30 Weeks!

December 26, 2012

What Little LaCasse has been up to:

• Head is getting larger to accommodate a period of rapid brain growth
• A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds the baby
• Eyes can move from side to side and follow a light source
• Early lanugo is beginning to disappear
• Toenails are entering their final growth stage
• Bone marrow is now in charge of RBC production
• Baby has the capability now to produce tears
• Length (15.7 inches); weight (2.91 pounds)

What we have been up to:

• Celebrated your "Christmas in the Womb."  It made me so excited for next Christmas with you and most of the gifts I asked for are for you, so I'm finally starting to realize how it has always been so easy for my mom to be selfless and put my brother and me first. You got a nap nanny, Sophie the Giraffe, LifeFactory glass bottles, and we'll say a camera, because it will mostly be used to photograph you and videotape all your "firsts."   
• Shawn felt you give two good, hard kicks in a row.  It seems like every time he tries to feel you move, you stop moving, so those kicks meant a lot.
• Medically, everything is normal/great and my every other week appointments start the first week of January.  My platelets, hemoglobin, and hematocrit were normal and I passed my GTT.  I'm AB-, so I got my first Rhogam shot, which the nurse said would burn and be awful and it was nothing. I'm up 14 pounds.  Hoping to only put on about 10 more before your debut, so the majority of it is lost before I even leave the hospital.
• It snowed for the first time since I've been pregnant, which was exciting for like 15 minutes, and then I remembered how much I hate winter and the snow.  Hopefully everything works out and we can move south within a few years, long before you have to freeze your little butt off 2/3 of the year.
• Started reading "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" and "The Nursing Mother's Companion" in preparation for breastfeeding. 
• Since I'm on a school break, I finally found the time to make your boppy pillow cover and taggy blanket, which turned out better than I expected, if I must say so myself!
• I've barely eaten any chocolate or ice cream since I've been pregnant because both have seemed repulsive to me, but I had a craving for a Wendy's frosty and that about sent you into shock.  You kept me up allll night.  I just laid in bed and watched TV from 4 AM on and didn't even care! 

Staying round and low.

Getting squished in there. No wonder you kick and elbow me more.
from babycenter.com

Lennon is a head of lettuce :)



Front of boppy pillow. Made to match your blanket and some of your burp cloths!



Oh so soft minky fabric for the back of your boppy pillow.



Taggy blanket.  Can't wait to teach you the animal and the colors.



Back of taggy blanket.



First snow fall since I found out about you. Happened on Christmas Eve even!



Your nap nanny that Pappy got you/me for Christmas.
Hoping it leads to some nights that involve sleep.



Camera/video camera pappy bought me to take an obnoxious amount of pictures of you.



Guess which hand is your Dad's?

29 Weeks!!

December 19, 2012

What Little LaCasse is up to:

• Baby's head is in proportion with body
• Fat continues to accumulate under the skin
• Baby's brain can control primitive breathing and body temperatures
• Eyes can move in their sockets
• Baby is increasingly sensitive to changes in light, sound, taste, and smell
• Baby is moving from side to side
• Length (15.2 inches); weight (2.54 pounds)

What we have been up to:

• Finally found a messenger bag I love that can be used as a diaper bag thanks to an organizer insert.  I wasn't having much luck finding a bag that is meant to be a diaper bag that I liked.
• Got SO excited that I already packed the diaper bag with everything I have so far to put in it on my list of diaper bag items
• Finished reading "BabyWise" and stared reading "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth."  "BabyWise" was very different than what I expected.  I didn't know it at the time, but it is the total opposite of what is recommended in "The Happiest Baby on the Block."  It was good to read two books on totally different newborn parenting styles and I decided to try to strive for a style that is a combination of both books. 
• Ordered a dress from ASOS to wear to my baby shower and I love it!  What an amazing site :)
• Found a bargain on Craigslist...18 Baby Einstein DVDs for $75.  I had a bunch of these DVDs on my registry and they sell for $10-$15 each, but I got them for about $4 each. Can't wait to play them for Lennon!
• Finished another Master's course with an A and have off school for three weeks! Only 8 months to go!
• Watched the third "Business of being Born" DVD.  Love those videos.
• I've been downing (on average) one vegetarian Chipotle burrito per week lately and I won't be surprised if Little LaCasse comes out looking like a little burrito himself.  The hot sauce is starting to make me hate me life though, but I refuse to give in.
• The shower RSVPs keep rolling in and 8 items on Lennon's registry have already been purchased, including his big item, his 3-in-1 highchair! It makes me so happy to know so many people already love and care about him.

