The First Two Weeks

Wow! I can't believe two weeks have already past, and at the same time I can't believe it's only been two weeks (and to think my official due date is still two days away)! Brian and I are loving every moment with AJ, and are quite in awe of him. I am enjoying being home, and AJ and I are slowly settling into our own routine. Grandma Glandon helped us out tremondously the first week, but now we are mostly on our own!

AJ is a good baby, who really only fuses when he his hungry or naked. He's sleeping quite a bit, but does seem to be more awake during the day than at night. I have been having to wake him every four hours at night to feed him. He enjoys his bouncy seat and spending time on his tummy when he is awake. His favorite activities include eating and sleeping, and his least favorite activities are diaper changing and bath time (notice the common factor - he hates being naked)!

We just had his weight checked again today, and he has successfully made it back to his birth weight plus a few! He now weighs 8 lbs. 9 1/2 oz. I think I will let him sleep longer at night now!

Here are some pictures from the past couple of weeks! ENJOY!

AJ's first Buckeye basketball game! The Bucks were playing their sweet 16 game the night AJ came home from the hospital.

My boys - Nuge, Brian and AJ!

AJ's first experience in the bouncy seat. He loves it when we turn on the vibrate button.

AJ's first walk (3/25/07)!

AJ's first Dr.'s appointment (3/26/07). He only weighed 8 lbs. and a 1/2 oz. at this appointment, and was still only 19 1/2 inches long.

"Who's that handsome guy in the mirror?"

AJ's first real bath. He hated every moment of it, and continues to hate them!

One of my favorite pictures. He looks so sweet!

Look at me!

AJ can already hold his head up and turn it from side to side. He seems to like tummy time.

WHO CAN RESIST A SLEEPING BABY?

Passed out after a good meal!

All snuggled up!

Both mom and AJ getting some much needed rest!

Here's AJ after taking a walk. He looked so peaceful that I just let him sleep in his carrier.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALBERT JOSEPH (AJ) SAUER!

HE'S HERE! And here early! AJ Sauer arrived on March 20th, 2007 at 8:00 a.m. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 7 oz., and was 19 1/2 inches long (good thing he was 16 days early, otherwise he would have been a 10 pounder)! Brian and I actually went to the hospital around 10:30 p.m. on March 19th because I was having trouble feeling AJ move. Everything checked out perfect, he started moving, and we were sent home. Four hours later at 2:30 a.m. on March 20th, my water broke (a gush not a trickle). Brian went into panic mode thinking I was going to deliver right then and there on the bedroom floor, but we both managed to get our stuff together and were on our way to Mount Carmel East Hospital a little after 3:00 a.m. We turned around once to get Brian's cell phone, and we did have to stop and get gas. The contractions started in the car around 3:15 a.m., and we arrived at the hospital around 3:30 a.m. The nurse that sent me home earlier was still there and was with me through most of my delivery. By the time I was settled into the labor and delivery room I was already 100% effaced and 3 cm. dialated. The contractions were bearable for a short while, but the pain was all in my back and quickly intensified. By 6:00 a.m. I was 6 cm dialated and asking for the epidural (there is a reason these Doc's are God-like on a labor and delivery floor). Brian later told me that he about gaged as he watched him insert the needle into my back (all I felt was the previous numbing shot). At this point I thought I might get a couple of hours rest as I relished in the joy of modern anethesia medicine, but to my suprise I was complete and ready to push a little before 7 a.m. I couldn't feel a thing as the pushing began, so the nurse had to watch the monitor for my contraction to let me know when to "bear down." An hour later, our precious, perfect little son was born! We have been so blessed!

Dr. Friday showing off our new son! He came out screaming!

It's cold out here... someone get me a blanket!

Our little addition.

All together as a family!

I look just like my Daddy.

Even though it said "newborn," my going home sweater was a wee bit big!

Going home!

Into Week 38!

I saw the Dr. yesterday and the only change to report is that I have dilated another 1/2 centimeter. Labor could start today or three weeks from today! Please pray that it starts SOON!

