35 Weeks - A week of milestones

35 Weeks!

Quinn went with me to my comprehensive exam.

 This has been an exciting week! Lots of great milestones occurred this week. First, in case you are wondering, I passed my comps! With flying colors! I felt very well-prepared going into it. The exam lasted about an hour and half, during which time my committee members asked me questions about my written responses (completed last month). I felt very comfortable the entire time; I didn't have any trouble answering any of the questions, nor did I feel stressed or nervous at all. Honestly, it was almost fun. Not fun enough to do it again though, so I'm incredibly glad that it is over. This means that I am now officially a PhD "candidate" at the University. I have completed all of my degree except the dissertation and defense. Hurray! Aside from any courses I will take for my Master's in Public Health (which I am adding this year), I am done with coursework for my PhD! No more anthro classes, papers, or tests! I was elated after finishing the exam. It was a lot of hard work, and it paid off.

Hello watermelon!

The next milestone was that we completed 35 weeks on Friday. Now Quinn is completely safe to be born at any time. The majority of babies born after 35 weeks need no assistance and are born healthy. I'm not in a hurry for him to come, because I still love being pregnant, but if he decided to come now, I would be okay with it because I know he would be safe. So exciting!

Here's what he's been up to:
"Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight."

Third milestone: my baby shower! Saturday my friends from work and school threw me a baby shower. It was a blast! I told them that I believe it's the first party I've had thrown for me by friends (and one of the first parties at all since I was a kid). It was fun and somewhat embarrassing to be the guest of honor. Four of my friends were the hosts - they did an incredible job coming up with fun games, decorating, and making food that I could actually eat (no easy feat!). One game was to decorate onesies with fabric markers, and for me to judge the best. Of course, the R2D2 and hobbit onesies won. :) The other game was for everyone to bring an item that began with the letter "Q", and for me to judge the most creative. A friend who made us a quilt won - it wasn't necessarily the most creative, but definitely the most work! My friends were so great to buy us things that we had registered for, because they knew that we already had a lot of great stuff (thank you grandparents and yard sales!). We got little soft toys and rattles for Quinn, books, health and safety items, a Moby, a ring sling, nursing pads, and lots of other sweet things.
I was flattered that my friends commented on how small my belly looked, but I totally disagree. As you may have noticed in this week's picture, it looks like I have a watermelon strapped to my stomach, with tight skin stretched over it. I feel huge!

So many lovely gifts!

Our non-diaper "diaper cake", since we already have all of our cloth diapers.

The final milestone occurred this weekend. I've heard many women say that they knew when they entered the "home stretch." Well, we are there. Yesterday I entered an insane nesting phase (and I'm still on it). We re-organized the entire storage room, threw things out, donated tons of stuff, and made room for baby things. I washed all of Quinn's clothes, folded them, and put them away. I packed the bag of stuff to take to the hospital, should we need to go (his first little outfits and diapers!). I made up baskets of necessary items and put them all around the house - diapers, wipes, wash clothes, etc.  I took down all of the summer decor and put up the Fall stuff. I re-organized my desk. I did 3 loads of laundry. I was still going like a mad-woman at 9:30 last night (which is late for those of you who have seen me crash on the floor with the dogs at 9:00pm). Not only I have been nesting, I am feeling different now. (First, let me preface this description with a disclaimer that I am NOT complaining. I love being pregnant, even with these new developments, and I find the changes more exciting and interesting than bad.) My back is constantly in a dull ache. I am having tons of contractions, day and night (though nothing to call the midwife over, yet). Quinn has run out of room and resorted to shoving his butt under my rib cage. He is also putting a lot of pressure on my pelvis, which causes pinching in my pubic bone. My feet ache. I am hungry all the time, no matter how much I eat. I can't sleep - I wake up between 2:30-3:30 in the morning and find it nearly impossible to go back to bed (I often don't). I think Quinn is prepping me for what my life will be like soon. :) I am slower - I get tired much more easily, and had to skip our walk last night. I have friends who were in the early stages of labor for weeks before they went "active", meaning that they were slowly dilating for weeks before it was intense enough to go to the hospital. So I may in fact already be dilating (in the early stages of labor), but it could last for weeks. Or days. Probably weeks. Either way, I am definitely feeling like I've hit the home stretch, and the little man is getting ready for his arrival. I am SO EXCITED!!!

One last interesting thing to note: Jonathan and I have thought of Quinn as a little frog ever since we saw him acting like a frog in the 20 week ultrasound. Call it his totem, if you will. Last night, on the way to bed, we saw a frog hanging out on the door. This is the first time this has ever happened, despite the numerous frogs we have living in our yard. A sign? Maybe!!

Quinn sends a message: "Get ready, Mom and Dad, here I come!"

