34 Week Doctor Appointment

This morning was our 34 week doctor appointment. According to their scale my weight is 111.9lbs, up two pounds since my last appointment 10 days ago (which is just what my doctor wanted me to gain!) My blood pressure was 108/69 which is great.

Rose is currently still head down and will likely remain that way until birth. The ultrasound tech didn't weigh her this time, but next week they will. We were able to see Rose practicing her breathing and we watched her suck and swallow! Her heart rate was 142BPM. I will be going weekly to the doctors for the remainder of my pregnancy. The nurse checked my cervix which has changed from being long and closed to "very soft" and "a good fingertip dilated." We all hope Rose stays put for another two weeks if not longer! Here are a few pictures from our ultrasound (those lips!!!):

Maternity Pictures

 Thank you so much Melissa Kelly for capturing this exciting time in our lives so beautifully!

Baby #4||week 34

For those of you who didn't already know, I went into labor with my last pregnancy at 36 weeks and 3 days and our second son at 37 weeks. My doctors are expecting the pattern to continue with this pregnancy. We do have a c-section scheduled for September 30th and hope to make it to that date! 

What I look like this week:

What Rose looks like this week: 

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This week, according to BabyCenter, Rose weighs Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (about the size of 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. 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.

Weight gain: 111lbs, two pound weight gain this week-- a total of 16lbs this pregnancy (same as I was last pregnancy at 34 weeks.) At my appointment last Monday, my doctor recommended I gain two to three pounds by my next appointment (10 days later.) I ate anything and everything this week to make it to that goal! It is actually exhausting eating so often, but I am happy I was able to do what my doctor suggested. 

Sleep: Sleeping is okay, still waking up once or twice a night to use the bathroom and still being woken up early by Rose's kicking. I am having a hard time getting comfortable.

Eating: 

Some pictures from this weeks eats: 

Picture #1: Annie's cinnamon bun with a side of fruit

Picture #2: Donuts! 
Picture #3: Salmon I baked from Whole Food in a wrap with asparagus

Picture #4: My usual breakfast mixture of oatmeal, whole milk, egg whites, chia seeds topped with peanut butter.

Movement: Lots of kicks, rolls and hiccups mostly at night or in the morning.

What I'm loving: That we have only 5 weeks or less before we are holding Rose!

Symptoms: Still having vivid dreams, strange body parts falling asleep, dry skin, lower back pain, heartburn. Not as many braxton hicks as last week, but at least a few a day. 

Exercise: 

 Monday, August 24th: Morning Pure Barre 60 minute class

Tuesday, August 18th: 1.66 miles

Wednesday, August 19th: 1.41 miles

Thursday, August 20th: 2.17 miles

Friday, August 21st:  20 minute hotel treadmill incline walk a (1.07 miles)

Saturday, August 22nd:  20 minute treadmill incline walk (1.09 miles)

Sunday, August 23rd:  OFF

TOTAL MILES: 7.40 MILES

*I am still cutting back on how far I walk because I don't want to burn too many calories since I am trying to gain weight. But I still think it is very important to stay active everyday! 

Some pictures from this past weekend when we went away to visit family:

What I'm looking forward to: Our doctors appointment on Thursday! 

Countdowns:

Days until our next appointment: 2 days
Days until the boys first day of school: 15 days

Days until C-Section date: 36 days

Baby #4|| Week 33

What I look like this week:

What Rose looks like this week: 

This week, according to BabyCenter, Rose weighs a little over 4 pounds and has passed the 17-inch mark (about the size of a pineapple). She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien 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 her to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Weight gain: 109lbs, one pound weight gain this week-- a total of 15lbs this pregnancy. If you missed yesterdays post about my doctors appointment you can check it out here.

Sleep: Sleeping is not going as well this week, waking up once or twice a night to use the bathroom and still being woken up early by Rose's kicking.

Eating: 

Some pictures from this weeks eats: 

Picture #1:  Lara Bar-- this is actually the only flavor I like though.

Picture #2: Pink Lady Apple with KIND Cinnamon Oat Clusters with Flax Seeds and a few scoops of vanilla yogurt.

Picture #3: Chicken Salad on a plain bagel with lettuce, tomato and swiss cheese. 

Picture #4: Salmon with avocado in a wrap. 

Movement: Lots of kicks, rolls and hiccups. 