Baby Growth in Week 38

Babies size vary around the last several weeks of pregnancy, but most likely your baby is between 17 and 20 inches long and weighs 6 ¼ to 7 ½ pounds.

Your baby is continuing to grow, but the vast majority of his/her organs are mature and fully functioning. The only exceptions are his/her brain and lungs. These two organs are at a point that they will function outside of the womb, but will also continue to mature during childhood.
You may have an idea of what your baby will look like. Maybe you want your baby to have Aunt Ellen’s red hair, your partner’s green eyes, or your father’s long legs. You most likely will not be able to tell right away what color of eyes your baby will have unless they are brown. If they are brown there is a good chance they will stay that way. However, if your baby’s eyes are gray or blue, they can stay that way or turn green, hazel, or brown. Normally this occurs by the time your baby is nine months old.

It Just Keeps Growing!

My belly looks bigger everyday, and everyday I wonder how it can possibly get any bigger! Here I am at 36 weeks and 5 days. When I saw this picture I thought to myself, "I can't believe I am walking around looking like this!" It's ALL baby!

The Final Shower!

Wow! AJ is already so loved! We spent this past Saturday at my mom's house for our last shower with my dear aunties and wonderful ladies from church. We played lots of games, ate good food and cake, laughed, and of course opened presents! We now have our stroller, changing pad and covers, crib sheets, more books, blankets, toys and clothes, and cousin Heidi's swing. Brian and I then made a trip to Babies R' Us to pick up the last few essentials with our gift cards. Mom and I are now busy finishing preparing for AJ's arrival (thank you mom - I'm not sure it would get done without you)! Thank you to all of our family and friends for your continued love and support! We are so very blessed!

Into Week 37!

I have been deceived, but in a VERY good way. All this time that I thought AJ might be lying sideways, he has actually been head down! I went to the Dr. on Friday and she told me that he is at a "-1 station (a baby still floating is at a -4)." When he reaches 0 he will be engaged in my pelvis, and he'll reach a +4 station just prior to delivery! When my Dr. realized how far down his head was in comparison with the rest of his body, she finally admitted that I will NOT be delivering a small baby (well, duh)! I am also 80% effaced and 1-2 cm. dilated. Hopefully, this means I will go into labor sooner rather than later! This was all very good news, and made my day. I think I would have cried if my body hadn't started doing anything! This Dr. visit made me believe that AJ is going to come out!

Baby Growth in Week 37

Your baby is most likely between 16 ½ to 19 ½ inches long and weighs 6 to 7 pounds.

Even though by the end of this week your baby is considered full term, it is still better in most situations for the baby to remain in the womb until he/she signals that they are ready to come out. If your baby has not turned and is not in the head down position, you should begin talking with your health care provider and partner regarding the various options that are available. There are several ways that babies can be turned. There are both natural techniques and medical techniques. Remember that breech presentations occur in about 1 in 25 full-term births.

Into Week 36!

Less than five weeks to go! My Dr. made the comment yesterday about the count down beginning next week when I start to see her on a weekly basis. I told her that the count down had already begun! She did mention that the baby's head might be down, but I don't think she's willing to make any good guesses until next week when "all the rules change." When I mentioned being nervous about AJ's size she assured me that I was measuring exactly what I should be (35 cm), but then made the comment that I am "all baby (have only gained 22 1/2 lbs) and he might be hiding something from us" (that's reassuring). I really doubt I am having a 6 pounder like my dear sister and cousin!

Spent several hours today at school preparing for my long-term sub. Have a tub full of materials ready for her, so now I can relax some about that. Now I need to work on making sure we have everything ready at home! Also, need to start thinking about what we need/want to take to the hospital and begin packing.

Baby Growth in Week 36

Your baby has grown to be between 16 and 19 inches long and weighs 5 ¾ to 6 ¾ pounds.

The fine downy hair, lanugo, that has covered you baby’s skin is beginning to disappear, along with the vernix caseosa. Vernix caseosa is the thick, creamy substance that has protected your baby’s skin while he/she has been submerged in amniotic fluid. Both of these are swallowed by your baby, along with additional amniotic fluid, which combine together to form meconium, or your baby’s first bowel movement.