34 Weeks and a Dose of Optimism

34 weeks

 The past week was another roller coaster, but right now, I am on the up side. As I mentioned before, I've had to increase the number of times I test my blood sugar each day, and the doctor was near convinced that I would have to be put on insulin. This would put me in a high-risk pregnancy category, which comes with lots of not-so-fun possible interventions (increased monitoring, which often leads to scheduled inductions, which often result in c-sections). I also spent three days on the phone with insurance companies and pharmacists to get my diabetes supplies covered. They are super expensive. Finally, I got them covered and was able to resume testing over the weekend. Friday I did some research on diets recommended for gestational diabetes. At first I was discouraged, because most of the meal plans I found were more generous with carbs and sugar than what I was already eating, which made me think that there might really be nothing I can do but go on insulin. However, there are many hidden benefits to being a graduate student, and one of these is unlimited, free access to the medical literature. After some more digging, I found some sources that have found that the ratio of carbs-protein-fat is as important as the quality of carbs (i.e., not processed, low on the glycemic index). While I had carefully taken all simple carbs and high glycemic index foods out of my diet, I had not watched the ratios. So I carefully set up a diet aiming for 30-50% carbs, and the rest protein and fats to experiment over the weekend. Guess what - it worked! My blood sugar levels have been exceptionally low. I talked to my OB today and he thinks that, if I continue monitoring and eating this way, I will be fine. No gestational diabetes! I can't tell you what a relief this is. Sure, I have to count and calculate everything that goes into my mouth for the next 6-8 weeks, but it is SO worth it. I don't even care about giving up lots of tasty foods if it means that I can avoid insulin and interventions. Hard work, diligence, and a little research really can pay off, even when genetics are working against you.

A sample 30/30/40 meal - salmon, brussels sprouts, eggplant, cottage cheese, and a side salad

20 Weeks

Quinn is doing great this week. He is active and so big that we can really feel his little body parts. I love it when he gets hiccups, because his little back is right against my belly. I love to pat his back and bottom. I wonder if he will find that comforting after he is born. I'm also feeling well. I have some back and hip flexer pain, but that's pregnancy, right? It's still really fun. Some days I feel like I'm not too big, and others I feel huge. It feels like there isn't much room in there for him. Fortunately, he doesn't stick his feet in my ribs. He just sticks his little butt out, which can be a bit uncomfortable. But it's so cute that I cherish it. Just for a fun comparison, here is a picture of me at 20 weeks.

Quinn's growth this week:
"Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate him body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies. "

 In other news, we started school this week. Jonathan is taking two classes, taking research hours, tutoring, and assisting in a grant-writing class for undergraduate students. I am teaching cultural anthropology in the evenings, which will be fun. I'm also tutoring online and working on my dissertation proposal. I will have my orals for the comprehensive exam this Thursday. If all goes well, I will be done - nothing but the dissertation left!

A few weeks ago, my awesome mom came over to do some maternity photos of me and Jonathan. Here are some of my favorites.

A late 33 week post

33 Weeks

 I've been busy with appointments and preparing for the semester to begin next week, which is why this post is so late. Last week was our 6 year wedding anniversary. We celebrated by seeing "The Dark Knight Rises" (which is totally awesome by the way), and having dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant. We spent the entire day together and just enjoyed one another's company. We were acutely aware that this was to be our last anniversary alone without a baby-sitter! It has been a wonderful past couple of weeks together. We are both prepping for the baby and school to begin, but we've been home together every day. You would think that spending so much time together would make us need some time apart or make us more irritated with one another, but it's actually the opposite. The more time we spend together, the harder it is to spend any apart. I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful husband.

Even with the complications, I LOVE being pregnant!

I have been feeling good this week, but am having to monitor my blood sugar more frequently. I'm on the border of needing insulin - we will hopefully find out if I need it in the next few days. In the meantime, I'm not gaining any weight because I've had to restrict my diet so much to keep the blood sugar somewhat under control. Quinn, however, is growing beautifully. They aren't worried about his growth. In fact, the concern is that he would grow too much! It's astounding that we are just two weeks away from 35 weeks, the point at which he would not likely need any assistance to survive outside the womb if born early.

Here's what he's up to this week:
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

I won't write more for now, since it's only a few days until the 34 week post. Hope you all are having as nice of weather as we are this week - it has cooled down dramatically in the past few days. 

32 weeks - 8 months!

32 weeks

We are now 32 weeks pregnant, or 8 full months. We have just 5 weeks until he is full-term, and 8 until his due date. I'm not ready! I love being pregnant and feel like there is still so much I need to do to prepare before he gets here. On the other hand, I can't wait to hold his little hands and count his fingers and toes. If he goes to or past 40 weeks, maybe I will feel uncomfortable enough for the pregnancy to end. :)

I feel really good. Quinn is incredibly active and I'm still having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions. They are not too uncomfortable most of the time. Aside from some ache in the back and feet, I don't feel bad at all. We enjoy going for walks with J.J. in the evening (when it cools down to about 95), and I can keep up except on the hills. I definitely walk like a duck and have trouble getting off the couch sometimes. I haven't really gained any weight in a month, but the belly and boy are growing, so my care providers aren't concerned. We are both in great health. We still haven't pinned down our birth plan, and I have a decent amount of fear and anxiety over the whole thing. I don't know how parents do it - he's not even here yet and I fear losing him. Jeez, I don't know if I can handle all this worrying!

Quinn's growth this week:

Like something from the X-Files...

"By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth."


This past week I have taken it easy after my comps. I've started putting my class together for the Fall, and doing some nesting around the house. Mom and I have experimented making a couple of slings. I cleaned out the kitchen top to bottom. We also ordered Quinn's car seat. I know it's early, but I want to have time to figure out how to install it and return it if we don't like it for some reason. We've taken J.J. out to play on cooler days this week. The mosquitoes are out in force, though, so we don't stay out long even when the heat is tolerable. 

J.J. loves to jump for sticks

Kisses