33 and 34 Weeks

Another late post…oops! I’ve been having so much fun that I haven’t had time to sit down and upload pictures or write anything on the blog. Watch out because since I am behind this post might be extra long.

I am going to start with 33 Weeks. I went to the doctor and found out that Stella is measuring a few weeks ahead. We also found out that she has a lot of hair on her big head…97th percentile. Depending on her size the doctor might let her come a few weeks early. I am definitely not going to complain. So the fact that I am going to be 35 weeks this weekend means that we could have a baby here in about 3 weeks: ) I need to start packing that hospital bag!

So about Stella’s development…It looks like she is just gaining weight and getting her lungs ready. She hiccups a lot throughout the day and I’ve heard that helps their lungs. She probably gets the hiccups at least 3 times a day.

Stella is still gaining weight (about half a pound a week), and she could grow up to another full inch this week. With that much baby inside my uterus, my amniotic-fluid level has maxed out, which explains why some of her pokes and kicks feel pretty sharp these days. (There’s less fluid to cushion the blows.) Antibodies are being passed from me to my little one as she continues to develop her own fetal immune system, which will come in handy once she’s outside the womb and fending off all sorts of germs.

This weekend was fun because we had Greg and the girls over for a cookout, some swimming and water volleyball and some hoop watching. The girls were pooped after swimming so they fell asleep after eating. Kate passed out on Joe and was snoring. It was really cute and funny! Here they are having fun in our pool! In the back of the picture you can see Greg just slammed one on Joe: )I also went to a college friend’s shower. Ashley is due with a baby boy, Jackson, in August. Sometime this weekend I plan to add a before pregnancy picture of us. Currently I do not have it in my possession. It is a great picture of us from college. All I can say is I hope our stomachs look like that after babies. I can dream right?! Also, I need some friends to have a girl. Poor Stella has so many boyfriends already! Here are just a few of her boyfriends that I already approve of her dating…Cole and Cason (they belong to the Cages – they will make a nice older guy for her: )) Garrett (the Riley’s lil boy), Jake and Gray (the Lary’s boys), Peyton (the Sligar’s 4 year old), Price (the Killebrew’s lil boy), Caleb (the Terry’s lil boy), Benjamin (he will be here tomorrow –  the Crum’s lil boy), Jackson (he will be here in August – the Conner’s lil boy) and No Name Yet (he will be here in October – the Kurr’s lil boy).

Stella supposedly now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds and is almost 18 inches long (however last week she measured almost 6 lbs – either she is big or this info I am finding is off: )). Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she’s born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her 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.

 Happy Father’s Day, Dad, Tommy, Joe, Mark and Greg! It was great hanging out with all of you!

Rumer learned this weekend that little kids running after her is not so bad. It is usually rewarded with some Cheetos or Goldfish. Now instead of running she goes up to them and sits, spins and tries to shake without even being asked. I think she figures if she does all her tricks she deserves something.

Aren’t they the cutest! For all you true animals lovers out there. There is nothing more rewarding than giving a loving, forever home to a shelter dog/cat. They are just as amazing as the ones you get from a breeder. I think they truly recognize that they were rescued and provide much more love. My last few animals have all been rescue animals and never again will I pay thousands of dollars to support a breeder.

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