Week 35, 36, 37 -- FULL TERM! Woo!

We will be reaching "full-term" this Friday, and are stoked. That means that baby is all developed and ready to come whenever! 37 weeks is when the baby's lungs are fully developed, so anyone who goes into labor after that the doctors don't stop them, and let nature take its course.

Speaking of going into labor, I have had some consistent contractions and ended up in the Labor and Delivery this weekend. Looks like baby is starting to move down, but still we have a long way to go. Anyway the story goes like this:
Friday night I began to track my contractions, because they were fairly obnoxious and consistent. Our nurse from the Birthing Class said that if the contractions began to last longer than 60 seconds to call the hospital--better safe than sorry... Sooo we did, after 24 hours. Saturday rolls around and the contractions are getting slightly stronger, some of which were lasting a minute and a half... my back was starting to ache some, and so we thought, well, "better safe than sorry..." and called the OB office. The nurse asked a few questions, but after hearing that they were lasting over a minute asked us to come in to get checked. At this point I didn't necessarily feel I was going into an intense labor--and figured they were just going to check me real quick and send me home...

We get to the hospital and they have the delivery room all set up--we were a bit surprised. She hooked me up to the monitors (the same ones we use each week for our Non-stress Tests)--one monitors the baby's heart rate and the other my contractions. I was a bit worried that maybe they would hook me up and I would no show contractions--you know how your body does that? You go to the doctor and suddenly your symptoms are gone and you feel like a dummy? Anyway, I just hoped that what I was feeling for the last 24 hours would manifest itself so that they could really take a look at what was going on.

They kept me hooked up for about an hour and a half, and sure enough--every 1.5-3 minutes there was a contraction that lasted 50-80 seconds. The problem was they were inconsistent in intensity... some would be hardly noticed, while others were 80 seconds and HARD. The same pattern that had lasted the last 2 days. I was exhausted, the nurse checked to see if I was dilated--nothing... in fact, I was sealed shut. Great... these contractions weren't doing anything. The nurse was so nice and just said that they would probably continue and offered me some morphine. I refused the morphine--(I didn't want to be intensely drugged--it's hard when you're working full-time to just pop pills and then be able to be alert enough to work)--so instead she gave me some Percocet, which I also have yet to take, because I am working and don't want to get too groggy.

Sunday I thought I could manage a Homecoming talk in Sacrament, but I was sweating and having the worst contractions and back pains... I realized that when I am up and about trying to live life normally, the contractions get worse. Monday and today I have just been working from home, getting up only for the bathroom and meals--which gives enough contractions to deal with.

We went to the doctor's today, I was hoping that maybe I would be a little more effaced or dilated since it has been an on-going thing for a few days now... but no, we are yet to be dilated, although apparently we are a bit "softer." These contractions ARE doing something, but because he is the first child, my body just needs a lot of prep before the real thing. As I have researched online about this sort of pre-labor, some women go through it for about 2-3 weeks before it finally picks up to be the real thing. I am assuming that will be us as well. The Doctor just told us to consider this my "baseline" and once it starts getting worse than this, THEN we will know to go in. Lovely isn't it? My "normal" is consistent cramping. =) it's gotten a little better, and it's making me tougher right?

One term I learned about what this is called is "prodromal labor" if you want more info you should google it! There are some great blogs of people who went through the same thing!

Well, for those of you who have been through this, give me your feedback--how long did you go through this pre-labor before you hit the real thing?

Here are some belly photos:

35.5 weeks:

36.5 weeks

The monitor with the contractions and heart rate: 

Until next week,
The Brinley's

Weeks 32, 33, and 34

Everyone tells you to get A LOT OF SLEEP before the baby comes--I don't know if they forgot what it is like to be pregnant--because that is near impossible. I have now transferred to the couch in our living room, to try and find a comfortable position. If I can get at least 4 hours of sleep a night, it is a successful night for me (We usually get into bed at 10 or 11, and get up at 7 or 8--I just wake up every hour). Aiden is particularly huge--well, not him, but apparently (according to the doctors) I have A LOT of amniotic fluid--which makes my stomach humongous. (see below)

Is this a joke? I look like I have a beach ball in my belly (@34weeks): 

Aiden is also really prepping to get out of there (I just hope it pays off and he comes a little early) because he LOVES to push his head down as low as he can, and then he sucks on his fingers, so I feel a constant pressure down below, and an occasional tickle from his little fingers.

