Richmond Baby Shower

Beth, Edie, Me, Teresa, Lindsay, Christina

Saturday was my baby shower in Richmond. It was great to have our friends and family out to see our house and celebrate baby b's upcoming arrival! Thank you all for being a big part of Blair's & my life and also for being so generous... baby b is all set up with just about everything she needs! Thanks Christina, Lindsay, and Teresa for planning and hosting such a nice shower! And thanks to both moms, Edie and Beth, for their help on the shower as well.

Here are some pictures from my baby shower:

Auntie Heather & Ava

Papa Jo & Heather

A look back at Lindsay's shower: Julie (35 wks), Heather (18 wks), Lindsay (30 wks)

Now at my shower: Julie & Abel (age 12 wks ), Heather (33 wks), Lindsay & Ava (age 7 wks)

You can view the complete album from my baby shower here:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AatGjdw1buGHI&notag=1

Spence & Pepper

Sheri & Pepper; Heather & Spence

Sheri & Bob were in town over the weekend and the cockapoos had a playdate! Spence and Pepper loved each other. They had a great time running around the yard and house.

We love ice cubes

Did you say treat?

Playfighting

Let's swap bones

I'm worn out! Come back soon Pepper!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Mom, Christina, Heather, Blair

Happy birthday to my mom.... we took her to a restaurant called the Can Can Brasserie in downtown Richmond to celebrate. What a great meal!

After dinner we practiced for baby b by swaddling cabbage patch kids.

33 weeks

Happy Brown Family: Blair, Heather, baby b, Spence

-Amniotic fluid is at its highest level during your pregnancy.
-Your baby's head size has increased 3/8ths of an inch due to rapid brain growth.
-Neurons and synapses are developing in huge numbers -- forming connections in your baby's brain will give her the skills he needs to thrive as a newborn. This week, she may be able to coordinate sucking and swallowing with breathing.
-While most of her bones are hardening, her skull is quite pliable and not completely joined. The bones will be able to move slightly to make birthing easier.
-You baby takes intermittent deep breaths -- of water! That's okay, though since she gets oxygen from the placenta. This breathing exercises muscles and encourages her lung cells to produce more surfactant (a protein essential for healthy lung development).
-Your infant is now 17.2 inches long and weighs 4.23 pounds.
-Her skin has turned from red to pink. Your baby has started preparing for life outside the womb by storing iron in its liver.

hwb & baby b @ 33 wks

Baby b is 4 lbs 9 ozs!

At yesterday's doctor appointment we weren't able to get a good measure of baby b's size... (it looked like she was 2 weeks behind). So this morning we had an ultrasound to determine her growth and development. My mom and Blair went with me and we were relieved to hear she's not behind at all, actually ahead a little bit. They averaged her different body parts to come up with a projected due date of Oct 13 - her head is due Oct 8, her belly Oct 20, and her leg Oct 14. Baby b is lying on her side curled up (with her head down) which is why the measurement wasn't accurate yesterday. We were glad to hear all is well! It was determined that she now weighs 4 lbs, 9 ozs which is right on track. Her heartbeat is 144 beats per minute.

Tomorrow is my shower here in Richmond. I'm really looking forward to spending the afternoon with family & friends!

32 weeks and bed rest

HWB & baby b at week thirty-two

We're officially at the 32 weeks mark. I've been having a lot of pain along the back right side of my body... the doctor says it's sciatic nerve pressure and I need to be off my feet for at least 3 days. I've been laying on the couch with my feet propped up, and she thinks that should help. Some Braxton Hicks contractions have also started but they're not painful and very infrequent.

Here's what our little one is up to at week 32:

-Your baby is up to 3.75 pounds now and is 16.7 inches long.
-You might notice she's not moving around as much now. Don't worry! She is fine -- just running short on room. She still has plenty of growing to do though, believe it or not!
-All five senses are working. Your little one is fascinated and practicing testing these out as much as possible!
-Toenails are completely formed even though she may not be quite ready for a French manicure.
-Hair on your infant's head continues to grow in. -Brain scans have shown that babies have periods of dream sleep (REM) starting around the eight month. What do you suppose your daughter is dreaming about?
-The fetus should now be head down. Ninety-six percent of all babies present head first by the time labor begins.
-You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, 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.

2 months to go!

My due date is 2 months from today! We're nearing the home stretch. My dr. appt went well last week and our little one's head is pointed down already. I guess she is preparing to "drop down" sometime in the next few weeks. I'm so thankful all the bloodwork and gestational diabetes test came back with nothing out of the ordinary to report. My next appointment is next Thurday (I go every other week now).