Your baby should be in the head down position, but do not panic if he/she has yet to attain this position. If by next week he/she is still not head down, then your health care provider may suggest trying external cephalic version (this cannot be fun).

Work Shower!

What can I say? I work with an amazing group of women (and a few token men) who were sweet enough to have a shower for me after work on Wednesday. We now have our pack 'n play, my nursing stool, a boppy, a baby Bumbo (a special baby chair so the baby can sit and play on the floor once he has head control), a baby OSU dinnerware set, diapers, wipes, books, and more cute outfits! We even got a gift certificate for 4 free hours of babysitting. Looks like Brian and I might get to have a date night once AJ is born after all! Thanks everyone!

Beginning Week 35!

Well, nothing much new to report this week. Had an uneventful Dr.'s appointment on Monday (which is a very good thing). The Dr. did mention that our little guy's feet are on my left side and his head is possibly around my belly button, so obviously he hasn't dropped and isn't where he needs to be just yet! I also think he's putting pressure on some weird places which is causing me to sometimes experience a tingling sensation in the middle of the right side of my back, and to have brief periods where I cannot concentrate at all (Dr. says my blood pressure is probably dropping, mom seems to think so too). It just amazes me how much this little person can affect me in so many different ways!

Baby Growth in Week 35

Your baby is continuing to grow and most likely measures between 15 ¾ to 18 inches long and weighs 5 ½ to 6 pounds.

The vast majority of your baby's growth is complete by 35 weeks. His/her kidneys are completely developed, and the liver is beginning to process waste. Because your baby has grown so much, you will notice that he/she will no longer be performing an aerobic workout. There just is not enough room for somersaults. However, this does not mean you will not feel your baby move. His/her kickboxing routine should stay the same.

Beginning Week 34!

Brian had a snow day (and of course I did too) on Valentine's Day, so we spent the day finishing AJ's room. We bought some shelves, touched up the paint, cleaned out the closet, put away all his clothes, and hung everything up on the walls. I am waiting to get the curtains to put up and for the rest of his bedding. Then I will post updated pictures of his room! His room is now our favorite room in the house, and we are both very ready to meet our son. I had been feeling well-rested due to our five snow days in the past two weeks, but a long night at school for parent-teacher conferences and a terrible night's sleep just about did me in again! I have lots of pressure and have now started feeling it in my lower-back. I can't imagine how I can get any bigger and I still have almost 7 weeks to go! I am thankful that I haven't had any serious complications, or been assigned to bed rest, but I am ready to be done!

Baby Growth in Week 34

Most likely your baby is somewhere between 15 ½ to 17 ½ inches long and weighs around 5 to 5 ½ pounds.

During the last several weeks, we have discussed that your baby's body has begun to fill out with the formation of fat under his/her skin. This is an important part of development because these fat stores will help him/her to regulate their body temperature once they are born.
The central nervous system is continuing to mature, and the lungs are well developed. While most healthcare providers would ideally like you to carry up to 38 to 40 weeks, your baby has a good chance at surviving outside of your uterus at this time.

New Belly Pics!

Here are the latest shots of the belly at 32 weeks and 3 days. From the side, I think I actually look smaller than the last set of pictures (must be the way I am standing - arms down instead of having my hands on my hips). I certainly feel bigger EVERY day! These might be the last pictures of my "exposed" belly as the stretch marks may be too gross to photograph.

I thought I would post some comparison pictures. The top picture shows me now at 32 weeks and 3 days, and the bottom picture is from when I was about 19 weeks. WOW!

Shower WIth The PINKS!

My best girlfriends from high school ("The PINK Ladies") were sweet enough to have a baby shower for me! Most of us still live in central Ohio, and Denise, who lives in Kansas, just happened to be in town for the weekend. It was awesome to have everyone together again! Thanks girls for a wonderful day!

The PINKS: Amanda, Me, Megan, Denise, Michelle and Jessi!