He also loves to roll around, so we see his feet/knees/elbows quite regularly sticking out of my stomach. His movements seem to stimulate my uterus, sending it into a contraction every time he moves. It just gets EXTREMELY tight, like a basketball (but bigger).

Along with those contractions, I am beginning to feel some cramps in my lower belly--VERY similar to menstrual cramps, which the doctor said is normal for the next few weeks until I go into real labor. Good to know my body is prepping itself! Now lets hope this is coming soon!

Darin and I signed up for a Prenatal class at the Hospital, which has saved our lives. We now know what to do, where to go and WHEN to go to the hospital. No one tells you these things! We also know the nitty gritty about post-birth... which is good to have a heads up on. I have been very curious though about people's stories in the birthing room. Now that it is getting real, I think there is a lot that NO ONE talks about (but are helpful if you know)--if you want to share your nitty gritty details, get in contact with me please!

We are excited to get this boy out asap. We have completed building his crib, got the stroller/car seat combo, got pre-registered at the hospital, called out insurance companies to check what is covered and what is not... diaper bag, some clothes, baby bjorn (from a colleague at work!), a bumbo (from my secretaries at work--LOVE IT!) and everything else we think we need. We were pleasantly surprised by a huge box in our mailbox the other day with a TON of baby formula from Similac. Apparently they found out I was prego--probably from a registry I signed up on or something, and sent us a box of formula--it's a lot for just samples, but we are grateful!

We have now purchased a lot of maternity clothes. I thought I could fit into everything I had (bigger shirts/dresses) but that is no longer the case. In fact--I can't fit into the maternity shirts I bought 2 months ago.... so we had to go big and buy a few shirts. Luckily this will not be the only time I am prego...so hopefully I can re-use them.

We have still been doing Aiden's Non-stress tests weekly. So far he has been doing well. Yesterday the nurse was scared there was WAY TOO MUCH amniotic fluid and had to have another nurse check--but she got a lower percentage and said it was okay. We are borderline I think on the amount that is in there, so they have to check it weekly--along with his heart rate and my contractions. So far he has met the standard he needs to meet so we are keeping him in! Doctors gave us extra iron, because I apparently was slightly anemic -- (maybe because I forgot to take my prenatals with me to Japan--and took the test the day we got back)-- but I have been feeling better now that I take extra Iron supplements.

Well Baby, we are all waiting for ya. Hurry up!

We are going to take some maternity shots soon, so we will post them when we do. Here are the weekly shots for 32-34!

Week 32:

Week 33:

Week 34:

Until next time!
The Brinley's

Weeks 26-31

It has been a long while since I wrote. Mostly because it has been busy at work AND Brinley Baby took his first trip to Japan. We were there for 19 days, and didn't really have time to post up a blog! So here are the belly shots since the last time we posted!
Weeks 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31!
(it's hard to compare because I zoomed in more on some than on others, but I think you get the idea! =)

This last one was taken yesterday. He sure is taking up all the space he can find. Can't believe we are down to 62 days left (2 Months from today!) Not quite sure how he is going to grow much more than this--but I guess he will find a way.
Baby has been having some routine in his movements the last few weeks. He moves every hour, which the doctor said is a very good thing. He loves to kick, we also feel his elbows and knees quite often. If you put your hand on it though--he will move it away--Daddy enjoys playing that game with him, see how long he can keep his hand on baby's elbow/knee.
The biggest thing we have noticed are how often he has hiccups. We thought maybe something was wrong with him because he will get them AT LEAST 2-3 times a day. It is fun though, when he has his hiccups because we usually can tell how his body is lying in the stomach based on where we feel the hiccups. One night he clearly did not enjoy his hiccups and so his head started at 6 o'clock (if you were starting at my stomach from the front) and he wiggled his legs (kicking off my ribs) until his head was at about 3 o'clock, and then he wiggled some more until his head was just by my ribs. What a little goofball.
We were able to babysit some friends' kids this week and it made us very excited to meet out own little baby. Can't wait til he gets here! We are almost there!
The Brinleys

Here are some additional pictures from Japan!

