Brausen Baby Pool- Take a guess!

Alright folks...we are nearing the end of the pregnancy journey(7 weeks to go). Some of you have been less than pleased that we didn't find out the sex of the baby and have kept you guessing this entire time. Now is the time to make your guess known! Go to this link and fill out your guess for our baby pool!

http://bebepool.com/aj1310

We aren't handing out prizes, but it will be fun to see the guesses as we get closer to the date!

I will post updates every few weeks.

Nesting Nesting Nesting

OK, I have a rush of energy and want to get home to wash baby clothes, blankets, etc. I have also started a list of things I need to get done before baby gets here. This list includes, but is not limited to:

Finish cleaning the nursery (empty shelves of non-baby stuff, clean out dressers for baby clothes)
Shop for items we need
Pack bag for hospital
Clean/sterilize all toys/stroller/high-chair/swing/bouncer seat
Sew the cute border on the curtains for the baby's room and make matching pillow
Re-arrange the furniture in nursery (Don't worry, Jeff will help with this one.)

Mop the closet floor...oh wait...I already did that last week! :)

It will be a fast moving 7 weeks, I know it will all get it done in time.

Baby Shower Mishap

I had my first baby shower this weekend and it was great! I was so touched by the work Kimmy, Sharon and Mom put into the planning of it all. For decorations, they put a clothesline up and hung baby blankets and onsies from it! Very cute. They also had diaper cakes on a few of the tables.

It was great to see friends and family for the shower and I was truly overwhelmed by everyone's generosity!

There was one mishap that will make us all giggle for years to come.

The shower started at 1PM. Everyone had arrived and was eating when a woman walked through the door, around 1:30. I greeted her (her face was not ringing a bell with me)and asked if I could get her anything. She asked me for a soda and her tone suggested she had no clue who I was either. I looked at Kimmy and asked her who she was...Kimmy had no idea either!

Kimmy, being the resourceful girl she is, asked the woman to guess how many items were in our baby item jar on a slip of paper with her name. She handed the paper back to Kimmy. Linda S. was the name. The woman walked away and sat in a chair near the present table. Kimmy and I both started to giggle...we had NO CLUE who this woman was, it was apparent she belonged at another baby shower in the building. Luckily, Sharon was gracious enough to walk over and ask the woman how she knew me. It turns out there was another baby shower in the building being thrown by "Allison". The woman was very confused, but picked up her present and left.

We all got a good chuckle out of that for years to come.

I will post pictures of the shower as soon as I get them.

Week 32 highlights

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, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

I read a friend's baby blog and she does her weekly updates with the following questions. It sounded fun for this week.
Pregnancy: Just over 32 Weeks - 8 Months! :)


Weight Gain: 19 lbs

Sleep: Sleeping through most of the night. I am up every few hours to use the bathroom or shift positions

Gender: Unknown.

Name: You will have to wait and see!


Feeling: Great. I have a shower this weekend, I am excited for my family and friends to see the big belly! I hope to post pictures next week.

Health: Everything is fantastic! Blood pressure is low, weight is right on track and I feel good.

Movement: Baby is moving ALL the time. Jeff and I have decided we have a ninja in training!

Belly: Getting bigger. I hit my belly button when opening doors all the time now.


Next Appointment: Friday, April 2nd. My doctor and I have a good relationship and our appointments are pretty quick right now.

Another fun labor prediction site

I was on another just for fun labor prediction site...here's what came out:


Just about the time you think you can't handle hearing one more "when is that baby going to pop?", your baby will decide to make it's appearance. We predict your baby will be born 3-7 days before its due date. Your baby will most likely be born in the morning. Justmommies predicts that your baby will weigh approximately 7.5 pounds and that your labor will be about 13 hours long.

I know it is just for fun, but this prediction doesn't sound too bad. :)

Yup, another give birth then push the baby back in dream

I haven't had a good dream about baby in a while. I was beginning to think that my sleep pattern of waking up every two to three hours or so was causing me not to dream. Then last night, another baby dream snuck into my slumber.

