About 8 Weeks Old

Few weeks old..

Dr. Appointment

I had my 37 week appointment today.. I am dilated to 2cm, 25-50% effaced, and the baby's head is at a 0 station - she has dropped! Hooray!! Dr. doesn't think we will make it to the due date. He guessed maybe I'll deliver at 39 weeks! That's just 2 weeks away!!

He asked if I wanted to induce on my due date if she wasn't here by then. I told him I'd rather wait a few days past the due date before inducing. So, we picked Dec. 10th and he's going to check with the hospital to see if that will work.

The end is in sight!!

37 Week Pictures

It feels like Natalie has begun to drop (based on how well I can breath and no more foot jams in the ribs)..but it's hard for me to tell just by looking. What do you think?

37 Weeks

Only 3 weeks left until Natalie's estimated due date! On the one hand, it feels like time has flown..on the other, it can't get here soon enough. I see pictures of babies that are born at 37 weeks and it's just hard for me to imagine Natalie looking like a full-fledged baby! Jeff and I are so excited and cannot wait to hold and kiss her. Will she have blond or brown hair, or none at all? Will she have a big head and long second toe that seems prevalant among the Noblitt side of the family? Will she have a pug nose that Mom, Nickie, Kyle, Faith and I have? Or will she have a straight nose and chiseled chin like her daddy? Will she have Jeff's tendency to talk with the hands? Those have been my thoughts recently, and it's been so fun to daydream about her.

This past weekend I started noticing an increase in braxton hicks contractions. I would get them same time every night from about 7:30 to 10. Maybe 5-6 total in that time, and most are just somewhat uncomfortable. A few have been painful, but those are in the minority. The past day or so I've been having them more during the day. They are pretty irregular and usually last anywhere from 1-3 minutes. While I know this can go on for weeks, it is still exciting to know that my body is preparing for the big show. Last night I also had menstral like cramps..I had almost forgotten what those felt like! I am definitely feeling the weight of the baby now. My lower back aches quite a bit by the end of the day. Our teacher from class told us how a tennis ball massage helps with back labor. I really LOVE this! It really helps with the back ache. I will definitely be packing the tennis ball in my hospital bag.

On a side note, this past weekend was a great weekend. Jeff and I had date night and went to see the movie 2012 with John Cusack. It had been awhile since a good movie had come out. The movie was predictable at times, but the special effects were awesome - by far the best. Saturday we went to Babies R Us and got the remaining items we needed like a mattress pad, bottles, etc. We got to see Jeff's family that afternoon too for Drew's 5th birthday party. Drew was really cute - he got such a kick out of the Christmas inflatable his Pop gave him. Sunday was mostly spent doing chores. Got most of Natalie's laundry done that day. After spending most of the day on my feet, I went to get a pedicure. Putting on my socks has become close to impossible, let alone clipping my toenails! And, boy, that pedi was probably the best I had ever had! I just wanted to leave my feet soaking in that warm swirling water forever. And I decided right then and there that I was going home that night and taking my first bath of the pregnancy. Not as enjoyable as I had envisioned but it did help my muscles relax somewhat.

Let me back up..when I got home from the pedicure, I found glowing candles and china on the dining room table. Jeff had made dinner! When I saw this, my heart felt as bright as those candles. He continues to surprise me with his kindness and love. Sigh.. What a great weekend it was!

I am keenly aware of how fast our time as "just a couple" is dwindling and am savoring each moment. But at the same time, I am so excited about having a family with him. Already, I am seeing a metamorphosis and it is awesome.

33 Weeks

How far along? 33 weeks
How much does Baby weigh?: ~ 4.4 lbs.
How big is Baby? ~17 inches long
Maternity clothes? Yes
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Get up every 2 hours or so
Best moment this week: Seeing her respond to Jeff's pokes.
Movement: She's getting in her 10 kicks a day and much more. She feels more solid and I swear I can feel her fingers tapping or her toes wiggling sometimes.
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No.
Belly Button in or out? Innie.
What I miss: Sleeping on my back, crossing my legs, a cold beer, being able to put my socks and shoes on without holding my breath, sleeping with just two pillows, my energy level
Milestones: 7 weeks left

Last Ultrasound

We had our last ultrasound this morning. That is, it will be our last as long as nothing unexpected comes up.

