Baby Timeline - Final Countdown, Weeks 33 & 34

March 20th: Mom hosted a sweet luncheon for me and some ladies in the ward I grew up in.

March 25th: OB appointment at 33 weeks 3 days - I gained 4.2 lbs in the last 2 weeks.  Wowza!  My blood pressure was high, but fundal height was measuring ahead at 35 cm and Baby's heartbeat sounded great!  Because of the kidney pyelectasis, the doctor is having me start antenatal testing twice a week from now until I deliver this sweet child.  That means that twice each week I'll go to the Fetal Diagnostics Unit at the hospital and do a Non-Stress Test (NST) and an Amniotic Fluid Index (AFI).  I start Monday.

Ben & I had our first, in a series of six, birth class.  We are taking classes at Bini Birth in Sherman Oaks and I think they will be great and super helpful - good information and knowledge plus learning and practicing coping mechanisms.

March 28th: My visiting teacher hosted the cutest baby shower for me and Babe!  The theme was the alphabet and we painted wood letters to hang in Baby's room - pictures to follow because they are so cute!  We also had a waffle bar with little waffles, syrup, peanut butter, Nutella, chocolate chips, strawberries, powdered sugar, and whipped cream.  Orange juice and water to drink.  And little bags of alphabet crackers from Trader Joe's as parting gifts!  Joanna & Natalie both made the effort to come from farther away and that was really special.

I can't believe I only got one picture!  Natalie & I with one of the letters I painted.  Baby J.  :)

Also, Ben's sister Ashley created the invitations and I love them!

March 29th: I am 34 weeks pregnant and totally exhausted.  Too exhausted to stop at the temple and take a bump picture after Church!

March 30th: First antenatal testing: amniotic fluid looks great (I was 13.something and normal is between 8 and 25.) and heart beat looks great!  I had a Braxton Hick while I was on the monitor and it was kind of cool to watch the line go up and come back down.  I hope I'll be singing the same tune in a few weeks.  :)

March 31st: To IKEA to buy Baby a dresser - we've got to get things in order now!

April 1st: Growth & Pyelectasis Follow-up scan at the Fetal Diagnostics Unit in the hospital.  Baby is looking good - I am so proud of him.  His growth is back up to about the 72nd percentile and his estimated weight is about 5.7 pounds.  The doctor could also tell that he has hair!  So cute.  The kidneys didn't look terribly worse, but they didn't look any better.  What was really interesting was that the doctor seemed to be able to see where the problem might be and it looks to be between the ureter and the bladder on one side.  Typically Pyelectasis will resolve on its own as the child grows up because the problem is due to immaturity of the kidney system, but it appears that we have an actual problem here, so that will not be the case.  Most likely some sort of intervention will be needed.  But, we won't really know anything more until we meet with the pediatric urologist on the 17th.  I'm so grateful for good medical care and the reassurance that Babe will receive the care and attention that he needs now and after birth!  What a blessing!

April 2nd: Antenatal testing.  Looking good!

April 4th & 5th: General Conference.  For some reason, maybe because families are talked about so much during conference, I have always counted conferences not being pregnant.  "Oh, another General Conference and I'm not pregnant.  Surely by next conference . . "  Well, last conference, I was pregnant, but I was totally out of it.  That was the day Alere came to get me all set up and I was connected to the Zofran pump and home IVs.  And this conference, I turned 35 weeks pregnant!  During conference one year ago I was saying "surely by next conference . ." and one year later, I am 5 weeks away from my due date.  I have always been blessed, but the blessings I have received in the past year seem to me like miracles.