38 weeks

This proved to be the most eventful 2 weeks of pregnancy BY FAR! First we had a trip to the hospital that caught us all off guard. After taking medicine to stop the contractions we were sent home and from that point on its been crazy!! I continued to have contractions just about every night after but they were never the real deal, only enough to drive me crazy. THEN right after this picture was taken I came down with a terrible sinus infection. Sadly I can only take over the counter medicines at this point and therefore recovery has been slow. Feeling like my throat is shutting, as if an elephant is sitting on my forehead and the flood gates in my nose were WIDE open... all not fun at all, AND especially when I am a week away from delivery. BUT... my sweet husband has taken very good care of me and I am very hopeful that I will be 100% by Monday to meet Carter.

WHAT?!?! We really get to meet our son on MONDAY? Man I cannot wait! SO many emotions and the day that felt like it would NEVER get here... will soon come. Oh I am so so so so excited :)

Your baby has really plumped up. He weighs about 6.8 pounds and he's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). He has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold his hand for the first time! His organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.
Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If he's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If he's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time he's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after he's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

34 weeks

35 days and counting! We have been busy setting up the nursery and it has officially become Carter's room! His clothes are in the closet and all of Griffin's stuff has been moved to his big boy room. This was a big relief for Mommy, however it started some intense nesting too. I am cleaning out everything these days ha. Still feeling great but am started to get tired again. My body is definitely telling me to slow down. I started walking again after taking off the month of December (not on purpose it was just COLD!) and hope that it will give me some energy back. I'm also already at the 20 pounds gained mark.. YIKES!

Marking lots off the to do list and just cant wait for him to get here :)

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 his 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.

32 weeks

These last two weeks were somewhat uneventful. I did have a few more contractions on those days I was running around like a chicken with my head cutt off to get ready for Christmas. I did go and get some iron and potassium supplements to help with the leg cramps and my constant craving of ice. So excited to celebrate Christmas and know that next year Carter will be here with us too!

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb.He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth.

30 weeks!

We have made it to the 30's! Wowzers... again flying by! With the holidays before us and the hustle and bustle going on, I have no doubt it will continue to just fly by. And I'll be honest... JR and I are probably more in denial about his arrival than we should be! Its obviously coming but its just so surreal :)

This past week has been pretty uneventful in my pregnancy world. EXCEPT LEG CRAMPS! Ah.. I remember having them with Griffin too but I had forgotten how much they hurt- OUCH! I'm at 18 total pounds thus far and really hoping it will remain slow and steady growth because I feel HUGE!

Looking forward to getting to see him in another ultrasound next week!!

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds his, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

Crazy 28th week!

We are now just 77 days away from meeting our little man Carter! We had our 28 week appointment today and the doctor said everything looks good and to plan on meeting him on FEBRUARY 7th!!! The planner in me LOVES the idea of knowing when he will be here.. or at least that he will be here no later than that!

I did have my craziest week of pregnancy this week, starting off with not getting very much sleep due to Carter's constant movement and hiccups at the bedtime hour. I saw 2am several times and that is RARE! I also experienced my first Braxton Hicks contractions on Thursday and again Friday. I ended up calling the doctor Thursday because they lasted 2 hours but he wasnt concerned. So thankful to have gotten the glucose test over today as well. Why in the world do they make you fast and then take so much blood? Gosh I thought I was going to pass out ha! 15 pounds gained and feeling HUGE. Looks like its time to slow down this last trimester :)

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

26 week and stomach bug!

UGH! That about describes pregnancy for me this week... and hence why you need to excuse the terrible picture! I just about didnt post it but then I was like.. well ya know, this is the real me- not always glamourous ha! I caught what must be the stomach bug while at the convention this week and am better but still recovering. I have definitely decided it is not good to have both crazy stuff going on with your stomach AND a baby boy kicking you like crazy! It definitely made it worse, this being the first real time I have been sick while pregnant. Very blessed to know that he is okay in there though... still doing everything he can to let me know he is there :)

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take two to three days.

24 weeks

Only 15 more weeks to go?!?! I know I say this every time.. but wow this is going fast! Carter is extremely active ALL the time these days and it is a nice reminder that he is on his way. We had a checkup for 22 weeks and I continue to be blessed with a "boringly healthy" report. Our next appointment we will get to schedule our c-section date, aka his birthday.. YAY! My belly is growing rapid speed this time as I am coming a little too close to the total weight gain I had for Griffin ALREADY! My belly button has popped as well.... the joy of the changes a pregnant mom's body goes through :)

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

22 weeks

126 days to go... minus a week! We had a doctor's appointment today and I was blessed with another "boringly healthy" report. We will go back next time for the glucose test and soon after I'll be in the last trimester! I know understand why they say the second pregnancy goes by quicker... I feel that for sure! I am still feeling wonderful and Carter is still an active one. I have gained 12 pounds thus far and the weight has definitely came on quicker this time unfortunately, but I'll deal I guess as long as he is healthy :) Funny story this week is that Pastor Jacob talked about bacon in his sermon illustration yesterday and ALL I could think about from that point forward was a BLT sandwich. I am so lucky to have a husband that spoils me with my cravings... we both enjoyed a BLT that night ha!

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.