Kaiyuukan -- Aquarium in Osaka

JR Tower in Sapporo Station

All you can Eat Shabu Shabu and Suki Yaki in Shibuya.

This was our Baby Shower that these sweet ladies threw for us!

Kiyomizudera in Kyoto

Asakusa in Tokyo

Week 25 (and 24, and 23) and Mom is now 26 (years)!!

This week baby POPPED. It was so sudden but my stomach just suddenly got huge. Here are the pictures for 23-25:

Week 23: 

Week 24:

Week 25:

We had to go to the hospital for some additional things that the doctors saw in the ultrasound. Usually one is not harmful, but when there is more than one found in an ultrasound the baby runs some risks for chromosomal risks. He had an Echogenic Intracardiac Focus (EIF) AND a Single Umbilical Artery (SUA). 

A bit of a scare, but after checking his physical measurements his risks are lower than they could be. He still has a few risks so we will have to watch closely, but the bright side is that we got to see our baby boy again! (even in 3D!)

Here he is sucking his thumb:

Here's our little thinker!

No, his head is not deformed for real (Julie said it was a tumor haha)... I think it's just a bunch of small shots put into one, so it's not the smoothest thing.

Here's a shot from last weekend with Darin's cute cousins, just to give you a nice shot of the belly.

 Darin and I were able to enjoy a fun night out for my birthday, we will post some pictures next time!!

Sincerely,
The Brinley's!!

Week 22: Startling Kicks, Massages & Fainting

We have reached week 22 and this baby is more active than ever. We have had a few first-timers this week that need to be documented so once this boy is old enough to read, he will know all of the funny things (maybe scary at times too) he caused mommy to experience.

Story #1:

The precursor: 

Baby boy is beginning to roll and kick more frequently and harder than before. He hates it if ANYTHING takes over HIS space. For example, I lean forward: somersaults non-stop until I finally can't take it anymore and lean back. Tight elastic on my pants? He will kick at it for hours until I move the elastic of my pants higher or lower... he then finds it again and begins kicking at it until I finally remove my pants (at this point, I'm at home, I wouldn't remove clothing in public I promise). Daddy decides to put his hand on moms stomach? NON STOP kicking daddy. It's like he senses when his personal space is being taken over and will not have it. Fun for daddy because he can feel his son kick/punch/roll anytime in the day!

Now on with the story... I am at work Friday, having a meeting with a couple other people in my office. I was leaning forward as one man was presenting to us a PowerPoint of some language materials we were planning to use for the Mission Presidents. Well, there goes baby, flipping and turning, and suddenly, BOOM! He just full body jolted inside my tummy. I felt a kick of some sort right by my ribs on the right side, and another right by my pelvis on the left. He must have gone with all his might ARMS and LEGS. I couldn't help but get startled by this and involuntarily let out an "Oh my gosh!" after which all eyes were on me. I had to explain that baby had startled me with his kicking, and I it was pretty embarrassing. The guy presenting just laughed and said, "well he must be excited about language learning!" yup. I guess he was.

Story #2:

Precursor:

So a few weeks back I remember reading about how my blood volume had increased 150% for the baby. Makes sense as the uterus continues to enlarge, needing more blood supply as well as the baby. In fact, the increase in blood accounts for 13% of total weight gain in pregnancy--on average. In fact, here's a fun little distribution of weight in pregnancy that I found online. Basically our hearts and lungs have to work a lot harder to get the blood through our bodies... hence the light-headedness and shortness of breath.
Pregnancy Weight Gain: Average Distribution
7 1/2 pounds is about how much the baby will weigh by the end of pregnancy.
1 1/2 pounds is how much the placenta weighs.
4 pounds is attributed to increased fluid volume.
2 pounds is the weight of the uterus.
2 pounds is the weight of breast tissue.
4 pounds is because of increased blood volume.
7 pounds is attributed to maternal stores of fat, protein and other nutrients.
2 pounds for the amniotic fluid.
Total: 30 pounds

Anyway, a few months back Groupon had a deal for a 1-hour Couple Massage for $49 (the deal is available right now if you click the link BTW) That is a GREAT deal I thought, and at that point I was hardly showing and could easily lay on my belly, so I bought it. 

