7 Months Old

Age: 7 months

Approximate height and weight: 16.5 lbs, 27 in. 

Milestones: Where has the time gone?! I feel like my little baby is becoming more and more like a toddler each day. Here are some of the highlights of late:

• CRAWLING the day he officially turned 6 months-old. The first week or so, he was really wobbly and belly flopped a number of times, but after that, he was a pro. Until we expanded the baby fence to encompass the entire play area, I spent half of my time diverting him from going EVERYWHERE he wasn't supposed to be haha.
• Pulling himself up higher and higher, preferring to use the baby fence, his activity cube, US, and his jumper to brace himself. Leif said the first time BB fell from pulling himself up, he looked truly shocked by the impact... before proceeding to cry and getting lots of kisses on the head from Daddy.
• Breaking his first two teeth (the bottom middle ones)
• Enjoying his first solids! He was fairly indifferent about oatmeal but had a strong opinion about the green veggies we tried the following week... he did not find them tasty and went to the length of trying to claw the food off of his tongue with his fingers. However, after trying them several more times and diluting them a little with some oatmeal, he didn't think they were so bad. It was instant love with sweet potatoes and avocados, though! Right from the start, he did an admirable job of trying to feed himself with the spoon, but he still needs some practice lol. The sippy cup wasn't so natural for him. He'll tilt his head back to drink, but doesn't understand how to lift the cup high enough to get the milk, so we help him out with that.
• Consistently saying "ma ma ma ma ma ma" when he's distressed and needs me. I haven't heard it when he's happy yet. I swear I've heard "da da da da" when he wants to play and is looking for Daddy!
• Kneeling and then leaping forward like a pouncing cat.

Likes: Crawling everywhere like a baby on a mission, pulling himself up on everything, splashing in the bath, being read to and helping turn the pages, roaring like a dinosaur, crawling up mountains of blankets and pillows, playing peekaboo, strolling around the store in the big boy seat of the shopping cart, and spilling milk all over himself while practicing using a sippy cup.

Dislikes: He's warming up to going out and about, as long as he gets to sit in the shopping cart or crawl around where ever we're at! As much fun as he has climbing and crawling, it comes at a price when he falls on his face or bonks his head... thankfully, he gets over it quickly. He's not a big fan of bedtime, especially since we've been trying to implement a stricter schedule... it's a work in progress. Now that he can move around so well, it's a struggle getting him dressed, much like wrangling a lion. Half of the time, he gets impatient or I end up having to dress him while he's sitting up.

Memory: BB is appreciating his playtime with Daddy more and more, and he gets super excited whenever he sees him. Whenever Leif makes funny noises, BB goes crazy over it and he loves inspecting Leif's badge picture when he's home from work to "authenticate" that it's really him haha.

Mommy and Daddy: Things are going more smoothly now that BB is falling into a more regular routine. We're still very sleep deprived since the little guy likes to wake up every 1-4 hours to eat, but I'll never complain about holding and comforting him. We're getting more excited about everything we'll get to do as a family when the weather warms up and BB is walking like visiting the zoo and having picnics in the park.

6 Months Old

Age: 6 months

Approximate height and weight: 26.5 in., 15 lbs., 15.5 oz.

Milestones: Where to begin! He is such a little character and his personality continues to evolve every day. These are some of the major things he's been doing/accomplished:

• Becoming EVEN MORE vocal (mostly screaming at the top of his lungs for fun at all hours of the night... we think he might be trying to sing haha). He also babbles a bunch, making 1-2 syllable sounds with his favorite being "uh-uh" when he doesn't like something!
• Pulling himself into a wobbly sitting position, then graduating to being an unsupported sitter over the course of a few days.
• Seeming to understanding his name, along with "cat," "Mommy," "book," and "Daddy."
• Attempting to pull himself up to stand.
• Awkwardly crawling a couple feet here and there.
• Making huge strides in his dexterity being able to pick up and hold most objects that fit in his hands with a good amount of control.
• Gaining a deeper appreciation for books, his favorite still being "Uni the Unicorn," but "Noisy Baby Animals" comes in at a close second!
• Using his crib as a little training dojo where he performs daring gymnastic feats and enjoys throwing himself backwards to bounce on the mattress (with the unfortunate couple of cases of whacking his head on the bars).
• Entertaining himself for longer periods of time since he can move short distances to access the toys he wants and spend time slapping his lap like he's about to play patty-cake.
• Developing a sense of humor... much like my own. He likes to do silly things on purpose like grabbing his pants after I've taken them off to change him and chewing on them all while eyeing me with an excited little grin waiting for my reaction.

