Today we all slept in and had a late breakfast. Mom, Dad, and I went to the Maplewood Mall for the afternoon and Ryun stayed home and vegged. He played some video games and watched football. Mom and I took advantage of some after Christmas sales in Sears. Dad found some good deals at the Gander Mountain Outlet. Tonight we had Pizza Hut and I did some cleaning while Mom sewed a few baby blankets for me. Then she helped me reorganize a couple closets. We keep acquiring more baby stuff, so I keep having to reorganize to accommodate. :)
This has been a fun week. Ryun and I have tried to spend more time just the two of us. We went to Avatar in 3D at the theater – it was really good! We did a little Christmas shopping and he accompanied me to Super Walmart in Stillwater so we could get groceries for Christmas dinner. We are really appreciating the time we are having together right now. I’m so thankful his work schedule is lightening up!
I saw Maureen on Tuesday (22nd). I’m so glad she is back in town. I found out that I am 50% effaced and 3 cm dilated. It is good to know that my contractions haven’t been all for nothing and that I am moving in the right direction. We don’t know when the baby will come, but she is on her way. She’s about 6 – 6.5 pounds right now we think. I’m wondering how long she will be!
My mom and dad arrived here on Wednesday! They left Tuesday and spent the night in Alexandria. They wanted to make sure to get here before the snow storm hit and thankfully they did. We ran some errands Wednesday and Thursday and also did some shopping.
On Christmas Eve we opened presents together and had a good time. Pinkberry made off with some pretty cool gifts!
Mom’s new vest 
Katie found someone to play ball with :)
Soft Cute toys for Pinkberry
The hat doesn’t fit me…must be another present for the baby! 
Yum, sugar cookies from Ryun’s mom 
Baby Blanket from Ryun’s Mom 
Willow Tree Figurines: Adriana and Nick bought us the couple with the baby – love it! 
Dad made this for storage in our downstairs bathroom.
Mom and I made Christmas dinner together on Friday. It seemed to take us forever, but we had fun doing it. :) It would have taken me ages to get it all done if I were alone. My brain has turned to complete mush in the past week and it is pretty much impossible for me to stay on task. I need someone following me around to remind me why I’m standing in the closet not knowing what I’m looking for, or why I just ran upstairs but came back down without whatever I went up there for. :)
How your baby's growing:
Your baby's waiting to greet the world! She continues to build a layer of fat to help control her body temperature after birth, but it's likely she already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of her skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.See what your baby looks like this week.
How your life's changing:
Quick Clicks
- Newborn screening tests: Which ones your baby needs and why
- Laugh and learn: New parents share their most embarrassing mistakes
- Introducing your child to your new baby: Overview
- Relaxation tips to ease labor pain
At each of your now-weekly visits, your caregiver will do an abdominal exam to check your baby's growth and position. She might also do an internal exam to see whether your cervix has started ripening: softening, effacing (thinning out), and dilating (opening). But even armed with this information, there's still no way for your caregiver to predict exactly when your baby is coming. If you go past your due date, your caregiver will schedule you for fetal testing (usually a sonogram) after 40 weeks to ensure that it's safe to continue the pregnancy.
While you're waiting, it's important to continue to pay attention to your baby's movements and let your caregiver know right away if they seem to decrease. Your baby should remain active right up to delivery, and a noticeable slowdown in activity could be a sign of a problem. Also call if you think your water may have broken. Membranes rupture before the beginning of labor in about 8 percent of term pregnancies. Sometimes there's a big gush of fluid, but sometimes there's only a small gush or a slow leak. (Don't try to make the diagnosis yourself. Call even if you only suspect you have a leak.) If you rupture your membranes and don't start contractions on your own, you'll be induced.
Surprising Facts: How your body changes after giving birth
Even if your labor and delivery was fast and easy, it will take some time for you to feel like your old self again. It may be hard, but try to remember that it took nine months to get here, so you won't bounce back — emotionally or physically — overnight.
What to expect from your body:
• You'll start losing weight right away. While you probably won't return to your pre-pregnancy weight for some time, most women are about 12 pounds lighter after delivering one 7- to 9-pound baby and losing another pound or two of placenta and another two pounds or so of blood and amniotic fluid. Although it will take a while for your body to regain its pre-pregnancy shape — that pregnant belly may stick around for longer than you'd like — by the end of the first week, you'll probably have lost about 4 pounds of water weight.
• You'll have lochia discharge. After your baby is born, the cells that form the lining of your uterus will begin to slough off. This results in a discharge called lochia that lasts for weeks. At first, this discharge is mixed with blood, so it appears bright red and menstrual-like, then it gradually gets lighter in color, finally fading to white or yellow before it stops.
• Your emotions will be in flux. Within the first week or two of giving birth, many new moms experience the "baby blues." You may find yourself moody and weepy, exhausted, unable to sleep, or feeling trapped or anxious. Your appetite can change, too — you might want to eat more or less. The good news is this emotional upheaval will generally pass within two to three weeks.
How to recover more quickly:
• Get as much rest as you can, and make an effort to sleep when your baby sleeps. This can be tough advice to follow, especially during the day, but it really helps.
• Limit visitors and the time you spend with them. Consider turning off the phone and posting a "we're napping" message on your door to discourage drop-ins.
• Eat a well-balanced diet.
• Drink plenty of fluids. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and sugared sodas.
• Accept all offers for help with cooking, cleaning, childcare, errands, and the like. If you aren't receiving offers, ask for help. It's hard, but trust us, your friends and family want to help and most will be honored you asked. If you can't get help for free, consider hiring a mother's helper, cleaning lady, or others who can give you a break.
• Don't isolate yourself. Talking to friends, relatives, and other new moms about your birth experience and life with a newborn can help you cope.
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