Baby Fact #9 and Update

Did you know? Only 5% of women give birth on their actual due date. In addition, labor and delivery takes an average of 15 hours for first-time moms.

Supergirl is right on schedule - about a week to go! She is the size of a mini-watermelon! It looks like she will be a full term baby. If we make it to our next appointment we will have to make a decision - to induce or to wait.

Baby Fact #8 and Update

Did you know? One out of three hundred births take place in a car in the United States. It’s a good thing we are only 5 minutes from the hospital and the roads we take en route have little traffic.

It’s week 38 . . . 2 more weeks (14 days) to go! She will be here in a fortnight! Everything is going according to plan. I still feel wonderful! Let’s pray for an easy delivery!

Baby Fact #7 and Update

Did you know? A Russian woman holds the record for having the most children. Between 1725 and 1765, she was pregnant 27 times and had 69 children. Zoinks!


Supergirl is 4+ pounds and 17+ inches now! Her kicks and turns are a little less cute and a little more “ouch” these days. She likes to aim for my bladder.

Scott and I attended a “Prepared Childbirth” class this past weekend and took a tour of the hospital. We learned A LOT and feel better prepared for the big day.

Baby Fact #6 and Update

Did you know? Pregnancy is a little longer than 9 months. A full-term pregnancy is 40 weeks or 280 days. Crunch these numbers:

30 days in a month X 9.3 months = 40 weeks

Week 32 is here! Our countdown is at 56 days! We had another good appointment, and will now be visiting the doctor every two weeks. We feel prepared and only have a few things left on our “To Do” list—finalize a pediatrician, settle on health insurance, take the weekend childbirth class, pack a bag, and add little touches to her nursery. If I’ve left anything off, someone please let me know! After all, memory decreases by 15% during pregnancy. I think they say it will return, but I can’t remember at the moment.

BabyCenter

If you are interested in learning more about pregnancy and early childhood development, you’ve got to explore http://www.babycenter.com/. I signed up for weekly e-mails that show me what our little girl looks like and explain how she is developing. They also share articles on the various changes taking place for moms and offer advice. This site might only interest moms, dads, and maybe grandparents-to-be. I have found it to be very helpful for researching my various questions and concerns.

Baby Fact #5 and Update

Did you know? Babies at this stage of development can open and close their eyes, and they can hear sounds. They have intervals of being awake and asleep, breathe small amounts of amniotic fluid, and get hiccups. They can suck their thumbs and even cry!

It’s week 28! Only 86 days or so to go! We had another good report at the doctor’s office this week. I took the glucose test, which consisted of a carbonated orange drink and a one-hour wait. It helps identify if I have gestational diabetes. The results came back in the normal range. I still feel wonderful as the third trimester begins!

Daddy's Girl Already

Our little lady has already won over her daddy! He calls her Supergirl and more recently has nicknamed her Little Ninja because of all her powerful kicks. When we registered for baby items, Daddy made sure things weren’t too gender neutral. Scott insisted on pink and flowery for quite a few items. Here is a onesie he had to have right away pictured with an Easter bunny from Auntie Janenne!

Baby Fact #4 and Update

Did you know? Pregnant women are hungry! According to BabyCenter.com, expectant moms should eat when they’re hungry . . . which means non-stop. During my first trimester, I read that I should only increase my caloric intake by 100 calories a day. Now I’ve learned that during the second trimester I should get 300 extra calories a day. YEAH! I suspect they should be “healthy” calories, however, . . . so I cannot justify ice cream sundaes every night.

It’s week 24! We had another appointment today with our doctor and had a good report. We heard the heartbeat again—156 beats per minute! This past week we discovered that she loves to move, especially to music. We saw a high school musical on Saturday—Big River. During Sunday’s church services we had a guest cellist, the handbell choir performed two songs, and the congregation sang several hymns with the organ. She enjoyed it all! Do we have a future musician on our hands? Well, maybe it’s just a coincidence.

Baby Fact #3 and Update

Did you know? Baby books and websites like to compare the growth of a baby with food items. Here are the comparative sizes from Week 4 to Week 40! Yum!

Poppy seed, sesame seed, lentil, blueberry, kidney bean, grape, kumquat, fig, lime, medium shrimp, lemon, apple, avocado, turnip, bell pepper, tomato, banana, carrot, spaghetti squash, mango, ear of corn, rutabaga, cucumber, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, butternut squash, cabbage, 4 large oranges, jicama, pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, crenshaw melon, Swish chard, leek, mini-watermelon, and finally a small pumpkin.

It’s week 21! Our little girl is now 10 ½ inches from head to heel—about the length of a carrot. Wow, that’s long! Her skin is changing from translucent to opaque, and she is swallowing now. The immune system is weaker during pregnancy, and, as a result, Kristen has been battling an upper respiratory infection. Other than a lingering cough, all is well with the pregnancy!

Baby Fact #2 and Update

Did you know? Sleeping on your back during the second and third trimester can decrease blood flow through the lower half of the body and back to the heart? With the increase weight of pregnancy and the baby, doctors recommend sleeping on the left side to prevent compression of the vena cava.

Week 18 is upon us, and the Foleys are enjoying a snow day on this Friday! We have about 9 inches on the ground, so we'll be bundled up in the house today.

Exciting news may be just around the corner. We are scheduled for an ultrasound on Lincoln’s birthday. If Baby Foley cooperates, we’ll learn if it’s a boy or girl. And Kristen’s mom-to-be books and websites tell us that she may begin to feel little flutters in the next few weeks. Boy, (or girl), this is fun stuff!

Baby Fact #1 and Update

Did you know? Babies are born with 300 bones (or cartilage). As he grows, some fuse together leaving the 206 bones of an adult skeleton.

We are in week 17 and the little tike is 5 inches long and weighs 5 ounces. We had an appointment on MLK Jr. Day and everything was great! We were able to hear the heartbeat again. So fun!