me at week 40:  You can deduce a few facts from the picture above. (1) maternity shirts don’t even fit me any more. (2) I’m tired.

Of course, during the last couple of weeks, I’ve felt fairly constantly tired. However, I was blessed to get a fairly good night’s rest. The last few nights have been very touch-and-go, thanks to the PUPPPs. For those of you who didn’t Google that last time, it stands for Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy. Definitely makes you want to Google it now, huh? (Who comes up with the names of these conditions?)

Anyways, I have found that ice packs around my ankles do help at night, but there are a few logistical hurdles with this method. Your typical ice packs don’t stay cold through the night, so taking them out of the freezer, getting them firmly attached some way to your ankles & falling asleep all before they lose their effectiveness can be quite a challenge. Straight up ice in a Ziploc, wrapped in a towel, and attached with an ace bandage works well … until the Ziploc leaks … which I’ve learned is inevitable & sets you up for a less-than-pleasant wake-up in the middle of the night. I think I may try Ziplocs within Ziplocs tonight and hope for the best. Now, this only takes care of the ankles, and doesn’t address the elbows, underarms, belly, etc, etc, nor the heartburn brought on by lying down, nor the nasty cold that is still lingering, nor the backaches that come from lugging a person around all day.

What did I say yesterday? I wouldn’t spend too much time complaining & be grateful for our little healthy baby?

Yes. So. Healthy baby topic! I had a doctor appointment this morning & did a nonstress test. For this, they hooked me up to the electronic fetal heart monitor for about 20-30 minutes. Every time baby girl moved, I was supposed to press a button. Each time she moved, they were looking for a 15-20 bpm increase in her heart rate from the baseline. At first, baby girl was napping, but after some crackers, ice water, and her father asking her nicely (which actually worked the best), she got some strong movements in and passed the test very well.

Since she did well on the test, this demonstrates that my placenta (her life support) is still functioning well & we don’t have to evict her just yet. However, the receptionist did write up an eviction notice for her and instruct me to wear it on my belly until she decides to come out. She said it would be a great “point of conversation.” Right, woman, like I need my belly to be more “points of conversation.”

The midwife asked if I would like to have my membranes stripped, especially with the rash … but I declined. Hopefully little girl will decide to come on her very own, and the next baby-related post will start with a picture of her sweet face.

Baby Girl Barto at week 40:  It’s hard to say for sure how big Baby Girl Barto will be, but the average newborn weighs about 7 1/2 pounds (a small pumpkin) and is about 20 inches long. Her skull bones are not yet fused, which allows them to overlap a bit if it’s a snug fit through the birth canal during labor [if it's a snug fit? I'd like to find a mom who ever thought it wasn't.]. This so-called “molding” is the reason baby girl’s noggin may look a little conehead-ish after birth. Rest assured — it’s normal and temporary.

{Most of this fun information is from babycenter.com}

Well, I’m behind, so I’m going to do a pregnancy catch-up post for weeks 35 through 39. I am currently 40 weeks, 3 days pregnant. We’ll take a picture of that belly/monstrosity tomorrow, before my doctor appointment.

Here’s a lineup of the last 5 weeks.

me, weeks 35-39: I’ll do a summary here, since I truthfully don’t remember all of the details. Work was extremely busy, up to the very end: my last day was on April 4! My 38w5d belly picture above was taken on that day.

During this 5 week period, I’ve had weekly doctor appointments. They are uneventful and usually quick: urine sample (I am now a pro, thank you very much), weight check, fundal height measurement (basically a belly measurement from top to bottom) & a check of the baby’s heart rate using a doptone. Everything has looked normal & healthy so far. If little girl has been active during the appointment, her heart rate is in the 150s; if she’s been napping, it’s in the mid-130s.  My fundal height measurement has always been either on target or 1-2 weeks ahead. My belly had a huge growth spurt in the middle of the pregnancy, and now it’s sort of plateaued.

