Pregnancy Log - Week 34

July 12:
Tuesday marks the beginning of each week of my pregnancy, with August 23 being the (estimated) last of the Tuesdays to countdown to. Each new week, I'll be updated my pregnancy links on the sidebar so you can see what's going on with Daniel and me in general. Not much has happened on this first day - just wondering whether or not Daniel is laying sideways or head down, because I can't exactly tell. Tomorrow I'm seeing the doctor and hopefully he will be able to tell me. I'll keep you posted!
Later- We finally assembled the crib! It took us a bit of arguing and a lot of sweat (mostly owing to the fact that part of an already put together piece fell apart, the directions were vague and we didn't have the right sized allen wrench), but it's finally up! We don't have all of the bedding yet, but the mattress and pad is in, the Ocean Wonders Aquarium is attatched and the quilt that Addie made is hanging on the side. It seems like such a big place to sleep for such a little man.

July 13:
Went to the doctor's this morning and it was a little stressful. For one, it was hard for them to get a sample from me because I wasn't able to drink a lot of fluids that morning. Also, my blood pressure was a little elevated - they took it several (painful) times and each time the bottom number was just on the border of being too high. I also have been having some swelling in my hands, and to a lesser degree in my ankles. So I'm taking a 24 hour test to see if I have preeclampsia. Otherwise, things seem okay with me and Daniel. His heart rate was around 150. I have another appointment next week and hopefully the doctor can feel around to see how the baby is positioned.
I also did some more baby shopping using one of the gift cards I received. I bought a baby monitor with dual receivers, a folding laundrey organizer (as well as baby laundrey detergent, new nightgowns (to accomodate my growing tummy and take to the hospital) and some little necessities for baby care. I had enough left over to buy the new Harry Potter book on Saturday. I've been reading the books aloud to Daniel and me, so I figure it's a gift for both of us!

July 15:
I returned my 24 hour sample to the doctors this morning, had some more blood drawn, and was given a chart to monitor fetal movements. I won't know until Monday what the results are. In the meantime, I've started charting the kicks - I lay down for an hour three times a day and tally how many times I feel the baby move during that time. When I did it this evening, I started dozing off towards the end!
More baby shopping - I'm trying to get it all done while I still can. I went to a great children's consignment store called The Children's Trading Post and got a portable swing (it's part of the Ocean Wonders Aquarium line and is really adorable! It plays music and puts on a light show and is battery powered), a diaper genie, a baby headrest and a sleep sack. Everything that I bought looks new (or hasn't even been opened!) and is half of what it would cost new. Finding a place like this has really helped us out because many baby things are so expensive and you only end up using them for a few months to a year.
It feels good to have only a few things left to get - right now it's mainly the bedding. I've been looking around, but I'm reluctant to get a matching, pastel set with a print/pattern all over. I'd rather get some jewel toned or primary colored solids and a few printed things so I can mix and match. The other item I'd like to get is a glider-rocker but the main obstacles to that is being able to afford it and get it home!
Our baby safety class is tomorrow, so I'll have more then.

Sunday, July 17:

We attended our Safe Babies class yesterday. There were 3 other couples there and the instructor is the same one who teaches our Childbirthing Classes, so it was a very comfortable environment. We learned how to give CPR and the Heimlich maneuver to an infant and a child. It was a little scary, because not only did it make me think of what it would be like to have an emergency, but I also learned that both measures require using a lot of force. Other basic safety things were discussed too -like installing car seats, childproofing plugs and cords and fire hazards. Most of these things were things I had known about before, but hearing all of them at once reminded me how careful I need to be in preparing for the baby being mobile (and even before) and the kind of vigilance I'll need when the baby gets moving.
I've continued with the fetal monitoring. This morning, Daniel was slow to move but after I moved around some myself and had some juice, he perked up. Tomorrow, I'll find out whether or not my hypertension is part of preeclampsia.