Late Breaking News...
Dr. Seven Kids is no more. He has a new name, now. Dr. Eight Kids. Seems his wife is due with Ocho in June and we're just now finding out. I'm hurt to say the least, considering all the life-altering details we've shared with him, and he keeps this from us?! I mean really.
Of course I'm kidding. He's still my favorite doctor, despite his less-than-open policy. Those of you who have known me for more than half-a-second, know that sometimes I don't exactly say the most appropriate thing at the most appropriate time. And, as soon as Dr. Eight Kids mentioned his wife was due in June, I immediately blurted out "Another one?!!?" ...and then I proceeded to immediately remove my foot from my mouth. Sheesh, Allison. "Congratulations" would have been the appropriate thing to say... oh well. Blame it on the baby brain.
All in all, the appointment went well. It seems my intense swelling is completely normal and our little guy is head-down and getting ready to go. His heartbeat is fluttering just fine and my belly is measuring perfectly on schedule - right at 35 cm, one centimeter for each week. 40 weeks, here we come!!!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
35 weeks!
Welcome to the home stretch, y'all!
How your baby's growing: Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.
How your life's changing: Your uterus — which was entirely tucked away inside your pelvis when you conceived — now reaches up under your rib cage. If you could peek inside your womb, you'd see that there's more baby than amniotic fluid in there now.
How your baby's growing: Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.
How your life's changing: Your uterus — which was entirely tucked away inside your pelvis when you conceived — now reaches up under your rib cage. If you could peek inside your womb, you'd see that there's more baby than amniotic fluid in there now.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Oh dear! Oh dear! What a very important date!
First of all. HOLY COW. DO YOU SEE THE TICKER??? ONLY 41 DAYS LEFT. People, that's only a few days over a month!!! Whoa. Ok... regrouping... regrouping... not freaking out... not freaking out...HOLY COW. ONE MONTH.
Ok, I'm officially done freaking out ...until tomorrow. :)
Today officially begins our 34th week! So, here's the weekly scoop on everyone's favorite little guy:
Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate him body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his 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.
How your life's changing:
By this week, fatigue has probably set in again, though maybe not with the same coma-like intensity of your first trimester. Your tiredness is perfectly understandable, given the physical strain you're under and the restless nights of frequent pee breaks and tossing and turning, while trying to get comfortable. Now's the time to slow down and save up your energy for labor day (and beyond). If you've been sitting or lying down for a long time, don't jump up too quickly. Blood can pool in your feet and legs, causing a temporary drop in your blood pressure when you get up that can make you feel dizzy.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Introducing Bailey Love Herrmann
Check out the latest addition to the Tar Heel fan club:
Miss Bailey Love Herrmann
Born March 12, 2009
to proud parents Mike and Melissa Herrmann.
Miss Bailey Love HerrmannBorn March 12, 2009
to proud parents Mike and Melissa Herrmann.
For those of you who don't know, Melissa and I were college roommates for three years. Needless to say, I was delighted to find out that we were pregnant at the same time
and I'm even more delighted to hear that their baby girl
has arrived healthy and happy!
Congratulations to the proud parents!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
33 Weeks!
How your baby's growing:
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him 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 his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him 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 his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
All Points Bulletin
I know, I know... I've been a little slack on the postings lately. In my defense, we've been a little busy. After all, we have just 57 days until our little guy gets here! Just so no one feels left out, here's an update on all things Allison-and-Jamie:
Doctor's appointment:
All went well at our last doctor's appointment. My blood pressure, weight and belly measurements, and his heartbeat were right on target. It looks like our 3rd trimester is going to be just as uneventful as the first and second, and that's exactly how we'd like it.
As some of you know, we've been circulating through the practice for the past few appointments, since our doctor decided to go and have a baby of her own. Go figure. As much fun as it sounds - it's not. We've seen the pregnant one, the super formal one, the nice one, and the awkward resident one, and even the kookie one (who I think may be on drugs). Just kidding... sort of. Thankfully, our last appointment was with the nice one, again. With seven, yes I said seven, kids of his own, he exudes confidence and he's easy to talk to. You can tell he's been through this a time or seven before. He answers your questions, all of them, in ways that make sense and don't make you feel silly or embarrassed. And, unlike the others, he asks for your questions first thing in the appointment - so you don't have time to forget them! Because after you've hoisted yourself onto the exam table, rolled up your shirt, rolled down your oh-so-attractive full-panel pants, been measured, been slathered with ultrasound goop, and heard your baby's precious heartbeat... it's a little hard to remember all 17 questions you were planning to ask.
