week 31.... down to single digit weeks left!!!

Fetal development in pregnancy week 31:fetus in seventh month Your not-so-little-one is just a bit closer to their birth weight and height at around 4 pounds and 17 inches. With each added layer of baby fat, your baby's skin starts to look more and more like it will when they finally get to see the light of day. The heavy news: you can expect your miracle-gro muffin to gain about a half a pound of weight per week from now until about two weeks before birth. Great. That's just what you needed. Even more weight to carry around!

Your baby's still-developing immune system has gained substantial strength over the past few weeks getting them in full gear to face our disease-ridden world o’ wonders. Obviously, a large majority of your child’s immune strength will be derived from exposure to breast milk as well as the outside elements. Their cute little noggin’ (which could already be covered with luscious locks or just purty peach fuzz), is still soft because the skull bones have not yet fused together. As much as that sounds a little too vulnerable, their “skull softness” allows for a much smoother passage through the birth canal during labor—something both you and your little swimmer will appreciate when it’s finally time to “go!” Also, some babies will have that “soft spot” on their head for up to one year after birth.

And how's mom doing? Have you felt anything you suspect might be contractions already? Braxton-Hick contractions are part and parcel of the second half of pregnancy and lucky for you, become more frequent during the third trimester. Cleverly dubbed “false labor” contractions, these spasms are an obnoxious fake-out and So next time you’ve got yourself a pair of damp head-lights in the grocery store, just go ahead and purchase the nursing pads to protect your clothes, bras, and any remaining shreds of dignity you can salvage shouldn’t be confused with premature labor. The fun part of having BH contractions is that it’s not unusual for them to be painful... and by fun, we mean “why oh why, does the third trimester mean everything is uncomfortable?” Still, just a heads up: if you notice the contractions more than four times in one hour, or even more glamorous—changes in your vaginal discharge, call your healthcare practitioner right away.

As for other third-trimester niceties; your nipples may be engaging in a bit of “pre-milk” expulsion at the most untimely moments. So next time you’ve got yourself a pair of damp head-lights in the grocery store, just go ahead and purchase the nursing pads to protect your clothes, bras, and any remaining shreds of dignity you can salvage

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As your magical growing baby obstinately refuses to shrink or give back any real-estate in your belly, you can sit back, "relax," and take in the heartburn and increased lower back pain. If you choose, you can always eat less with each meal, and instead opt for smaller more frequent meals, this should help the heartburn. As for your poor back, get off your feet and elevate them above your heart, double-check the names list, and how many key baby-items you’ve already got in your registry. If you’re lucky, you might just make it in less than eight weeks! Hang in there wonder-mom, we believe in you!

11 weeks left..... 77 days

WOW!! Only 11 weeks left. That seems like no time at all. Yes its still 2 and a half months. But that seems so short. And I feel more and more unprepared everyday. Hopefully he stays in till May and doesnt come too early. These past few weeks I have really LOVED being pregnant. It truly is amazing. Everyday after work I just sit in bed and play with my little guy. He is so playful. A few days ago I played music to my belly. Haha. It sounds silly I know. I bought this set from motherhood and it came with a dopler to listen to the heartbeat and little speakers to play music to or talk to your baby. It came with two classical CD's so I played some of the music to him the other day. And I think he loved it. He would move clear over to the side of my belly where the speaker was. He is very playful all the time. If I put one of my hands to my belly he moves over there and pushes on it. One of my favorite moments was when I was in the car driving with my mom. The sun was on my belly and he moved clear over there to where the sun was. I read that he opens his eyes a lot now so Im sure that he moved over there because it was so much brighter. I absolutely love how active he is. Even at night he is constantly moving and adjusting with me. I dont know when he sleeps. Because it seems like he is always kicking and pushing on me. At work when I lean up against the counter he kicks it back. My belly is very entertaining and most of my nights consist of me laying in bed playing with him. I havent felt him have the hiccups... yet. But im hoping that happens soon. That would really be entertaining.
I have come across a new name that I love. Breckan West Taylor. Im still chewing on it to see how I like it. But I really like it a lot. I do change my mind a lot though, so hopefully I will come to a decision before he gets here.
Life has been absolutely fantastic just in the past week. Things have really started to fall into place and I am not stressed out AT ALL.... I dont remember the last time I wasnt stressed to the max about financial issues or complications with a stupid boy. Its probably been since I was 15 years old. But it feels absolutely amazing. And I owe it all to my mom for all the support and help that she has given me.
I cant wait for two more months till my son gets here. It seems so silly to me to say that I have a son. Its going to take some adjusting to. I wont be the only "mommy" in the household. Life is changing fast and its taking some serious time to adjust to it. And hes not even here yet! But I love my life and the way that things are going. I couldnt be more blessed or ask for anything more.



