31 weeks

This week it takes FOUR fruits to weigh as much as G does, that means baby is getting bigger!  I do feel like the movement has actually increased in the last day or two, probably because the little one is running out of space so it's harder to get comfy in there.

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

The coveted Belly Shots:

30 weeks

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

Belly shots:

And because I like comparisons and we're 3/4 of the way through here is a summary of the first belly shot, the 20wk shot and this week for comparison

nursery measurements

29 weeks

Only one more week and we'll be 3/4 of the way through! Baby G is doing great, moving and putting on weight. We did some math the other day: Baby G weighs about 3 pounds at 30wks but the average baby now is around 8 pounds at birth. That means baby G should gain about 5 pounds in 10wks. Folks, that is 1/2 a pound a week from here on out. I guess that means if the belly looks like it's exploding then I'm doing my job ;)



Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

Now everyone's favorite part, the belly shots:

I sorta like the last one best, not only do those shorts fit better now then when we painted the outside of the house but it looks like I have consealed a ball under that shirt.

I guess this gives you a hint as to how the nursery is coming along...we bought the Elfa system on Friday so we could get the closet in order. Once I had that system in my hot little hands I simply couldn't wait to get it in. I had the closet cleared out before Dominic even swapped the SUV for a car, about 15min. We filled holes and primed the whole thing that evening and the following morning when Dominic worked I painted the final coat (it's the same as both bedrooms in our house, imperfect pearl). The system is pretty easy to install and since we've done one before we made quick work of this one. I have a few of our dressier things and some clothes that are too big for us in there now but I'm going to do a little more purging before it all goes back in. Overall I'm thrilled with the results. Oh and the baskets at the bottom are holding toys and blankets and I intend to use them mainly for toy storage since they're at a great level for baby to reach! Total for the closet system, baskets and paint $400.

The walls were filthy

And the new tele came in handy!

Painted and ready to install the new system

team work :)

It's not all back in yet but not everything is going back in so I'm only putting those things that are CERTAINLY staying back for now.

Ringing in the NEW YEAR

Before welcoming 2010 I thought maybe we should recap this last decade. I mean, a LOT has changed for us in the last 10 years.

Since 2000 I have
graduated highschool
graduated college
gott my masters
become a nurse midwife
delivered 200 babies! WOW
married my last boyfriend ;)
become a puppy mommy
bought a house
lived in 3 states
AND, got pregnant

and Dominic has
graduated highschool
visited China, Germany and Czech Republic
graduated college with honors
lived in 3 states
bought a house
adopted Eclair as his own
married the most wonderful woman ever
knocked someone up

In just 10 years we've done all that. I cannot imagine what the next 10 years will bring but we're certainly excited for 2010 to find out.

My new years resolutions last year were:
1. Post at least once a week- DONE started out a little slow but once I got knocked up I kicked it into gear thanks to those belly shots
2. Finish up all our house project currently in the works-
a. trim (paint and install) - DONE
b. paint front door screen green - didn't get to it, but I do have the paint, does that count?
c. get duct work fixed (damn rats) - DONE
d. buy and install new master closet organizer - DONE
3. Play wii fit 5X/wk - no where close. Guess I could probably use this one again come may 2010?
4. Frequent Starbucks no more than 2X/wk - DONE again, baby g helped out. There are even weeks where I don't go at all, that's a miracle
5. Plan a trip to Europe - not so much. I was all set to start planning and then found out we were expecting. I'm seriously considering going with an infant though, crazy as it sounds. Only problem, we want 2 close together so hopefully I'll be knocked up this time again next year. Kinda puts a kink in the budget :(

and Dominic's were short and sweet

1. make my wife happy-DONE with a capital D. He's wonderful and I'm lucky to have him.



Overall I'd say we're doing pretty good.