When you've been seen by Dr. Seven Kids, you leave feeling proud of your additional 30 pounds and you're totally ok with the fact that you now somewhat resemble an umpa loompa. You feel like you are prepared to do this thing called delivery - even after you've been given the down-low (pun totally intended) on an episiotomy, discussed the ways IV pain meds can make you rather loopy, and talked about cord-blood milking versus quickly cutting the cord. (By the way, all of these were fully discussed at our last appointment, so if you have any questions - I'm now an expert.)
So, over the next 8 weeks, I'll be praying that Dr. Seven Kids is on call when our baby boy decides to make his entry. Everyone's help with this ultra-important prayer request is greatly appreciated :)
Nursery:
The big nursery news this week: WE BOUGHT A CRIB!!!! It's funny how much relief I feel now that we have the crib. I guess, in my silly-maternal-nesting ways, the crib makes that room not just any room - it makes it his room. And, somehow, by providing a place for him to sleep, I feel like everything is going to be ok. This must be a maternal thing, too. Because, Lord knows, there is so much left to do before he comes!
House:
Not much to update here since last week was the big house weekend. We did buy our very first garden hose. One of the blessings of renting for the past 3 years is that we never had a lawn to maintain, thus the lack of yard equipment. So, now we have our very first hose to go with our very first yard.
We also hung up the hummingbird feeder we got for Christmas. I absolutely can't wait for the humming birds to buzz outside the kitchen window! These might be little things, but they sure do go a long way in making this house feel like our home.
Work:
All is well on the work front. Last week, I spent 3 days at our satellite office in Arlington catching up with the rest of the communications team. I'm starting to get some good projects, with some real substance, so that's exciting. For instance, I'm working on our communications efforts surrounding the upcoming Board of Directors meeting in Accra, Ghana. Thankfully, I don't have to travel there - the Ghana team will handle local specifics.
Next weekend, all of our country directors and global leaders arrive in Arlington for the annual week-long leadership meeting. So, Jamie and I will both head back up to Arlington on Friday to help with that. Should be pretty exciting and exhausting.
So, now you know all there is to know :) Night y'all.
Doctor's appointment:
All went well at our last doctor's appointment. My blood pressure, weight and belly measurements, and his heartbeat were right on target. It looks like our 3rd trimester is going to be just as uneventful as the first and second, and that's exactly how we'd like it.
As some of you know, we've been circulating through the practice for the past few appointments, since our doctor decided to go and have a baby of her own. Go figure. As much fun as it sounds - it's not. We've seen the pregnant one, the super formal one, the nice one, and the awkward resident one, and even the kookie one (who I think may be on drugs). Just kidding... sort of. Thankfully, our last appointment was with the nice one, again. With seven, yes I said seven, kids of his own, he exudes confidence and he's easy to talk to. You can tell he's been through this a time or seven before. He answers your questions, all of them, in ways that make sense and don't make you feel silly or embarrassed. And, unlike the others, he asks for your questions first thing in the appointment - so you don't have time to forget them! Because after you've hoisted yourself onto the exam table, rolled up your shirt, rolled down your oh-so-attractive full-panel pants, been measured, been slathered with ultrasound goop, and heard your baby's precious heartbeat... it's a little hard to remember all 17 questions you were planning to ask.
When you've been seen by Dr. Seven Kids, you leave feeling proud of your additional 30 pounds and you're totally ok with the fact that you now somewhat resemble an umpa loompa. You feel like you are prepared to do this thing called delivery - even after you've been given the down-low (pun totally intended) on an episiotomy, discussed the ways IV pain meds can make you rather loopy, and talked about cord-blood milking versus quickly cutting the cord. (By the way, all of these were fully discussed at our last appointment, so if you have any questions - I'm now an expert.)
So, over the next 8 weeks, I'll be praying that Dr. Seven Kids is on call when our baby boy decides to make his entry. Everyone's help with this ultra-important prayer request is greatly appreciated :)
Nursery:
The big nursery news this week: WE BOUGHT A CRIB!!!! It's funny how much relief I feel now that we have the crib. I guess, in my silly-maternal-nesting ways, the crib makes that room not just any room - it makes it his room. And, somehow, by providing a place for him to sleep, I feel like everything is going to be ok. This must be a maternal thing, too. Because, Lord knows, there is so much left to do before he comes!
