Doc update and more fun Maine Swarley photos!

So today Swarley and I had our 25 week prenatal check up. Dr. Turer said that my blood pressure, weight gain, and belly measurements were as close to perfect as possible! She said that Swarley's heart rate was right on target as well.

I had stated that I was feeling fatigued over the last week or so; not feeling rested after a full nights sleep, etc. Since its a little early for the third trimester tiredness to be setting in, she suspects possible anemia, which is very common in pregnancy. Lucky, on August 9th, I am scheduled for my glucose test! They will also be checking my iron levels at that time.

For those of you in the baby boom generation...were you aware that instead of just the typical orange syrup option for the glucose test...us preggos now have the option of fruit punch and lemon lime as well?? Cross your fingers for no gestational diabetes!

Dr. Turer's best guess is that Swarley is already head down, although may flip at any time. That explains the kicks to my upper left ribs and the punches to my appendix down low on the right...I can also feel his back across the left side of my belly, hard as a rock!

Anyway, here are some more fun pictures of Swarley's adventures in Maine this past weekend:

Doesn't this shot look so artistic??

Swarley at the Nubble Light House

Swarley at the Beach

Swarley and Teri resting at the beach

Preggo Update - 25 Week!

How Far Along - 25 weeks!

Total Weight Gain/Loss - 9 lbs...staying true to a pound a week!

Swarley's Fruit (or Vegetable!) Size - Still working on a Papaya.

Maternity Clothes - I am finding that my maternity clothes are really accentuating my lovely lady lump :)

Sleep - Sleep is becoming harder and harder...I frequently wake up with an aching back.

Best Moment of the Week - A girls weekend away to Maine with good friends, Teri and Anna!

Movement - While reading a book, I was resting my hands and the book on my belly...when out of nowhere the book jumped right off my stomach! Swarles apparently did not appreciate my choice in reading material...

Food Cravings - Potatoes! Baked...potoato salad...in clam chowder...french fries...you name it!

Food Aversions - Back to sweets.

Gender - BABY BOY!

Labor Signs - I had a major braxton hicks contraction while stading in line for ice cream this week...it was intense!

Belly Button - Flat as Kansas

What I miss - Tequila

What I'm Looking Forward To - My baby shower next week with all of my Maryland friends and family!

Milestones - The name game is officially in full force, feel free to comment with some suggestions!

Fishing with Grampa Moose!

Here is Grampa Moose calling Swarley to tell

him all about the big fish he just caught!

Swarley is looking forward to future

fishing trips with Grampa Moose!

Prego Update - 24 Weeks!

In Memory of Cricket 1996 - 2010

(My eyes and face were too blotchy and red for a picture this week!)

How Far Along - 24 weeks!

Total Weight Gain/Loss - 8 lbs...staying true to a pound a week!

Swarley's Fruit (or Vegetable!) Size - Still working on a Papaya. Although I read on another website that the baby is about as long as an ear of corn, if you are needing a new produce reference!

Maternity Clothes - I find myself always wearing skirts and sun dresses these days.

Sleep - The body pillow has become a perminant fixture in our bed.

Best Moment of the Week - Ryan wearing the empathy belly! (If you missed this event, scroll down to the previous post!) I also started a "Motherwell" prenatal yoga and swimming class this week, which was super fun and relaxing! Bouncing around with a bunch of prego women in a pool is pretty entertaining too!

Movement - All the time. Its interesting to note his migration patterns around my stomach as well. Ryan is consistantly feeling kicks at this point, which greatly pleases him.

Food Cravings - Nothing new, just hungry all of the time.

Food Aversions - H2O - which is not helping the 8-12 servings of fluid I am supposed to be drinking each day!

Gender - BABY BOY! I am starting to notice how large the girl clothes sections are in stores, compared to the tiny boy sections...

Labor Signs - I think I have had a total of two Braxton Hicks contractions so far! Once in the middle of the night, and once in my friend's kitchen. Very interesting!

Belly Button - remains flat...no poppage yet!

What I miss - spicy tuna rolls

What I'm Looking Forward To - More baby classes! We had our first class this week, where a physical therapist taught us all about the changes a pregnant woman's body undergoes as the the baby grows. It was humorous to see how squished your bladder eventually gets...

Milestones - As of 2010, once a fetus reaches 24 weeks, it has a decent chance of survival in the event of preterm labor, with the help of todays sophisticated neonatal intensive care units. Even just a few years back, the official "safe" mark was 28 weeks...talk about scientific advancements! Not that we want Swarley to appear anytime soon, but its nice to know that he has a fighting chance as of this week!

Preggo Update - Ryan @ 23 weeks!

How Far Along - 23 weeks! or maybe more judging by the size of my baby bump...

Total Weight Gain/Loss - I gained a total of 35 pounds just tonight...with at least 3-5 lbs of boob weight....and then it all magically dissapeared!

Sandbag Swarley's Fruit (or Vegetable!) Size - Totally a watermelon. Boobs are apples.

Maternity Clothes - I wouldn't let Susie post the picture where my snazzy navy smock was removed...

Sleep - I am getting tons of sleep as usual! Although I learned tonight that it is hard to get out of bed (see pic below).