Likes: Ehren loves playing with all of his toys (especially the ones that make a lot of noise), sitting up and nearly crawling, listening to upbeat music, attempting to pet the cats (and them running away), using all objects as drumsticks and the world as his drum, and hearing then trying to replicate goofy sounds.

Dislikes: Going out in public (he'd much rather be at home playing with his toys), going to bed early (we're gently trying to sleep train him, but he fights it!), car seats and any other things that limit his movement, being fed by anyone besides Mommy, and this cold weather!

Memory: I hope his relationship with our cats is always so sweet. Whenever he sees them, he gives them the most adoring smile. Desperately, he tries calling them over by yelling and slapping his lap, but they understandably don't go for that... He also gets super excited when looking at pictures of cats - being a cat person must be genetic! Lol

We also got a noise complaint from our neighbors down below due to "pounding on the floor at all hours of the night." Well, it's more incentive to get him to sleep earlier and when he's kicking or tumbling up a storm after 10 p.m., he has to do it in his crib. I explained the situation to the leasing office and they said they will try to work with us... only my Buddy Bear!!

Mommy and Daddy: Leif is always so proud of BB and likes to "play video games" side-by-side with him (Ehren holding his toy controller and Leif on his Gameboy). BB being a six-month-old is bittersweet for me. While I'm so excited to see him grow, I'm already mourning the newborn stage a little (even as difficult as it was). This is all going too fast!

Quirks I don't want to forget: 

• Whenever Ehren starts getting really hungry, he gets the hiccups.
• Sometimes when we lie down to nurse, he gets so excited that he smiles huge and kicks his legs on the ground twice.

5 Months Old

Age: Twenty one weeks

Approximate height and weight: 25.5 inches, 15 lbs.

Milestones: BB continues to make huge strides in his development. Like the little athlete his is, he's been training very hard to crawl and sit up. Each day, he is able to push himself further up into sitting position and has mastered getting up onto his hands and knees. Sometimes he rocks on his hands and knees or digs one of his feet into the ground, but he still can't quite coordinate the movements to crawl. Seeing how much he's progressed since last month, I'm going to predict that we'll have a sitter and possibly a crawler by Christmastime! He seems to go through phases with his other new skills. One week, he was sticking out his tongue every five seconds, the next, he was screeching for fun, and now he has learned that he can communicate that he doesn't like something by saying "uh-uh." His "stranger danger" sense is getting more pronounced and he gets panicky when surrounded by a lot of people or being held too long by someone besides Mommy and Daddy. I know "stranger danger" is natural, but Leif and I are still going to make a point of getting him out more for socialization. It appears that he's responding to his name and has a reaction when I say "daddy" or "cat." When he turns six months, I'm hoping to teach him some sign language. I've already started occasionally using the signs for mommy, daddy, and milk, but he's still a little young to really register what I'm doing.

Likes: Lately, Ehren is fond of compulsively getting into crawling position, trying to push himself up to sit, gazing at mirrors, monitoring what our cats are up to 😺, drooling all over everything, playing with toys that crinkle, being read to, grabbing his feet, and getting tickled.

Dislikes: The little guy hates that he still can't crawl yet, but when he's determined to get somewhere, he does a combination of scooting and rolling to accomplish the task. I set up a few different play stations to switch between throughout the day and he typically doesn't like staying at one for more than 20 minutes tops. It's been easier to predict when he'll want to eat, so thankfully we don't have as many meltdowns over that anymore. He gets pretty bummed whenever we put him in the car seat since he hates being constrained and isn't a huge fan of going out. He ends up looking depressed most of the time and wishes he could be back in his play area moving around.

Memory: BB was chewing on this toy plane we got him and we didn't think much of it since it's a big hunk of plastic, but unfortunately, the slightly rough texture nicked his upper gums and started bleeding a lot. Ehren didn't cry or seem to notice, but it was scary for us seeing blood smeared all over his mouth and the wet rag we used to put pressure on it. It was hard keeping his hands away from the injury and from chewing on anything else, but luckily he was hungry and fell asleep after eating and gave it a chance to heal.