House:
Not much to update here since last week was the big house weekend. We did buy our very first garden hose. One of the blessings of renting for the past 3 years is that we never had a lawn to maintain, thus the lack of yard equipment. So, now we have our very first hose to go with our very first yard.
We also hung up the hummingbird feeder we got for Christmas. I absolutely can't wait for the humming birds to buzz outside the kitchen window! These might be little things, but they sure do go a long way in making this house feel like our home.
Work:
All is well on the work front. Last week, I spent 3 days at our satellite office in Arlington catching up with the rest of the communications team. I'm starting to get some good projects, with some real substance, so that's exciting. For instance, I'm working on our communications efforts surrounding the upcoming Board of Directors meeting in Accra, Ghana. Thankfully, I don't have to travel there - the Ghana team will handle local specifics.
Next weekend, all of our country directors and global leaders arrive in Arlington for the annual week-long leadership meeting. So, Jamie and I will both head back up to Arlington on Friday to help with that. Should be pretty exciting and exhausting.
So, now you know all there is to know :) Night y'all.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Makin' room for baby...
This weekend was spent almost entirely inside the house, working - working - working. That's right, we're getting ready for our little guy. While I've got a whole list of projects that I'd like to get done before May 4, I know that they won't all get done - and surprisingly - I'm ok with it. Two of the biggest projects that HAD to get done were painting the nursery and making some storage room in the attic.
Thankfully, I am blessed with a family of carpenters who can build just about anything, and one of them agreed to come spend the entire weekend helping Jamie and I get ready. My wonderful little brother drove up after class on Friday, brought all his tools (tools I didn't even know we'd need), and stayed all weekend. Knowing you can totally trust the person who's cutting a giant whole in your ceiling is a REAL blessing :)
By noon today, he and Jamie had knocked out both projects like a well-seasoned team. The nursery is now a beautiful shade of blue and all my Christmas decorations are safe and sound in the attic. Not to mention I had two of my very favorite men in the whole world with me all weekend. What more could a 7-month pregnant woman ask for?! I am so lucky!!
As promised, here are pictures of the two projects.
Thankfully, I am blessed with a family of carpenters who can build just about anything, and one of them agreed to come spend the entire weekend helping Jamie and I get ready. My wonderful little brother drove up after class on Friday, brought all his tools (tools I didn't even know we'd need), and stayed all weekend. Knowing you can totally trust the person who's cutting a giant whole in your ceiling is a REAL blessing :)
By noon today, he and Jamie had knocked out both projects like a well-seasoned team. The nursery is now a beautiful shade of blue and all my Christmas decorations are safe and sound in the attic. Not to mention I had two of my very favorite men in the whole world with me all weekend. What more could a 7-month pregnant woman ask for?! I am so lucky!!
As promised, here are pictures of the two projects.
Project #1: Creating more storage
(aka "Project Make Room for Baby Toys")
When we bought the house, we just had a little attic access hole,
meaning you had to hoist yourself up into if you wanted to get in the attic.
We decided a walk-up ladder would be much better!
Cameron working on the finishing touches of
the stairway to storage heaven.
Looks like it's always been there, huh?
Add some plywood to create a floor and voila!
We've got another 70 square feet of storage!
Project #2: Paint the Nursery
(aka "Project Get Rid of the Ugly Green Room")
Goodbye Green, Bring in the Blue!
First coat... it's looking good!!!
Don't worry, it's not that dark.
It's the perfect navy blue, which apparently is
very hard to capture with a digital camera.
(aka "Project Make Room for Baby Toys")
When we bought the house, we just had a little attic access hole,
meaning you had to hoist yourself up into if you wanted to get in the attic.
We decided a walk-up ladder would be much better!
Cameron working on the finishing touches of
the stairway to storage heaven.
Looks like it's always been there, huh?
Add some plywood to create a floor and voila!
We've got another 70 square feet of storage!
Project #2: Paint the Nursery
(aka "Project Get Rid of the Ugly Green Room")
Goodbye Green, Bring in the Blue!
First coat... it's looking good!!!
Don't worry, it's not that dark.
It's the perfect navy blue, which apparently is
very hard to capture with a digital camera.
