Week 29 - A Sneak Peek

What I've Been Up To

Another busy couple of weeks have gone by.  I went through a mini shopaholic phase the beginning of last week.  I bought a belly chime, Glowology lotion and body wash set, 2 sets of books for the baby that I grew up with, 3 movies that I really like and wanted to have on hand for her, and 4 tank tops. 

There is actually a Belly Chime website that you can google and find pretty easily.  Their chimes are around $40 though plus shipping.  They were also out of stock when I visited their website due to some kind of silver problem.  I found mine by searching for "Harmony Ball" on ebay.  I bought one from a seller named Oakvail.  Her store is called "Granny Has One" if anyone else is interested.  The pendant ended up being around $27 including shipping.  I just went to the craft store and bought a leather necklace kit (came with hardware) for $3 to put it on.  These chimes are supposedly based on the Mexican baby bola.  They are a little chime (much like those Chinese meditation balls if you have heard the sound those make) that you wear hanging near your belly while you are pregnant.  Whenever you move the chime makes a sound the baby can hear while still in the womb.  I guess as times goes on the baby associates this chime with comfort and continues to be soothed by the sound of it once they are born.  I read about some mothers using them as breastfeeding necklaces too.  Something for the baby to play with while they are feeding.

The lotion/body wash set I bought is Glowology's Simply Divine  by Noodle and Boo.  I love that they are both pthalate and paraben-free.  They contain many organic ingredients and are made for sensitive skin.  Erbaviva can be a little overpowering scent-wise in my opinion.  These 2 Glowology products, however, both have a gentle scent.  Like a very light honey/floral mix.  The tubes are a nice size and will most likely last me the rest of the pregnancy.  The body wash is a bit thin, but does the job.  The lotion, on the other hand, is extremely nice and luxurious.  Thick enough to hydrate, but not so thick you can't completely rub it in. 

The books I ordered were the Little Miss and Mr. Men books by Roger Hargreaves.  They are usually around $3 each book and many of the books in each set are no longer being printed in the U.S.  I did find them in 2 little 'Library Bus' sets from Amazon.co.UK though.  These are books that I loved as a child for bedtime.  I remember looking at the back of each one and wishing I could read ALL the books in both sets.  So, I had to have them for the baby.

My other must-have was 3 movies by Hayao Miyazaki.  I came across them when I first became interested in Japanese anime.  They are: Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Howl's Moving Castle.  I own most of the movies I cherished as a child, but these are new additions I'd like to pass on to my kids.  I love the character expression and complex feelings embraced by Japanese animation.  Some of it is very adult-oriented, but these three films I think are ones that can be appreciated in different ways as a child grows older.

The tank tops I bought on a shopping trip with my sister.  They aren't maternity or anything too special.  I found them at a store called Styles.  They come in some nice bright somery colors, are long enough to cover the belly and have lace with a few sequins along both the top and bottom.  I like that the straps are adjustable on them.  That way you can shorten them to give a bit of cleavage coverage if you wear them alone or lengthen them if you are using them to add a pretty layer to something. 

I've also been reading a couple of good books I definitely recommend.  One is Raising Baby Green by Dr. Alan Greene (a pediatrician) and the other is the American Academy of Pediatrics New Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding. 

Besides reading and shopping I taught myself how to do Amigurumi.  I haven't officially finished my first piece (a blue teddy bear), but I definitely have the hang of it.  It's so fast and once you figure out how to start out (I use the magic adjustable ring method) things come together rather quickly.  I'll post a picture once I have the bear all situated. 

My in-laws were in town the beginning of the week too.  It was a nice visit.  My mother-in-law really appreciated the 4D ultrasound I had done while she was up.  It helped her feel more a part of the pregnancy and attached to the baby.  I had hoped it would.  It was the funnest ultrasound so far for me too becaue my mom and sister were there with me to "awww." I know some husbands cry during ultrasounds and are extra sensitive to that sort of thing, but mine isn't really like that.  He says it's because he comes from such a large family and all his friends our age have children.  So, babies are just kind of part of life for him.  So there wasn't much mushiness or any tears during my medical ultrasounds. 

Lastly, I had my 29 week prenatal appointment yesterday.  It was a normal short visit.  Everything is looking great.  The scheduler made all the rest of my appointments until my due date.  Then she said "unfortunately" for me, I probably would be there, still pregnant, for my appointment scheduled on my actual due date.  I was thinking I'd rather that than be in the hospital way early with complications or premature labor. 

How I'm Feeling Physically

I have to say that this Blue Ribbon Baby diet has helped me immensely.  The swelling in my hands and feet that had started went away.  I took a little break from it when my in-laws were here, then it started to come back.  Once I started the diet full force again, the swelling went away again.  So, that was a nice surprise.  I haven't had any surprises on the scale.  Even though I feel like I'm eating all the time, my weight is in check nicely.  I just feel really good.

I have gotten more stretch marks in the past few days.  That's not too lovely.  My hair, on the other hand, is looking great finally.  It's full and shiny and healthy looking.  I love it. 

I think my main physical complaint would have to be hot flashes.  I get SO HOT all of a sudden.  Usually I jump up and change my clothes to something lighter or get a drink of water.  Whatever I can think of.  Then the flash passes and I'm bundled up under a blanket because my house feels cool again.

How I'm Feeling Emotionally

I was a little worried because it seemed like the baby would be way active one day and then I would barely feel her the next.  I asked the nurse during my prenatal visit if I should be doing kick counts since it worries me.  She told me I could.  She said to just lay on my left side and count 10 kicks in an hour each day.  She said that the position helps and that I could drink some orange juice before to help.  I guess the sugar will get her moving a bit.  She also said not to worry too much because babies aren't in very good shape.  That's why their heartrates are affected by things so easily.  If the baby is way active one day, she may need to just rest a lot the next day.  That helped put my mind at ease.  I would of course call my OB's office if her lack of movement started to worry me still.  For now though, she's been active enough to keep me confident the past couple days.

The 4D ultrasound did help me feel a lot more connected to the baby.  It gave me comfort too to see her developed so well.  She looks a lot like her daddy in those images. :) We played the DVD for my husband and father-in-law later that afternoon.  I think my husband really enjoyed it.  He cracked a joke or two, but I can definitely see a difference in his level of interest in the baby since he saw it.  It's cute.

 So, overall, it has been a very eventful/busy/enriching kind of week for me. 

~Jessy