Mom and Dad: Leif and I's love for BB continues to grow every day and it's fun seeing the different personality traits of ours emerge in him. We're starting to get into a groove balancing family time, work, and all of our other obligations but it always feels like there are never enough hours in the day!

4 Months Old

Age: Sixteen weeks

Approximate height and weight: 25" inches, 14 lbs.,1.5 oz.

Milestones: It feels like BB changes every day! He's come so far in his movements, vocalizing, coordination, and focus. In the past month, I've seen him go from clumsily flipping himself over to skillfully rolling multiple times in a row across the room. Since mastering that, he's been obsessed with learning to crawl and sit up. He's at the point where his legs are doing the right thing, but he can't quite get his arms to cooperate, creating an "inchworm" effect. Most of the time, he prefers being in tummy time or sitting with support unless one of us is lying next to him reading a book. It's like he knows there's no time to waste if he wants to crawl sooner versus later!

He's made a ton of progress using his hands to grasp objects. Just a few weeks ago, he could only hold something for a few seconds if I put it in his hand, but now he actively grabs toys and objects of all sizes and can hold them for a minute or so depending. Now that he's getting into the teething stage, he enjoys using this new ability to put everything he encounters into his mouth!

BB's vision has improved substantially and you can tell he can focus on details, see more colors, and recognize us from a distance. He tracks us walking around and is even beginning to show interest in what the cats are doing.

His cries are becoming more distinct depending on what he wants and it seems like he's learning to hold out his arms when he wants to be held. Games and books are also getting more popular as his attention span grows and his communication skills become more refined. The range of sounds he makes is also expanding to include things like "ah" and "brrr."

Likes: Ehren loves working on crawling and sitting up, knocking over towers of blocks, looking around outside and in stores, reading books with Mommy and Daddy (and helping turn the pages), doing his little Irish jig, playing with (and chewing on) his high contrast flashcards, and getting kisses on the cheek. His favorite book by far is "Uni the Unicorn" and he's developed a love of unicorns and ponies.

Dislikes: Not being fed quickly enough is still at the top of the list! Also, since his awareness has increased, he's starting to become more finicky about being held by anyone besides Mommy and Daddy. It's becoming clearer when he needs to take a nap since he gets very grumpy and sometimes, he doesn't like taking a bottle being held sideways and wants to be upright so he can help hold the bottle.

Memory: I probably won't ever forget how BB reacts when we read him "Uni the Unicorn." Every time we even show him the cover, he gets super excited and many times, he squeals and laughs throughout the story. I've read it to him so many times that I have a lot of sound effects and comments that I add while reading it. I hope this means he'll be an avid reader some day like his parents! A mildly traumatic memory was when poor BB got scratched by Guen. She was chasing Bumblebee and jumped over BB, giving him a couple little nicks that I didn't even notice at first. When he cried, I thought it was just because he was startled by the experience, but then Leif noticed the scratches on his arm. Luckily, he healed without any ill effects...

Mom and Dad: We can't believe how fast BB is growing. As expected, we're both still pretty deathly tired all of the time, but we're cherish the little family time moments we have like watching a cartoon, going to the store or Donutland, or hanging out when Leif comes home for lunch.

3 Months Old

Age: Twelve Weeks

Approximate height and weight: 22 inches, 12 lbs., 2 oz.

Milestones: I don't know where to begin! Buddy Bear's development feels like it's flying by. Some highlights from the last four weeks include:

• More vocalizing, repeating sounds like "oooooouuu" especially when you talk to him
• Learning cause and effect (understanding that if he presses his toy piano key, it will light up and make sound)
• Rolling over more consistently, mostly from tummy to back but occasionally from back to tummy
• Better head and neck control during tummy time, including being able to look from side to side
• Discovering his fingers and regularly sucking on them
• Grasping objects and more rigorously batting dangling toys
• Laughing ❤
• Recognizing favorite toys and books and getting excited about them
• Sticking out his pointer finger (not sure if he understands what he's doing, but I show him things by pointing at them all of the time, so maybe...)
• Maintaining head and neck control when pulled up by his arms into a supported sitting position

He's also becoming more and more enthusiastic about visiting new places and taking walks outside. With his improving vision and ability to see more colors, he's enjoying discovering the world around him.

