28 Weeks

Tuesday I went for another ultra-sound to measure the baby and check the placenta at 28 weeks and 2 days. The placenta is still low (8mm is covering the cervix). I had the same ultra-sound tech (Deb) as last month and she was great. She took more videos of the baby and pointed out some cool things.

We could see the baby doing phantom breathing or practice breathing. Babies don't breathe in the womb, but they do practice to strengthen their lungs before birth. We could also see the baby's pupil and iris move. I am not sure how that is possible, but it was cool. She also has some little tuffs of hair too. Surprisingly, the baby's feet and arms where both up by her forehead.

Peanut is still measuring large for her age. I am measuring around 30 weeks. The estimated date of delivery based on measurements was Sept. 30th. She weighed approximately 3 lbs. and 4oz.

Here are some videos/pictures:

Practice Breathing and Heartbeat

Hair

Eye Moving

Face


Cramped Space


Feet and Hands up near the forehead

Thursday I had my appointment with Dr. Minudri. It was the first time that I saw this doctor in the practice. We have to see all three of the doctors in the practice because you don't know who might deliver the baby. So far I have liked all of the doctors.

Since I do have lupus there are some additional precautions/testing that has to take place. Next month I will have to start getting stress tests every two weeks. They have been measuring the baby every month with ultra-sound to make sure she is growing approriately. Next week, I will go for the normal gestational diabetes test and for some lupus screening. Most likely I will have the baby early before there are any complications. The doctor meantioned anytime after 36 weeks. Most likely at or before 38 weeks.

My chances of the placenta moving are still good. Between now and delivery the baby will double in size. If it does not move up, then I will have the C-section. I have heard that C-sections are a lot better for people with lupus anyway. Since the placenta is low I will be on bed rest for at least another month. The doctor said chances are that I might be on the bed rest for the duration or late into the pregnancy.

We were excited to get things set up since we now have furniture for the baby's room. Duane found a cheap dresser and glider rocker at yard sales. The dresser is older, but still in good shape. The nice thing about older furniture is that it usually made a lot nicer. For $10.00 we couldn't pass it up. I think it has character and I love the layout/design of the dresser. It has a long drawer at the top and smaller drawers down the left side. They are just the right size for baby clothes and easy for me to open. I wanted something tall with at least 5 drawers and a armoire for storing items. Most dressers with armoires are short and wide. I don't like that design because it seems like such a waste of space.

The glider is like brand new and the owner said, she didn't use it much. The padding is so plush and soft. I was surprised at how comfortable it was when I sat in it. Plus it was too cheap $20.00 to pass up too.

This week Duane finished setting up the nursery. Here are some pictures:

Buterflies and Stars (my friend Julie gave us these) - really cute as
they move around with a breeze

Crib and Bedding - We picked the crib up for free at a yard sale.
Duane sanded, primered and repainted it.
We also have some winnie the pooh pieces that match the set too
including crib sheets and a comforter. They are all really cute too.

The Dresser

Glider

26-27 Weeks

Duane and I managed to get all moved into our new apartment. It was a lot of work in a short period of time! We had 17 people show up to help move things and it took about 2-3 hours. I am pretty sure the free pizza had something to with the high turnout for the move.

The worst part was prepping the apartment after the move. It made for a really long day (9 am until after midnight). We didn't get any help with the cleaning (should have offered more Pizza :)). I had to help Duane because it was too much for him to do alone. I just focused on doing the tasks that could be done sitting down. We never did finish everything on the checklist, but we did the best we could.

Duane has been pretty fast at unpacking things. We only have about a dozen boxes left to go through and some pictures to hang. Then we will get the nursery all set up!

We really like the new place. Having the extra room has made a huge difference. Not having an office for our desks and office furniture made the rest of the old place so cramped. I am so glad we decided to make the move. I will be able to put the baby down on the floor to play and have room for a swing in the living room.

We are in one of the highest apartments in the complex. Off of our deck we have a beautiful view of Moscow and the rolling hills beyond. At nighttime I like to look out at all the lights. It sorta reminds me of when I lived in Pennsylvania Place a high rise building. The nice thing about the set up is the ground is flat where we are. We exit out the back of the complex, so we don't have to worry about hills in the winter. It also seems to stay cooler. We haven't had to use any airconditioning.

As far as the baby goes....I am starting to feel her move. It is still pretty sporadic. I think what I am feeling is when she rolls over or makes a large movement. I don't feel anything inside, rather just movement against the outter wall and my skin moving on the outside.

Next week we go back for another ultra-sound of the placenta and basic measurements. We are hoping things have moved up. I haven't had any bleeding since the end of May, which is good.