30 weeks.

Can you believe we are at 30 weeks??? I know i cant.If this little man stays put like he should we now only have 8 weeks to go until his arrival.
Its so amazing how quickly the time now feels like it has gone.Everyone keeps saying these next 8 weeks will be the slowest time ever...but i dont think they will.We are all still convinced Carter will make an early appearance and so in saying that i managed to get all of his washing done this weekend.All of his clothes, and towels and blankets etc.I think we are almost ready for him!I actually feel kinda sad not really having much else to organise.lol.
But yeh, if he were to arrive tomorrow i think we would have pretty much everything we need.Which feels good!It means we can relax and just wait...hurry up and wait.
This week i got my first stretch mark, which is not really a normal stretch mark, it goes from my belly button upwards and its from having my navel pierced when i was younger.its about 1.5cm and is pretty deep and purple :( Aaron keeps telling me i should be really happy if thats all i manage to come out of this with...but i'm starting to think i am going to get the dreaded tire tracks because he is sitting so so low and i am getting quite big.Maybe it really would be nice if he came early...so to avoid much more damage.ha.
Nothing really exciting happened this week, we had a regular OB appointment, Carter is head down, he is measuring right on 30 weeks, Dr says he will be average or just below average size.My cervix is still perfect in length, even after the mishaps last week in the hospital!
We only have 2 weeks to go and we reached the goal that was set at the start of this whole pregnancy.My Dr says i can then sit back and take it easy and not worry too much about him coming early.It will be nice.
I am almost at 65kgs now, so just going on 10kgs heavier than pre-pregnancy.Sometimes to look at me you really would not think i have put on a single gram...but i can feel it and i am going to try and be careful for the next few weeks in case it gets out of hand.The least i put on that isn't necessary now, the least i will need to take off when he is here and i go back to normal.
Week 30
Did you know your baby is nearly three pounds now?
His head is getting larger to accommodate a period of rapid brain growth. Don't forget to continue to "teach" your baby in the womb by exposing to music, literature, and simply talking to him.
A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him. As he grows and fills your uterus, the amount of amniotic fluid will decrease. Funny, you certainly won't feel any lighter!
She spends more and more time practicing opening and closing eyelids. Her eyes can move from side to side, following a light source. She may even reach out to touch the light.
Early lanugo is beginning to disappear that served to protect your baby's skin from the water in the womb. Your little one's own hair may begin to appear.
Toenails are entering their final growth stage.
Bone marrow is now in charge of red blood cell production. These red blood cells will continue to service your child's body by transporting oxygen and removing the wastes (carbon monoxide and other gases).
Your baby has the capability now to produce tears -- yes, within the womb.
By the end of this week, your baby is now 15.7 inches (39.9cm) long and weighs 2.91 pounds (1319gm).

week 29-and OH! what a week it was!