Likes: Ehren's favorite activities include hitting the keys on his piano toy, watching mommy and daddy animate his toys and action figures, looking at flowers and leaves, gazing at lamps, taking baths, working on rolling over and sitting up, listening to me talk about the animals in his "On the Farm" book, looking out the window, and being carried around at stores (the view isn't very good from his stroller).

Dislikes: It's getting a little harder to keep Ehren entertained since he gets tired of the same old activities (me too). I try to keep things fresh by mixing different toys together and learning new games. He's still fairly easy-going unless there's a delay in his feeding - then come the screams of rage.

His two month shots happened a few weeks ago, and as you can probably imagine, he was not a big fan. He handled swallowing the rotovirus vaccine pretty well but completely lost it when he got the shots in his legs. I cried at the sight of him being in so much pain. After we managed to calm him down, I thought we were through the worst of his reaction... but we were wrong. A few hours later, he started wailing in pain again and there's nothing I could do to console him. Leif was able to get him to quiet down for a few minutes at a time by holding him in a way that took the pressure off of his sore leg, but it wasn't sustainable. About an hour and a half passed before I broke down and called the 24/7 nurse who recommended giving him a little Tylenol and that thankfully worked almost immediately. At least we'll know what to do next time, but I think BB's days of liking his doctor's visits will soon be coming to an end.

Memory: Even though the two month shot experience was pretty traumatic for all involved, it was pretty funny seeing Ehren taste the cherry Tylenol. His eyes got super wide and it looked like the flavor about blew his mind. If he's anything like his parents, he'll have a huge sweet tooth. It was also pretty great seeing him learn to play his piano toy. I had been placing his hand on the keys each day and thought it would be a while before he could do it himself, but surprisingly one day, he reached out and started playing! The best thing is that I could tell he was really proud of himself.

Mom and Dad: Ehren is sleeping more and more and our sanity is slowly being restored lol. We're very fortunate that most days, he'll sleep from about 1 to 10 a.m. and takes periodic short naps. I know this may change with sleep regressions but for now, we're grateful. Now that Ehren is more engaged with his surroundings, it's more fun to do family outings to the library and Target. Leif likes showing Ehren all of the toys and even bought Ehren his first Transformer.

2 Months Old

Age: Eight weeks

Approximate height and weight: 21 inches, 11 lbs., 5 oz.

Milestones: Buddy Bear is continuing to astonish us with his rapid development! He's beginning to grab objects such as blankets, my finger, and my hair (ouch) and actively bats the dangling toys on his play mat. He smiles a bunch, sticks out his tongue, and continues building his strength through tummy time. As his vision improves (he can see around 18 in. now), he's becoming more interested in books and toys. His favorite book is a black and white Around the Farm book that features big prints of farm animals with bold patterns. Each day, I talk to him about the animals' features, what they say, and their spellings. He gets really excited about that.

Vocalizing has come a long way, and you may not believe me, but he seems to say "hi" sometimes! There have been a few instances where he'll look Leif and I right in the eye and say "hi" in an eerily low, mature voice. He also makes a lot of the expected "oooh" sounds and little yelps/barks. During weeks 5-6, he went through a "wonder week" where his awareness matured, causing several days of fussiness. I tried to make sure I was being extra attentive since this transition can be scary/unnerving for babies since they're easily overwhelmed. I can tell he's been through a couple growth spurts between wanting to feed and sleep more often and he's gaining approximately 1/2 an oz. per day, leading to some incredibly cute chubby cheeks, a double chin, and rolls on his arms and legs.

As the weeks pass, he's also developing a sleeping schedule (thank goodness). I find that he's the most active in the mid-morning through the early afternoon and the evening until about midnight. He sleeps the rest of the time aside from when he wakes to eat. He's regularly sleeping 4-6 hour stretches now!

Likes: Ehren loves staring at the contrast between light and shadow. If I ever want to buy myself 15-30 minutes, I turn his bassinet toward the window and lamp and he's thoroughly entertained. Any bright lights also bring him joy, but I fear he's going to damage his vision sometimes when he stares are them too long. Tummy time, his play mat, and walking around the apartment are still his favorite activities, but he's also taken a liking to being flown around the room like Superman and being lifted up in the air by Leif.