Fetal development in pregnancy week 29:fetus in seventh month
If you’ve been feeling butterflies moving around in your belly, it’s not just your run-of-the-mill pre-birth performance anxiety. No, it’s your amazing baby with a case of the hiccups: a fairly common occurrence at this point resulting from practicing breathing for their big birthday. In addition, to getting a round of butterfly-like hiccups, your little swimmer has arduously managed to accumulate enough baby fat to account for nearly 3.5% of their overall body weight. Yeah, compared to we adults, it’s not a lot, but when they’re little like that—it’s certainly a healthy (and warming) accomplishment in its way. Another fantastic accomplishment: your baby's spleen is now in charge of hematopoiesis—the 10 dollar name for the process involved in building up certain important blood components. Another fantastic-accomplishment: your little monkey has been peeing into their amniotic sac for a little while now (this is why potty training takes a while) and if you didn’t know, actually swallows it along with the rest of the amniotic fluid. Although the concept is nasty, their urine is sterile and as part of the amniotic fluid base, is replaced several times throughout the day. So if you didn’t know before, now you can tell people, that yes, you drank your own urine—you were still in the womb, but nonetheless, you’ve been there.

And how's mom doing? Here’s another new-parenting-issue that you probably don’t have the time or energy to handle: the decision whether or not to breastfeed. If you thought this was one of the obvious ones (stick out breast, attach child, feeding commences!), think again. Right off the bat, there are women that simply cannot breastfeed for medical reasons—and have no choice in the matter but to opt for formula-feeding. Then there are the women who attempt to breast-feed and run out of milk, or the baby won’t latch on (they even have breast-feeding classes because despite the apparent animal-easiness of the behavior, some babies just don’t take to breastfeeding).
Now, if you are planning or deciding whether or not to breastfeed, here are some of the big reasons why it’s a great thing for you and your little “sucker”: breastfeeding actually releases a hormone that will help you relax (and if you don’t nurse milk production will actually cease: i.e. use it or lose it!). If you choose to breastfeed, your body will produce oxytocin—(no, not Oxycotin, Rush Limbaugh already took care of that), which actually increases uterine contractions to decrease post-birth vaginal bleeding.
And the vain reason to breastfeed: all that charming excess body fat you’ve gained is used for milk production, thus making it MUCH easier for you to return to you pre-pregnancy weight. Also, nursing mothers’ bones re-mineralize faster than those who don’t and are less likely to contract ovarian or uterine cancer before and after menopause. Not to mention the fact that breastfeeding means you’re directly bolstering your baby’s immune system. For even more reasons why your child will benefit from breastfeeding, visit womenshealth.gov.

surveyyy (: (: (:

Name: kayla

Birthdate: 11-13-1987

Current Age: 21

Height: 5'2"

Weight before pregnancy: 130

Current Weight: 146

When did you find out your were pregnant? September 2008

What was your reaction? I was really scared. I knew I was pregnant before I even took the test. But I still took like 8 of them.

Who did you tell first about the pregnancy? Kassie and then my mom.

Date of Conception? August 25 ish

Due Date? MAY 25!!!

Was the pregnancy planned? definitely not

How did your parents react? Like I expected them too. It was hard for them to take in.

How did your partner's parents react? They were less than thrilled.

Did you go to the doctor yet? Yes, a lot.

Did you have your first ultrasound? Yes I did on December 23.

Do you know the sex? Boy or Girl? Yes, its a boy. Hahaha

How is the baby's movement? He moves a TON! And I love every minute of it. I
sit in bed for hours just playin with him.

How is the baby's heartbeat? Last time the Dr. heard it, it was good. I have a
baby monitor thing I need to listen to him tonight. But hes been too small to hear it. Till now he should be big enough.

Baby's name? Kage, Keagun, Kagun, Shayde, Braxton, Brogan, Rayne... I have a lot. And I cant decide.

Who do you think the baby will look like? dark hair and blue eyes.

Mom to be's favorite foods? Steak and potatoes.

Mom to be's latest cravings? It was pickles and eggnog all thru november and
december.

Mom to be's latest "mom" moment? hmmm... whats a mom moment?

What was the first change you noticed in your body? My boobs got huge fast... and then never stopped getting bigger.

What was the latest change in your body? My belly is really gettin out there now. And my hair got really dark last week.

What is your sleep schedule? Usually I am up till 12 at least. Unless im super super tired. Then I sleep till 10 ish. But I want to start getting up at 830 0r 900. My days seem to go better when I start earlier.