What a week this has been! Honestly, i didnt think it could get any worse as each event happened.
The week started pleasantly, we celebrated Aarons 26th Birthday, he went to work as normal, and i cooked a lovely meal at home for him to come home to, as well as some yummy cakes :)
Dinner went great, we had mum home for the night too so she ate with us and then her and Aaron got stuck into a bit of arranging in the garage together.
At this point in the night, i was starting to experience some back pain out of nowhere...it got progressively worse in a short amount of time and i decided to sit/lay down while they did what they did.Aaron and i watched a movie, and i layed with my wheat pack on my back hoping to relieve some of the pain...i thought this had worked and managed to actually fall asleep on the couch...only to wake up an hour later, everyone else having gone to bed, and i could not move the pain was excruciating.
I attempted to get up and walk and it was clearly not going to be the easiest thing to do...i went in and told Aaron something was wrong, he could see that the pain was pretty bad.
I decided to try and have a shower and see if the warm water could help...it didnt.
When i got out of the shower i told him we need to go to the hospital and he was quick to get a few things together for us to take.After going to the hospital close to home and them not being able to actually do anything for me(they have no facilities for pregnancy related problems), we headed to Gold Coast hospital and straight to the emergency room, who directed us straight to the labour and delivery ward.We got in, i explained what i was feeling, they hooked my up to all the monitors, put the bands on me to monitor Carters heartbeat and any contractions i was having.At this stage they had taken a urine sample and determined i had an infection, but were not sure on the extent of it.
Aaron was falling asleep, i think it was about 3am at this point.
Carters heartbeat was loud on the monitor, he was doing well, and then he was not.
His heartbeat was fluctuating from 122-196 and at one stage the Dr lost it altogether.
I was having mild contractions, but nothing that would indicate labour.
At around 5am the Dr came in and told me that the infection had spread very rapidly to my kidneys and it was quite severe, i would be getting admitted right away to stay in and be put on an antibiotic drip.
I woke Aaron and before i knew it, he was in the elevator going down to go home and i was going up to have a permanent bed for the night.
I got a couple of hours sleep, and then the high risk Dr saw me first thing in the morning, she had already gone over my history and knew the risks associated with everything and had decided that our best shot right now was for me to have steroid injections (betamethasone) to strengthen Carters lungs in case he was to come right now.I didnt hesitate, i think i was too tired and worried to even think too much about what she was actually saying.
That needle...hurt...like...hell!! But it was the best chance he had.
By lunch that next day i was told that i wouldn't be leaving and i would be staying another night, staying on the drip and having to have another steroid shot in the morning before i could go home.So i spent the night again.
The next day i felt alot better, very tired but so ready to go home....i had the other shot (hurt like hell x2 this time)! we waited for my last round of antibiotics to go through the drip and then we went home.
All was well, i was put on a course of antibiotics for 10 days...But Carter was not moving...and did not move for almost 24 hours.
We cancelled our trip away we had planned and just waited to see if we needed to go back to the hospital or if perhaps he was just tired.
Saturday morning, he was back to normal and so we decided to take our 6 hour trip away to see Aarons family, everything was fine when we were away, Carter was over active if anything, but we were glad to get home on the Sunday so we weren't far away after the week we had had.
Aside from that, my car was assessed and they worked out that the damage done to it was $3031!!

Week 29
Your baby's head is in proportion with body now. He appears more like a newborn each and every day!
Fat continues to accumulate under the skin -- only now preparing for entering the *real world*.
Your baby's brain can control primitive breathing and body temperatures.
His eyes can move in their sockets. Soon he will be able to follow a blinking light.
Your baby is increasingly sensitive to changes in light, sound, taste, and smell! Various studies show that your baby may indicate preferences (or disdain) for particular tastes or odors at this stage
He is also moving from side to side, but probably still is head up. In the next few weeks, he will move to the head down birthing position. At times you may feel as if he is performing somersaults for a circus act!
Her length is now approximately 15.2 inches (38.6cm) and weight is 2.54 pounds (1153gm)

Week 28

This week we had all of our furniture from Sydney sent up and it arrived....unsafely!I wont even go into how disappointed with the service i am, we have a few bit of furniture which were destroyed in transit somehow and are now completely useless!Luckily though our cot and change table were in the original packaging unopened so they were safe, and so on Thursday Aaron and i put them together. It started off a bit badly, when one half of the cot decided it was going to fall directly on my stomach and this made for some sitting with some pain for about 20 mins, but in the end we survived and are ok.lol.Poor Carter is already getting bashed around.The furniture looks great and now as you can see the room is really starting to take shape and look like there is a baby coming very very soon.
Here is a snippet of his current wardrobe attire.Yes, there is quite alot...i have started sorting through it all and working out what i will use straight away and what will be stored for later dates...and then comes the washing...i have pulled most of the tags of things already.
I had my regular fortnightly OB appointment and again, everything looks fantastic! My cervix has shortened again since last time but it is still not in the red zone just yet.Carter looked great as usual and i am just waiting on the results of my 1 hour Glucose tolerance test i had the day before.Which this right here was a result of mind you!! OUCH!!My iron results were in and i am anaemic again and need to stay on supplements now until for probably a good 6 months solidly.UGH! i hate those things with a passion, but i will do what i need to do to make sure i am ok and in return then Carter will be ok.He is draining me lately...i am sooo tired, so sore and am already complaining that i want him out.haha.Not too long to go i suppose.
As it stands, at 28 weeks i have put on a total of 8kgs so far, which my Dr says is fantastic and i am doing a good job.I hope not to put on much more though!!
Carter is measuring 1 week ahead.
We bought a rocker/Bouncer this week for him too so thats another thing to cross off the list.Its the same brand as our Pram and is very nice.I got it for a great price too.Carter has been going nuts lately with kicking, and on Friday night he decided he was going to play little games with his Dad for a good half hour.Aaron was singing and mumbling on one spot on my tummy and Carter was responding to it by kicking each time he stopped.He actually managed to kick Aaron square in the chin at one point...maybe he didnt like his singing :P Aaron was stoked and it was very cute.They are already getting along like a house on fire. And i am completely in love with both of them.

