Week 26 and 27 start of the 3rd trimester!

What a crazy couple of weeks!   Right before the new year we found out that my grandfather had passed :(  Kind of an odd feeling-I know he was in pain and is at peace now, but there was an odd feeling of the last of that generation (he was my last living grandparent) passing and having the newest generation in my belly. Like a change in the family tiers or something...

Anyway back to Maia...She has been getting huge the last couple of weeks.   She's also moving like crazy.  Last night Josh and I saw my belly move like there was an earthquake going on inside.   So cool to watch :)  I've been confined to either sleeping on my side or in a recliner.   
We enjoyed the holidays and actually getting in all those pregnancy naps, however returning to work was a little hard to make it through the day without those naps :).  It's getting better though :)  These last couple of weeks, I've realized I've lost the ability to do some basic things: tie shoes without sitting on the floor or asking for help, sit in restaurant booths, use a laptop on my lap, play trumpet without some discomfort (I had to stop playing in December :().   

We are officially now in the 3rd trimester and getting so excited (and scared as everything becomes more real).  We have two baby showers coming up; I went to a breastfeeding class last week, we went to the Kaiser childbirth class yesterday, and have the Hello baby newborn class in another couple of weeks.  In week 30 we are also going back to Womb with a view for 3D/4D pictures with the family.  I'm excited to be headed towards the end and can't wait to hold her in my arms.   Josh is also really excited and talks to her everyday and tries to listen to her move.   
So many friends and family have been so generous and we can't thank you enough :)   

Here's some pictures from this week: 

 Week 26 belly shot

Week 26 about 16 inches

 Our Christmas "don't open till Easter" picture :) 

 Week 27 belly shot

Week 27, the width of a cauliflower (however this one was a little on the small side).  

Getting close to the end!   Thanks for following our journey to parenthood!

Week 24 and 25 :)

Happy Holidays to all of you!

Luckily I've had the last two weeks off for winter break :)    My belly seems to have grown so much the last week or so!
It was very nice to catch up on the sleep I've needed and to put my feet up when I needed to during my time off.   This Christmas was also very fun because Maia had her own stocking at Grandma and Grandpa Stime's house and even got a couple of gifts! 

 My sister in law AnJi also brought down some hand me down items and a BAG full of little girl clothes (so cute!).   We also attended our second wedding pregnant 

 WEEK 24

 WEEK 24, AS LONG AS A EAR OF CORN, ABOUT 8.5 INCHES

 SORRY FOR THE UGLY PJ PIC :)  WEEK 25 BELLY PIC!

 WEEK 25, AS LONG AS A 9 INCH EGGPLANT, HOWEVER, THIS WAS THE BIGGEST ONE WE COULD FIND, JUST SHORT OF 9 INCHES :)

 THE PAC N PLAY THAT AUNTIE ANJI PASSED ON TO US :)

 AUNTIE ANJI  ALSO BROUGHT THIS ROCKER :)


SOME OF MAIA'S CHRISTMAS GIFT FROM UNCLE TOBY AND COUSINS MATT AND JACOB, AND GRANDMA AND GRANDPA STIME

Aside from the holidays, it's been exciting to hit this point of the pregnancy because although it is not good to be born premature, the youngest of the preemies that have a chance of making it are about 24 weeks old.   I want her to make it as far as she can, but it is somewhat of a relief that she's at a viable age to live outside the womb.  
As for me, I've been getting more tired, falling asleep at the drop of a hat, and if I'm on my feet for even a  little while my legs feel like I ran at the gym the next day :(  I did have some very minimal spotting start again a couple of days ago, but after a check up, everything looked fine ( baby's heartbeat was fine, cervix is closed, etc), and they are doing a more in depth test to make sure I don't have any infections.   
As we make our way to the last trimester and the 7th month it's getting  to the exciting/scary part of the anticipation of what's to come.   Some of my showers are starting to be planned and at our last appointment we had to start filling out our pre-admit forms for labor and delivery, our birth plan and we are signed up for a childbirth class, nursing class, and a "Hello Newborn" class .   

Here's to hoping that this last trimester goes smoothly and that our little Maia makes it as far as she can.   Thanks for checking in on me :) 

Week 22 and 23

What a busy 2 weeks!   Tis the season for concerts-after my own at Stan State, I ran the two winter concerts at my school last Wednesday and Thursday, and then ran a booth for the music department at the GKE Winter Wonderland.   Baby girl was not happy with all that running around.   In the past, when I tried to wear anything but flat shoes at a concert I knew I could expect sore feet after the 2 hours or so of running around before, during, and after a concert.   This time I wore my comfiest flats and my preggo feet swelled so much I had to go barefoot afterwards and on the way home :(.

We also had Beauty and the Beast rehearsals this week that (thank God) our choreographer Heather was running/leading: 

   During this crazy week we also found out my car was pretty much a "walking dead" situation and spent most of Saturday looking and buying :) a new car.   I finally got to see most of my side of the family on Sunday.  All great, but the constant go, go, go, left me incredibly tired.   

This week was just a blur of trying to catch up on everything that I didn't have time for during last week's blur and THANK GOD tomorrow is our last day before winter break.   