What is your work schedule? 4-10 or 1030 usually... and 4 days a week or more

What is the last thing you bought for the baby? I havent bought anything yet. But everyone else has.

What was the last thing you bought for yourself? Food haha does that count. Uhhm.. Some stretch mark lotion.

Planned birth place? The hospital in St. George

Who will be in the room with you? My mom and maybe my sister. But I havent asked Shaylee yet. For sure my mom tho.

Are you scared? I am exremely horrified. But I have faith that everything will work out just the way that its supposed to.

Are you going to use drugs? uhhh... an epidural, yes please

How do you think you will react? To what? The baby? Im going to be in love. Im going to be relieved and happy when he is finally in my arms.

Have you started birthing classes? I took the lamaze class. And it was very helpful. But thats the only one I have heard of so far. I need to look into more if there is more. But I dont know if I need to, really.

What is the nursery theme? none yet. Black and white maybe cause thats the color of my furniture and the baby will be in my bedroom with me. But anything cowboy is a good theme

Are you going to breastfeed? yes.

What do you miss the most? Sleeping on my belly

What are you most looking forward to? Having my baby in my arms. And getting my body back to non whale size

holy holy holy.....12 weeks to go!

This past week has flown by. It seems like just a week ago I was sitting here typing about week 27 and my 6 month mark. Yesterday I had my lamaze class. It was very interesting. Me and mom went and I think she learned as much as I did. It was very informative and had a lot of information to take in. The worst part was watching a video that the instructor put in and then all the sudden there was a lady giving birth. She definitely didn't warn us about it. AND THEN after I thought I had seen it all, they showed the whole placenta coming out after. And all the people in the video were looking at it and examining it. It was pretty... TRAUMATIZING. Holy holy holy holy!! It was intense. I loved the class though. It was very interesting and I always love to read or talk about baby stuff. I learned all the stages of labor and what to expect. It was amazing. Im so glad that my mom was able to come. I would have never went alone, but I definately needed to go to this class.
Work has been intense to say the least. I am having a really hard time not being affected by what people say and how people treat me. Its hard enough that I know that I am single and the father isnt around. But its even harder to deal with it when my boss feels like she has to tell everyone that walks in the door my situation. It seems to be getting harder and more miserable to work. The shifts are the same, but by the end of the night it really wears on me.
My little man has been really active. He is really doing some massive flips and turns. I LOVE feeling him move and turn around. But last week holy holy my ribs to my tail bone was bruised. I think my body is just sore all the time now. It never has a chance to feel better. Haha. My little guy is in the "frank" position. He is head down but face up. And has both of his legs clear up by his head. Thats what "frank" position is. Where both legs are straight up by his head. The instructor said that when babies are in the womb like that after they are born as soon as you take the diaper off both legs go straight up like that. Hahaha. Throughout the entire ultrasound he was moving and opening and closing his mouth. It was crazy to see him open his mouth and move so much. I feel it all the time. But to SEE it was amazing.
The Dr said that the baby looked great. The baby is measuring 2 weeks smaller than he really is. But he said that I was measuring perfect. Not too much or too little weight gain. I also was tested for sugar diabetes and that came back great. There were no problems there.
I am having such a hard time choosing a baby name!! I dont even know if I still like the 3 that I put up on the poll. I change my mind all the time. For sure I am going to have his middle name be West and the last name Taylor. But I dont know what to do about the first name. So any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Pregnancy is amazing and I am really learning a lot about my body. I love every minute I have to just sit down and feel my baby kick me. Tee hee. I love how he reacts to everything I eat. Especially cold things. Orange juice really makes him kick. Ice cream too and he really starts moving around. I absolutely love every time I feel him move. It is the greatest part of being pregnant.


Fetal development in pregnancy week 28:fetus in seventh month You know how you’ve been feeling a bit like a barn with legs? Well, that feeling won’t subside before… well, you know, when you finally give birth. For the time being, you’ve got yourself a baby in the business of collecting fat and lots of it! In spite of the dubious joys of being a human-barn, this baby fat business is very serious and you’ve got to put up with it because it’s going to keep your little porker warm and healthy after birth. Other good stuff from inside: their eyes are doing lots of blinking this week because they’re now able to respond to light and dark. Also, their industrious little bone marrow is now a major construction site for developing red blood cells, while their super-cute adrenal glands are actually producing androgen and estrogen—which will stimulate your hormones to begin milk production. Can you say, “Moo?”

