28

I've been thinking a lot these days about what it will be like to have you here. I am so excited to give birth and to meet you and find out what you are and what you'll look like and to name you. I wonder about what kind of person you'll be and what kind of person you'll make us! I can't wait for you to come out and we are so thankful that God gave you to us! We love you so much!


This week we almost didn't have a picture little one (we do have one, I just can't upload it). Things have been super busy around here and I've been getting an itch to re-organize and clean everything and anything I come across. (Yes everything...The eaves of the house, the concrete outside, under the beds, all of the linens, my car upholstery, I even thought about cleaning the trash cans, and had my sciatica not started up again, they would have been looking squeaky clean!) I think you're making me super forgetful too. I'm loosing everything and misplacing a ton of stuff. Here is the current list of things I can't find: Emma's remote, my tea/table spoons, the camera cable, and my sewing scissors. 

(Picture soon.... I hope)

27

We had a nice visit yesterday with your sweet (and only-for now) Auntie who just loves you so much and is always talking about you. She and I watched a movie together and she got to see you moving around a lot! You jumped a few times and caught her attention...she got to see you moving and feel you too! I told her to talk to you, so she did. You responded so much to her voice, and we could feel you moving in two different places at once, which I think means that you were waving your arms and kicking your feet at the same time. She does have a pretty exciting "Auntie" voice and it was so sweet to see you get so excited when she talked to you. You made her so excited! I know she can't wait to hold you and tell you how much she loves you!

A few days ago I failed my glucose tolerance test so this morning I had another (the three hour one). I brought along a great movie to keep me company and spent a lot of time walking around through the halls and up the stairs. I was not about to sit there for three hours, after drinking the equivalent of half a cheesecake, and let them falsely label me a diabetic, because well, I sat around for three hours. I have no idea if walking around actually helped my body better metabolize all that sugar, but at least I'll know that I tried. Because of my PCOS I do have a greater risk for developing gestational diabetes, so we'll see how it goes...hopefully it went well.

I had a midwife appointment the other day at Kaiser and here are the stats:

-So far I've gained 12 pounds (I've lost a little...)
-BUT, my fundal height is measuring 28 weeks so they tell me baby Ham is doing just fine. My mom tells me that she always had a really "small" belly, so I'm thinking I can expect the same. (She also had her babies early, fast labors, and only had this with girls...I'm not getting my hopes up!)
-The baby's heartbeat was so strong and loud today. She didn't tell me what it was, and I forgot to ask, but I could really notice a difference in how much louder it was today.
-I received my RhoGAM shot...which I'm still a little ( a lot) upset with myself about, I feel like I should have asked more questions, requested one without thimerosal (mercury). I hope I made the right decision. I didn't look into it that well and decided to read (in-depth) about it after the fact. I feel pretty stupid.

On the bright side, we/I'll be signing up for some classes this week, prepared childbirth (I think it's Lamaze...I think I'd be more excited if they were Bradley, but we'll take what we can get as they're mostly free through Kaiser!), a breastfeeding class and back exercises for a healthy pregnancy, so that's pretty exciting!

The baby has been so active and I've started to notice a difference in the way the baby is moving. The baby "kicks" a lot less and I've started to feel these really fluid, STRONG and deliberate movements. Mostly little stretches and flips, or a crockodile roll here and there. And feet too! Oh the feet! Baby Ham likes to stretch his or her feet out, a lot. It's so cute! But, as the baby's gotten bigger, his or her little movements have gotten stronger and sometimes hurt. a. lot. I've only had to ask the baby to stop once though :)

26

I've been really bad at updating lately little one, but I promise that this one is actually "us" a week ago! You've been SO active and it's just so much fun to feel you moving around and to wonder what you're up to in there. You are a little over two pounds now and almost 16 inches long (the size of a cucumber!) Your eyes have also started to open and that's exciting too. This week I turned 23 and I celebrated by thanking God for you and spending the day at Glen Ivy with some lovely ladies (you'll meet them soon!). I am so excited to meet you and can't wait to find out if you are a boy or a girl! 

Baby Shower cake ideas!

I particularly love the "Angel Chad"...oh never mind, they're all awesome!

Sorry, I know there are a few offensive ones! I just had to though!

We're in the double digits!

181 days down. only. 99. more. to. go!

(here are some videos of baby ham squirming around. 

The movements are a bit faint but maybe you'll be able to catch them.)

Baby Kicks! from Maria Ham on Vimeo.

More Baby Kicks! from Maria Ham on Vimeo.
 

25

Little Ham you're getting so strong now! You move all. day. long. and especially whenever I'm trying to fall asleep. It is so fun to feel you kick and wiggle and squirm and punch and roll around in there! I try really hard to catch it on video but you're really shy and you always stop, most of the time anyway. Last night Daddy and I watched a movie and he was laying in front of me (probably squishing you a little).  You were kicking him (and me) the ENTIRE time. It was kind of cute! This week you're the size of  an eggplant, weighing in at somewhere around two pounds and a little over nine inches long! AND, this week you're getting rid of your little nose plugs and you'll start to "practice" breathing!