32 weeks

How your baby’s growing:

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (per an ultrasound she is actually 3 lbs, 9oz) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You’re gaining about a pound a week (yup, gained two pounds since my last doc visit two weeks ago. was kinda bummed about that until i read this) and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she’ll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

To accommodate you and your baby’s growing needs, your blood volume has increased 40 to 50 percent since you got pregnant. With your uterus pushing up near your diaphragm and crowding your stomach, the consequences may be shortness of breath (yup) and heartburn (and yup). To help relieve your discomfort, try sleeping propped up with pillows and eating smaller meals more often. You may have lower-back pain (and yup again) as your pregnancy advances.

So I had an awesome day yesterday. First I went to the doc in the morning for my 32wk check-up. Just the usual, but as he was walking me out and talking about scheduling an ultrasound to figure out when we would need to do the c-section, the tech was hanging out there and said she could see me right then. so i got to go ahead and get the sonogram right then, and SURPRISE! my placenta has *completely* moved out of the way of my cervix and i have gone from a high-risk pregnancy requiring an early c-section to a completely normal pregnancy with no restrictions.

After the doc, I picked up Lucas and we had a dentist appt. It was his first teeth cleaning and he was a perfect little angel as usual (when he is at a doc office) and lay on the chair and held still for the whole thing.

After the dentist I had time for a nap before my plans to meet Lauren and Jana at Melting Pot for dinner. When I went inside, they weren’t in the waiting area. I told the hostess I was meeting people and she asked if it was for the shower and I told her no, just a couple of people. I called Lauren and she said they were seated at the back and came to find me to direct me to the booth. For some reason we went to the party room, and when we walked in, my eyes first saw Raechel Bowman. I was excited she was there b/c she hadn’t been able to make it to the Christmas party. There were a bunch of people there and I was surprised so many people had come to dinner – I thought it was just going to be the three of us. Then I looked more to the left and saw my mom and Sarah…and wait…pink balloons…and wait this isn’t just a bunch of people were able to make it to the dinner with us…this is a party for ME!! i was so surprised, shocked, and thrilled. it was so so cool. I’ve never had a surprise party before and this one was perfect. Sarah and Shelly, Amanda and Macy, Mom, Jana, Raechel, Kristie and Ashley Ford, Lauren, Jenn and her sister Amy and her mom Judy. 

Lauren had spread rose petals all over the table and Amanda had baked an awesome three-tiered cake of yumminess and everyone got Arianna presents! It was all so perfect and amazing and awesome. My friends are so amazing.