Getting sick of this shirt. I don't think I'll ever be able to wear it post-pregnancy.

from babycenter.com

Lennon is a butternut squash!

Took some bare belly pics of my not-so-lined-up linea nigra

My shower dress, only it doesn't look half that good on me.

"Diaper bag" from Aldo

Inside!

So far...

• Two change of baby clothes
• Burp cloth
• Baby hat
• Baby socks
• Baby washcloth
• Menstrual pads
• Breast pads
• Toy
• Diapers
• Thermometer

Still to come...

• Wipes
• Hand sanitizer
• Extra shirt for me (expecting to either leak milk, or be puked on, or both at the same time)
• Zip lock bags
• Hootie hider
• Travel changing pad
• Lansinol
• Boogy wipes
• Sunblock for baby
• Receiving blanket

28 Weeks!

12-12-12!!!

What Little LaCasse has been up to:

• Eyebrows and eyelashes are now very noticeable
• Hair on baby's head is growing longer
• Eyes are completely formed
• Baby's body is getting plump and rounded
• Muscle tone is improving
• Lungs are capable of breathing now
• Baby can recognize voices now
• Length (14.8 inches); weight (2.2 pounds)

What we have been up to:

• Started reading the book "The Happiest Baby on the Block" right after finishing "Bloom" and finished it in a week.  It had a lot of helpful tips, but it wasn't as good as I expected it would be after everybody raved about it.
• My sister-in-law mailed out all of the baby shower invitations and the RSVPs are already rolling in!
• Heartburn has started, the gas pains are still hanging around and worse than ever, and I can eat $25 worth of food a day, but luckily, I'm still able to run on the treadmill.
• Celebrated my 25th birthday on Sunday with the family and had a second Thanksgiving dinner and ice cream cake per my request :)
• Washed and organized all of Lennon's clothes and there is WAY more than I thought there was.  Each age category (NB, 0-3 months, 3-6, months, etc) fills up about 1 1/2 dresser drawers and there is one dresser drawer of nothing but shoes.  I can't wait to play dress up!
• Got everybody's Christmas shopping done, wrapped, and under the tree.
• Downloaded a due date count down app so I can be obnoxious and recite the weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds until his due date.
• Did some research, because I worry all the time and am neurotic, and I found out that as of 28 weeks, Lennon has a 90-95% chance of surviving if he is born! Such a relief!
• Been guzzling down over a gallon of water a day. Yikes.
• Did my 1-hour GTT Saturday and I didn't mind the glucose drink at all.  I didn't even think it tasted as sweet as most sodas.  My luck ran out quick though when the lab tech had to stick me THREE times to get blood and I was sweating profusely and feeling floaty by the time the test was done.  I knew something had to go wrong after the drink part went so smoothly.

from babycenter.com

Lennon is the size of a small cabbage!



Shower invitation!



Time to start his library!



Second silhouette picture...slowly growing.

Owl wall hanging.  First product I've bought for Lennon's playroom.



Moving right along with the cards.

From my Birthday to Yours

December 10, 2012

Dearest Lennon,

Only three short months until your estimated arrival!  Celebrating my birthday yesterday got me excited to celebrate your birthday!  The closer we get, the more I start to wonder if you will be early, late, or right on time. If you are anything like me, you will arrive plently early with a to-do list in hand for everything you are determined to accomplish during your first day on earth because you will know that to be early is to be on time and to be on time is to be late. If you are anything like your father, you will burst out of my vagina fashionably late, like a bat out of hell, with a shit-eatting grin on your face, wondering what everybody was in such a hurry about. While I am not so sure I will prefer that you take after your father's punctuality by the time I am 40 weeks pregnant, I definately hope you inherit his personality. He is so laid back and easy going and ALWAYS happy. I spent all weekend gathering up all of your clothes, organizing them into size categories, and washing them, so they are ready to go! I know, you are a boy and that kind of stuff does not excite you. One day, your idea of clean will be the clothes on the floor that do not smell as bad as the ones in the hamper, but for now, I will soak up the time I have to pick out all of your outfits and make sure everything is clean and organized. I have a feeling that your days and nights are backwards. You start kicking around 7:30 PM and kick thoughtout the night, but during the day you refuse to budge no matter how much I try to irritate you. A few weeks ago, you gave your Dad and I a scare and it is the first time you scared your Dad to death and made him cry. I'm sure it will not be the last. I hope you do not hate me too much for continuously singing my heart out in the car. Better now than when you and a bunch of your teenage friends are in the backseat. Also, I apoligize for the sounds my belly makes after a big glass of milk. Thanks for treating my body so well these last six months and changing me for the better. Only three weeks until I get to see you again in 4D! I cannot wait! Last, but not least, I wanted to tell you about the song your Dad and I listened to when we first found out you were going to be a part of our lives. It's called "The Journey of Your Life" by Jake Owen. Hopefully we are able to make your journey amazing. See you soon.