Here are my goals for 2010
1. continue to post on the blog weekly, hopefully with pictures of G outside my belly before long.
2. revamp our budget and set better limits on my spending.
3. get back to my prepregnancy weight of 140lbs.
4. purchase and learn to use a DSLR and photoshop



And Dominic's goals

1. get under 300 pounds

2. limit work hours to 45/week

3. win mega millions

4. learn to speak spanish (please note we've had the Rosetta Stone for this for 2 years now)

5. keep my wife happy

6. eat dinner at the table 5 nights a week



Hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year's Eve! I'll leave you with the final belly shot of 2009

All I want for Christmas 2009

I GOT! I think Dominic did too. It was my first time on call for Christmas, and probably won't be my last. It has been quite the busy few days as far as babies go, with 3 deliveries so far and at least 2 more to go before I'm done on Sunday. Thankfully Cindy and John came to visit, since Hailee was visiting her dad in California for the holiday. They kept me company while I was off work for a few days before Christmas and Dominic company while I was being called away numerous times on Christmas Day. Skype came in handy this year, as both the Jensen's and Garguile's were able to see us open gifts It sure was nice to have family come visit and hopefully it will happen more frequently once G arrives. I imagine it's going to get a lot more difficult for us to travel with an infant and a pup. What did we do? Lounged around, made tons of cookies and baked goods, went to look at lights, wrapped to our hearts content, unwrapped gifts galore, and finally ate a delicious dinner made by Dominic that included Nana's pudding. Needless to say, the day was wonderful and Santa was sure generous. Here's a few shots of our celebration.

28 weeks

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds, about the size of a napa cabbage (our baby was estimated to be 2 pounds 10 ounces at the 4-D sono on tues) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world. Is it a little weird that baby G can SEE inside me?? I think so.

It's been a while since I answered the 'questions' so I'll given it a shot this week

Maternity Clothes: I'm pretty exclusively in maternity now. My athletic pants and big sweaters still fit fine but I'm really noticing my PJ tops getting too short

Stretch Marks: Still nothing, thankfully.

Sleep: I'm waking up to go to the bathroom several times a night already and my back is starting to ache a bit by morning but I'm not even having to implement the barrage of pillows yet so I can't really complain.

Best Moment this Week: 4-D ultrasound for sure. I keep looking back at those pictures thinking, that baby is INSIDE ME right now. Even feeling the little one move and delivering babies doesn't really make it real for some reason.

Movement: LOTS! I can tell the babies position and what appendage is poking me where now. I think Dominic and I even felt hiccups a few days ago.

Food Cravings: Sweets. I've always been a dessert girl and that hasn't changed. My appetite has been better in general and increased a few weeks back even more. I really do need to behave because I've done so good at this point that I'd hate to ruin it by splurging too much at the end.

Gender: Still no peaking. G was nice and modest and kept knees together for the ultrasound we just had so there was no need to avert our eyes or anything.

Labor Signs: Still nothing, thankfully. G can remain put for at least another 10 weeks as far as I'm concerned.

Belly Button: Innie. It's getting a bit more flat and my scar from the old belly button piercing is tighter but I still maintain that it will not turn out.

What I Miss: That glass of wine still :( Took a sip of Dominic's at Christmas dinner and I think it just made me miss it more.

What I'm Looking Forward to this Week: 2010, the year our first child will be born!

Of course the belly shots:

And for the nursery, with Cindy here I was able to pick some fabric to add length to the crib skirt and create the skirt for the desk that will hide some storage underneath. Stand by for a brilliant idea I have to keep that skirt touching the floor no matter the height setting on the crib, hint velcro. We decided on a striped fabric for both projects, here it is with the crib fabrics:

Of course we loved this circle fabric and thought it would be perfect to lenthen the drapes just a bit so they actually skim the ground like they're suppose to. I think we'll have mom insert it at about this height. I need to get a different color for the sheer behind and we're thinking white.

Then we stumbled on this dachshund fabric and COULD NOT pass it up. Baby G needs to pay homage to his or her big sis Eclair so Cindy is going to make a pillow for the glider out of this. As payment I got enough so she can make one for Hailee :)

I think that about covers it, just need to get all the measurements so mom can get to sewing. I'm thrilled that the nursery is finally coming to a finale and the finishing touches are about all we need to wrap up.