Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Baby K - 36 Weeks and Counting



The problems I was having with my computer held me up on posting for a few days, there. I wanted to blog about all the cookies I made for the girls' (postponed due to a snow storm) Christmas dinner at school. I wanted to blog about the cute hair-cuts they got over the Christmas holidays. I wanted to blog about Maddie's big birthday blow-out. I wanted to blog about the cute and incredibly adorable Christmas show they just put on at school. I wanted to blog about their new dance lessons (ballet) and super cute little outfits. And, I wanted to blog about my latest pie, of course. But, all my photos were being held captive on my camera!

So, despite the fact that I still need to get a (working) external hard-drive or some other reliable method of storing all my photos...I did manage to free up some space on my computer just by doing a whole 'lotta deleting. And, I have downloaded photos.

But, as punishment for my being so disorganized and not holding on to the receipt for that stupid hard drive...the only photo I will share with you today is one of me. I look horrible and you will see why I never post photos of myself with braces on...and pregnant...with a girl...in a constant state of sleep deprivation. It just ain't pretty. But, anyway...

I'm 36 weeks and 4 days today. Little Baby K will BE HERE in 11 days. I cannot BELIEVE it. I had another ultrasound (of her) today and one of my heart. The one of my heart was ordered by the anaesthetist with whom I met last week. She was a bit concerned because I have a heart murmur and I've had some problems with palpitations in the past and a fair amount of breathlessness this pregnancy. She told me that the spinal drops your blood pressure a fair amount (mine is already low) and with certain types (?) of murmurs this can be a problem. I don't know what, exactly, she is looking for...I'm just hoping it all turns out okay. A lady I work with found out during her pregnancy that she had a defective valve and she had to have open heart surgery just after her baby was born. Can you imagine? I don't think I could be so brave and I really don't want to find out. I meet with my O.B. again on Thursday, so wish me luck that the results are all clear (for me and the baby)!

In the meantime...
here's what Baby K is up to right about now...

How your baby's growing:Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

{Baby K is kinda' head down...but mostly...head sideways. When I was pregnant with Maddie, the doctor tried to do one of these external versions on her. Obviously, it didn't work. Poor kiddos don't have much room inside of me. They must love getting out and stretching their legs!! Baby K also seems to have a fair amount of hair! I could see it floating around above her head during the ultrasound today. She had wicked hiccups again, too. I think ultrasounds give her the hiccups! Oh, and her cheeks have already become visibly chubby. So glad to see her packing on the baby fat. And so cute.}


2 comments:

WIDNEY WOMAN said...

Baby K, according to the 'book', now weighs more than Mini Me did when she was born. 1/2" longer too!

I can't believe she is almost here. And, sadly, I suspect your blogging will become sparse. We'll miss you and anxiously await the eventual updates.

I'll be praying for that heart thing and a smooth, perfect delivery. And that you get your braces off first - but don't they make you feel like a knocked up school girl?

Shan said...

I can`t believe she will be here so soon! Can`t wait to meet her. And see all the great pictures being held hostage on your camera.