36 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 36 weeks

Size of baby: I didn’t get weights and measure this time but according to the Bump.com about the weight of a coconut but since I am 37 weeks tomorrow more like a watermelon:)

What’s baby doing:  Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. He’s shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during his 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 his 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 he’s in a head-down position. But if he 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. credit

Maternity Clothes: yep!

Gender: all boy! although daddy is still  insistent that its a girl

Baby’s Heart Rate: in the 140′s

Movement:  starting to decrease in the amount of movement which is completely normal for this stage of the game because he is running out of room in there but when he does move my whole belly moves its kinda freaky

What I miss: brushing my teeth without gaging and pants that fit maternity pants just don’t fit quite right they are always falling down and SLEEP!

Cravings: yep still craving root beer! ice cream of coarse, carbs and anything sweet

Weight: I am now at -13 pounds

My sugar numbers are all over the place. I seem to have the most trouble with my numbers 2 hours after lunch. They aren’t going to try meds yet because my other numbers are fairly low so we are still in a wait and see pattern. They are still just watching my sugar numbers fluctuate.  Today is also the farthest I made it with my pregnancy with Jacoby so I think we may be on borrowed time people!

Next appointment: Monday April 2nd!

JJ is 4

Ok so he turned 4 a few weeks ago but better late than never:)  So what is our current youngest soon to be middle child up to???  Well he is very much starting to act like the middle child (plus he is a Scorpio)...if you knew my sister Ali s we were growing up then you know JJ:)  Its a good thing the little blond haired, blue eyed boys is cute!!

He had his 4 year check up on his birthday and his stats were:

height 102.2 cm or 3 feet 4 1/4
weight: 38 pounds
bp:  86/52

The poor guy had 4 shots and blood drawn but he took it all with no tears!  The blood work all came back normal meaning is is completely cured of the lead poisoning.  We may never know the exact effect the lead had on him but at least his levels are back to normal.  He also received a referral for a Pediatric Sleep Specialist for his insomnia.  He sees the SS in January.  He also passed his hearing test with flying colors doing even better than Noah did, so having his adenoids out made a difference there:)

He is totally obsessed with Toy Story....he was woody for Halloween.  And when asked what he wanted his birthday cake to be of coarse he said Toy Story!

The Day the world stopped......

Where were you September 11, 2001???  I remember like it was yesterday.

It was a Tuesday.  I had gone to work and had a physical therapy appointment for my carpel tunnel.  The PT office was about a mile from work.  After an hour of PT I got in my car and drove back to work.  I was listening to WXLO and I remember thinking how weird that Peter Jennings was on the radio.  He was talking about a plane hitting the World Trade Center…..I thought it was some freak accident.  When I got back to the office most of my coworkers were in the cafe watching the news.  Once I saw what happened I knew things would never be the same.  I spent most of the day along with many of my co workers watching the events unfold.  For days after that’s all we watched on TV.  The one memory of that day that really stands out happened later that night.  Tuesday night was my bowling night.  I was on a women’s league with my mom.  It rained later in the day in NH, one of those quick late summer storms.  When we were leaving the bowling alley that night, we stood in the parking lot and chatted for a bit before heading to the usually Aloha Chinese Restaurant.  I looked up in the sky and there was a beautiful rainbow.  That was a sign for me that although the events of the day were horrible and would for ever change our country, it was a sign that things would be OK!

So on this the 10th anniversary of that horrific day I say Thank you to our service members and the hero’s that died on 09/11/01!

 

Christmas Cookies

I am making 3 varieties of cookies this Christmas.  I started them this past weekend and froze them all portioned and ready to bake:)  We spend Christmas at my parents house and I figured if I start early I may not  be overwhelmed…yeah right!!!!  Any-who, the first cookie I made is a new one for me so I thought I would share:)

 

Easy Kisses Cocoa Cookies

Ingredients

• About 48 HERSHEY’S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates (I used the Candy Cane Kisses instead)
• 1 pouch (17.5 oz.) BETTY CROCKER Sugar Cookie Mix
• 1/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa or HERSHEY’S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
• Powdered sugar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.
2.  Stir together cookie mix and cocoa. Add butter and pecans. Work with hands until dough forms   a  ball. Mold scant tablespoon of dough around each chocolate, covering completely. Shape into balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  
3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool about 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Roll in powdered sugar. Roll in powdered sugar again just before serving, if desired. About 4 dozen cookies.

Im So going there

I know I have stated before that I will try to stay away from anything religious or political but this one has my panties in a bunch!!  Supermodel Gisele Bundchen did an interview with Harper’s Bazaar UK for their September issue:

“New mom Gisele Bundchen–who famously gave birth to 8-month-old son Benjamin at home in a bathtub –tells the September issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK that she thinks breastfeeding should be mandatory for the first six months of the child’s life.  The 30-year-old supermodel told the magazine “Some people here [in the U.S.] think they don’t have to breastfeed, and I think ‘Are you going to give chemical food to your child when they are so little?’” adding “I think there should be a worldwide law, in my opinion, that mothers should breastfeed their babies for six months.”

In the interview, Mrs. Tom Brady also reveals her post-baby body secret: “I think breastfeeding really helped [me keep me figure].”

This was released in the media on August 2nd.  I have a few issues with her statements, especially after she recanted some of this the following day making the following statements on her blog:

“My intention in making a comment about the importance of breastfeeding has nothing to do with the law. It comes from my passion and beliefs about children.”

 

My first issue is that there is no mention of what if a mother can’t breast feed due to medical reasons.  In her recant she did mention that everyone has there own experience and she isn’t

there to judge.”  In my case I was given the option I could but due to some medications I take may or may not affect the baby, so I chose not too.  You want to know the truth I had no intention of breast feeding anyway, I was relieved when doctors gave me an out.  Does this make me a bad mom?  Maybe to some of you but you know what I don’t care:)  I made a decision I knew was best for me and ultimately my child.

Am I anti-breast feeding??  Of coarse not, if you want to breast feed please go right ahead.  Do I mind seeing it in public?? Not as long as you are breast feeding an infant and not your 6 year old (if you feel the need to breast feed your older child please do it at home), (Michaels Christmas 2008, is all I have to say to my family)!  Do I have a problem with people pushing breastfeeding on me???  Hell Ya!!!  My body, my child, my decision!!!  Do I feel like I have less of a bond with my children than a nursing mother????  Nope….so you know what Mrs. Brady…..bite me:)

If I have upset any of my readers I am sorry but this is my blog and my opinions… so like me or don’t:)

You Might Be a Mom...

* If  “we do not play with our penis in the living room” is part of daily conversation..you might be a mom

* If bed time is your favorite part of at least 2 days a week…you might be a mom

*If you watch your 2 year old blow a dust bunny across the dining room floor and giggle…you might be a mom

* If you drive a mini van and are ok with it…you might be a mom

* If you plan a vacation from work to tackle all the kids doctors, dentist and vision appointments..you might be a mom

* If you wake up every morning and here “Mornin Momma” and are immediately filled will a peaceful joyous feeling….you ARE a mom:)

Hug your kids today!