Dislikes: Even if he's doing his favorite activities, he tends to get bored after about 30 minutes at the most, so I have to keep an eye on his facial expressions to prevent him from getting too mad. Like last month, he's mostly relaxed unless there's a delay in his feeding or he wakes up and no one tends to him quick enough. We had an incident at Michael's where he got hungry suddenly and started screeching at the top of his lungs until I had a chance to feed him, so we try to make sure he's well fed before venturing out lol.

Memory: I'm happy to see Ehren getting more excited about the world. When we play games, he's more engaged and nothing is better than getting him to smile. I received a book with tons of games to play with babies and he really likes the one where I ask him where his tummy/arms/legs/feet/etc. are, pause, and say "there they/it are/is!" as I rub the part. The days are flying by and it's really true that even though the first few months are tough, there are so many little things to cherish like the way his head bobbles when he's holding it up, him snuggling against me, his gummy smile, and the way his eyes widen when you make a crazy face.

Mom and Dad: We've been getting into the swing of things and have been doing our best to take care of each other through all of the stress and sleep deprivation. Leif usually takes a short nap after he gets home from work and lets me sleep from around 8 or 9 p.m. until 12 or 1 a.m. Then, he sleeps until getting up for work in the morning. I grab a few more hours of sleep throughout the night and day, but am at least well-rested enough to get things done around the apartment and take Ehren for the many many walks he requires.

1 Month Old

Age: Four weeks

Approximate height and weight: 20 inches, 8 lbs., 1 oz.

Milestones: Ehren has hit the ground running in terms of achieving milestones. Right after he was born, he could already lift his head for up to 30 seconds and was great at making eye contact. One of the nurses even commented that they'd never seen a stronger newborn lol. He is showing strong reflexes and is a definite wiggle worm. At this point, he still can't see very far and his vision is black and white, but it's improving every day. During tummy time, he manages to flip himself over and hits/kicks objects that you dangle in front of him. He makes a lot of noises from grunting to puppy-like barks, and grabs my hair and shirt when I hold him. One of the best things has been seeing all of the little faces he's learning to make. Whenever something interests him, he purses his lips and looks genuinely astonished. He's managed a few smiles and has the most heartbreakingly-cute pouty face.

Likes: When he's in the mood for it, Ehren LOVES tummy time. Many times, he works on his army crawl and inches around, does the cobra pose, and even planks once in a while. He also enjoys going to the "art gallery" a.k.a. looking at all of the photos and magnets on our fridge. Leif and I read to him a lot and it's hit or miss if he's engaged in the illustrations or not. Lights, shadows, curtains flowing, dangling objects, and fans fascinate him, and his favorite place to be is asleep on mommy or daddy's chest.

Dislikes: Ehren is a pretty relaxed baby if all of his basic needs are met, however, once he gets hungry, he is very impatient and full of rage. We've taken him out for a few walks, but he's not a big fan of being strapped into his car seat. Now that he's over 8 pounds, we can begin using our baby carrier, so hopefully, he'll like going outside more after that. He's warming up to his playmat and swing, but he still doesn't last very long in them. He's come a long way sleeping in his bassinet, but still prefers sleeping next to one of us on the couch or being held.

Memory: There haven't been many episodes of being peed or pooped on so far, but the few incidents we have had were extreme. Leif and I have both experienced the projectile "missile launch" poops that sprayed at least a foot. I managed to dodge the blast when it happened to me, but poor Leif was blasted all over his shirt.

Mom and Dad: Leif and I are absolutely in love with our little guy. The last few weeks have been a major adjustment period, but despite the sleep deprivation, stress, and complete lifestyle change, we're very happy and seeing Ehren happy and content makes it all worth it.

Ehren's Birth Story

Ehren Gabriel, born Tuesday, June 12th at 5:20 a.m. 20 inches long, 7 lbs. and 4 oz.

Despite all of the prenatal classes I took and all of the advice I gathered from countless other parents, nothing could have prepared me for the fears, joys, surprises, stresses, and overpowering love that comes with having a child.

Ehren's birth story: As I mentioned in my previous posts, I'd been having contractions for a week or two, and by Saturday, June 9th, they'd become very intense and regular.

