35 Weeks: Only 35 days to go (hopefully)!

At about 20 inches and five and a half pounds (but with about five more weeks to grow), most of your baby's growth over the next month or so before you meet will be in weight (with a gain of anywhere from one pound to several), not height (baby's pretty much reached the in utero limit in that department). Accordingly, fat continues to accumulate at a rapid pace these days (on baby, not just on your hips). Back in the middle of your pregnancy, your baby's weight was made up of only two percent fat; now at 35 weeks pregnant, that percentage has soared to closer to 15 percent (and will increase to 30 percent at term). Which means your baby's once skinny arms and legs are now quite plump…and irresistibly, squeezably soft.

Also continuing to grow at an amazing pace is your baby's brain power. Luckily, the part that surrounds that amazing brain — the skull — remains soft. And for good reason: A soft skull will allow your baby to squeeze more easily through the birth canal. (Mother Nature was really thinking this one through — imagine trying to push out a rock-hard head…ouch!)


Below are some more amazing pictures from our maternity photo shoot. Our Photographer (and awesome friend), Michelle, always does such a great job... we are excited to shoot all of Tyler's "first year" sessions with her!!!


http://www.peyronetphotography.com/

34 Weeks: Merry Christmas baby!

Your baby could be as tall as 20 inches right now and about five pounds.

If your little doughboy is, well, a boy, then you'll be pleased to know that this week his testicles are making their way down from his abdomen to his scrotum.

Your baby's fingernails now reach the end of the fingertips and may even curl over the tip, making a manicure one of the first things you'll need to do for your little bundle.

His fat layers — which will help regulate his 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.

3D Sonogram @ 32.5 Weeks

These can look a little weird and scary, but it was really fun to see Tyler moving around again and watch him play in the womb. One thing you will notice is some fuzzy stuf on his face, that is just b/c our baby kept putting his sweet little head into the placenta (I figure he's just a pillow person like his momma).

I love this first one even though it's not as clear, Tyler is smiling though!

This is his foot... he has his daddy's feet apparently (now I know where some of those giant kicks were coming from).

This one is definitely blurry (more placenta in the way), but he has his ambilical cord in front of his face and it looked like he was trying to suck on it... Technician said a lot of babies in the womb do this, they are like newborns at this point (anything that they can reach they will try to stick in their mouths).

More placenta in the way, but you can see the a lot of his face in the bottom left side of the pic... he has my chipmunk cheeks.

FINISHED Nursery!!!

We've been working really hard to get the nursery finished... and it is now! We are so excited and feel like this was the last step we needed done in order to be ready for Tyler's arrival. Enjoy the pics!








This is the old baby dresser that Jonathan has been working so hard to strip (used to be painted) and stain... this project was more overwhelming than we ever expected, but it looks so great now!




Sugar was helping supervise our activities...

His closet is so full right now (we are storing so much in there until we need it... like his car seat, extra car seat base, high chair, etc). This should look more organized before Tyler arrives b/c we will have the car seat (& bases) installed and out of the closet! Plus, some of his clothes will go in his finished dresser now!

33 Weeks: We are getting so big!

This week your baby may be anywhere between 17 to 19 inches in length and weigh more than four and a half pounds. At this stage in fetal development, your baby could grow a full inch more this week alone — especially if he has been on the shorter side. Weight gain can range from a third more growth to a full doubling before the big debut.

The level of amniotic fluid in your uterus has reached its maximum at 33 weeks pregnant, making it likely that you have more baby than fluid now. That's one reason why you're probably feeling lots of nudges and pushes — there's less liquid to cushion the blows. (Of course that means you're even closer to your baby now!)

If your uterine walls had eyes, here's what you'd see: your fetus acting more and more like a baby, with his eyes closing during sleep and opening while awake. And because those uterine walls are becoming thinner, more light penetrates the womb, helping your baby differentiate between day and night (now if only baby can remember that difference on the outside!).

