40 Weeks Today!!!

 

Today is my estimated due date. I decided since I made it to 40 weeks I deserved a cupcake. The baby's birthday most likely isn't today, but who knows maybe that cupcake will induce labor. Believe it or not I have heard crazier suggestions. I think my favorite so far is pork and beans. I am hanging in there. We have an appointment on Thursday morning so hopefully there will good tidings of dilation.

39 weeks

I am 39 weeks and waiting. I think the baby is going to wait until the last possible moment to make its appearance. The bean is the size of a mini watermelon and continues to have good movement. I have become increasingly uncomfortable and antsy. We saw the doctor this morning and he told me that there had been no change. I am holding strong at 1 centimeter. If anyone wants to have lunch or look at a wall with me I have a clear calendar. 

38 Weeks

Making colored sugar for our king cake. More to
come on Fat Tuesday.

I have officially hit the state of being uncomfortable. It has become even harder to get around and it often feels like my vagina might fall off. I have tried all the recommended tricks to get this baby out, but I think he/she may be in for the full 40. On last Friday I went to the doctor and I have not progressed any from the week before, a comforting statement for a woman that sleeps one night out of three. According to my weekly email updates the baby is as long as a leek, but not nearly as tasty. These updates have really begun to be useless. I read them because I can't help myself.

37 Weeks

I am now considered full term. We went to the doctor last week and I was almost dilated one centimeter and 80 percent effaced.  We also had an ultrasound and the bean weighs around 6 and 1/2 pounds. He/She is no performer on command. The bean had his/her arm resting over its face. The ultrasound tech tried her hardest to get that arm to move, but he/she was not participating one bit. I think this baby is going to be fiesty and maybe even a little stubborn.

I am feeling pretty good. I have a day here and there where my stomach is tight and I am uncomfortable, but other than that I really can't complain. I am starting to get really excited about meeting this little guy or girl.

36 weeks

I am now 36 weeks. The baby is gaining an ounce a day. The bean weighs roughly 6 pounds and is 18 1/2 inches long. The baby doesn't have much room left but he/she is moving pretty good considered the cramped quarters. The head is on its way down but not fully yet and no sign of dilation.We visited our OB last week and everything went fine. I was able to ask her questions about hospital procedures and other topics that I have been curious about. I was nervous about telling her I want to birth naturally. I was afraid she would think I was crazy. She was WONDERFUL and completely supportive of my decision. She even told me they like to pair women who want to deliver naturally with L&D nurses that have delivered naturally. I was so relieved. I was concerned I would be restricted to the bed the whole time, but they are open to labor methods that give moms the freedom to move around.

I usually do a quick update and then move on, but I have something on my mind. Being back has had its challenges. I have been really busy trying to get everything straight. I have been catching up with friends and family and the same questions organically come up. "So are you getting an epidural?" I respond in a quieter tone (hoping not to be boxed into some kind of stereotype) of "No, I am going to attempt natural birthing." I am either met with "don't try to be strong", a bit of laughter, or a startled look followed by words that are dredged up to sound supportive. I have not met many women so far that have elected to birth naturally. I have started to get a bit discouraged and have begun at times to doubt my own strength.

One of the biggest reasons I have decided to go natural is because I want to be connected to my body in this experience. I feel like our culture is so obsessed with being comfortable that most people never even explore the option of natural birth. I am not passing judgment on individuals, and I am aware that there are complex factors and priorities that influence this very important and personal decision. I  only wish there was more curiosity when it comes to being connected with our bodies as women. I had a friend tell me God made our bodies to deliver and God will give you all you need in that time. 



The intricacy of our bodies is incredible. I often find myself choosing other things over being in touch with the body God gave me.  To feel is to know one is alive, but so often I choose numbness over the threat of pain, I choose isolation over the threat of broken intimacy, I choose religious routine over the threat of spiritual hardship.  But in forgoing these things, we miss out on the goodness God has for us in those dark places.

In connecting with our bodies, we can become who God has made us to be.  Food and sex are two ways we connect to our bodies.  We eat good food because it is pleasureful and nourishing.  We engage sexually because in orgasm there is delight in one another and our bodies.   Food and sex are easy sells because the perceived advantages outweigh the costs.  But labor is harder because we are culturally so terrified of pain. While few would describe labor as pleasurable, God still gives in it a measure of goodness and joy.  In labor, the body releases hormones and chemicals that serve as natural pain killers and endorphins. It is a hard place, but one in which God still shows up.

Will and I recently watched The Business of Being Born.  While I don't agree with everything in the documentary, it really showed all aspects of laboring, not just pain. I think it is so easy for me to get so caught up in pain that I can't see the other advantages to laboring naturally.

I am sure there are so many mixed emotions involved in labor, but for some reason it seems that pain is the one imprinted on our minds. It is often the only emotion we see in movies or on TV. It is much like sex: when we only see one side of sex, it is easy to think that is all there is. In reality, there is a measure of tenderness and connectedness that is rarely depicted on Hollywood screens. 