Last week was week 22 (can you believe it's already this far along!), and I'm starting to feel VERY round and she's definitely made her presence known.  I am definitely feeling little thumps and squirming around in there :)  
Here is my belly shot from 22 weeks:

During our last anatomy scan they couldn't get a good picture of her spine because she was moving around so much, so we got to go again last Saturday (before our car adventure) for our 2nd anatomy scan.   We got to see her cute little face, yawning away and rubbing her eyes.   Josh was able to see a little better than I, and said he was able to see her heart chambers working away.  Josh does have a video from this appointment.   Our results just came back and everything looks okay so far :)   
Below are two of her ultrasounds from this visit:

In this one she is looking at you with her face on the left.  Her mouth was open and she was rubbing her eye.   

This one is in profile with the head again on the left.  


Week 23:
Aside from the business of the work week, the most exciting news is that we got to see her move slightly on the outside of my belly!  I was sitting watching TV and I saw a little thump from the outside of my belly.  We tried to videotape it but she apparently became shy all of sudden and stopped, but I'm sure there will be more opportunities to catch that on film later :).    

We have been not only blessed with her healthy pregnancy so far, but also by our loved ones around us.   So many of you have been so nice and want to lend/give us baby items.   I have been blown away by the generosity :)   A big thank you to all of you from the 3 of us :).  Even most of the items we have from previous pregnancies were gifts or hand me downs from family and friends :)

Here is my belly shot this week.  She is apparently the length of an ear of corn, about 8.5 inches, and weighs a little more than pound!  I've had little growing pains these past two weeks, but no spotting, so I believe (from what the dr. has told me and what I've read/heard) this is normal.  We are almost done with the 5th month and about 3 or 4 weeks away from the last trimester!!!!   We are so excited!!!!

Side shot (m), and front shot

 a pink sock monkey :)

and a Rubber duckie for Hanukkah :) 

We also picked up a couple of little things over the last couple of weeks for her:  

Thanks for checking in, Week 24 starts on Monday!  Officially in the 6th month :) 

:)

Week 21 :)

I am actually in week 22, but these past couple of weeks have been so busy I got behind!

Last week we had two appointments.  We had our anatomy scan on Monday the 26th, which was about a 45 minutes ultrasound session where they take like 90-100 ultrasound pictures of the baby-each organ, skeletal system, etc.   The tech was guessing a girl as well :)    We received about 13 of these ultrasounds.   I haven't had time to scan them all, but here is one of her looking directly at the screen.   She was moving a lot an kept putting her hands above her head.   She was actually moving so much that we have to go back on Saturday, the 8th to get another anatomy scan done of her spine, because they didn't get a good picture of it.  

On Wednesday we had our normal prenatal appointment where they listened to her heart and started us on the info packet for the labor and delivery!   It was so exciting just to have reached the point where it starts becoming something that is ready to planned :) We will also be taking some of the classes as well because I've never been through full term labor before.   We're doing the newborn class as well because although  I've babysat since I was 12, have 3 younger brothers I watched over the years, and worked in a daycare , Josh has never babysat or even changed a diaper before in his life.

So week 21 went by smoothly and she continues to grow.   I didn't have the right food to picture with :) but in week 21 she was as big as a spaghetti squash, about 8 inches and is supposed to weigh about a pound.   In her anatomy scan, they estimated her at about 401 grams or about 14 oz.   Here are some belly shots at 21 weeks :)  I am actually starting to feel "round" and pregnant :)    

Week 22 is almost half over so I'm sure we'll update again soon after Saturday's ultrasound ;)


Thanks for checking in!

Week 20, gender reveal, nursery, pics :)

This past week marked the halfway point, 20 weeks!   I am surprised, but extremely happy that we've made it this far.   Our baby continues to grow and I've been able to feel definite movement in there.   

This past week was Thanksgiving as well, and the week we revealed the gender of our baby to our siblings, and then the rest of the world.   I wanted to do something cute, so it wasn't just a comment in passing, i.e. "It's a girl".   So Josh suggested doing something cute with the last ultrasound and putting the name on it as well.   I also wanted to add a little poem/riddle or something to keep the suspense a moment longer :) This is the picture we had framed for the parents and siblings in our immediate families: 

We wrapped up the pictues in blue wrapping paper and pink ribbon to keep them guessing a little while longer and addressed them to their relationship to her, i.e. Uncle Toby.   

Inside the envelope was the following poem: 

 The first letter of every sentence spelled out It is a girl.
Below is the comparsion picture: 20 weeks, the baby is the size of a banana.

 And here's a belly picture :)

 My brother Andy and his fiancee are getting married next June and their wedding color is red.  I figured it would be hard to find a little red outfit in the spring, and they are all around right now because of Christmas, I picked up a little red dress and shoes for Maia to wear at Andy and Maria's wedding :)

 Now that we've made it to the halfway point, I've finally felt comfortable going thru the nursery and going through things that we had set aside for babies #1 and #2 (Angel and Ethan).   We have had generous family and friends throughout each pregnancy and have some of the "big" items already.   We also had been storing all of our childhood belongings in there as well, such as stuffed animals and children's books I was collecting when going through the credential program.   There is still much to do, but this is what the nursery looks like right now.   The two quilts on the crib were prayer quilts made for us for babies #1 and #2.  

I bought this little diaper bag with baby #1 back in 2008 and finally opened it up.  

 I bought this for Ethan back in 2009 because it has little music notes on it ;)

The baby seems to be okay and we have our anatomy scan and appointment this week.  I'm sure we'll have some more ultrasound pictures to share with you all :)
Since finding out the baby is a girl, so many friends and family have been very generous in wanting to pass down items to us.   We have been blessed with so many loving friends and family.   
We can't wait to see our baby girl again tomorrow!  Tomorrow also marks 21 weeks :)   Thanks for checking in!