And good news! Your baby has reached an important milestone about now: The development of his own immune system that (along with antibodies from you) will be able to provide protection from mild infections.

Work Baby Shower

My work team had a baby shower for me on December 10th, it was all ducky themed (so cute!). My team also chipped in together and got us our really cool baby monitor, which we've already installed and played with a couple of times. We got some really great stuff at the shower and feel almost ready for Tyler to be here now.

This cake was yummy!

Pineapple sherbert punch...

Jonathan was invited to the shower (there were other guys from my team there as well)... and he was a good sport sitting through all of the "oooh's and ahhhh's" from the girls.

Some of the girls that came (boys didn't want to be in the pic, I guess it would have been evidence that they had gone to a baby shower).

32 Weeks: Big Bambino

This week your baby weighs almost four pounds and could be up to 19 inches long. And though that's a head-to-toe length, your baby is actually back to a curled-up position (you try standing up in those cramped quarters!). At 32 weeks pregnant, you're likely feeling tapping and squirming instead of your baby's signature rocking and rolling. That's because, while comfy, your baby is a bit tight for exercise space right now. Your baby has also probably settled into the head-down, bottoms-up position in your pelvis in prepartion for birth. That's because the fetus's head fits better at the bottom of your inverted, pear-shaped uterus. It also makes it easier during childbirth if your baby comes out head first. Fewer than five percent of babies prefer the bottom-down (or breech) position by full-term. Don't worry if your baby hasn't assumed the head-down position yet. There's still a good chance he will flip head-side-down before birth — even in the tight confines of your uterus.

While your baby is still getting nourishment through the umbilical cord, it won't be long before you'll be bringing on the breast milk or formula (and soon after, the mashed carrots and peas). In anticipation of that momentous transition to mouth feeding, your baby's digestive system is all set and ready to go.

And because your baby is accumulating more fat, his skin is finally turning opaque (like yours), which means those see-through days are over. Though weeks away from D-day, your baby's looking more and more like a newborn.

And speaking of that big day, hope you're resting up for it — because your bambino certainly is. In preparation for that big first date with you, your baby is sleeping like a baby — with sleep cycles of 20 to 40 minutes long (which would also account for the decrease in movement you're likely feeling these days).

Christmas Decorations

We decided to put up our Christmas decorations inside the house, here are a few pics. One day we might have matching stockings and fancy decorations, but for now we are content with our mismatched stuff that we have accumulated.

New Christmas placemats, napkins and napkin holders from Mike and Sue-Ann... aren't they pretty?


Our new Christmas tree that we bought last year (after Christmas), this is our first year to put it up.


Stockings hung with care.

Our Willow Tree Nativity Set. Jonathan's parents gave this to us last year and have added a few pieces over the year... we love it!

We have a stocking for Sugar (far left) and a teeny tiny red stocking for Tyler... next year we will buy him a new Stocking.

Our small fiber optic tree and Jonathan's dad's train set from child hood.

Thanksgiving in Memphis

We drove up to Memphis for Thanksgiving this year, it was our last trip to all fit in one car (David, Mandee, Caden, Jonathan and myself). Caden is such a good little traveler, he pretty much slept the entire way up there and back... I was very impressed! We had such a good time visiting with GeeGee and Gramps (Sue-Ann and Mike), relaxing, and eating lots of good food. Below are just a few pics from our trip, enjoy!

Mommy and Baby

GeeGee with Caden

Caden thought his Gramps was so funny!

Daddy and Baby

Uncle Jonathan practicing...

Caden loved watching football

Bath time fun... what a cutie pie, he loves his bath time!

Aunt Heather practicing and helping Mandee with bath time.

Father and Son, enjoying some relaxing TV time.

Caden was baptized by his Gramps on Sunday, November 29th. Mike had written a very touching letter to Caden and read it as the sermon during the service, it was such a special event to be a part of.

Proud GodParents!

Caden was not too happy about being changed into the family baptismal gown...

...but he got over it quickly, he's such a happy baby!

Happy Baptism Caden!