Week 28
Eyebrows and eyelashes are now very noticeable!
Hair on baby's head is growing longer. Some babies are born with almost none at all, while others appear to be ready for their first haircut!
Eyes are completely formed now. Quite a view from inside!
Your baby's body is getting plump and rounded. Most of that increase is muscle tissue and bone. Fat will be added during the third trimester.
Muscle tone is improving. Preparation for the Olympics feels like it is taking place in your womb!
Lungs are capable of breathing now (but baby would still struggle and require medical attention if born now)
Talk to your baby often, reading stories, singing songs and more. He or she can recognize your voice now and will often calm to it later on!
Your baby weighs in now at 2.2 pounds (1005gm) and is 14.8 inches (37.6cm).

27 weeks- 3RD TRMESTER!

Yeh, we are getting pretty big now.heh.
We are officially in the home straight.The final trimester.It feels so strange being here already.We have 11 weeks to go until he is here and these last 6 or so months have really just flown by.
This week consisted of shopping and planning.
The shopping took us off to ToysRUs to buy Carters mattress for his cot, and while we were there we picked up our first boxes of nappies.2 jumbo boxes at that.
There were also a few little items of clothing that were too hard to resist for the price they were on sale for, and a very cute throw blanket which i decided is perfect for everyday int he pram.
Outside of shopping for him, we planned a trip to Kempsey for the ANZAC day weekend for Aaron and I to see his family, since it will probably be the last trip we make before Carter arrives due to it being so many hours away.
Aside from that we organised and booked the truck to bring our things from Sydney up here and hopefully they arrive within the week, then we can put his cot and change table together and really feel like we are making some progress towards his arrival.

Week 27
Your little one's brain continues its rapid growth. Don't forget to share music, conversation, and even books with your baby!
Response to sound grows more consistent toward the end of the seventh month, when the network of nerves to the ear is complete. Your baby's hearing continues to develop, he or she may start to recognize your voice as well as your partner's.
Lungs continue to grow and prepare for functioning outside of the womb. Each day in the womb greatly increases survival rates!
He also continues to take small breaths and although he's only breathing in water and not air, it's still good practice for when he's born.
Eyelids are now open more. Your baby can distinguish between light and dark.
Retinas have formed.
Your baby will grow over an inch this week alone! You may suspect this phenomenal growth rate repeats in the preteen years!
Average size is now 14.4 inches (36.6cm) and 1.9 pound (875gm).

