Baby girl at 35.5 weeks (May 18, 2010)

Here are the long-promised pictures from our ultrasound at 35.5 weeks.
Baby girl Brown weighed in at 6 lbs 5 oz in this ultrasound (which
puts her at the 70th percentile on the growth curve) with an amniotic
fluid index of 20 (which means she is VERY well hydrated!). Dr. H says
she has chubby cheeks and a chubby tummy and short little arms and
legs (maybe she'll take after Mommy in height) and a head full of
hair. And her head is well engaged in Mommy's pelvis (not that I
couldn't have told you that!).

I love these pictures of her chubby little face smashed into my
pelvis... Check out her "fish lips" look! She is obviously not starving!

In other news, we are 37+ weeks now and Baby girl can make her way
into the world anytime. Especially since I'm pretty certain my pelvis
has started to separate. And did I mention I'll be working full-time
(12 hour shifts on my feet delivering babies) until she gets here?

I'm sure I'll be writing a most-sad post at 40 weeks when she still
hasn't come. We already know how stubborn she can be!

Other news - Dave Ramsey would be proud! We officially paid off our
last debt and are now debt-free (except for our house)! What a
blessing to a) been able to pay off our debt in 2 years and b) bring
our daughter into a debt-free home. I am planning on returning to work
after Baby girl gets here, but being debt-free will allow me to be
able to work less and be at home with her more.

This is what I'm up to tomorrow...

And yes, they did make me pose for that picture. I love my "work
family"!

They are also doing a raffle to guess the weight and birthdate of Baby
girl. Unfortunately she has already surpassed half the guesses on the
board...

We're getting ready!

Baby girl is 35.5 weeks today and we are getting ready for her
arrival! Jim did a test run of the car seat last weekend while I was
in Seattle, and I did a test run of the car seat adaptor in our
stroller this morning. And a test run of a particularly cute onesie!

We had an ultrasound yesterday as well as a maternity photoshoot. Baby
girl is currently weighing in at 6 lbs 5 oz with a head full of chubby
cheeks fully engaged into my pelvis (and when I say engaged, I mean
ENGAGED!) and plenty of fluid. Dr. H was able to get a pouty-face shot
with those chubby cheeks. We'll post those pictures along with our
maternity photoshoot soon!

On the contraction front, I can't seem to make it through a shift
without contracting 3-4 minutes apart by the end. The good news is her
lungs are mature, so if I do go into labor, Dr. H will go ahead and
deliver her. I'm hoping to make it a few more weeks (but I'm hoping to
avoid the contractions and pelvic pressure for those weeks!).

34 weeks!

Baby girl is officially 34 weeks. I am officially uncomfortable.
Regular visits to the chiropractor are keeping me (somewhat) sane.
I've got Baby girl feet pushing my right ribs into my brain and my
right hip into the ground. Her elbow/hand regularly pushes my flat
belly button into an outie. Braxton hicks are now a part of my daily
life. On top of all that, we've had some really weird spring storms
passing through and Baby girl (and Mommy!) do not enjoy the increased
abdominal pressure.

On the other hand, I have to admit I am starting to freak out over how
fast this is all going. I can't believe we only have 6 short weeks
until Baby girl arrives. I do not feel ready to be a Mommy, and I'm
certainly not ready to give up having Jim all to myself!

The exciting event happening this week is our 34-week ultrasound. Jim
and I are both excited to see Baby girl's beautiful face again, and
I'm nervous to see what the ultrasound will tell us about our delivery
options. As you may remember, Baby girl is currently transverse and
seems very comfortable there. I'm curious to know why she is so
comfortable (placental placement, short cord, tangled cord, etc.).
This ultrasound will tell us which delivery option will be safest or
both Baby girl and me (and we'll get some cute new pictures to share!).

Nursery complete!

We will be 34 weeks pregnant tomorrow and I'm happy to report the
nursery is finished! (Actually we are still waiting on a crib
mattress, but other than that the room is complete).

Baby girl's clothes and bedding are all washed and put away, ready to
be used when she gets here! Her bag is packed as well and ready to go
to the hospital.

Check out the adorable tutu hanging above the toybox. My wonderful
friend Jordan made it to match the purple flowered hat and booties I
received earlier. I'm excited to get pictures done of Baby girl in the
whole ensemble.

Tomorrow marks 6 weeks until her due date - and the realization is
starting to sink in that she is coming and SOON! Especially as many of
our pregnant friends are "popping". Last week my friend Larie broke
her water at 37.5 weeks pregnant (at my baby shower too!) and it
dawned on me that I'm only 3.5 weeks away from that point.

Instead of having a complete meltdown over the fact that our days as a
two-person family are numbered, I've kicked my nesting into overdrive
(thus the completed nursery, packed hospital bags, reorganized
bathroom and kitchen, etc.). I'm not sure which Jim would have
preferred!

Nursery in progress

Here are a few pictures of the nursery (so far). The first picture is
of the toybox my Dad finished for me and now refinished for his
granddaughter. I think he did an amazing job! Mom made the cushion for
the top; it goes perfectly with Baby girl's bedding set. I'm still working on a crib mattress and a bookcase
to complete the furniture, and I have some shelves and pictures to
hang (as well as the sign).

Sorry for the poor quality of the pictures! I'll post some better ones
once the room is complete.

I had my first of three upcoming baby showers today. My wonderful
friend Jordan planned the event and it was so much fun! It was great
to see some old friends (and some new friends too!). Baby girl is
certainly blessed to have so many wonderful people in her life!