34 Week Ultrasound Pictures!

Yesterday, Jason and I went for an ultrasound at 34 weeks. We were supposed to go at 36 weeks, but the baby had been doing this weird thing and so our midwife decided to bump it up. The best way I can describe it that it feels like the baby is vibrating quickly in my belly. Kind of like if you put your cell phone up to your stomach. Maybe even like the baby is getting the shivers or something in there. So we went for the ultrasound to make sure everything looked normal, and it did. The ultrasound technician even pointed out that the baby was practicing breathing (even though they don't breathe in there, since they are in fluid and get oxygen from the umbilical cord) which is a sign of fetal well-being. That was all Jason and I needed to hear.

While we were at it, the technician checked the growth again. The last time we had an ultrasound, the baby was about 4 lbs and I was 30.5 weeks along, which put the baby in the 78th percentile for weight. This time, the baby weighed in at 5 lbs. 14 oz. and I am 34 weeks along, which put the baby in the 80th percentile. So it just looks like we are going to have a bigger baby. The baby is gaining weight as it should be and is not jumping up in weight or anything; it's on the same trajectory as it was about a month ago, which is good. We were told we'll have another ultrasound to check growth again, probably around 37 or 38 weeks.

It was amazing seeing little peanut again. Here are two 3D pictures we got. The arm and hand were in front of his or her face, so these were the best we could get. So amazing!

Our Long Island Baby Shower and Nephew Zach's 1st Birthday!

This past weekend we had a big celebratory weekend in Long Island. My mom and sister threw me a lovely baby shower with our family and friends and we all had a great time.




It was held at my sister's house in Floral Park and was very cozy and intimate. We got many wonderful gifts: a handmade quilt and sweater set, cute little outfits, books, bottles, our bedding set, and much more! We now have just about everything we need for little peanut's arrival.












There were lots of little touches with me in mind, including calla lilies in the flower arrangements, yummy Long Island food favorites, my mom's homemade mini carrot cakes, and a Ben & Jerry's ice cream cake with the cutest message! The favors were adorable too (but I don't have a picture handy): my mom and sister made lime scented soy candles that were just beautiful and smelled amazing!










It was great to see family and friends and it was special for so many people to travel so far for the occasion.










Also, it was great to have some little ones around too. My cousin Susan's baby Ryan is 3 months old...





...as is our friend Amy's baby Juniper.





It was so fun to see Jason holding a little babe. Of course he's all smiles!



And last but not least, my cutie nephew Zach was walking all around. He turns 1 tomorrow on June 30th!








It was a great day and I felt very loved and supported by so many wonderful people. It doesn't get much better than that!



Then on Sunday, we stayed in Long Island for our nephew Zach's first birthday party. The little guy is now walking around on his own and is quite the explorer! It was a really nice gathering with close family and a few close friends.








Zachie got lots of nice presents...










...and had his first taste of chocolate and ice cream for the second time ever!

















It was a great weekend and we left Long Island very full from good food, friendship, and family love :)

Addendum to 30.5 week Ultrasound post

I had a doctor's appointment on Friday and found out an interesting little tidbit about the ultrasound we had the week before: Peanut's weight at around 4 lbs. puts him or her in the 78th percentile. Our midwife, Meg, told me we would definitely not be having a 6 lb baby, but probably more like an 8 or 9 pounder. Also, it is possible that this calculation of the baby's weight could be off. However, she said based on the baby's size at this point that we'll schedule a 36 week ultrasound so we can track the growth of the baby. I'm glad we'll get to see peanut one last time before he or she arrives. The pictures are better and better each time!

30.5 Week Ultrasound Pictures!

It seems today is a busy blogging day for me, since I've been a little lax lately with the updates. Jason and I have been looking forward to today's ultrasound since last week when we scheduled it and it was more amazing than we'd planned on it being. We got a couple of good pictures of the baby; one profile picture (those "bubbles" are the umbilical cord!) and one picture straight on of peanut's face.





The ultrasound technician did a bunch of measurements and gave us a ballpark range of the baby's growth. She estimated that the baby now weighs around 4 pounds! This got me a little alarmed, since the baby books I've been reading say the baby is approximately 3 pounds at 30 weeks. However, the ultrasound technician reassured me that 4 pounds was a normal weight and that it may even be off a little bit. Also, she said that since I was born at over 8 pounds and Jason was around 10 pounds, that we're genetically likely to have a "good-sized baby."