26 weeks

So i arrived back in Sydney this week, as much as i didnt want to!! There was non stop rain and i was so afraid to get on the plane, and as it just so happens, with good cause too, the turbulence was terrible and i almost threw up at one stage, but thankfully i didnt and i arrived safe at GC airport to the wonderful smiling face of my fiance.
It was so good to see him after the terrible week i had,had.I think i hugged him for a good solid 5 mins without letting go before we even got out of the walkway.heh.
The week got full on straight away, with an OB appointment very early the next morning.It came with the good news that my cervix is really holding up fantastically and everything looks really great! Dr and i discussed what we will do in the coming weeks, and the plan is that we will continue to check my cervix for the reasons we have been until i hit 32-34 weeks, then we will just let nature take its course and if Carter decides to come early then they will do nothing to prevent it as his chances are good enough for survival...i still want him to be in there until the c-section date though...i want him to bake properly and get as strong as he can before he comes.
But, its at least good to know that basically in about 6 weeks or so we can sit back and relax, and know that things should go well from there on in.
Annnnnnnd i wont have to be poked and prodded!! Hooray! lol. I feel like thats all this pregnancy has been about, now i want to focus on him, his growth, his size and what he is up to.

We had a special ultrasound this week too, it was all put on video and Carter looked amazing and he was so photogenic.He was laying perfectly all the time even though he was kicking and carrying on!We got some wonderful footage of his face, he has chubby little cheeks and we saw his eyelids squeezed shut and he yawned, also he definitely so far has Aarons nose!!its the exact shape.once i get around to it i will try and post a bit of it.But i need to get it transferred to disk.He is 2 pounds,1 ounce (935grams)and measuring right on track.He is just below average for his gestational age,I do not think he will be a crazy big baby.which i'm glad about.He was such a good boy.
We have definitely had some changes this week, i am constantly tired, and yet cannot sleep at night.He never stops kicking and moving around, he is quite high alot of the time and i have trouble breathing, coughing and sneezing.My belly is exactly like a soccer ball has been eaten and its constantly obvious i am quite a fair way into this.I am always having random people asking me how long i have left now...not expecting it to still be 12 weeks.lol.Oh well...

Week 26

Your baby may weigh about 2 pounds now (average is 1.7 pound, 760gm) and is 14 inches (35.6cm) in length
To support the fetus's growing body, the spine is getting stronger and more supple. Though no longer than the span of the average adult hand, it is now made up of 150 joints, 33 rings, and some 1,000 ligaments.
Air sacs in the lungs form now.
Lungs begin to secrete a greasy substance called surfactant. Without surfactant the fetal lungs would stick together and couldn't expand after the baby is born.
Although they've been sealed shut for the last few months, your baby's eyes are opening and beginning to blink this week. Depending on ethnicity, some babies will be born with blue or gray-blue eyes (which may change color in the first 6 months of life) and some will be born with brown or dark eyes.
Retinas begin to form.
Brain wave activity for hearing and sight begins to be detectable.
Fetal brain scans show response to touch. If you shine a light on your abdomen, your baby will turn his head, which according to researchers, means his optic nerve is working.

25 weeks and a baby shower!

Carter and I set off for a trip to Sydney, back home to see friends and family and to attend my baby shower that was being held at my Aunts house.The week wasnt great, but the baby shower was alot of fun and am glad it went so well.It was great to see some family again that i have not seen in a long time,(some years infact!) and to have a day about me, and Carter and noone else.lol.He got spoilt by everyone with some wonderful things.Soooo many clothes and things like that, i will have so much washing to do before he comes!I love it all though! He is certainly going to be a very well dressed child thats for sure.Very fashionable even at a few days old.heh.Its os amazing how people get themselves so excited about a new baby coming.It makes you feel very special and appreciate them alot.

Here are a few pictures...there are more to come.
His first ever VANS! :), from his godmother (whom has spoilt him beyond belief and is sure to go broke before he is even here!)

Week 25
The structures of the spine begin to form--
Joints, ligaments and rings. These will protect the all important spinal cord which serves as the information transmitter for your child's body.
Blood vessels of the lungs develop.
Your baby's nostrils begin to open. There is a study out of Belfast that suggests babies at this stage have the capability of scent preferences!
The nerves around the mouth and lip area are showing more sensitivity now. When baby is rooting for food later on, these will be valuable!
His swallowing reflexes are developing.
Dexterity is improving. Your baby can make a fist and would clasp objects placed in palm.
Your child has now obtained an approximate length of 13.6 inches (34.6cm) and weighs 1.46 pound (660gm).