I can't remember the entire dream. All I remember is the baby started to kick my tummy. We could visibly see the baby's hands, feet and entire head (with facial features) as they pushed against my skin. We started to play with the baby's hands, its fingers were squeezing around mine. We looked at its feet and tickled them. Then, I wanted to hold the baby...so I tried to hold them while they were in my stomach. This didn't satisfy me, so I gave birth to the baby to hold them. After a while, we realized it was time to put baby back as the baby wasn't fully developed and needed to stay in my tummy for a while longer. Then, I woke up.

I have heard of other women having dreams like this one. The birth experience is not scary, nor is the fact that my baby isn't fully developed. I think these mean I am excited to meet my baby, but understand it isn't time yet. It should be interesting to see how these dreams change the closer we get to my due date.

Bi-weekly Dr. Appointment update

I just got home from my bi-weekly doctor's appointment. (In 4 short weeks, they turn into WEEKLY appointments!)

Stats Update:
Blood Pressure: Good
Baby is measuring right on time
Total Weight Gain: 19 lbs.

I feel good. Baby is moving around constantly, which doesn't always help me sleep. I force myself to remember I will miss feeling the baby move in my tummy after they are born, so I enjoy every twitch, kick and hiccup. :)

I haven't been sleeping well, but that is to be expected at this stage.

Overall, I still feel great and energetic!

Week 31 Highlights

Your baby is now about 16 inches long, which is the size of the front wheel on the origional Big Wheel.

How your baby's growing:
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.

Feeling good, sleeping less. :)

Hiccups, hiccups and more hiccups!

Baby has started to get the hiccups at least once a day. I am feeling them in my lower abdomen on the left hand side. Does this mean Baby's head is down? We will just have to wait and see.

Here is a short article about baby hiccups:
Fetal hiccupping is a normal phenomenon that's been felt by many pregnant women and has been observed on many an ultrasound. Your baby may have started hiccupping intermittently beginning in the late first or early second trimester, although you wouldn't have been able to feel the hiccups at that early stage.

Some women notice episodes of hiccups — which feel like a series of little rhythmic movements — a number of times a day, while other women only notice them once in a while.

Hiccupping is common in newborn babies, too, so after you give birth, don't be surprised if your little one hiccups occasionally.

My OB told me that not only is it normal, but a good sign of a healthy baby! Ahhh... we certainly love to hear that! Now those hiccups are not only entertaining, but reassuring as well!

Baby Classes and a new picture!

Here is a picture of Jeff and I comparing our bellies. He said his belly would be as big as mine if he pushed it out...as you can see, he is nowhere close!

This weekend, Jeff and I completed our labor and baby education class. If you ask Jeff, he thinks the class could have been condensed into a half hour cheat sheet. I found much of the information valuable.

Things the class helped me to think about:

1- I want to be mobile during labor.
We practiced relaxation techniques by holding ice in our hands while the instructor timed us for 1 min. Each time, we used a different technique to help us focus through the pain. Breathing and walking were the two things that helped me the most. Jeff massaging my back also helped.
2- If I want to be mobile during labor, I need to rethink my plan for drugs.
I have been planning to get an epidural this entire time. Now, I don't know if that is the route I would want to take... 9 weeks to figure it out.
3- We need to remain flexible.
If we keep all of our options open for labor and delivery, there will be less shock when it actually happens. This means I should prepare for showing up to the hospital, fully dialated to 9, with no time for drugs AND should think about a 15 hour labor where drugs might be needed. Keeping our minds open will truly help us through the situation in a less stressful way.

We also spoke about newborn care, relaxation techniques, signs of labor, stages of labor and watched birthing videos.

Week 30 Highlights

How your baby's growing:
Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds. 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.)

You may be feeling a little tired these days, especially if you're having trouble sleeping. You might also feel clumsier than normal, which is perfectly understandable. Not only are you heavier, but the concentration of weight in your pregnant belly causes a shift in your center of gravity. Plus, thanks to hormonal changes, your ligaments are more lax, so your joints are looser, which may also contribute to your balance being a bit off. Also, this relaxation of your ligaments can actually cause your feet to spread permanently, so you may have to invest in some new shoes in a bigger size.

Week 29 highlights

How your baby's growing:
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.

Looks like I will have to keep up the healthy eating, putting more of an emphasis on veggies and fruits. Milk has been no issue with me...I think I drink at least a gallon a week by myself.

I am really starting to feel pregnant...it is harder to get up and move around now. I have a feeling this will get worse over the next 11 weeks. WOW...only 11 weeks to go!