Here is the busy toy elephant that Jessi "unknowingly" got for AJ (Brian put this on the registry because the elephant is the symbol for the Republican party, and Jessie is a big time Democrat)!

AJ received several cute little sports outfits. He will be ready for baseball season this summer!

Beginning Week 33!

I started the baby's scrapbook! I have the first page completed with his name, a space for his first picture, and date of birth. We are naming him Albert Joseph Sauer (calling him AJ). Now I need to get the page ready for his footprints to go on, so we can take it to the hospital when we deliver!

Baby Growth in Week 33

Your baby is approximately 15 ¼ to 17 ¼ inches long and weighs between 4 ½ to 5 pounds.

Your baby’s skin is beginning to look less red and less wrinkled. Fat stores are continuing to be deposited under his/her skin. His/her bones are all beginning to harden except for the skull. The skull needs to remain soft and pliable for delivery.

Shower With The Sauer's!

It's shower time! The first one was with all the wonderful ladies from Brian's side of the family (and my mom too)! Due to everyone's generosity, Brian claims his house no longer feels "big" (he's in for a rude awakening). We loaded up on clothes (including the all important Buckeye apparel), a Brutus crib mobile, toys, books, our crib mattress, the Snugli (baby backpack carrier), a diaper bag, blankets, towels, bathing supplies, baby monitor, and all kinds of other little baby goodies! Cousin Heidi is also letting us borrow her bassinet. We had a good time and Baby Sauer will be busy chasing all of his little girl cousins in another year or so!

Into Week 32!

Less than 9 weeks left to go! I have sincerely enjoyed being pregnant, and still get a big kick out of watching my belly move. It now just kind of rolls like a wave as the baby moves. Sometimes I even see it moving when I don't necessarily feel it (talk about strange)! However, I am not sleeping all that well, and I feel like I need a forklift everytime I want to roll over in bed. Brian has moved to the guest bedroom twice now, but who can blame him between the tossing and turning, and oh yeah, the snoring since my head gets so stuffed up at night! At one point last night Brian was in the guest bedroom, I was on the couch, and Nuge was sleeping peacefully in our bed. I must give my husband credit though, he has been quite good to me and it's so cute to watch him get excited about the arrival of our son! The pregnancy has gone quick up to this point, but it is now moving slowly as I anxiously await the end!

Baby Growth in Week 32

Your baby is anywhere from 15 to 17 inches long and weighs between 4 and 4 ½ pounds.

Your baby is continuing to grow. His/her toenails and fingernails have formed. The lungs are continuing to mature but will not reach full maturity for several more weeks. Your baby’s skeleton has completely formed, but his/her bones are very soft and pliable.

32 Week Dr. Appointment

Well, apparently I have gained a total of 20 lbs., but for some dumb reason I left my shoes on when I was weighed this time, so I am subtracting a pound! I really can't complain, I know. LOL! Still measuring right on target, baby's heartbeat still sounds good, blood pressure great, etc. I have had moments when I find it really hard to pay attention or focus on what's going on around me, and the Dr. said that my blood sugar is probably dropping and just to eat more frequent snacks that are high in carbs (probably the only time I'll hear that from a Dr.). Back again in another 2 weeks.

Hospital Tour

Brian and I toured the facilities at Mount Carment East. It was quick and comprehensive - just want I needed. Brian even mentioned that he is enjoying all this preparation for our little one. They showed us where to go when we arrive for delivery, the labor and delivery rooms (which are quite spacious), and the post-delivery rooms. Brian is so looking forward to sleeping on one of those chairs that supposedly turns into a bed. Not much action on the delivery floor while we were there, so all the nurses were having a pow-wow at the nurse's station (what do they do when there's no one delivering?). Everyone at work is making predictions for when I will have the baby, so we looked on the calendar for the full moon and there is one on April 2nd (3 days before my due date). I predict an Easter baby on April 8th.

Beginning Week 31!

Baby Growth in Week 31

Your baby is continuing to grow and has reached 15 inches in length and weighs anywhere from 3 ½ to 4 pounds.