I’ve been lucky to have these days away from work to finish things around the house that I’ve been meaning to do before little girl arrives. The nursery was the big one. I’ve also started writing about the pregnancy in her baby book, and got her 1st year calendar all ready to be filled in once she arrives. Michael set up the baby monitor the other day, which was pretty neat … we definitely splurged when we bought it! It’s the Smart Baby Monitor by Withings, which was just recently released in the US. We like it because we’ll be able to see the video feed on our iPhones and iPad. Michael also installed the car seat bases in both cars, and researched/found a 529 plan for our little girl.  It’s pretty crazy how much we would need to save every month if we wanted to cover tuition for 4 years, assuming either a public or private college! I’ve also been trying to keep up with thank you notes – all of our friends and family have just been so incredibly generous with their gift-giving. Baby girl has received a lot of very nice things.

I try to get a couple items accomplished each day; however, I get tired pretty easily. I can’t imagine having to keep up with other children, being 40 weeks pregnant. We’ll worry about that next time!

Physically, I felt pretty spectacular until around week 39. Up until then, I didn’t even have your typical aches and pains; I was pretty pain-free. I just had trouble getting up from sitting if I was in a deep chair, or getting out of bed   My heartburn has also been fairly constant throughout the pregnancy: nothing too intense, but I definitely feel it when I’m lying down & if I’m talking too much while lying down … hence the bottle of Tums on my nightstand! This past week, however, I’ve come down with a pretty nasty cold, as well as PUPPPs. The cold has been fairly manageable, just annoying with a runny nose & phlegmy cough. (Lovely, I know.) I could do without the PUPPPs, however.

I’ll let you Google PUPPPs & I won’t go into details, but it is sufficed to say that it’s not pleasant. It makes me itch night & day. It started on my tummy, and now it’s on my wrists, elbows, under arms, knees, and worst of all: ankles. My ankles during the night are what keep me from sleeping. Last night, however, I found a great remedy: wrapping ice packs to both feet with an ace bandage. Hydrocortisone cream and Sarna lotion help as well. My doctor recommended Benedryl, but I find it doesn’t help too much with the itching: it just knocks me out and leaves me drowsy. I usually try all of the other remedies in my arsenal before that one.

I’m not going to spend too much time complaining, however, because we are blessed to have made it this far with a healthy baby. She’s still moving as much as ever & every time she does, it brings me happiness & relief.

Baby Girl Barto, weeks 35-39: We have passed the weight of a honeydew melon & a crenshaw melon … she is now the weight of a mini-watermelon at 39 weeks (a bit over 7 pounds and measures about 20 inches… however, keep in mind, these are all averages!). After 37 weeks, she was considered full term. Babies born before 37 weeks are considered pre-term & babies born after 42 weeks are considered post-term.

Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Her basic physical development is now complete (including her lungs) and she has spent the last few weeks just putting on weight.  She’s also shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Baby girl has also developed a firm grasp, which we’ll soon be able to test when we hold her hand for the first time!

{Most of this fun information is from babycenter.com}

me at week 34: Another very exciting week! My mom, Emily, Chris’ girlfriend Carley & two of my best friends got together to celebrate little girl Barto. It was such a great day. We went out for a fabulous lunch & then we all got pedicures! The spa was exceptionally luxurious.  We all relaxed & drank wine (… or delicious sparkling cranberry) as we were pampered.

(Thanks for the pedicures, Mom!)

Then we came home & visited … which involved Killer Brownies from Dorothy Lane Market, a spinach & artichoke dip that was devoured in seconds (courtesy of Chef Darrell), Big Sky Bread pizza & Dorothy Lane cake. The day was definitely what I would consider as every pregnant woman’s dream. Let’s also not forget the delectable lemon drop martinis (courtesy of Bartender Darrell).  Next time, however, we will learn to distinguish the non-alcoholic martinis from the alcoholic ones. I sipped one that had a little heat to it, not being able to really tell if it had alcohol because it was so sweet (even after a 2nd & 3rd opinion)! After sipping an abandoned martini, I discovered that one was definitely the non-alcoholic one

I am so blessed to have my family and friends in my life. This little girl is already so loved.

{some very generous gifts}

{an amazing piece of art that Carley made for the nursery. I love it so much.}

{clearly entertained by the gift opening.}

{oooo… a swing}

{like I said, clearly entertained. }

{a whole bin full of books! Little girl is going to be in heaven.}

{eating, drinking, visiting}

{our new ledge: perfect for perching.}

{who is that lush with all of the martinis?}

{my beautiful sister.}

{C+C}

{Mom & Dad.}

{a Dorothy Lane cake … Baby B enjoyed it very much.}

I had a doctor’s appointment this week; at this point, we’re going every 2 weeks. I’ll start going weekly at 36w. Everything looks healthy! The midwife says I’m measuring 1-2 weeks ahead (fundal height) but it’s well within the typical variation. Her heartbeat was strong (she was very active during the appointment, so it was in the 150s) and she was positioned head-down.  Little girl is continuing to be extremely active, especially right after I wake up, before & after meals, and after I lie down on my side for sleep.