Weeks and weeks went by and my stomach began to get larger. I panicked that if we didn't schedule this couple's massage soon, they wouldn't accept me or I would have to pay extra to do a prenatal massage, so we booked it this weekend, the start of our 23rd week.

We got up this morning and drove to Salt Lake to get our massages. They said they forgot this prenatal pillow that they use sometimes and so I probably wouldn't be able to lay on my belly. I figured that'd be okay and we proceeded with the massages.

Darin and I entered the dark warm room and got onto our individual massage tables. It was nice and heated and we both laid flat on our backs (with no pillows). The therapists both came in and began massaging. I started feeling the baby seem to move upward (he tends to do it at night when I lie in bed so I figured it was normal) but it started making it extremely hard for me to breathe. As the therapist continued massaging my neck, I began feeling dizzy and nauseous and asked if I could sit up. I honestly thought at that point that I was going to throw up. I sat there trying to gain composure and Darin's Therapist asked if I wanted some water, I'm pretty sure I nodded... and that's all I remember.

Suddenly I am getting woken up by my therapist from a wonderful massage that I guess I must have fallen asleep in (or so I thought). My therapist says to me, "Are you okay?" 

I felt so refreshed and great and said, "Yea I'm good." 

After which she replies, "Should I call an ambulance?"

That's when I got a little confused until I realized that the last thing I remember was sitting up feeling sick... what? I must have fainted. 

The therapist said that my eyes "did not look pleasant"and I asked her if they were open. Apparently my eyes were open the whole time, but there was no blinking and she said it was as if I was sleeping with my eyes open. 

Darin is at the other massage table watching all this and wondering why I am not responding to his therapist who comes in and says, "Here's some candy and water."

I guess immediately after that I fell back (but apparently it was very controlled so they were confused if I was still conscious or not) until they started shaking and talking to me and realized I was not. That's I guess when I came-to. 

I sat up, and saw a dumdum on my lap, (not quite sure how it got there) and I was soaked with a cold sweat. I think I really scared the Therapists. I reassured them I was fine, and she raised my head with a pillow so I wasn't completely flat and continued on with the massage. I was feeling great with my root-beer DumDum and great massage, until that feeling started coming over me again... I sat up again (which by the way I realize now is not the solution, and usually makes it worse) and my ears started losing their hearing (it felt like they were really plugged like on an airplane)--I could feel myself going again and my vision started to blur and get dark. This time they got some cold rags in time and placed them on my back and I put one on my face. I tried to take some deep breaths and was able to come-to without passing out a second time. I realized it might be my body overheating--since I was lying on a heated massage table, so they got a fan and opened the door to let some cool air in. 

After that I completed my massage on my left side, SHIVERING because of the cold wet towels and fan blowing directly on me... but at least I did not pass out again.

The massage was not as fulfilling as I would have liked it to be, but they told me I could come back again once I have the baby and they will give us another couples massage at the same price. I will for sure jump on that one once I don't have this silly boy messing with my system. =)

The therapists strongly urged me to call my doctor right away, I really gave them a scare--this was the first time that had ever happened to them. I did call my doctor but they are closed for the weekend. Just to be safe I'll probably call on Monday and make sure my blood pressure levels are normal. Which I'm sure they will be fine.

Baby boy, I hope you know how much we are going through to get you here. We still love you though. 

your baby at 22 weeks

• Now that he's got more developed eyes and lips, he's looking even more like a newborn.
• He's sleeping in cycles -- about 12 to 14 hours per day (hint: they're probably those times you're not feeling any kicks!). My thought: Our baby must not be sleeping 12-14 hrs a day because I am always feeling kicks.

Here's a picture of 22 weeks taken this morning:

And here is 21 weeks from last week (which almost seems bigger, but that's 'cause the cardigan is thicker I guess...):

Until next time!
The Brinleys (found this recently, sent from a friend's cell phone!)

It's a BOY! (weeks 20 & 21)

OVER THE HILL (as far as pregnancy goes), but not the BUMP. The Bump is still to come...