Your baby is continuing to develop a layer of fat under his/her skin. This is in preparation for his/her arrival into the world and gives the baby more of a newborn appearance. During the next several weeks your baby will really begin to put on the weight. Remember the average size of a newborn is about 7 ½ pounds and 19 to 21 inches long.

Childbirth Class

We spent most of yesterday in our childbirth class with eight other expecting women! The class was actually taught by one of the RN's who works on the labor and delivery floor at Mount Carmel East where I will be delivering (apparently it was my Dr. who asked her to start teaching these classes). It was nice to learn about what to expect at the hospital, and it's what I appreciated most about the class. It sounds like they work hard to accomodate one's delivery expectations, while also reminding us to stay open-minded and flexible. Everyone's goal is a healthy baby and mom. We also learned and practiced some breathing techniques to control the pain of the contractions, and Brian learned how to take care of me while I go through them! This will be the one time I actually get him to give me massages! We got to see all the different kinds of cords I could potentially have hanging out of me, as well as the epidural needle, and Brian has decided that he's glad he just gets to be the "support." We also watched a video that showed 3 different births, but honestly I have seen almost as much from watching the birthing shows on the Discovery channel. Brian and I got the biggest surprise and laugh when our instructor pulled out the GIGANTIC maxi pad that I will be so lucky to wear after I give birth. Brian thought the disposable panties that go over the pad were especially "hot." I honestly could not believe how big this thing was, and wondered why they didn't just puts tabs on the sides like they do baby diapers to help keep it in place. It was funny to watch all of the men in the class curl up into their own fetal positions when the instructor explained to us how a baby boy is circumcised. Brian and I were also entertained by the young girl next to us who seemed overly concerend about her tatoo being cut into if she ended up with a C-section. All in all, it was nice day and several of the questions I'd had about the delivery aspect were answered. Mount Carmel also has two delivery rooms with tubs, which is something I could definitely see myself relaxing in, so I will be talking to my Dr. about this at the next appointment!

Doctor Appointment

Good news... NO diabetes for me! I figured as much since I hadn't heard anything about my glucose test, but it was nice to hear that I had passed with "flying colors." I have only gained a total of 16 pounds (only 1 pound in the last 2 weeks), so more good news! I was actually a little worried about it, but my Dr. said my weight was great for being this far along. I am measuring exactly where I should be (1 cm for each week), so that puts me at 29-30 cm. When we listened to the heartbeat this time, the Dr. also mentioned that it sounded like the baby had the hiccups. She hasn't really talked much about the baby's position, as I'm sure it will change 100 more times between now and delivery, but he has seemed to become a little more adventurous. I now feel him all over the place, but at night he does seem to settle low and I feel him best when it feels like he is lying sideways under my belly button. I head back in another 2 weeks!

Beginning Week 30!

Baby Growth in Week 30

Your baby has now grown to be 14 ¾ inches long and weighs about 3 pounds.

As your baby continues to grow, he/she takes up a larger portion of your uterus. You may not feel that your body can handle your growing baby, but it will compensate by allowing your uterus to extend underneath your rib cage.
Your baby’s eyes are becoming more mature, and now he/she can tell the difference between light and dark. Babies at 30 weeks can even follow a light source with their eyes. Once your baby is born, he/she will spend a great deal of time with their eyes closed. This is completely normal. Newborns only have the ability to focus on objects a few inches from their face. While “normal” adult vision is 20/20, a newborn’s vision is 20/400.

New Belly Pics!

I wasn't going to take new pictures for another week or two, but Katie requested these! Here I am at 28 weeks and 4 days. I don't know why, but for some reason I thought I hadn't really grown much since my last belly pics, but I about fainted when I saw these! I can't believe how much my belly has grown in just 3 weeks!

The baby's position can be felt from the outside now. I feel definite hard spots when his head or butt is pressed against my belly. He seems to be lying sideways most of the time. Grandma Bonnie also got to see him move for the first time last night (thanks for bringing your camera so we could take pictures).