This week I also went to the local Dar a Luz meeting. Dar a Luz is centered around education, support & just overall community in regards to raising your children. The group of women meets once a month, only 5 minutes from our house. Each time, there’s a general topic to discuss, but it’s very casual and open … it can lead to any subject. This month’s topic was induction. It was good timing for this topic, as I’m getting close to the due date! Luckily, I have a very relaxed doctor who is not in any rush to induce labor for any unnecessary reasons. I loved the environment of the meeting; it was very open & welcoming. Some of the moms bring their kids along – there were even newborn triplets there!

This week was a busy week; I also had a prenatal massage with April Kline. It was the 2nd time she’s worked on me and it’s just … heaven. If you are pregnant (or not pregnant), I highly recommend regular massages. Along with yoga, I believe the massages have helped me to stay physically & mentally fit throughout these past 7.5 months.  I had some sciatica pain in the late 1st trimester & early 2nd trimester, but ever since, I have been relatively pain free.  In my opinion, it’s been helped by a combination of nightly stretching, 1-2 yoga sessions per week (I could definitely stand for more) and regular massage.  I think Baby Girl also likes it … whenever I get a massage on my lower back, she just lights up & wiggles all around.

Baby Girl Barto at week 34:  She now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like a cantaloupe!) and is almost 18 inches long. 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. It’s a relief 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!

{Most of this fun information is from babycenter.com}

me at week 33: This week, Little Miss Barto, her daddy and I went to a Black Keys concert with my brother & his girlfriend. Little girl was a trooper She’s going to be a very cultured newborn, having already been to 2 concerts (this one & Death Cab) and 2 foreign countries (Poland & France).

She definitely feels like she’s packing on the weight. I’m still sleeping great (such a blessing, from what I hear at this point in pregnancy) on my side, but when I try to get out of bed, her weight comes as a surprise to me. She’s just so OUT there & cantilevered! I have to be very careful with my movements. I think I’ve startled more than a few (mostly male) coworkers when turning corners … their “Whoa!” isn’t that discreet I love it though; I’m pretty proud of my belly & the miracle that is happening inside.

The heartburn is pretty intense this week. I keep Tums by my bedside because the heartburn normally strikes when I lay down to go to bed.  They say that heartburn is a sign of the baby growing hair.  We will see … I was a bald baby & from what I understand, Michael was fairly bald as well. But who knows, maybe she inherited her father’s wavy ‘fro early on. I’m pretty excited to eventually discover what color hair she has … it’s a toss-up. Michael was very blonde as a child, and I’ve always been very dark-haired.

Michael was also out west on business for most of the week. While he was gone, he wrote 4 beautiful Haikus for our baby girl. I can only share two of them, because the other two include her name

Spring baby, don’t cry

When clouds pass, the flowers bloom

Your smile is the sun

(I love that one)

The moon from the sky

The stars down from the heavens

Anything for you

Baby Girl Barto at week 33:  This week, little girl weighs a little over 4 pounds (about the weight of a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. She’s rapidly losing that wrinkled look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her 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. These bones don’t entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

{Most of this fun information is from babycenter.com}

me at week 32: This week, I had a dream that I ran a 5k, while I was this pregnant. We were pretty fast, too! In reality, I ran until around week 24 & now I stick to yoga, DVDs and walking. It’ll be fun to get back to running when I’m able.

A lot is happening this week at home. Our kitchen renovation was complete, which is the first of several dominoes to fall. Now we can get rid of our old fridge & stove, put together the new bedroom in the basement, and clear out our makeshift kitchen in the living room. Then we’ll get to the nursery

Baby Girl Barto at week 32:  By now, our girl weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama… what is a jicama? But more importantly, how do they come up with these food examples?) and is about 16.7 inches long. 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.

{Most of this fun information is from babycenter.com}