look in the next 12 weeks.

28 Weeks - 4D ultra sound
Our appointment in Peoria with Dr Gross, the perinatologist (high risk OB physician), went really well.  The ultra sound tech came in and did lots of measuring...he's head down again and weighed in at about 2lbs 12 oz.  We got to see the insertion point of the umbilical cord and the blood flowing to it...his heart beating which still amazes me...and lots of other vital organs.  FYI - this baby is definitely a boy and he is P.R.O.U.D. of it!  We have plenty of pictures of his junk...even in his sleep he was flashing the tech within minutes of being on screen.



I still can't get over how much better our first 2D sonograms are then the ones we've had recently...they're just not as clear as our 20 week ones so I'm not putting all of them on here because it's pretty hard to tell what you're looking at in most of them.

Left Foot print - let's hope he has his mama's arches and not daddy's flat feet!!!

Face, right fist, and abdomen

The 3D & 4D ones on the other hand get better with each visit!  In this one you can see his hand, but not the rest of his arm that should be right in front of his face...it's so weird! 


After the ultra sound tech was done, Dr Gross came in to take a look at his kidneys himself and talk to me about why dilated kidneys are watched so closely.  He only got to measure the right one because Jase had moved to a position where his spine was creating a shadow on his left kidney.  The first time he measured, it was 4.6mm (a normal size is 3 to 4mm) so nothing too crazy.  We talked for a few minutes and he remeasured.  This time the same kidney was 6mm.  He waited a few more minutes and measured again...this time it was 9mm.  Shocking right?  He must have been pretty empty at 4.6 and filled up with urine at 9.  Dr said he is not too concerned about 9mm or even 10mm because as long as it stays under 10, there is a 90% chance they will go to a normal size after he's born.  If they grow too large, it could mean he has an obstruction or reflux.  We know he is peeing normally because of all the amniotic fluid so there's no reason to assume anything, just mentioning some possibilities.  His exact words were "If something is going to be wrong, this is what you want it to be."  It's something people have been born with for years, but they're just now starting to keep a very close watch on it in order to prevent kidney infections further down the road in life.  If the kidneys don't correct themselves after birth, Jase could need surgery years down the road, but we wouldn't know that until months after he's born and it's nothing that would affect his health long term.  Dr Gross is very dry and gets straight to the point, which in this case is something I appreciated because it's not hard to tell this isn't something that concerns him, it's more precautionary.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned at all, but I know even if we're not in that 90%, everything will be fine.  I was hoping to get a clean report and not have to go back to MFM, but in order to keep an eye on the kidneys, he asked me to come back in 6 weeks (December 19th) to recheck and make sure they haven't made a large jump in size or anything.   Better to be safe then sorry....plus an extra ultra sound at 34 weeks :)

Some other fun facts Dr Gross told us...
My due date is probably more realistically February 4th instead of January 29th which would put me at 27 weeks instead of 28.  Makes things a little harder to label on the blog, but whatever - Kiel & I were both weeks late so a due date might not be much of an indication of when he'll be born anyways.  He also told us Jase is measuring about 2 weeks ahead of schedule and asked if there is a history of babies born with big heads in our family....guilty.  Have you seen my super cute nephews?  Lots of brains in those beans :)  I told him Kiel & I were both 9lb babies (close to 10) and he said, "I could see you having a 9lb baby...probably not 10, but definitely 9."  OUCH!  Guess that newborn outfit I bought for him to come home in can be returned :/

Next monthly check up is November 20th with Dr Ingram.  Pretty sure they will be bi-monthly after that.

We already did week 27 so for now, I'm going to continue on to...


Your baby's the size of an eggplant!
Putting on layers of fat, your baby now weighs in around 1.5 to 2.5 pounds and measures about 13.6 to 14.8 inches.
  • She's starting to develop more fat, so her wrinkly skin will start to get smoother.
  • Her lungs are mature enough that she'd probably survive if she was born now. Wow!
 -Nicole   

Thursday, November 1, 2012

27 weeks - Trick or Treat

We didn't have a lot of trick or treaters this year, but the ones we had were pretty cute!!
Bevin came down with the flu so no pictures of our ballerina & farmer this year :(

Ameren has sent some crews out to the east coast to help with the damage from Hurricane Sandy this week, but they don't send apprentices so Kiel didn't have to go.  Big shout out to the Greskoviak boys (Com-Ed) over there helping clean things up!!  I stole these pictures from Todd & Troy's facebook pages...they really have their work cut out for them.




Thanks for doing what you do boys!  Team Dickey!





    
I'm still not sure how it's already November, but judging by the amount of hunting shows on our dvr and Scent Away shampoo in the shower, it looks like it's here ready or not!  

Still fighting this cold and I'm sad to say, I'm not on the winning end.  Is it a law that all women have to have a cold while pregnancy?  

Our big appointment in Peoria is next Wednesday, the 7th, so next post will have an update on Jase's kidney situation.  Think positive thoughts for us!!!

Could also use some positive thoughts & prayers for my Grandma Farm as she undergoes her 2nd hip replacement Monday, November 5th.  She's been having a lot of pain from the first one she had done, so we're all hoping this will get her some relief and back to feeling like herself again!

We're at the end of the 2nd trimester!!!   

Your baby's the size of a rutabaga!
At 13.6 to 14.8 inches and 1.5 to 2.5 pounds, she's not just getting bigger, she's getting smarter. 
  • She's practicing inhaling and exhaling with her rapidly developing lungs.
  • It's official: Baby's showing brain activity! And her brain will keep on getting more complex.
-Nicole