Best Moment of the Week - Taking the empathy belly off...

Movement - My sandbags did not move at all...but I have felt a few more Swarely kicks!

Food Cravings - Yellow curry noodles from the Thai restaurant down the street from the hospital where we took our first baby class this evening. I just had to stop...there was no denying that craving!

Food Aversions - Vegatables...wait...I never liked those before we were pregnant either!

Gender - BABY BOY SANDBAG!

Labor Signs - Pain free labor! And the baby was out within 30 seconds!

Belly Button - I magically just didn't have one.

What I miss - I didn't miss anything because I wasn't pregnant for very long.

What I'm Looking Forward To - More food cravings!

Milestones - I went through all three trimesters in one night...thats gotta be a record!

Trying to get up from a lying down position...

How adorable! :)

Prego Update - 23 Weeks

How Far Along - 23 weeks!

Total Weight Gain/Loss - Maybe 7 lbs? I managed to stay pretty level, even on vacation! Doc says I should expect to gain about a pound a week at this point..

Swarley's Fruit (or Vegetable!) Size - so here is the deal...starting at week 22, the fruit size changes every month instead of every week...so for the next month, Swarley will be a Papaya!

Maternity Clothes - Thank you, cousin Amy, for passing down some wonderful maternity clothes to add to my collection!

Sleep - Eh...lots of tossing and turning. I always wind up on my back, which is a "No No" after 20 weeks.

Best Moment of the Week - Aunt Rachael has started painting Swarely's nursery murals! They look fantastc so far! We have a farm scene, a beach scene, a jungle scene, and a winter scene. See below for some fun pics!

Movement - Holy cow...this kid never stops! Especially when I am trying to fall asleep...I think I have started to feel some hickups as well...all you Moms out there...what do baby hickups feel like?

Food Cravings - I finally was able to get some La Festa Buffalo Chicken Pizza down for the first time! A pre-pregnancy favorite of mine! I also had a 10 PM delivery of chicken fingers over the weekend...

Food Aversions - I think food aversions are a thing of the past....

Gender - BABY BOY! Aunt Kristen affectionately calls him
"Swarley Boy"

Labor Signs - Anticipating my first Braxton Hicks contraction...nothing yet though!

Belly Button - Basically flat...not popped, not inverted...just flat.

What I miss - A cold Woodchuck in this hot weather...

What I'm Looking Forward To - We start baby classes on Wednesday night! Ryan has been waiting for these to start since before I was pregnant! He can't wait.

Milestones - Nothing super exciting that I can think of...other than a big shout out to my friend Allison who gave birth to her son, Wesley, this past Thursday!

Mural Pictures (still a work in progress!):

Ryan and I found this map at Target right after we got married and knew that this is what we wanted to use to decorate our future

child's nursery! Our nursery theme is "Across America".

Farm Scene! (note Chomper in the bottom left corner)

Beach Scene! (The turtle will sport a Maryland "M")

Swarley and Friends!

Susie with Aunt Kristen, and college friends Amanda, Sully and Alicia!

GRAMPA MOOSE!

Grammy with Grampa Moose

Prego Update - 22 Weeks - Fun at Higgins Lake!

 Susie, with two of Swarley's 3rd cousins!

Over the 4th of July weekend, Swarley and I traveled to Higgins Lake in Michigan to spend time with my mom's side of the family. In 1926, my great grandfather purchased land along the shore of Higgins Lake, and then gave a piece of the land to each of his 5 children. Each child build a lake house on their piece of land and as of 2010, four of the houses remain in the family. Swarley will be joining a total of 6 generations of cousins and grandparents and aunts and uncles that continue to spend their summers up at Higgins Lake.

 Not the Caribbean...Higgins Lake!

Beginning with my grandparent's generation (circa 1938), University of Michigan sorority and fraternity members and their dates would spend Fourth of July celebrating up at the lake; an event that became known as the "Gang Party." Every year, family members from each of the 6 generations continue to gather wearing their best red, white and blue outfits!

The weather has been absolutely fabulous since we arrived, and I have been spending a lot of time out on the lake. My doctor announced no water-skiing or riding on the wave runner this year...but I did get in a ride out on our pontoon boat, as well as many swims to our "little raft." It has been so much fun spending time with my cousins, most of whom now have their own children (generation #5!). We even got in a round of bingo...a Meyer family tradition. It has been especially nice spending time with my cousin Amy's twin boys who are six....its a good glimpse into life with a little boy.

The ladies of the 5th Generation!
(soon to be playing dress up with Swarley!)

Swarley will be the 15th addition to the 5th generation of cousins...with cousin Joe's baby to follow shortly after Swarles, making a total of sixteen 3rd cousins! (One of our 5th generation cousins has also had a child, starting off generation #6!)

My cousins Amy and Beth threw together a family shower for Swarley and I...here are some fun pictures:

Generations 2, 3, 4 and 5 all came to celebrate!

Possible outfit for next summer's Gang Party!

Swarley's Great Great Auntie's, Berta and Margie 

"Grammy" got a few presents, too!

Perhaps the funniest shower present, showing Swarley's 

progression from a sippy cup to Natty Light Beer!