We had our 32 week check-up on Friday, and all still seems to be going well.  Zoe's heartbeat was in the 130s and our measurements were on track.  My doctor told me that, fortunately, he did not think I would have a very big baby (less than 7lbs).  I informed him that my last doctors guessed the same about Zander, although he came out at 8lbs 3oz, which I would not consider small!  I think doctors say these kind of things to try and give mothers in their last trimester some type of reassurance for labor...anyhow, I was more concerned about whether or not I would be delivering earlier than my due date, since I am trying to plan a special birthday for Zander before Zoe comes.  My doctor said that there is no reason to believe that Zoe would come earlier than my due date, since I carried to full term (plus 10 days) last time around.  Being that she has already shown how comfy she is in the womb during these latest rounds of 4D ultrasounds, it doesn't seem that she is in any rush to come out of the womb either.  We did go back for a second round at the 4D clinic last weekend, but Zoe was not any more cooperative than the week prior.  Still, it was awesome to see her again and now we have a DVD we can play to recapture the experience.  We did get a few more photos too, which I'll post.  My favorite is the one where she is smiling and holding her toes...precious!

Other exciting news is that Grandma and Pop had Zoe's crib set delivered this week, so we got to start setting up the nursery.  I didn't get a chance to snap any photos yet, but will do so soon and get them posted too.  We are going really simple this time, since it's such a short phase we'll have her rooming in.  Marc wants to paint her bedroom now, but I think we can hold off until she is ready to actually move over to a big girl bed.  Plus, he wants to do pink and I want purple, LOL!!!     

At 32 weeks, we are pretty much ready to go.  Everything we can reuse from Zander's baby days is pulled out of storage, washed and staged throughout the house.  My only gripe is that most of Zander's items are blue.  We really weren't thinking ahead last time, but I guess it is really not a big deal when it comes down to it.  All we really have left now is a little shopping to do for expendable items like diapers, wipes, etc., and pack for the hospital.  8 more weeks to go!!!         

Marc and I went to our 30-week appointment this morning, and everything is still looking great.  Zoe's heart beat was about 148 bpm and she had moved into a transverse position (guess she is not so ready to come out after all!).  My measurements and tests all looked great too, so we were in and out in a jiffy.

Our next appointment was this afternoon at the 4D ultrasound clinic.  We stopped and picked up Aunti Jeanne on the way to share in the fun.  The car ride was just over an hour, which I guess put Zoe into nap mode.  Then after getting a bit of lunch, she was in super nap mode!  Why is all this important?  Well, when we went in for the US, Zoe was curled up in a nice, tight little ball with her feet and hands blocking much of her face!!  The US tech worked for an hour trying to get Zoe to get into a better position for pictures and DVD recording but she just didn't want to play.  They fed me chocolate and lollipops, shook my belly, and had me flipping in all sorts of positions but all she'd do is throw a couple kicks / punches or make some disgruntled faces and then curl back into her comfy spot!!  We did get to watch all of this on a 42" screen t.v., which was totally amazing, and were given some photos to take away, but will have to go back next weekend to try again (at no charge). 

The technician surmised that the long car ride and subsequent feeding had put Zoe into super sleepy mode, and suggested that we make sure to take about a half hour walk before coming in next time (wish we knew that beforehand).  If they can't get good shots/recording at the next visit, the clinic provides a 50% refund which is fair.  

Even though the visit didn't go as planned, it was such an awesome thing to see Zoe's little face and little parts (she is so cute already).  Oh, and we were at least able to confirm that she is definitely a "she"   I've posted some pics from our visit in my photo album.  They don't do her justice, but are still so cool nonetheless.  Provided all goes well next Sat, we'll have some more pics to share along with a video very soon.  We think she is looking a lot like Zander from the front and her cousin Anaelecea (NaNa) at her profile.  She also has some hair at the nape of her neck already (thus the indigestion for mom)! 

Note:  You'll notice distortion in the pics.  This is not some malformation, just the placenta.  In many shots, Zoe's face is pressed into the placenta.  If you look carefully, you will see her feet/hands are right by her face in many pics too.  One pic she is sticking out her tongue, and in another she is yawning.  Enjoy!!    

Zoe and I had our 28-week visit today.  I can't believe we have less than 12 more weeks to go!  Beside having gained a total of 29 lbs so far (sigh), my doc says I'm the picture of a healthly mom :)  Zoe also appears to be just right too with her measurements, heart beat (still between 140s and 150s), and position (head down & ready to go!).  Hopefully, the results of the glucose screening today will come back great too.  Basically, if we don't get any news before our next appointment in two weeks, then everything is okay.  

We start going to see the doctor every two weeks now instead of every month, and then once a week at 36 weeks.  For fun, we are going to get a 4D ultrasound on the 22nd of this month.  I really want another sneak peak, and also want to be 100% sure Zoe hasn't sprouted a penis since our last US, LOL...We get a 10 min DVD and some pics as a take-away.  The place we are going to is at this link, if anyone wants to check it out:  http://www.babyinme4d.com/  I think it is going to be an amazing experience to see more than just the "structure" of our little one and compare how she looks in the womb to in real life later on.  

That's pretty much all the news for now.  Zander and I are on our own this week with Marc away at some professional development training in Texas this week.  Happy Valentine's to all  xoxox        

Operation "baby-prep" is officially underway!  With the final trimester just around the corner, we decided it was a good time to start taking inventory of what we have and what we need.  As not to overwhelm ourselves, we decided to start with clothes and linens first.  After rummaging through all Zander's baby clothes, we ended up with about two loads of onesies, sleepers, socks, blankies, and burp cloths to populate Zoe's dresser.  Aside from the fact that everything is white, yellow or green, I'd say not too bad of a start!  What's great is that Zander was born May 7th and Zoe is due May 3rd, so I suspect everything we have so far will work for the season too. 

On top of those items, Auntie Jeanne went a little nutsy and bought several cute girlie outfits, to include a first pair of pink sneaks and baseball cap!  Auntie Jessica already purchased Zoe a bikini too, so cute!  So, all-in-all we are looking pretty good in the clothes department.  I'll probably grab a few more sleep saks (love those) and onsies, but that's about all for at least the first few months.  After six months, the clothes are much sparser for sharing; however, we have been promised a lot of hand-me downs from friends/family.  Plus, I cannot wait to shop for girl stuff :)

Our next projects are to paint and set up the nursery, but we won't start those for another couple of weeks.  The final "phase" will include staging items throughout the house (cradle, diapers/wipes, baby bags, etc.) and in our vehicles, so we can get re-acclimated to the baby environment.  I figure spacing out our projects over the next three months will help us get through this last stretch (the closer we get, the farther it seems sometimes).  Plus, I love to have a plan (it's a little crazy, but that's me)!   

Please feel free to post any other suggestions / ideas you think would help us get ready / pass the time.  Love to all!!