On Thursday the 7th, I had my cervix checked which seems to have set off my labor. That night, I was leaking blood and fluid, so I went into Labor and Delivery Friday morning. I had dilated to about 1 cm within about 18 hours but was sent home since my water hadn't broken. Friday night, the contractions began picking up and were 5-7 minutes apart by Saturday morning... so we went into Labor and Delivery again. This time, I was a little further dilated but still not enough to be admitted.

The contractions died down a little Saturday afternoon, but as soon as nighttime hit, I can pretty safely say that's when early labor went into full swing. Labor and Delivery said not to come in again unless the contractions were consistently 2-5 minutes apart for at least 2 hours, so I experienced about 36 hours of increasingly painful contractions that only allowed me to sleep in 5 minute intervals.

I had been too exhausted to walk around but Monday morning, I pushed myself to get in some activity and noticed that my contractions were then about 3 minutes apart.

I called my OBGYN office instead of Labor and Delivery and they said I should definitely go in and that I had labored at home long enough. Having been turned away multiple times already, I wasn't convinced that it wasn't another false alarm, however, Labor and Delivery immediately determined that I was 6 cm dialated and 80% effaced, so I was checked into a room right away. Leif had dropped me off at Labor and Delivery since I didn't want him to miss any work in the event that I was sent home again, so I surprised him with a call that I was in labor. I told the rest of my family and was on the verge of tears being overwhelmed with what was to come.

I hadn't made any final decisions about my birth plan since so many people told me that you need to be flexible and it was hard to make the call regarding pain medications. After consulting some family and doctors, I opted for the epidural, and Leif held my hand as I prayed I wouldn't have any negative side effects while it was being placed. Thankfully, it went smoothly and once the epidural kicked in, I felt so good that I was flooded with optimism about the experience. I even got a couple hours of sleep as I waited to dilate to 10 cm.

Dilating the rest of the way ended up taking much longer than expected but after my nap, I was refueled and ready to push. Pushing began a little after midnight and I was very slowly working Ehren down the birth canal. Unfortunately, after the first hour or two, he simply stopped advancing. My doctor wasn't on call so I had someone I hadn't met before. She said Ehren was in a slightly awkward position but there was still a chance I could deliver him naturally since he wasn't very large.

Since I had already invested so much time and wanted to avoid the risks and recovery related to my other birthing options, I decided to continue pushing. The nurses kept telling me I was pushing well, so I was crushed when another hour passed and I was told he still hadn't budged.

I was given the options of forceps, vacuum assistance, or a c section. I was told that forceps posed no risk to the baby (which I later found out isn't exactly accurate since they can damage the baby's brain, but fortunately there are no signs of that), so they tried using them twice with no success.

By this time, the epidural had worn off for the most part and the contractions were excruciating. Not wanting to use vacuum assistance, a c section was the only choice left, and by that time, I was so tired and frustrated with how everything went that I broke down. They pushed Ehren back up my birth canal and wheeled me to the operating room. We waited for my epidural to take effect again but it was taking too long. Even though I could still feel the anesthesiologist's test pokes, they decided to make the incision... and I could feel it. Within minutes, they put me to sleep and about 20 minutes later, I woke up shivering and coughing from the worst sore throat caused by the breathing tube. I was really out of it, but saw Leif holding Ehren out of the corner of my eye. After seeing Ehren, I immediately started crying again... this time, out of happiness and relief. Leif brought him over and I reached out to touch his hand, saying something along the lines of "Baby... baby, I love you, baby..."

I honestly don't remember much of the following 12 hours besides Ehren being briefly placed on my chest and him feeling so warm and looking very aware of his surroundings. Next thing I remember was the nurse telling me I spiked a fever from an infection and needed antibiotics. I think I passed out again and Leif took care of updating all of the family.

Once I came to, I was in an incredible amount of pain and was extremely sick. It was heartbreaking not being able to pick Ehren up out of the bassinet or help with his first bath, changing, etc. but I knew I needed to rest and get my strength back.

The following day, I focused on recovery and taking tiny steps toward walking and regaining some independence. I got to hold Ehren a lot but since he experienced some trauma during birth, he was somewhat fussy and was struggling with breastfeeding, however, that night, he came around and was like a completely different baby - very engaged, active, and curious about the world. With us both feeling a bit better, I could relax and better enjoy everything.