The last thing the technician was able to do is to take a 3D picture of the baby's face! It was so amazing to see this two dimensional snapshot change into a three dimensional image. She had to cut away some of the "noise" in the picture, which really made the features of the face stand out. The right side of the face is much clearer than the left. She tried several times to get another, but peanut kept putting his/her hands up, or turning away. We can't stop looking at the baby's beautiful features and we're more and more excited to meet this little cherub soon.

Putting Together the Stroller, Our Hotchkiss Baby Shower and Setting up the Crib

After driving 5 hours home from our weekend in Rochester, Jason just couldn't wait to put together the Stroller and Pack n' Play! I was able to get one good picture of him hard at work. He's so excited to be a papa and I feel lucky to have him as a partner in this incredible journey.



Then, last Tuesday some friends from Hotchkiss threw us a baby shower here on campus. It was held at Letty's house, and together with Liz and Elsie, they put on a wonderful event. There were probably around 30+ people there and everyone brought a sweet or savory dish to share. Good food, good friends, and many gifts to open. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to share. We were given little outfits, bath items, and books, to name a few. The group gift that many people contributed to was a large gift card to Buy Buy Baby which will help us out tremendously. It was so nice to have everyone together to celebrate with us. We feel lucky to have the love and support of so many people in the community.

The next day, Jason's mom Kim came to visit and brought some of the baby's furniture we got in Rochester. My mom's big gift to us was the crib and we bought the dresser (which we'll use also as a changing table). Jason and his mom carried both pieces of furniture up to our third floor apartment (what troopers!) and shortly after, Jason was hard at work putting the crib together.



Unfortunately, we ran into a little snag, as one of the side rails did not have the correct screw holes drilled....or something like that. We called the company and a new side rail is on its way. We don't have a completed picture of the crib because of this snag, and also, we're waiting until we get the bedding to show off the nursery. We've also got lots and lots of organizing to do in that room, and all of our closets need some weeding out and revamping. I guess you'll just have to be in suspense just a little bit longer!

Our First Baby Shower and Weekend in Rochester

Two weeks ago, we had our baby shower in Rochester! I'm a little late posting this, but it's been a really busy couple of weeks. Jason and I traveled up with my mom on Friday night and when we got in, we had a big family meal Jason's mom and dad prepared for a bunch of the family. It was really nice to have all of us together: in addition to the three of us and Jason's parents were his brother Eric, sister-in-law Alaina, niece Becca, Alaina's mom Renee (who's like another mom-in-law to us), Grandma Joan and her partner George, and Grandma Fran. Strip steaks, baked potatoes and green beans, not to mention good conversation and some laughs, as always!







Then on Saturday, we had the big event! We had a Jack-and-Jill shower, so both men and women were there to enjoy the festivities. Many of our friends and family came out to celebrate the upcoming arrival of "peanut" and we all had a great time.



There were lots of presents to open and many wonderfully thoughtful gifts were given.









As per our request, there were only a couple of games that were played. One was just for the boys, which involved having them line up and see who could drink 2oz of grapefruit juice out of a bottle the fastest. It was a sight to be seen!



We had amazing food that day too. BBQ chicken and ribs on the grill, salt potatoes, and fresh corn from Virginia! Not to mention all of the yummy snacks beforehand, and a beautiful shower cake that was just as delicious.









And to top it all off, the weather was gorgeous! It looked like rain earlier in the day, but the sun shone all day instead. It was picture perfect.







There are so many more pictures I'd love to share from the day, but can't fit them all. Check out this link to see all of the pictures Alaina took at the shower: http://maierfamilyphotos.shutterfly.com/becca/5320

Finally, we ended off on Sunday with a trip to the annual Lilac Festival and lunch at DiBellas (my favorite sandwich shop and a must-go place if you're ever in the Rochester area). Even though the lilacs had seen better days, we all had a fun time strolling the streets, eating Italian Ices, taking pictures at the Kodak smile benches, cheering on the 5K runners, and doing a little shopping at the vendors.















All in all, it was simply a wonderful weekend!