Dream a little dream Last night I dreamed that Sophia was born and she didn't look like me. She didn't look like Dean either. In fact, she looked like a child from someone else's family. She had light curly hair and a face that wouldn't come out of our family, but I didn't really care. I was just happy that she was there and healthy. I wasn't disappointed or worried that the hospital had made a mistake and given us the wrong baby. Dreams are supposed to be manifestations of your subconscious, so I guess that means that for all my saying that I hope she has this or that, I don't really care. She will be our baby and that is all that matters.
I've read that babies at this age can start dreaming (how they know that, I have no clue). Maybe Sophie is dreaming about Dean and I, wondering what makes those noises that she keeps hearing. In fact, that makes me wonder what her dreams could be like. Her eyelids are open now, but she is in darkness (my belly doesn't see the sun these days). Maybe her dreams are all about sound. Whatever her dreams are like, I hope they bring her comfort.
2008-01-14 (27 weeks)
28th week of pregnancy I am now in the 28th week of pregnancy. It's not really a milestone for any particular reason, but I'm just getting closer and closer to meeting our little Sophia. In fact, I have been doing quite a bit of daydreaming about what she may look like. Actually, when Dean and I went to the big resale event, there was a little baby girl who I thought Sophia might end up looking like and I haven't been able to get too far from that image. I imagine that she will have plenty of dark brown hair when she is born (I don't expect a bald baby) and have big inquisitive eyes. When I met a lot of extended family in Pheonix recently, I saw a lot of people who had eyes like mine and it has given me hope that they will be passed on to Sophia. From what we can tell, she has feet like mine, at least in that her second toe is bigger than her third and so on. I wonder what parts of her she will get from Dean- maybe her mouth or the shape of her face. Regardless of what features she inherits, I am certain that she will be the most beautiful little girl ever born!
This week, Sophie is continuing to grow. Check out how much room she takes up! According to the Childbirth Connection:
By your 28th week of pregnancy, your baby is about 16 inches long and weighs 3-1/2 to 4 pounds. The skin is wrinkled but will become less so as more subcutaneous fat, the layer of fat just under the skin, is laid down in the next few weeks. Fine downy hair, called lanugo, and a waxy white protective substance covering the skin, called vernix, are present on the baby's body. The baby's eyes are open. The eyebrows and eyelashes were formed in the fourth month. The baby sucks its thumb and its taste buds have developed. The baby kicks, stretches, and moves frequently in the uterus. These movements, which are readily observable to others, are often keenly felt by the mother. Some mothers may find that the pressure of the growing uterus against the stomach by this week causes heartburn. The fundus, the top of the uterus, is now about one-third of the distance between the umbilicus (bellybutton) and the xiphoid cartilage.
2008-01-07 (26 weeks)
Hello 3rd Trimester! I am now officially entering the 3rd trimester of my pregnancy! During this last trimester, I should finally start to get big (don't know if this is good or bad), my feet may actually grow a size (PLEASE grow to a size 6!), I'll be going to see Dr. Howell more frequently and our fetal headphones to hear Sophia's heartbeat may finally work!
There is also much that is left to be done, but that's because we really haven't done much yet. The nursery needs to be painted and well, the whole nursery needs to be prepared for Sophia's arrival. We need to take some maternity portraits (okay, so this is more of a want than a need) when my belly is big enough for it to make sense. At the end of February we are taking some pregnancy classes at the hospital that will take up the entire weekend. Our friend Allison also offered to throw us a baby shower! Even though there is much left to be done, I am really looking forward to all of these things (except for painting the nursery).
I am still feeling fantastic and it's nice to feel all of Sophia's punches and kicks since they don't hurt yet. I've noticed that it can be a little harder to catch my breath and that bending at the waist is uncomfortable, but I can still get in and out of bed without trouble and I don't have any of the complaints that I hear about from the books and web sites (stretch marks, itchy belly, varicose veins, edema, restless leg, etc.). I count myself pretty lucky actually.
According to What to Expect When You're Expecting, this is what is going on with Sophia in this 27th week of pregnancy:
Beginning at this stage of fetal development, your baby's length will be measured from top of head to toe — which makes your baby nearly a full 15 inches now. And at just over two pounds, he or she has doubled in weight from four weeks ago.
Most babies this age, yours included, still like to snuggle in a slightly curled position inside the uterus (thus the term "fetal position"). Even so, beginning at this stage, your baby's length will be measured from top of head to toe — which makes your baby nearly a full 15 inches now. And at just over two pounds, he or she has doubled in weight from four weeks ago. Your baby's auditory development (hearing) is progressing as the network of nerves to the ears matures. And even though the sounds your baby hears are muffled (thanks to the creamy coating of vernix covering those ears), he or she may recognize both yours and your partner's voices.
Your baby's taste buds are very developed now too (with more taste buds than he or she will ever have outside the womb, actually). Need a taste test? If you eat some spicy food (you hot mama, you), your baby will be able to taste the difference in the amniotic fluid (but keep in mind that you'll have different mealtimes, with your baby's coming about two hours after yours).
2007-12-31 (25 weeks)
Week 26 According to i-am-pregnant.com:
By this week, your baby's crown-to-rump length is approximately 9.2 inches. Remember, that is only from the top of his head to his bottom and does not include his leg measurements! Your baby weighs almost 2 pounds and is beginning to put on weight. Your uterus is about 2.5 inches above your bellybutton and you will continue to grow approximately 1 cm each week. If you have been eating a well-balanced diet, you probably have gained about 16-22 pounds so far. Because your baby has moved further up, you may get occasional pain underneath your ribs.
After a month of having his eyelids sealed shut, your baby begins to open his eyes again this week. Your baby's eyes are almost completely developed. Your baby's eyes are blue in the womb and may change colors later in life. This is true for all races because the pupils do not have their final color until a few months after birth. However, some babies are born with darker or lighter shades of blue. Your growing baby will continue to put on layers of fat until he is born. He is still lean at this point of the pregnancy though. By the time your baby is born, he will assume the typical newborn's plumpness. Your baby's skin will still be wrinkled and red, but the fat continues to fill the skin out.
Finger and toe nails continue to grow.
Blood vessels start to develop in the lungs to prepare the baby for life outside the uterus.
Your baby's blood circulation is completely functional. The umbilical cord system continues to grow and thicken as blood travels with considerable force through the body to nurture the baby. The placenta is now almost equal in size to the baby.
Even though it is still way too soon for your baby to be born yet, the chance of survival without severe abnormalities is now 70% provided it is born in a hospital.