I wasn't sure how my anxiety would be with the sleep deprivation and trauma, but surprisingly, I only cried a few more times and either it was health-related or I was just so happy. Ehren did well on all his tests, got an 8/9 on his APGAR, and fell right in the middle for size percentiles. He had a bruise in his head from all of the pushing making him more susceptible to jaundice, but he didn't even develop that.

Even though so many things went wrong during labor, I can say that I am so grateful that Ehren is okay and I have almost made a full recovery. You never know how these things are going to go, but I have to tell myself that made the best decisions I could with the information I had. I feel like labor is an introduction to how much you're willing to endure and sacrifice for your child, and Ehren will always be worth it. 

Week 37

How far along: 37 weeks – began September 11, 2017.

Size of Baby: Honeydew melon (19 inches, 7 pounds)

Milestones: BB's lungs are just about perfected, and he is basically the length he will be at birth. His reflexes are quite strong, and if I were to put my finger in his palm, he'd grasp it so hard that I could nearly lift him up. BB will be born with about 70 reflexes designed to help him survive on the outside. 

Best Moment This Week: Ever since contractions were picked up on the non-stress test, I've been trying to pay more attention to see if I can detect them. Most of the time, I don't feel anything, but I'll happen to reach down and my belly is very firm. Other times, I experience a little cramping or pain that indicates one's happening. Not feeling every single one, I can't say for sure how many I'm having in a day or how close together they are, but I'm estimating it's between 10-12 a day, once or twice per hour. The OB didn't seem too concerned unless the contractions start getting closer together or my water breaks, of course... Next week, they'll start checking my cervix to see if it's softening/dilating. At my appointment, BB's heart rate was in the 140s-150s and he was still head-down. 

What I’m Looking Forward To: I'm feeling good about all of our preparations for when BB arrives! We had a few stressful days where we couldn't figure out how we were going to keep the bedroom cool enough for BB since the temperature kept spiking into the upper 80s. Maintenance gave us the best air conditioner they had and helped us strategically set up fans to maximize the cooling effect. If we run the air conditioner fairly regularly, it gets down to about 75 degrees, so we can live with that... It's just going to ramp up our electricity bill a little more than we were hoping. At least we'll only have to deal with the heat for a few months, so it's not the end of the world. 

What I Miss The Most: Trying to soak in the last few weeks of this pregnancy. I feel like I've been pregnant forever lol and it will be bittersweet having BB on the outside rather than snug in my belly. At the same time, it will be freeing being able to eat sushi again, go jogging, sleep on my stomach, and not worry about how everything I take or do affects him. 

Symptoms: Besides the contractions off and on, there hasn't been anything new. I've been a little neurotic about cleaning and organizing for a while now, but I guess you can say that's been on overdrive. 

Cravings: Cream cheese and bagels has continued to be a go-to, along with an occasional piece of cheesecake, and I found a low carb fruit-based popsicle that I have sometimes.

Week 36

How far along: 36 weeks – began September 11, 2017.

Size of Baby: Romaine lettuce (19 inches, 6 pounds)

Milestones: BB is continuing to shed his downy coating of hair and the waxy substance that protects his skin, or vernix caseosa. Interestingly enough, he is eating the substances to kick his digestive system into action. He is definitely head-down at this point and running out of room as he puts on his final pounds of fat. 

Best Moment This Week: It was definitely a week of excitement. At my 36 week ultrasound/appointment, everything looked great, but the doctor told me my amniotic fluid was low. The typical range for amniotic fluid is 5 to 25 cm. and mine was at about 6 cm. This was too far on the low end for my OB's comfort, so she scheduled me for another ultrasound and non-stress test the next day to see if it was continuing to get lower. My OB had a suspicion that I was dehydrated, but she wanted to make sure nothing else was going on. I loaded up on water the next 24 hours and my levels went up to 17 cm. It's amazing how much hydration impacts the fluid. BB rocked his non-stress test, but I was shocked to learn that some contractions were also picked up! I couldn't feel them, so my OB said that they must not be affecting my cervix yet. 

What I’m Looking Forward To: With less than a month to go, I'm nervously looking forward to meeting BB and experiencing a long line of "firsts." With all the ultrasounds I had (even though he doesn't seem to like to show his whole face!), I have a pretty good idea of what he'll look like. I'm also really excited to see Leif hold and interact with him and all of us becoming a little family. I know there will be lots of challenges and obstacles, but I know there will be plenty of moments that make up for all of the struggles. 