And how's mom doing? If you’re not already fully entrenched, it’s just about time to head into the Name Game field. If you haven’t yet landed on “the perfect name”, there are only about a trillion books (check them out at Amazon.com) and websites with head-spinning lists of name possibilities. You can always opt to invent You can always opt to invent a name as well (like say, “Thygor”). Obviously, naming isn’t always the most straightforward or easy process and not every couple has a name for their child even after birth. Really, just take your time and try to consider any possible mean nicknames they might be inflicted with once they hit adolescence (i.e. What happens when you name your kid “Willy"?).

As if we have to tell you: their little “cute” kicks are getting stronger these days, but just pay attention. If you notice a significant drop in the number of kicks experienced per hour it would be a good idea to tell your physician or mid-wife. But before you start getting anxious, keep in mind that during the final weeks of pregnancy your in-house-football player will be kicking significantly less as they will lack the space to move about as vigorously.

6 months!!

I am finally to the 6 month mark. I am officially really feeling all the symptoms of pregnancy. The more I read about being pregnant the more I feel like I am pregnant. My belly is all of the sudden HUGE. I no longer can sleep on my stomach. I havent been able to for a while. But sometimes I would wake up on my stomach in the middle of the night. I definnately cant do that anymore. I rarely make it asleep for an hour without having to wake up to pee or to switch up my sleeping positions. My emotions have been out of control. I should be an actress because I really can cry on command. Not just a few tears. I can really bawl for an hour if I want to. Life has really been hard for me lately. I have been through a lot these past few months and I still feel like I am struggling to come out of it. I feel like I have been walked all over by the people who I once thought were friends. I am struggling just to make ends meet and make it through the day. I have been walking a lot and trying to stay in shape. And work is really starting to take an affect on my body. Everything is taking affect on my body. I can no longer bend and move and pick things up the way that I used to. As horrible as I have made pregnancy sound, IT IS AMAZING. The little guy inside has really had an affect on my life. I love him more and more every single day. And this little dude will be more of a man for me to handle once he gets here. Dating has offically become awkward. I havent gone on a date simply for the fact that I look pregnant now and its awkard for ME to be sitting there with a stranger. As for things with the most recent ex, I think most of you know what has happened. And that was just the cherry topping to my horrible month. I think I took it so hard because I am pregnant and my horomones are not in tact. But I have really had a lot of time to think. Especially the 3 hour drive to wayne county today. Life is really starting to catch up with me. And I feel extremely overwhelmed and unprepared. The baby could be here any day. And with the problems and the "high risk pregnancy" my dr labeled me with he really could come ANY DAY. Lucky for me I have the most AMAZING family and I know that everything would work out perfectly no matter what happens. I cant wait for my little man to be here, everyday I wonder what he will look like and what life will be like once he comes here. I am still trying to move to wayne county. But with everything that has been going on with the pregnancy, it would be nice to stay here until the baby is born and safe in my arms. And close to a hospital in case something does happen.
In spite of all the down sides of pregnancy it is all worth it for the day that my son will be here. I am so excited to be a mother and experience all the joys and ups and downs up being a mother. Next time.... Ill just make sure I have a husband to help me through all of it. Its way too hard to go through it alone again.


Fetal development in pregnancy week 27:fetus in seventh month Your not-so-tiny-anymore brilliant baby(about 2 pounds and 14.5 inches long!) is slowly rotating in preparation to “head out.” Obviously, this doesn’t happen overnight, but when you start to feel an unfamiliar pressure on your cervix, you’ll know you’ve got a fully flipped baby locked and loaded for the countdown to their birthday! Even now, at the beginning of the third trimester, their little lungs are already capable of breathing air while the pulmonary vascular system can provide sufficient gas exchange and the central nervous system can generally regulate rhythmic breathing as well as their basal body temperature. For what it’s worth, at this point in a healthy pregnancy a premature child (with intensive care) could easily win on the show: “Survivor: The Early Years.”
And how's mom doing? You’ve worked hard, done your research, endured a plethora of joyless symptoms and would like nothing more than to have wonder-baby on the outside. Well, dig in for the final endurance round and say hello again to the familiar but not-so-lovable faces of fatigue and nausea. You guessed it, the dratted the third trimester is really a time to kick your baby-on-the-outside preparations into high gear: baby-proof the home or apartment, buy a car-seat, get a stroller, dress up the nursery and plan a space for diapering, keep mulling over possible names, and try to enjoy this time… hormone factory is once again running at full-tilt (and causing rapid hair growth), sigh…. Your (“yaaaawn”) fatigue stems from several factors, including the proverbial weight gain, shortness of breath and of course, sleep deprivation. (See week 29 for tips on how to alleviate fatigue!).
Yes, ladies, you’ve finally reached the infamous “live-on-the-toilet” stage. Your feet are bigger, your breasts are bigger, your belly is bigger, even your baby is bigger—and something’s gotta give. Annoyingly, nature didn’t choose your butt and instead opted to compress your bladder, which is now being completely squashed by your-super-sized-baby... all day long. So your best shot is to just accept the fact you’re going to need to urinate every 10 minutes (and if you manage to go longer, thank the good lord).
Of course breast tenderness is also very common at this phase as milk production is kicking in. Other thrilling third-trimester symptoms include more swelling (known as edema) and feeling like you live in a sweat factory as a result of increased basal body temperature. Thank your baby: this temperature increase stems from their body heat coupling with your own, which of course all adds up to one hot mama!
Just in case you don’t have enough things to stress out about: we’d like to remind you the third trimester is really a time to kick your baby-on-the-outside preparations into high gear: baby-proof the home or apartment, buy a car-seat, get a stroller, dress up the nursery and plan a space for diapering, keep mulling over possible names, and try to enjoy this time… when you’re not nauseous, constipated, running to the toilet, or just plain wiped out. (And don’t forget to get your sleep, be active, and eat well! Phewee! we're tired just thinking about what you're going through!)

