34 Weeks

Dear Little Guy,

Yesterday was Valentine's Day and we had your third trimester ultrasound. The medical reasons for the appointment were estimated fetal weight and amniotic fluid level check. Really, I just wanted to see you again and the doctor and midwife were nice enough to find a way to make that happen.

Your dad was sent to Baltimore for work and I didn't think he would make it to the appointment on time, which had me worried. Even though you were moving around a lot that morning, I was still scared I would receive some kind of bad news. I was hesitant about going to the appointment alone. I don't like going to your appointments on big days, and Valentine's Day is a pretty big one.

But your dad made it. He even beat me to the doctor's office!

It was the first time I could feel you move around when the ultrasound tech moved the wand around my belly. You were active, but you didn't seem to squirm a lot while she was taking a look at you. You did do some major repositioning when she was finished though.

You're too big to see your whole body on the screen now, so we had to look at you in sections. We saw and heard your little heart beating (145 bpm - yay!). We saw your stomach and your liver. We saw where the umbilical cord is attached to your tummy. We saw your little hands and your little feet. We even saw you moving your little eyes around.

And you have hair!! I can't wait to see what color it is. I have a feeling it's going to be blonde. I've read that eating spicy foods during pregnancy and having a lot of heart burn means the baby will be born with hair. I haven't been able to give up spicy foods and the heart burn I've been feeling lately has been intense. I'm excited that you'll actually have hair on your head!

You're head down and your knees and feet are what keep poking my right side. I hope that means you've already assumed the position for birth and won't become breech in the next six or seven weeks.

Your dad and I made guesses about your estimated weight a couple of days before your appointment. He said you would weigh about 7.5 pounds. I guessed 5.5 pounds.

Your estimated weight is 6lbs 6 oz.

You're estimated at just a few ounces below my birth weight.

You are on your way to being almost 10 pounds by the time I see you again.

I shouldn't be surprised. You have measured ahead and bigger than schedule every time we've had an ultrasound. I just hope that you and I can work together to get you out vaginally instead of a c-section.

You get hiccups just about every day. Usually once in the morning and once in the evening. I have been told by other moms that they find fetal hiccups annoying. I love them and am even amused by them. Since your head is down I tend to feel them in my lap more than my tummy. Just like every other movement you make, even if it's you kicking my bladder or my crotch, I can't complain because it means you are still doing okay.

In other news, my morning sickness has come back. It's the same as my first trimester - some days I have it, some days I don't. I also have the urge to pee every time I stand up and walk around. However, not much comes out when I try and go. It gives me something to do at work when I have trouble concentrating on my work, but I'm scared of getting a UTI or something.

Everyone keeps asking me how I'm sleeping, assuming I'm getting up numerous times to pee. I do get up several times, but it's because I wake up in pain. Then I think, "Hmm, maybe I should pee before I reposition myself." So I do. But I don't really have to go as bad as I think I do. Nope, I wake up with very bad knee and/or hip pain. Rolling over is a chore. It's difficult and painful. I've started seeing a chiropractor and that has helped with some of the back and pelvic pain I've been having.

Next week starts the beginning of my weekly OB visits. I can't believe that I should be holding you in my arms in the next month and a half or so!

Love,
Mommy