38 Weeks

I'm a little late posting this week, because technically tomorrow I will be 39 weeks!  YIKES!!  We are going to have a baby girl before we know it!  I am so excited and yet starting to get nervous again.  We had our check up with Dr. Adams yesterday and she said that Miss Brooke has definitely dropped very low and my body is preparing itself!  (No dilation yet, but all other signs are good!)  Dad told me that Mom had contractions before her water broke, so I'm hoping she passes that on to me, so there are no "surprises" and we can slowly prepare to leave for the hospital. (AKA, we can shower, etc.)
Brooke's heartrate is at 160, so still in the normal range and she is still moving like crazy!  Giving me some good kicks and punches.  I also had my whooping cough shot yesterday, which the doctors recommend now, so I can pass immunities onto her before she is born.  There have been so many outbreaks of this lately, why take the chance!

Not that the Werner Family doesn't have enough excitement coming in the months ahead, but Adam also received amazing news at work.  AGAIN!!!  He was asked to be a part of the team that will open a new PHH office in Buffalo, NY.  NO, WE ARE NOT MOVING!!!  Adam, will be in Buffalo temporarily from April until possibly December, but no longer than that. It is an amazing career opportunity for him and huge resume booster.  I couldn't be more proud of Adam both for being such an amazing husband and not-too-distant future Daddy!

Mood: Adam is very ready.  He has been ready for weeks.  I think I am ready now, but after my appointment yesterday, knowing that she is really getting ready and could come anyday now; I am definitely more nervous!

Energy: Adam says I am getting my burst of energy and doing some major nesting right now.  We have non-stop things to do to feel like the house is clean and ready for her!
Cravings: Well, I feel like the same as normal, but considering I have gained 7 pounds in 3 weeks, I guess I am eating more?  Or she has had a huge growth spurt!! 

Nausea: None

Total Weight Gain: 31 pounds

BEW update (per Babycenter):
Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

Baby Brooke Guessing Game!

http://bebepool.com/BrookeWerner

Yes, the time has come! Only 11 days to go, so we thought we would have a little fun over the next week to week and a half and have a Baby Pool to see when everyone thinks Miss Brooke Elizabeth Werner will arrive. Click on the link and enter your thoughts. We can't wait to see what everyone thinks!

Love,
Adam and Charlotte (aka DADDY AND MOMMY!!!!)

HINT: Her due date is October 19. :-)

37 Weeks = FULL TERM!!

Three (ish) weeks to go!!  Brooke is welcome to come anytime she likes at this point, although I have a feeling she will be late like her Mommy and Daddy!
Doctors appointment last week was informative.  We had the Group B Strep test and also checked if I am dilating yet and I am not.  I would have been very surprised if I was.  Her heart rate is still at a strong 140 and she is a growing little girl!  My iron is also still a little below the level they want in spite of my prescription, so I am *Attempting* to eat more broccoli.  I guess more than I was eating, at least!  Next appointment is tomorrow with Dr. Bing.

Daddy had a nice weekend of rest because he has been working so much, so I know he is ready for her to come too so that he can have a couple of weeks off!

We had our maternity pictures taken on Sunday by a very talented photographer named Megan Bond.  Didn't she do an AMAZING job?!?!?!?  She is still working on some of the editing, so I can't wait to order some prints once she is done.  We took them in her backyard and also at the front of our neighborhood.  Adam was such a good sport, because Megan and I both had a bunch of neat ideas from Pinterest that he had to try with us!  :-)

Mood: Getting excited!  At this point I am more excited than nervous, so I hope to stay that way!

Energy: Same as last week.  I am sleeping really well when I do sleep, so that is very helpful. It gives me the energy to get things done around the house after work.  I do nap every now and then, but probably only once a week or less.  Although, I hear from some mom's that I should "practice napping" so I have an easier time sleeping when she sleeps?  I was born a BOND; therefore, don't think I need the practice!  LOL

Cravings: No cravings other than the usual, but I feel like I am eating more, so I need to slow it down!

Nausea: None

Total Weight Gain: 28 pounds (ugh, almost to my max of 30, guess I will be going over that.  Poo!)

BEW update (per Babycenter):

Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

Maternity Pictures

Our photographer is VERY talented!!

Click here to view these pictures larger

Baby Shower Pictures

Click here to view these pictures larger

36 Weeks

Four weeks until our beautiful baby girl is here!  It is hard to believe (still!) that a person, A BABY, is growing in my belly and that if she was born right now, would look like a person.  God is AMAZING!

We finished our birthing and breast feeding classes and Adam and I both agree that they helped us with the reality of what will happen.  We know nothing can fully prepare you for labor, delivery and a new baby, but we at least have a better idea of what to expect and how to prepare.
This past weekend we cleaned out my car and installed the car seat.  My goal this weekend is to get all of our bags packed just in case anything unexpected arises!

Mood: Doing good!  Dr's appt today and Caleb and Seth birthday party this weekend.  Very excited!
Energy: Sleep has been better this week.  I think I may have found the most comfortable position with all the pillows.  I am still waking up every 1.5-2 hours to go to the bathroom, but my comfort level has definitely improved! 
Cravings: To have a healthy baby girl! heehee!  I have been hungry more often, because I can't eat as much in one sitting without being uncomfortable.
Nausea: None
Total Weight Gain: 26 pounds
BEW this week (per BabyCenter):

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

35 Weeks

Oh MY Goodness, look at that belly!!!!  I really think she has had a huge growth spurt this week!  Brooke is getting really good at laying on my bladder and jabbing me in the sides, but I love to feel all her movements!

My doctors appointment was rescheduled because two of the doctors were called out for an emergency, so I won't have any updates on that end until next week (and by then I will be almost full term!!!).

This weekend, we plan to get my car cleaned out and the car seat installed along with packing of our hospital bags.  Besides that, we are just going to relax, hang out and watch some football with friends since we won't get to do much of that for a while!

The second birthing class was really good!  It went into more detail about pain medication, the different stages of labor, pushing and breathing.  I think Adam and I both learned a lot.  Tonight is our breastfeeding class and I'm hoping to get a lot out of it, also.

Mood: Starting the feeling of: ok, I think I could handle going into labor soon.  I'm getting so big and uncomfortable, the "joys" of being pregnant are beginning to not be as appreciated as they have been!
Energy: It's ok.  I'm out of breath easy and sleeping is becoming quite a challege.  I'm having a lot of hip pain at night, so I have been trying a million different ways to get comfortable in the bed.  Luckily, while I am actually asleep, I am sleeping well.  
Cravings: Still, nothing unusual!
Nausea: Haven't had any heartburn this week, so maybe it was just a few days and then went away?  Cross my fingers!
Total Weight Gain: 24 pounds
BEW this week (per BabyCenter):
Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.