One of the first things the tech looked for was to confirm that Natalie was a girl. Yep, she's still a girl! No question. Natalie was head down and her head was REALLY low. So low that it was difficult getting a good face shot of her. Some quick little notes from the appt:

- Natalie measured at 3 lbs 12 oz., 50th percentile, with an estimated birth weight in the 7-8 pound range or low 8's.
- Her measurements placed her ETA at Nov. 29th, though my due date is still officially Dec. 8th
- She was measuring a little on the short side at 15 inches. Not short by much, though - the avg is about 15.7 for this time.
- Her second toe looked to me like it was just as long, if not longer, than her big toe. Cute!
- Since we didn't get a really good shot of her profile, it's hard to tell, but to me, it looked like she had a straight nose and Jeff's chiseled chin, and possibly chubby cheeks :)
- Doctor pointed out that she had a little bit of hair on her head already
- I started seeing my tummy move up and down, and not long after that the tech showed she had the hiccups! You could see her chest and stomach move with each one - so cute.
- She didn't move around a whole lot. The tech had me turn on to my side a few times to see if she could get her to start moving more. But, little Natalie must have been in nap-time mode. Though after about 20 or 30 minutes of poking and prodding, she did move a bit on the screen. I certainly felt her kicks then too.

I'll post pics when I can!

28 Weeks

How far along? 28 weeks
How much does Baby weigh?: ~ 2.25 lbs.
How big is Baby? 14.8 inches long
Maternity clothes? Yes. Though I'm starting to wear Jeff's t-shirts to sleep in.
Stretch marks? No new ones since 18 weeks
Sleep: Uncomfortable.
Best moment this week: 1)Feeling her move like crazy during church. When the choir was singing, I caught my belly moving from side to side as if she was swaying to the music. I still love seeing my belly poke out when she kicks. She tends to get shy though when Jeff wants to see it. 2)When the doctor told me my belly measured 1.5 weeks ahead :)
Movement: She was pretty quiet for a few days this week that made me a little paranoid. I had to give her a jolt of sugar or caffeine to make her move! I was bringing groceries in today and almost dropped the bags when I felt her do this tumble in my belly. Such a wonderful, but strange feeling! Surprises me when I'm not prepared for it!
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No. Just a BH contraction.
Belly Button in or out? Innie. Though as Jeff said - "If your belly button was the tread on my tires, I'd be replacing it soon!"
What I miss: Sleeping on my back.
Milestones: 3rd trimester! 12 weeks left.

27 Weeks

How far along? 27 weeks
How much does Baby weigh?: ~ 2 lbs.
How big is Baby? 14.4 inches long
Maternity clothes? Yep
Stretch marks? No new ones since 18 weeks
Sleep: Intermittent. Get up several times a night. And now I'm getting these lovely hot flashes at night.
Best moment this week: She moved in a certain way that tickled - made me laugh out loud. Also, painting the nursery, getting the crib and dresser, and buying the carseat/stroller.
Movement: Her kicks are getting stronger and more frequent. She had a kicking spree from about 4-5 this morning. It was the first time where she did more than a few kicks/moves over night. Seemed to coincide with my hot flash.
Food cravings: Hot fudge sundae with nuts
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: no
Belly Button in or out? Innie
What I miss: sleeping thru the night (this is preparation, I know!)
Milestones: I seem to have reached the swelling phase and have to take off my ring in the afternoons. I think I'm going to invest in a wedding ring look-a-like from Kohls until my fingers return to normal. Oh, and I had the absolute worst case of heartburn this past weekend that I've ever had in my life. It was awful, but at the same time, reassuring to know I was feeling one of the normal symptoms.

24 Weeks

And by request..here is a 24 week belly pic. :)



And for comparison:



How far along? 24 weeks
How much does Baby weigh?: 1.3 pounds
How big is Baby? 11-12 inches long
Maternity clothes? Yep
Stretch marks? No new ones since 18 weeks
Sleep: Uncomfortable when on my back longer than 10 minutes or so. I sleep mostly on my sides.
Best moment this week: Seeing my belly poke out when she kicked! She must like Mexican food just like her momma. :)
Movement: She's been pretty quiet this past week - though she has moved every day. She's been more active since Jeff got home, which I thought was neat.
Food cravings: chocolate
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: no
Belly Button in or out? Innie
What I miss: Wearing more form fitting clothes..my maternity shirts are so long!
What I am looking forward to: Hearing the heartbeat at tomorrow's OB appt. And, seeing my belly ripple as she moves. I am curious when that will start.
Milestones: Week 24 is "Viability" week - when the baby has a chance of survival outside the womb.