35 Weeks

How fast time is going by! We can't believe Harper will be here in about a month. It's safe to say that I think we are getting a little nervous. I began putting together the bag for the hospital and getting us preregistered this week. We are going to have a birth plan prepared, but I'm sure as soon as this little girl is ready to come out, everything we've "planned" will get thrown out the window! Aaaaaahhhhh...... parenthood!

If you've ever eaten a caramel and chocolate covered apple from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, then you know how wonderfully delicious they are. Well, they are 10 times better when you are pregnant! On a trip to celebrate a friend's birthday in NoVa this past weekend, we made a pit stop on the way home at Potomac Mills. When I saw the sign, I nearly RAN to get in line. I asked Derek if we should get two, but he let me eat it without sharing :) I'm still eating too much watermelon and pineapple. Cold fruit on a hot summer's day is just the bees knees....

At 35 weeks, she continues to fatten up and run out of room. It's getting a little more difficult to sleep comfortably. My legs have been restless, so I've been walking with Derek more in the evenings when he runs. The extra walking and exercise have helped wear my legs out, that's for sure. When I hit the pillow at night, I'm out pretty quickly, but up an hour or two later to use the bathroom or turn to my other side. The hiccups continue to amuse me because they are so cute, but the legs poking into my ribs could happen less often. I've begun having Braxton Hicks contractions. Nothing at all severe, just a little cramping. It's more in the evening that I notice them.

Our little girl is about the size of a coconut this week. She's around 18 inches long and weighs 5 pounds! By week 35, these systems are all a go: hearing is fully developed, the circulatory and musculoskeletal systems are complete and her lungs are mature. Again, her main focus is to put on weight from here on out! Grow Baby Grow, we can't wait to see your cute, fat face!

34 Weeks

Six more weeks to go! I saw the doctor this past week. Harper's heart was beating at 157 beats per minute. My belly measures 32 inches and I've gained.... GULP.....30 Pounds! The doctor said that Derek and I should go ahead and preregister at the hospital and start putting our hospital bag together. The day will be here before we know it and that makes us even more excited!

She's been moving around so much and really starting to run out of room. My breathing is getting heavier when I do simple things like walk up and down the steps or make the bed. At night, I'm having more trouble getting comfortable too. Then, once I do fall asleep, I have to get up to pee.

Cantaloupe: Baby weighs in at about 5 pounds and measures about 18 inches. Fat-layers - which help regulate the baby's body temperature after birth - are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is smoother than ever. Harper's central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. 

33 Weeks

What a busy week! Three great things happened; my mom flew in from Florida for a long weekend, the baby shower was wonderful and we revealed the baby's name!  Miss Harper Lynne Newton. The name "Harper" has a 'rock-n-roll' influence, thanks to Derek. Her middle name, "Lynne", is after Derek's father's middle name. Although Harper won't get to grow up knowing him, we will make sure she knows all about him and how much he loves her.

We are so blessed to be surrounded by a loving family and such great friends! Our shower, or Baby Bump Open House as we called it, was full of everyone we love and it was perfect! We are getting more prepared now for when this little girl makes her arrival. Getting everything put away somewhere is the biggest task and we're still not done figuring all that out! Thank you to everyone that gave a generous gift and 'showered' Harper with love!

Eat and be merry! Baby's doing most of her plumping up over the next month, so I've been more hungry. All the food at the party was fantastic. I'm still craving peanut butter and jelly sandwiches like crazy. I also can't go with out orange juice in the morning and a bowl of cereal in the evening before bed. It's no surprise that I'm still eating the hell out of some watermelon as the summer months roll in!

She's been moving and squirming more this week. Baby weighs almost 5 pounds and measures between 17 and 19 inches. She's turning into a curious kid who can keep her eyes open while awake, and she's starting to coordinate her breathing with her sucking and swallowing. Those baby bones are continuing to harden as well. 

32 Weeks

Two months to go. Time is flying by. My doctor's visit went well this week. My belly is measuring 30 inches and I've gained a couple pounds since my last checkup 2 weeks ago. Still haven't hit the 30 pounds gained mark yet. I bet I will on my next visit in 2 weeks. Baby's heartbeat was steady at 150 beats per minute, the doctor said she's growing and doing just fine.

What a fine time of my pregnancy to be able to really take part in National Donut Day this past week. I celebrated, of course, by heading to Krispy Kreme and getting a half dozen donuts. That lasted me a couple days. I'm still eating the hell out of some watermelon and ice cream too! Hooray for summer!

If I hadn't mentioned it before, Regan (Derek's 16 year old cousin) took a photo-journalism class in school this year. Her project was focused on the creation and preparation of the nursery. She presented it last week and got the highest grade in the class. The pictures she took are wonderful and will be a great addition to the memory of our baby. In addition to her project, she agreed to take some maternity shots of me. We had so much fun taking different pictures and poses around Fredericksburg. I can't wait to share some when we finish editing. We plan to take more in the pool and at the beach in the next few weeks, so stay tuned.

Baby measures about 16 inches long and weighs just under 4 pounds. She's likely to be in the head-down position now, getting ready for her decent - the journey down the birth canal. She's definitely been moving enough... at this point, she's probably feeling even more cramped in there! Literature says that I'll be gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that  goes right to the baby. She's continuing to fatten up. She also now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz).

31 Weeks

Two months until my due date! Two months until we meet our little girl! The weeks are flying by even faster it seems. I've still been feeling great, just getting bigger as the baby gets fatter. Summer is finally here and the pool is open. Yay! Friday I got to lounge around the pool and didn't forget to sunblock my big belly. Getting on the raft was interesting, but I made it. To get sun on my back, I guess I'll have to "test drive" some floating rings to fit my belly in over the next two months....

I'm so glad summer is here and the watermelon is plentiful. I ate an entire watermelon in two days. Okay, I let Derek have a few bites. The weather was in the 90s so cold watermelon really hit the spot! I also needed ice cream, due to the heat of course, so I crushed up some Oreos and made my own Cookies and Cream milkshakes over the weekend. Sunday brunch with two of my favorite ladies at Arties completed my wonderful week. I wanted every item on the brunch menu, but settled for the french toast drizzled in fruit and yogurt. Who knew that you could order appetizers for brunch? We know now and tried lemon blueberry muffins and sticky buns. Needless to say, we all left feeling pregnant!

Pineapple: At week 31, baby's about 16 inches long and weighs almost 3.5 pounds. She's also going through major brain, nerve and eye development. Her irises even react to light. All five of her senses are now in working order! Plus, our little girl's body temperature is not partially being regulated by parts of her brain. Her bones, with the exception of the skull, are hardening too.