Love,

Mom

 

Didn't realize you already have this much clothing until I rounded it all up. Oops!
Three days and eight loads later, it is all organized and smelling fresh! 



Two dozen roses for me and your very first teddy bear for you from your Daddy for our birthdays!

My grandma style cake.  Mom has bought me a DQ ice cream cake every birthday for as long as I can remember.



Looking wide. Yikes!

 

27 Weeks~Third Trimester!!!

December 5, 2012~THIRD TRIMESTER!!! Yip Skip!

What Little LaCasse is up to:

• Baby's brain continues it's rapid growth
• Response to sound grows more consistent
• Lungs continue to grow and prepare for functioning outside of the womb
• Baby continues to take small breaths
• Eyelids are now open more (baby can distinguish between light and dark)
• Retinas have formed
• Length (14.4 inches); weight (1.9 pounds)

What we've been up to:

• Survived my first big trip since I found out I am pregnant, which coincidentally will also be my last big trip while pregnant. 
• Discovered that if pregnancy induced lactose intolerance and/or pregnancy induced claustrophobia exist, I have been blessed with both.  I absolutely cannot stand to be in small spaces, in a bus seat, the back seat of a car, or the feeling or being crowded or around too many people, which makes me even more frightened about the possibility of needing a c-section because I will lose my shit if I get strapped down and practically covered by a blue screen and then I’d be “that patient” for the remainder of my stay.   
• Took a break from reading my “Natural Hospital Birth” book to read the book, “Bloom” by Kelle Hampton.  It was one of the best books I’ve ever read and I finished it in less than two days and highly recommend reading it.  You will cry a lot, especially if you’re already hormonal and pregnant like I just so happen to be.
• For all my fellow nurses, I officially have +1 pitting edema in my BLE which has given me cankles. 
• Number one thing not to do while pregnant…watch the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.  Nothing makes me look down at all my doughy parts and image how repulsive they would look shoved into overly priced lingerie like watching VS models prance around on stage. 
• Started getting nauseous in the morning for no good reason at all. Like the kind of nauseous when you have to sit with your eyes closed and try avoid breathing while rapidly swallowing immense amounts of saliva and pulling your hair into a messy bun just in case.  I was hardly ever nauseous in my first trimester, so I guess this is what I get for being so proud of my body for handling pregnancy so well.
• Found out my insurance company is required to 100% cover the cost of breast pumps starting January 1, 2013 and that it has to be a hospital grade pump, so I plan on getting them to pay for the $1,750 Medela Symphony that I’ve heard so many good things about.  About time I get my monies worth from them.  Props to Obama.
• On the plus side, I don’t have any stretch marks yet, my winter coat still zippers shut, I’m still making it to the gym and running on the treadmill almost every night, and can still semi sleep on my belly!

from babycenter.com

Baby boy is the size of a head of cauliflower :)



Assuming the position to get rid of trapped gas at work. 
Nobody ever tells anybody about that little problem when they are pregnant.

Got another card from Sarah!

Winter night sky leaving work :)

The Big Apple with my Big Belly

December 1, 2012

We kicked off December by going on a day long bus trip to New York City yesterday.  I have been going on these bus trips every year for years and have been to NYC well over 20 times, but definitely never pregnant.  It gave the trip a new meaning and I got to do/see some different stuff, but it also led to sore feet, swollen ankles/calves, sore hips, hot flashes, extreme exhaustion, a hatred for crowds and people in general, and the absolute WORST lower back pain I have ever had in my entire life (until I go into labor that is).  BUT, I tried not the be the Grinch and made the best out of the trip, even though it felt like someone was pulling my spine out of my body :) I made an effort to do a lot of cheesy John Lennon sightseeing, since I will never be pregnant with Lennon in NYC again.  So anyhow, I present Lennon's first trip to the city that never sleeps!

Favorite shot of the day :)

Strawberry Fields in Central Park

The apartment where John Lennon was shot

Potential nursery decoration

Lennon's first time in Times Square!
Dream big little man...



Love love LOVE H&M kids clothing, but we don't have one around here, so I bought him a few presents!

"Breaking Amish" inspired me to visit this museum. How ironic.

Who said exercising can't be fun?

Borrowed my sister-in-law's beer to capture a picture of these lovely pee signs (after I stole borrowed a bunch for future parties).  Oh how I wanted some booze all day to ease my back pain and drown my sorrows. Woe is me.

and to all a good night <3