Happy Birthday Mommy!

Happy Birthday Mommy!

Love you & miss you; can't wait to see you in December!

Jet Set Bebe

If you could get frequent flyer miles in utero, this baby would probably have a return domestic flight by now! We've done two return flights to London, return flights to Bangkok via Dubai, return flights Bangkok to Koh Samui and today we are going down to Bristol.

This is my last flight for this pregnancy and I had to get a letter from my doctor saying I was "allowed" to fly. I find this slightly patronizing, but I'm flying Easy Jet and with most low cost airlines, they don't make things simple. In this case any woman more than 28 weeks pregnant needs a letter saying they are fit to fly.

I'm just down for one day for a conference and back up Friday night. Nothing exciting; I know some people think travelling for work is glamorous, but when you work for a charity it means cheap flights and even cheaper hotels, so nothing posh. It does mean I will accrue more TOIL (time off in lieu; time back rather than overtime) and have enough to take the day before Colin's aunt's wedding off as well as make my last day the 15th of December, rather than a half day on the 16th.

33 weeks

Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month.

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. They are rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and their skeleton is hardening. The bones in their skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for them to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as their brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

*How far along?: 33 weeks
*Total weight gain: Don't know
*How big is baby?: A honeydew or pineapple- at least it's fruit I've actually heard of this week.
*Maternity clothes?: Yes and I think I *finally* found a dress for Colin's Aunt's wedding on 11/28!

*Sleep?: Some nights are okay and some are crap.

*Best moment this week?: Getting the bebe's cot up and built

*Movement?: If you want to feel the bebe move all you have to do is stick your hand on my bump; the kid doesn't like people up in their space
*Food cravings?: No, but I'd like to hit up Tony Roma's while I can still manage to fit in some onion loaf and ribs in one sitting- I'm reaching the point where I get full quickly, but am hungry an hour later.
*Labor signs?: No
*Belly button in or out?: Innie
*What I miss: My hair being easy. I have a bazillion flyaways and my highlights are growing out too quickly because my hair is growing so fast.
*What I'm looking forward to: Throwing my 1st Thanksgiving in Scotland; our dining room table, chairs and sideboard arrived yesterday!

*Milestone: Hitting the 8 month mark

The Bacon Sniffles

I'm not going to debate the pros/cons of getting the H1N1 vaccine while pregnant; anyone can google WHO, CDC or NHS recommendations, but I will tell you my experience of it. I did my research and consulted my doctor and followed the advice that all pregnant women in the UK get the vaccine.
I got it yesterday and the only side-effect I have is a red area from the injection and it feels like someone punched me--I think my arm is more sore that it should be because I have to sleep on my side because of my bump. It didn't hurt and while we did sit and wait for quite a long time, I'm pretty sure that's because appointments never run on time at my doctor.

So this should mean no swine flu for me and added bonus, none for the bebe as I pass on my immunity to them. I like that last bit since otherwise babies can't get the vaccinne until 6 months at which point I'm guessing all the hub-bub will have died down.

32 weeks

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, they'll gain a third to half of their birth weight during the next 7 weeks as they fatten up for survival outside the womb. They now have toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Their skin is becoming soft and smooth as they plumps up in preparation for birth.

First bump picture in the new house, we haven't hung it yet so we propped the Cincinnati photo, that's normally in the background, up on the window sill for consistency ;)

*How far along?: 32 weeks

*Total weight gain: Don't know

*How big is baby?: Jicama- seriously how do they pick these things? I googled it and the baby weighs roughly as much as a full 2 liter of pop!

*Maternity clothes?: Yes; as you can tell from the photo above, I should no longer attempt to wear non-maternity tops, even if they are long line sweaters.

*Sleep?: Not as much as I'd like, but a bit better now Emma isn't as barky in the new house.

*Best moment this week?: Moving into our brand-spanking new house and taking a shower in my own home for the first time in over 5 years!

*Movement?: The bebe never used to move during the day and went nutso at night and now their movement is getting more consistent throughout the day, although still mostly at night.

*Food cravings?: Nope; but I'm excited Starbucks "red cups" are coming soon!

*Labor signs?: No

*Belly button in or out?: Innie

*What I miss: Having a telephone and real internet. We can't get a phone line until 11/19, so I can't call America or have America call me (it's expensive on cell phones) and the mobile internet connection isn't strong enough to support Skype.

*What I'm looking forward to: My last antenatal class; Colin comes with me and we get a tour of the hospital.

*Milestone: Going from owning a one bedroom flat to a 4 bedroom house!

Nina Flowers was robbed!

She wasn't crowned "America's next drag superstar" on RuPaul's Drag Race.

...oh well at least it was Bebe and not Rebecca Glasscock.

31 weeks

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. They weigh about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. They can turn their head from side to side, and their arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath their skin.

They're probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

*How far along?: 31 weeks

*Total weight gain: Don't know

*How big is baby?: 4 navel oranges

*Maternity clothes?: Yes; some tops are getting too short :(

*Sleep?: Not well that is for sure. My new wedge pillow helps, but not enough!

*Best moment this week?: Seeing the bebe squirming and smiling in 3D/4D!

*Movement?: Yup. Although the bebe refused to move when we wanted them to during the scan and their hands/feet were over their face. Cheeky little thing...

*Food cravings?: No, but I'm loving Colin's version of Philly Cheesesteaks he has been making me for dinner lately.

*Labor signs?: No

*Belly button in or out?: Innie

*What I miss: Drinking a Chai Latte or Cafe Mocha without my stomach hating me.

*What I'm looking forward to: Finishing packing and moving out of the flat.

*Milestone: Single figures for weeks left (9 and counting...)