Meerkat Molly

One of Molly's favorite poses reminds us of a meerkat. It allows her to be scratched on her belly and look out the windows at the same time. Who wouldn't love it? (Below is a meerkat photo I stole from Google for comparison.)

31 Weeks!

Andrew is finally getting over his cold/flu from last week and I've never appreciated him more. I didn't realize how accustomed I had become to him making lunch and dinner and letting Molly out for her bathroom breaks in the evenings while I put my feet up. With the extra chores, extra weight, beginning of the semester (with lots of time on my feet), and lower energy level, last week was pretty exhausting. I started squeezing in a nap before dinner just to stay conscious until bedtime. Now we are back to our normal routine, so I'm feeling much more energized. (I should point out that our deal is that he makes lunch in the morning while I'm getting ready because I get up 45 min. earlier than him to walk Molly.) Fortunately, I have yet to catch whatever Andrew had. I'm trying my best to wash my hands often and not touch my face.

All of Claire's clothing has been washed and hung in her closet. (We won't get a dresser until after our move.) Her clothing looks so small. It's hard to believe that in a couple of months or so, we'll have a little one to fill it out.

Today's weight = 143.5 lbs.

Right on Track

Yesterday's appointment was so uneventful that I almost didn't bother writing about it. All we did was a "belly check," vitals, and heard Claire's heartbeat. My measurements were on the upper end of "normal" which he thinks was due to Claire's positioning. My weight gain was right on track, my blood pressure was around 120/60 and Claire's heart sounded wonderful. Our next appointment will be at 32 weeks (on February 5th).

30 Weeks!

The swelling has begun. My engagement ring and wedding band are fitting a little tighter and my ankles are getting a little larger, but I'm feeling great! Not much new to report. Andrew and I went to Baton Rouge yesterday so I could give a seminar at LSU. It's only a 4 hour drive, but neither of us felt comfortable with me driving alone this far along in the pregnancy. Unfortunately, Andrew was sick the entire time, but he's feeling better today. As far as I know, that is the last long drive before Claire arrives.

Today's weight = 141 lbs.

Home Improvements

Yesterday, Andrew painted the utility room in preparation for listing the house. We were never really fond of the mauve color, but in Molly's early puppy stage, she had scratched through the drywall in a few places, so we had to do something. Andrew had replaced the flooring last weekend and we matched with a grey paint that has a little blue undertone. I couldn't paint because of the fumes, but I did try to help as much as possible by taping the trim (except for the ceiling). He did a great job. Now we'll move on to some outside improvements.

29 Weeks Tomorrow

As tomorrow marks 29 weeks, I can't help but to think that my mom had my sister and me when she was only 29 weeks along. While I don't think I'm going to have Claire that early, it's hard to believe that if that were the case, I would have a baby THIS WEEK! Claire already weighs more than I did when I was born (2 lbs. 1 oz.).

I just found out that I do not have gestational diabetes, just a very healthy baby. The nurse said my bloodwork looked great. I was trying not to worry too much since I do eat pretty well, walk 3 miles a day, and large babies are not uncommon to our family (Andrew was 10 lbs. 2 oz., my brother Todd was 10 lbs. 8 oz., and my cousin Mary was 10 lbs. 4 oz.(I think)). Even though it might be recommended earlier, Andrew and I wouldn't elect for a C-section prior to 39 weeks. We want Claire to mature as much as possible before she enters the world. I would love for Claire's birth to be natural without any drug intervention, but I'm realistic, so we'll just take it one day at a time.

This past week has been very exciting. Besides viewing the 4D ultrasound (which I'm convinced looks just like Andrew), we received our infant car seat and stroller which somehow make Claire's arrival more of a reality. I have finally experienced relief from my stuffed up nose and chapped lips. The saline nasal spray I've been using for the past few weeks has been wonderful. I can wake up in the early morning and still breathe through my nose. On top of that, I went to the dentist last week and my hygienist gave me a couple sticks of Badger Certified Organic Lip Balm. I had never heard of it before, but it's amazing. This is the first time since I can remember (even pre-pregnancy) that my lips aren't peeling. I love it!

Today's weight = 142 lbs.

She's a Big Girl!

I just had my 28 week doctor's appointment this morning and Claire's a big girl. Right now she is measuring at 3 lbs. 6 oz. and there's still 12 weeks to go! Dr. LaBarre told us that if it were earlier in the pregnancy he would move the due date to a week earlier, but at this point they just attribute her size to being a big baby. He said that if she continues to grow at this pace, he might recommend an elective C-section some time after 36 weeks. They also did the glucose test and I should get the results today or tomorrow.


She was very active (as always) and did some funny things. We saw her void (tinkle) which the nurse had never seen on an ultrasound. She also was pulling at her umbilical cord like it was a jump rope. We saw a slice of the umbilical cord showing 3 vessels. The doctor said that was a good sign because 90% of babies with a 3-vessel umbilical cord have no heart problems. Her heart was a nice and strong. We saw her in 4D, but she moved so much that the images we got weren't great. He said that she doesn't actually have that much hair, it's just a shadow on her head. At one point she had the umbilical cord on her shoulder, then she moved it off. We saw her open her mouth and smile. Right now she's transverse with her head slightly down. I'm posting all of the images from the 4D ultrasound even though they weren't great, but maybe you can get more from them than we did. Our next appointment is in 2 weeks.

28 Weeks Tomorrow

Seven months down and three to go. I started really getting into nesting mode yesterday. Andrew and I drove back to Shreveport from Kentucky on Saturday, so yesterday was spent doing laundry, cleaning and re-organizing Claire's room. Although it will only be her room for a few months, I still want it to be welcoming. I probably over-extended myself in the lifting and moving because my back and legs are feeling worn out today. I'll be better about enlisting Andrew's help in the future.

Claire's activity level has surged this week. Maybe I've just noticed it more because of the long drives and plane rides, but wow, can she move. I started to think again that we're really having twins, but I'm pretty sure a second baby would have been noticed in the last two ultrasounds. Our next appointment is on Thursday. It will be a long one because I'll be tested for gestational diabetes and we'll get to view the 4D ultrasound (I'm still not entirely sure why they call it 4D). I'll post those results as soon as I can.

Andrew and I met with our realtor today to discuss listing the house and what we should do before then. It looks like we're going to list it at the end of February. We feel like we can move any time between the end of May and end of July, but not before May, so our realtor thinks this will be a comfortable time. We also went to purchase new carpet for the master bedroom and Claire's room as well as vinyl tile for the utility (Molly's) room and spackle to repair the walls in there as well.

Today's weight = 140 lbs