What I'm loving: That we have only 6 weeks or less before we are holding Rose!

Symptoms: Still having vivid dreams, strange body parts falling asleep, dry skin, heartburn. Not as many braxton hicks as last week, but at least a few a day. I keep forgetting to add lower back pain to this list. I have been using a heating pad at night to try to help it. 

Exercise: 

 Monday, August 17th: 1.18 miles

Tuesday, August 11th: 1.39 miles

Wednesday, August 12th: 2.01 miles

Thursday, August 13th: 3.37 miles

Friday, August 14th: 1.32 miles

Saturday, August 15th: 2.61 miles 

Sunday, August 16th: 1.42 miles

TOTAL MILES: 13.30 miles

*I am still cutting back on how far I go because I don't want to burn too many calories since I am trying to gain weight. But I think it is very important to stay active! 

What I'm looking forward to: Our maternity pictures, visiting the boy's grandparents who live outside Philadelphia and attending a family wedding! 

Countdowns:

Days until our next appointment: 9 days
Days until out maternity pictures: 3 days
Days until the boys first day of school: 22 days

Days until C-Section date: 43 days

33 Week Doctor Appointment

This morning was our 33 week doctor appointment. According to their scale my weight is 109.6lbs, up two pounds since my last appointment three weeks ago. My blood pressure was 118/70 which is good.

She is currently still head down and will most likely remain that way until birth. Rose was estimated to weigh 4 pounds 1 ounces. Which is less than Trent weighed (4lbs. 13oz.) at his 33 weeks check up. My doctor said he would like me to up my calories and gain two to three pounds by my next appointment in 10 days.  I will then go weekly to the doctors for the remainder of my pregnancy. He also mentioned that he doesn't think I will make it to my repeat c-section on September 30th because of my history of going into labor around 36 weeks naturally. Good news is all my braxton hicks contractions aren't dilating my cervix (which is still long and closed at the moment!)

Random Fact:
Oliver at 32 weeks and 6 days he was estimated to weigh 4 and a half pounds.

Baby #4||Week 32

Officially 8 months pregnant! 

What I look like this week:

What Rose looks like this week: 

This week, according to BabyCenter, Rose weighs 3 3/4 pounds (about the size of a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. 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.

Weight gain: 108lbs, no weight gain this week-- a total of 14lbs this pregnancy. 

Sleep: Sleeping pretty well, waking up once a night to use the bathroom and still being woken up early by Rose's kicking.

Eating: 

Some pictures from this weeks eats: 

Picture #1: Donutttsss! I had the bottom right peanut butter donut and half of the bottom left cinnamon sugar

Picture #2: My usual breakfast of oatmeal, egg whites, chia seeds topped with peanut butter

Picture #3: Turkey (warmed up), cheese and lettuce with a pickle.

Picture #4: KIND Cinnamon Oat Clusters with Flax Seeds in whole milk. This has been a favorite of mine this week. I like it on top of vanilla yogurt or with milk (as pictured) even just by itself its so good! 

Movement: Lots of kicks, rolls and hiccups. 

What I'm loving: That we have only 7 weeks or less before we are holding Rose!

Symptoms: Still having vivid dreams, strange body parts falling asleep, dry skin, heartburn. Not as many braxton hicks as last week, but at least a few a day. 

Exercise: I have felt a lot better this week since I haven't had as many braxton hicks or round ligament stretching, but I have been EXHAUSTED. To the extent that I went to bed at 730pm one night, it is a struggle until Matt gets home. I know I have low iron from what my doctor told me at my last appointment. I am sure that has something to do with my tiredness along with Rose possibly going through a growth spurt.

 Monday, August 10th: 1.78 miles

Tuesday, August 4th: 1.51 miles
Wednesday, August 5th: 2.10 miles
Thursday, August 6th: 2.01 miles
Friday, August 7th: OFF
Saturday, August 8th: 2.00 miles
Sunday, August 9th: 2.92 miles
TOTAL MILES: 12.32 miles

What I'm looking forward to: My doctors appointment Monday! 

Countdowns:

Days until our next appointment: 6 days
Days until out maternity pictures: 10 days
Days until the boys first day of school: 29 days

Days until C-Section date: 48 days

Same Outfit Comparison Trent vs. Rose:

Trent on the left and Rose on the right