33 Weeks and HOT HOT HOT!!!

Some drastic changes have occurred in our North Carolina weather over the course of this 33rd week of pregnancy. As you'll notice by my clothing in the picture, the beginning of Week 33 was cloudy, rainy, and somewhat chilly for NC standards in June. But that didn't last long. By the end of the week, we were in the mid 90's, hazy and humid. I'm seriously considering purchasing a kiddie wading pool and just living in it for the next 6 weeks or so. It would be good psychological practice for the water birth we're planning at the birth center :-)

The heat, in conjunction with my blossoming belly and crazy hormones, has turned me into one hot mama and forced some compromises on the part of my ever-patient husband. He has learned not to argue when he finds the AC once again lowered by a degree (or two), which goes against the grain of his frugal "Fruehism". He's also been forced to pull out a few extra quilts to wrap up when we sleep because I blast the ceiling fan over our bed and sleep with no covers. What a trooper!

Now that I’m mostly done with school-related responsibilities, it’s been much easier to put all the finishing touches on the nursery, including hanging her “Molly” letters above her crib. I’m extremely happy with how the whole room turned out! We’re both so glad we chose to go with the orange paint for the room. It was really a leap of faith when we first did it, but I think the wall color really “makes” the room. Sometimes I just go in there to sit or read or daydream. I look at the crib and wonder, “What will she look like? Will she be short, dark and curly-haired? Or tall, blonde and straight-haired? Or some combination in-between? What will her personality be? Shy? Outgoing? Tom-boy? Girly? Book-worm? Athlete?” Now that the nursery is done and we’ve made all of our final purchases (diapers, wipes, carseat), it feels like we’re just waiting for Molly to arrive. But all of our timely planning and preparations have left us with 6 weeks to wait for the Big Arrival. My challenge now is to wait with joy and patience at a time when complaining and impatience could easily take over.

The next 6 weeks are important; Molly’s not done growing yet! At the end of 33 weeks, she weighs over 4.5 pounds and will gain about ½ pound each week between now and D-Day (Delivery Day). She is over 17 inches long and is running out of room to maneuver in my uterus. At this point, my amniotic fluid levels have maxed out, but she will continue to grow. This means she won’t have the freedom to do many acrobatic moves anymore…mostly just kicks, jabs, and nudges (which I’m definitely feeling in full force!). Fortunately, she’s been settled in the head-down position for months now, so there’s no need to worry about her needing to flip over. The only down-side to this upside down situation is the constant presence of little feet in my stomach and ribcage. I’ll be glad when those little feet are on the outside where I can kiss and squeeze them rather than have them kicking my ribs :-) One major task that’s being accomplished in these last few weeks is the development of Molly’s immune system. My body is hard at work passing on antibodies from my bloodstream to hers that will protect her against viruses and bacteria that are currently in our environment or that I may have encountered in the past. These immunities will continue to be passed into her bloodstream through the umbilical cord until it is cut, at which point my breastmilk will take over as her major source of immunity until her immune system is mature enough to handle these threats on its own. Pretty cool, huh? I’m continually amazed at how God has worked out this whole system so perfectly!

32 Weeks: School's Out for the Summer!

Sweet Freedom!!! The school year is over! The last month has been incredibly busy as the school year has been wrapping up. Between administering EOG (end-of-grade) tests, chaperoning the 3-day 8th grade trip to Williamsburg, planning 8th grade graduation, and generally just keeping the kids under control, I feel like I've just run a marathon. Amongst all the craziness, our teaching staff still found some time to have a little "baby fun". One of my co-workers, Rayna, is also pregnant (far right in photo). Everyone else got in on the fun with some help from a few watermelons. The funny thing is, it looks like I'm just carrying a watermelon under my shirt just like everyone else! On top of teacher duties, the last month has also been filled with more baby showers, lots of travel, and another crash of our computer. But now that life is slowing down and with the help of a new computer, we're back in the blogging business. I apologize for the hiatus. I did manage to find some time to have my blossoming belly henna tattooed, thanks to the skills of an OCS student's mom. Don't worry, Papa...it's NOT real and it's already worn off ;-)

We received GREAT news at our last ultrasound: The placenta previa is completely resolved. Since the placenta is no longer covering the cervix, we've been cleared for a natural delivery at the Birth Center. Eric and I both breathed a big sigh of relief when we received that news. Thank you so much to all of you who've been praying for the situation. We didn't get too much else out of ultrasound because it appears we have a stubborn little wiggle-worm on our hands. Throughout the entire ultrasound, Molly had her face jammed right up against the edge of my uterus. It was like trying to take a picture of someone's face while holding the camera about 2 inches from their nose. The ultrasound technician said it looked like she was trying to peek out at us. Her eyes were open the whole time as if she really did want to get a glimpse at the world outside. She was also showing off a bit for her proud parents. Several times, she took her entire fist and popped it into her mouth and then popped it out again. It's not a skill that will get her into any Ivy League schools, but we found it quite amusing.

For Memorial Day weekend, Eric and I traveled to Pittsburgh for a marathon weekend that included two baby showers (one for me and one for Eric's cousin) and an engagement party. Other than some swollen ankles and arriving home a bit tired, we survived the weekend and had a fantastic time visiting with many family members that we haven't seen since Christmas. Eric's mom hosted a fun baby shower on her back porch which looked like it had been transformed into baby-themed Italian cafe with bistro tables, flowers, and colorful tablecloths. I was overwhelmed by all the generous and adorable gifts we received, including our entire nursery set. Eric and I were both so excited that, as soon as we got home, we assembled the crib and set up all the bedding...dust ruffle, bumper, and all. It really looks like a nursery now and not just a guest room filled with baby clothes. It's hard to believe that in about 8 weeks there's going to be a little tiny person moving into our house and our lives. Sometimes it seems to have gone so fast.

It's a good thing that school is done because, as I'm heading into the 8th month of pregnancy, all of the third trimester symptoms have kicked into overdrive...fatigue, heartburn, swelling, backache, and an extremely active little girl who's running out of room and has taken to invading my ribcage as a means of enlarging her living quarters. I'm just thankful to be home in my air conditioning with my feet up, sipping a large glass of ice water, and spending some precious quality time with Eric as we await the new member of our family. As we start the 8th month, Molly is weighing in at about 4 pounds and is approaching her full-term length at around 19 inches long. My midwife is convinced we're in for a "tall" baby despite two petite parents because, when she feels Molly from the outside, her torso takes up nearly the entire length of my abdomen (which may explain the feet lodged in my ribcage). The genes for height are there on both sides...we'll just have to wait and see! As Molly packs on the pounds, her skin has moved from transparent to opaque due to fat accumulating under her skin. By the time she makes her debut to the world, she'll hopefully be a pleasantly plump little baby. I think my before-bed snack of ice cream may help out in this department. It's the only thing that really prevents night-time heartburn. That's my story and I'm sticking to it ;-)