My corny-made-up line. Thank you.

Week 20 Photos:

Last week (Friday) we got to meet our sweet little boy via Ultrasound. What a sweet experience that was. He definitely already has a very distinct personality. As the nurse was trying to see the blood flow in his legs, he did not cease to kick his legs in and out (like a little frog) so the nurse could not see anything. He also burrowed his head right down at the bottom of mommy's uterus, and his face right toward her spine so we couldn't see him at all. The nurse pushed and pushed at his head to get him to move... Nothing... What a little stinker. He finally flipped over for a good minute for us to get a picture, then RIGHT back to his comfortable position, hiding his face. Here are some of the photos from the ultrasound:

This is his cute head from the side. Look at his healthy spine, cute nose and ribs. He's got a great-shaped head, although I don't think it'll be so nice and round when he comes out...

This is a harder one to make out, this is his face. He has turned his head toward the camera--it looks like a little skull... the right eye is harder to see because it's blocked by some fluid, but you can see the darkness at the top of his head, where his brain is, and his left eye is a perfect circle. you can see most of his nose hole (again, imagine a little skull). his head is a little tilted if you can see.

This shot is taken from below. It is a cross-cut of his torso. the big black hole on the right could be his bladder? possibly. the right round shape with the black circle inside is his torso. There are two things coming off of that to the left which are his upper legs, and that little thing in between them--that's right. That's how we knew he was a boy. Definitely wasn't hiding those!

There's his cute foot. Clear as day. He liked to use it to kick mom where it hurts...especially the bladder. He better play sports of some sort with those legs.

There he is! What a sweety. we love him already, and can't wait for him to come to us in another 19 weeks (or less... or more... we'll see).

He REALLY kicks non-stop, that I begin to question when he sleeps. Not an hour goes by without feeling him at least once... usually more. Some of the kicks are getting much harder, to the point that I end up letting out a good, "UH!"

The biggest changes for mom this week is a noticed difference in where the kicks are occuring. they are as high as the top of my stomach at this point. This means baby has taken over most of my stomach area. It's getting harder to breathe--lungs are running out of room. My stomach has as well -- I get feeling full VERY quickly, and yet still feel hunger pains. I guess that's what happens when my organs get pushed aside. I need to be better about eating small meals frequently, I'm sure that would help alleviate the simultaneous hunger/fullness feeling.

Baby weighed 11 ounces on last Friday, wow, at least another 6-7 pounds to go!

I've gained about 10-12 pounds at this point. Right on track!

Here is some info on the baby's development: (the pictures don't really match the websites' info, at this point it's probably dependent upon the baby)

The Updates this week : 

WEEK 20: Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)
He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper

Credit: BabyCenter

WEEK 21:Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

Til next time!
The Brinleys

Week 18 and Welcoming week 19!

We are now just finishing up week 18 and headed onto week 19. In a week and 2 days we will have our first ultrasound to make sure everything is going smoothly, get a more accurate due date, and find out the Gender of our not-so-peanut-anymore.

This week baby is the size of a Sweet Potato... although at this point ALMOST the size of a Mango. To me, these are fairly the same size... but okay. 

Photo Credit: TheBump 

Week 18: How your baby's growing:
Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.
See what your baby looks like this week.

Week 19: How your baby's growing:
Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.
Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

Credit: BabyCenter

Me at 18 weeks exactly:

Baby has basically hit ONE pound at this point...and well, mommy is starting to put on the weight as well. I'm now weighing in about 122.2 lbs every time I weigh in the morning... so I've totaled about 6-7 pounds so far. It's coming quickly though, about a pound a week as it should!

The added weight DEFINITELY has caused a harder time sleeping, AND a lot more bathroom breaks at work. Sometimes I'm running to the bathroom twice an hour. This baby is using my bladder as a pillow! 

Leg cramps are a common symptom at this time of pregnancy, and I get my share of those as well. I'd say I'm about as normal as it comes when it comes to pregnancy symptoms I guess!

Well we are excited to find out if this baby Brinley is a boy or girl! Next time we post it will probably be revealed!

Stay tuned til next week! =)

The Brinleys