What I Miss The Most: As expected, my mobility has become considerably limited, which has made organizing the nursery area somewhat time-consuming, but I'm happy to pretty much have everything done. Our scare at the end of the week made me go into overdrive over the weekend cooking food to freeze, packing my hospital bag, finishing baby laundry, and organizing supplies. Leif was very helpful, building the changing table, crib, and moving heavier items. When I thought there was a possibility BB might come sooner than expected, I also had to scramble to get grants turned in and tie up loose ends at work on Friday. It was complete madness since I had planned for June 1 to be my last day at the earliest. The good news is that I got a lot of things done in record time, so now I'm basically prepared to leave work at any time.

Symptoms: Apparently contractions lol, but I'm unsure how often they are happening. It makes me worry that I won't know when I'm going into labor, but I guess I won't miss my water breaking and the painful contractions that follow. It might actually be nice to not know I'm experiencing early labor since it'll save me some suspense and anxiety. My foot is feeling better, although if I step on it wrong, it's still kind of tender and I get some pretty intense pelvic joint pain after sitting too long or sleeping.

Cravings: Enjoying having 1 1/2 mini bagels with cream cheese and protein cookies for snacks. Otherwise, it's been the same-old with meat and veggies, cheese and crackers, and low sugar fruit snacks. 

Week 35

How far along: 35 weeks – began September 11, 2017.

Size of Baby: Bunch of carrots (19 inches, 5.5 pounds)

Milestones: BB's skeletal development is nearly complete, and hopefully, by now, he is rotated into the right position for birth (still seems like it, I can feel him hiccuping in my lower belly right now as I type!). Within the next couple weeks, he should drop lower in my pelvis, known as "lightening," which will take some pressure off of my stomach and lungs... and place it on my bladder. Mostly, at this point, BB is refining his abilities, growing stronger, and gaining his last pounds of weight.

Best Moment This Week: It blows my mind to look back at the eight week ultrasound picture and know that my little peanut is a nearly fully grown little baby! I don't think I'll ever cease to be amazed by this whole process and the miracle of life. As this week comes to a close, I'm getting butterflies knowing that BB will be here in no more than four short weeks! Even though Leif and I have plenty of anxiety going into this, we're both experiencing the same level of warm fuzzies and inexpressible love for our BB.

What I’m Looking Forward To: We ended up splurging a little and getting a changing table, which we didn't originally plan on buying. After learning how much recovery time I'll need, especially if I end up needing a c-section, we felt like it was a good investment. Plus, this changing table will work as shelving for BB's room after he doesn't need it for changing anymore, and it was fun picking out a whale-themed cover for the changing pad. However, it's definitely been like a game of Tetris making everything fit in our bedroom. Thank you to Leif for building all of the furniture! 

What I Miss The Most: So far, reducing my carb choices at each meal has helped stabilize my sugars for the most part. Only failed one test this week! I don't have to do nearly as much exercise to pass my tests, so unless things change, I'm crossing my fingers that I can make it through the last few weeks without insulin. The new diet and exercise have continued improving my energy levels and health issues I was experiencing, so it makes me miss my old ways less and less! I plan to hold onto a lot of the new dietary and exercise changes I've made during this time, but it'll be nice to have some more flexibility with meal timing and food choices again.

Symptoms: The added weight of my belly is causing more and more wear and tear on my body. Earlier this week, after taking a walk, my foot started hurting a lot and I noticed that I had a big bruise developing near my ankle. After a few days of little improvement, I had it checked out and my doctor thinks it's a case of tendinitis, so I'm trying to balance getting enough activity in with giving it time to heal. I already experience a lot of strain when I get on my feet in the morning, so now it's a lot worse with my foot muscles being out of whack. I've also had a few days of pretty extreme fatigue this week, which is battling my compulsion to clean, organize, and get everything I can ready for BB! Other than those things, I've been well.

Cravings: Found a white chocolate chip protein cookie that I can have as a snack, so that's been a nice indulgence. Been eating a lot of the same foods otherwise - just meat, veggies, a little rice, fruit, cheese and crackers, milk, lots of peanut butter sandwiches, and cheesy popcorn.