36 Weeks!

February 6, 2013...ONE MONTH UNTIL D-DAY!!!!

What Little LaCasse has been up to:

• Baby is almost ready!
• The only organ still to mature is the lungs
• Baby may drop into the birth canal
• Fat is dimpling the baby's elbows and knees and forming creases in the neck and wrists
• Skin is growing smooth and soft
• Gums are very rigid
• Baby has a fully developed pair of kidneys
• Liver has begun processing some waste products
• Baby will gain an ounce a day between now and birth
• Length (18.7 inches); weight (5.8 pounds)

What we have been up to:

• Got the GBS screen done at my last appointment and my midwife checked me for the first time.  I’m 1 cm dilated, 50% effaced, and the baby’s head is low and engaged! Such great news.  I expected to hear that nothing has happened.  I guess these Braxton hicks that are occurring around the clock are worthwhile.
• 36 weeks means the start to drinking red raspberry leaf tea  (4-5 tea bags/8 oz cups per day) in hopes of “toning my uterus” and making future contractions more efficient, rather than a bunch of inefficient contractions and the start to taking evening primrose oil (500 mg tablet by mouth in the AM and 500 mg inserted vaginally right before bed).  My midwife said that the contractions/Braxton hicks I’m having now are toning my uterus as well, so hopefully there is some truth to all of this.  Now, if only I could find a tea to tone my arms, thighs, and ass, I’d have it made.
• I’ve been obsessed with fruit lately.  I ate an entire honeydew in less than 12 hours the other day and I used to think honeydew was the loser of fruit salads.
• Up 20 pounds so far and would like to only gain another 5 or less between now and D-day because Lord knows that between raising a baby, breastfeeding, working, and finishing school, the gym is going to be a foreign place.
• Met with my doula again tonight.  It was our last meeting until she comes to help with my labor.
• Toured Lennon’s daycare center and got all of the paperwork filled out.  It made me so sad L
• Had Lennon’s car seat base installed and checked by the ambulance squad
• Put a waterproof mattress cover on our memory foam bed incase my water breaks in the middle of the night in order to avoid getting blamed for ruining the bed throughout my entire labor.
• Got a pedicure last night so my toes are pretty if I go into labor because I would still worry about that admist everything else
• Heartburn is still in full force, lower extremities are still puffy, and I have the occasional lower back and hip ache, but other than that, all is good!

from babycenter.com

I've finally got so big that even my scrub pants don't fit. Dresses to work it is!

Bought Lennon lots of fruit and ate it all in 3 days.

Got my last card from Sarah!



View from above

View from below

Lennon is finally a watermelon!!! I've been waiting for this day since I was 10 weeks pregnant!

This week's mug shot.

 

35 Weeks!

January 30, 2013

What Little LaCasse is up to:

• Most babies born now will survive
• Fat accumulation plumps up the arms and legs
• Hearing is fully developed
• Baby is now taking up most of the uterus
• Testes have completed their descent in males
• Length (18.2 inches); weight (5.3 pounds)

What we have been up to:

• Lennon gave us another little scare over the weekend.  He was not willing to move despite orange juice, ice water, laying down, trying to do kick counts, and mountain dew, so he won himself a little non-stress test.  Luckily, he passed with flying colors, but to my surprise (and the midwife's surprise) I was having contractions every four minutes.  I couldn't feel them at all, but they were coming every four minutes on the dot and the midwife said they can't be considered braxton hicks because of how consistent they were.  She went on to say that at this point, they don't do anything to stop contractions and that if they start to get painful or I experience any other signs of labor to come into the hospital.  Well, that put me on edge for a few days until I forgot about it because I felt like a pre-term ticking time bomb.  Nothing came out of it though, but I was told no more running :(  I suppose I'll "briskly walk." 
• I've noticed that lately I am overly oily.  Gross, but true.  Even though I wash my hair every night, I look disgusting my the morning and my face is breaking out like a 13 year olds.  I've also acquired the puffy pregnancy face. Yuck.  A lady I work with said, "I almost didn't recognize you!" Hmmm...well, I haven't been on a weight loss plan and I'm not wearing make-up, so I'll assume that was not a compliment.
• I discovered I don't like having boobs.  I was always flat chested and wished I had boobs, but now that they are here, they are uncomfortable and get it the way and I don't envy anybody with boobs.
• Packed my labor bag!!!
• Ordered clary sage oil and lavender oil to use while in labor
• Finished ordering and buying last minute things for Lennon and everything is officially purchased and ready to go.
• Set up Lennon's changing table station.
• Finished packing the diaper bag
• Put together a bin of stuff to keep in the car for when trips end up taking longer than expected and the unexpected happens.
• Sterilized anything of Lennon's that we got used
• Finished putting this blog into a Shutterfly album to print after Lennon is born
• Did some serious nesting...dusted everything and even tore apart fans to dust each individual blade and wire. Yikes.
• My quality of sleep is nonexistent.  I'm really not uncomfortable, I think I just have too much on my wind to ever completely wind down. The more pregnant I get, the less I can sit still.

from babycenter.com

Lennon is still a large cantaloupe...just a little larger version of a large cantaloupe

Took Reggy for a nice, long walk yesterday when it was 65 degrees!!

Got Lennon his first Carhartt clothing article! Yay!

Showering Lennon!

January 19, 2013

My sister-in-law put together a wonderful baby shower for baby Lennon.  Over 30 of my friends and family members attended and some drove hours just to be there for the afternoon.  It meant so much to me to see everybody and know that they were there in celebration of Lennon.  I can't wait for them to meet him and be a part of his life. 





Two of my best friends from high school.



Natrually, we were reminded of the time when we were all horses in Cinderalla.

Totally oblivious to what is going on. I'll blame that on the baby.



Getting the belly measured...



My two roommates from college :)



Station for people to stamp little footprints and sign the date that they think Lennon will make his grand entrance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mommy-to-be quiz, which my co-worker won.  Probably because she is stuck with me 75% of my life.

 

 

Mingling



Such cute gifts with a book instead of a card to kick-start Little Lennon's library!

 

 

The inside of Shawn's Aunt's card (Lennon's Great Aunt) which included a picture of little Shawn.
Made me sad ha. Must be the hormones.

 

 

 

 

 

Everybody filled out their "Wishes for Lennon"

 

 

 

 

LOVED the punch bowl!

Little chick deviled eggs made with love by Pappy.

A message from Lennon glued into all of the thank you cards.

34 Weeks!

January 23, 2013

What Little LaCasse has been up to:

• Eyes are opened when awake and closed when sleeping
• Baby has learned to blink
• Baby may settle into more of a routine for sleeping and awake times
• Antibodies from mom's blood are being transferred to the baby
• Baby may already turned to a head-down position
• Fingernails have reached the end of the fingertips
• Length (17.7 inches); weight (4.7 pounds)

What we have been up to:

• Celebrated my baby shower on Saturday, courtesy of my wonderful sister-in-law, and it was so good to be around all of my family and friends and celebrate Little Lennon
• Somehow lost 2 pounds when I got weighed at my last doctor's appointment.  Time to increase my cheese steak order from a 6 inch to a 12 inch!
• Got all of the baby's stuff into the spare bedroom (which has been scattered throughout the house, random closets, and the attic) and spent almost two whole days organizing everything
• Throughout my pregnancy, I thought the new contacts I got back in August were just a terrible match for my eyes, but the more I think about it, I think pregnancy has just made me unable to tolerate contacts.  I hope my eyes go back to normal post-partum.
• My belly button is slowly becoming less flesh with my belly and more so protruding...
• I'm still retaining a decent amount of fluid in my lower legs/feet.  When I took my knee high boots off after my baby shower, there were indentations the whole way up my leg where the zipper was and any little buckle wrapped around the boot.
• I finally started to notice that I struggle with everyday things more than before due to my increased size.  Running still feels like I'm hauling a horse behind me and makes my hips hurt at night and moving all of the baby's stuff around the house and up and down the stairs took every bit of my energy.  I had to sit down and rest every few minutes.  It was even exhausting to try to sit up straight on the floor while putting together the car seat. This is frustrating for me because I'm the kind of person who can't sit still and I like to get a lot done and do things for myself.  Guess this is what it feels like to get old and start deteriorating! So much to look forward to!
• Finished doing all of the baby's laundry (clothes and crib bedding) so everything is officially washed and ready.
• Ran around like a nut every night after work returning duplicated stuff that I received at my shower and was able to buy everything off of my registry, as well as anything I else I still needed with the gift cards I got back.
• Turned into a super nerd and typed up all of the exercises from the Hypnobirthing book and the Bradley Method book so I can really start practicing more and studying everything. 
• Started reading "Mind Over Labor," which was recommended by my doula
• Ordered red raspberry leaf tea and evening primrose oil to start in a few weeks. My midwife and doula said I could start the tea now and EPO at 36-37 weeks, but that scares me.  Knowing my luck, the stuff will actually be really effective and I'll go into pre-term labor.
• Picked out Lennon's coming home outfit! So excited!

Shirt is starting to fit more like a shirt and less like a maxi dress.

Lennon is a large cantaloupe this week!



Lennon's coming home outfit!!
Yes, I'm aware that it is going to be a pain to get him dressed in this and the second I do, he will either puke and/or poop all over it, but I still want to attempt a cute outfit and have a simple onesie packed for plan B.



His little coming home shoes!

Found him a pair of converse high tops for only $5 at a local consigment shop!

Bare belly!



My abundance of Red Raspberry Leaf tea for when it's go-time. 



Everything that Lennon got at the shower. 
I have so many great family members and friends :)



All of Lennon's stuff sorted and organized. Phew.




from babycenter.com

33 Weeks!

January 16, 2013

What Little LaCasse has been up to:

• Amniotic fluid is at its highest level now
• Baby's head size has increased 3/8 inch due to rapid brain growth
• Neurons and synapses are developing in huge numbers
• Skull is still quite pliable and not completely joined
• Baby takes intermittent deep breaths
• Testicles will be descending from his abdomen into his scrotum
• Length (17.2 inches); weight (4.23 pounds)

What we have been up to:

• Found out that I get 12 paid weeks off of work after the birth of the baby!!! So excited! I was originally told I would only get about seven. 
• Still feeling very full all of the time and like my midsection is going to burst at the seams.
• Baby boy has been VERY active and his movements are so strong that they actually hurt sometimes.  In the morning, it feels like I did an ab workout the night before, but then I remember I don't have abs anymore.
• My quality of sleep has been declining due to my increased size and reflux, but in a way I have been sleeping better because the baby doesn't seem to get super active when I lay down at night like he did in the past. Maybe he finally has his days and nights straightened out. Let's hope it stays that way.
• Running has officially become more difficult.  I just feel so heavy and water logged, like somebody strapped bricks to my feet when I try to run.  I look around the gym to see if anybody is giving me the evil eye for being that person that THUMPS with every stride like they are a damn elephant. Good thing most people have headphones in.
• I got all of my school work done for the next month and a half (which made me not such a pleasant person in the process), but now I feel great about it and I can 100%, completely focus on nesting and preparing for the baby and enjoying the few weeks I have left to take long naps and lounge around without a care in the world.
• I whipped out the Bradley book and Hypnobirthing book again to focus all of my time on reviewing the parts I bookmarked and highlighted when I originally read through both books and to start practicing the exercises.
• Hung out with my sister-in-law and her coworker, who has a 3 month old, and it was a good reminder of how much work a baby is.  Stressed me out a little bit, because sometimes I forget how much my life is going to change, but I'm sure I'll forget what life used to be like once the baby is here.

It's taking on the torpedo look.

and I thought I was fat then...

Lennon is a pineapple! Good thing babies don't actually come out with spikes on them and a big, bushy top.

from babycenter.com