14 weeks to go.... week 26

This past few weeks have been really crazy for me. From sleeping till 2 everyday and working till 1030 every night I cant seem to get enough sleep. And work has really been hard on me lately. My 6 hour shifts have seemed never ending. And sleeping at night has pretty much become impossible. The restless leg syndrome has really started to affect my sleeping hours. That and the constant back pains. Oh and not to mention the constant kicking from the inside. Its like as soon as I decide to wind down and go to sleep, he decides to play. I have been really starting to feel him a lot. He really is getting big. I can feel his whole arm, or leg, move across the top of my stomach. And you can SEE it when im laying down. Pregnancy is really interesting. I love being pregnant but some days more than others. I am now in week 26 which means I only have 14 weeks left..... 6 months and 1 week exactly. The short amount of time left is really stressing me out. I feel so unprepared! But i know that everything will fall into place.




Fetal development in pregnancy week 26:
At long last, your little swimmer can see the womb! Your miracle’s little eyelids have finally separated (they were fused closed previously) and they’re probably having their first moments of sight as you read this (or maybe it already happened while you were brushing your teeth or watching Oprah or something). In addition to seeing their little studio in your belly, they’ve recently acquired the ability to say “yes” and “no” in rudimentary sign language as they can now move their head back and forth. This is also the time where your little super star’s head hair is starting to grow! A cute little cowlick or two may be springing into position right now, getting ready for years of cute-but-stubborn bed-head. Also, their toenails have grown in and you little raisin continues to slowly pile up fat beneath their still-loose skin. Most importantly, brain tissue and neurons are all developing at a rapid pace, increasing their (genius-level?) brain activity and will continue to function at accelerated levels for the first seven to eight years of childhood!

And how's mom doing? This is the final week of your second trimester. We won't go on and on about the joys of constipation, but if you’re curious why you’ve got to put up with this much-less-than-fun blockage, it’s basically because you’re producing higher levels of progesterone, which relaxes muscle tissue throughout you’re producing higher levels of progesterone, which relaxes muscle tissue throughout your entire body,including the G.I. tract and ultimately slows digestion down… waaaay down. Not to fear, there are plenty of natural remedies for the joys of constipation, including: increasing your standard fiber intake with fruits and veggies, oatmeal, or whole grains (such as millet, rye and wheat). Another way to get things moving "down there" is to get yourself moving! If you haven’t been very active, try putting some time in walking or swimming. Increasing your general activity levels often inspires a bowel movement without requiring a suppository. Many women also experience restless and jittery legs during the second half of pregnancy. It’s a common condition known as Restless Leg Syndrome (or RLS—not a very creative name). Cutting out caffeine, stretching your calf muscles slowly, and some nice and deep muscle massages are generally effective ways to help deal with RLS.

Heres a few new pictures. Ill have to post some more when I get more creative with pregnancy picture ideas. If you have seen any cute ideas email me and let me know. I have been looking around a lot. And EMBER!!! I still want you to come out and take some professional looking pictures when I am like 8 or 9 months pregnant. So start looking for your flight tickets. And if you REALLY can come out let me know and we can try to plan the shower around then. Im really starting to get big! And my belly button is starting to be an outty~!

My whole body is changing a lot. Its hard to get used to. And I can no longer sleep on my belly. I havent for a long time. But sometimes I would wake up on my belly. Now if I lay down on my belly I look really awkward and high centered. Sometimes I just have to stretch out a little though and my belly is the only place that is comfy. Pretty soon Im going to cut a hole in my matress....

5 month baby bump

new hair do