My hope is to promote curiosity and further understanding of our bodies as women. The chance to work with my body and be a part of bringing a baby into this world is one of the greatest privileges of being a woman. While labor will be scary and painful I am trusting that the full experience will be so much bigger than those things.

(Thanks to Will for his wisdom and insight as we wrestle through this topic)

32 Weeks

As far as bean updates go I think I hit my pinnacle last week with the monkey. This week I went for more of a standard cliche picture. The bean is getting big. We had an ultrasound this past week and the baby weighed 2.2 kgs which translates to around 4.5 lbs. Everything looked great. We heard the heart beat which was so sweet. I teared up a little. My stomach is SO tight. I have been having more backaches. It feels like the bean is going to kick through my stomach. From here on out they say that I will gain a pound a week which I have a hard time imagining where that will all go. Other than being uncomfortable from time to time everything else is fine.

31 Weeks

Just walking my monkey.

The bean is 16 inches long and weighs 3.3 pounds. He/She is moving his/her head from side to side. Nothing new to report. I feel pretty good, but my tummy is feeling tighter again which makes it hard to get comfortable.

30 Weeks

The picture quality isn't so good this week, but here I am at Yod Abyssinia Cultural Restaurant in Ethiopia. There will be more about this trip later. 

I am a little behind on my updates due to travelling. I was 30 weeks along in this picture. I felt the bean get hiccups for the first time which is just cute. She/He is 15.7 inches long and weighs 3 pounds. The bean is the size of a cabbage. Her/His eyesight is developing, but can only see 20/400 at the moment (how do they know these things?).

The whole thing about being more clumsy is so true. I have broken many items recently two in record timing. The first I stepped into one of the doctor's offices at work and broke a picture frame in about 90 seconds. Then I was at a different doctor's home and put my purse down and knocked over a wooden sculpture. That one took me about 2 minutes. Be sure before you invite me over to child proof your house. Sometimes I feel like a tornado blowing through town.

29 Weeks

The bean weighs 2 1/2 pounds and is 15 inches head to heel. He/She is the size of a butternut squash.  This week has flown by. Nothing out of the ordinary to report. I am getting bigger. I feel like I drop everything these days. Bending over is becoming even more of a challenge and I have started to get tired again.  I did feel what I think was a heel kicking me.

Our time here in Lusaka is drawing to a close which is bittersweet. We have 37 days until we leave. It is hard some days for me to be present and not make a to do list a mile long. My prayer is that we will be present and enjoy these last few days.

28 weeks

I am now in my third trimester!!! I can't believe we have only 11 more weeks until I am 40 weeks. The bean now weighs a little more than two pounds, the size of a Chinese cabbage. He/She is 14.5 inches from head to heel. Lately, it has been harder to remain positive. It is difficult to do little things like: turn over in bed, sleep, or bend over. I had my first big tired pregnancy cry this week. Sweet Will just listened and waited for me to finish. I know it is all part of the process. Thankfully, I had several wonderful surprises this week which I will post more about that later.

27 Weeks

Will and I have been practicing tailor sitting which is supposed to loosen you up and get you ready for labor. We have been doing more reading lately and practicing several other exercises. Will is going to be a great birthing coach. Enough about us you want information on the bean.  He/She is almost 2lbs and 14 inches long. He/She is the size of a head of cauliflower. The bean is sleeping on regular intervals and opening and closing its eyes. The bean is almost fully developed even down to his/her eyelashes. I am getting so excited to meet this little guy or girl. 

{all my facts are from babycenter.com}

26 weeks




The bean weighs 1lb and 2/3s and measures 14 inches in length. His/Her eyelids are open now and blinking. His/Her lungs continue to develop as it drinks in the amniotic fluid. The bean says hello! He/She is kicking me at the moment. I am starting to get a little bit tired again. The heat is still persisting so I am sure that has something to do with it. It is also getting harder to find a comfortable position to sleep in. Other than that my stomach is getting big which makes me wonder where the last 2 1/2 months of baby growth is going to go. 

25 weeks

 

I am a little behind on my bean update photos. We went to Cape Town, South Africa last week so I was unable to post. In this photo I am 25 weeks. The bean is 13 1/2 inches long from head to heal and weighs a pound and a half. He/She is beginning to fill out more and putting on weight.

I am doing well...and yes those are penguins from Antarctica. More pictures from Cape Town coming soon.

24 weeks

The bean weighs a little over a pound and is almost a foot long (the size of an ear of corn). His/Her body is filling out and will begin to plump up soon. The brain is growing and he/she is developing taste buds. I wonder what amniotic fluid tastes like...I imagine like Clearly Canadian .

I am feeling great other than an annoying stuffy nose. I have been trying to workout since I have heard it makes for an easier labor (I will do pretty much anything someone says if it means an easier labor). We had our monthly appointment yesterday and everything looks great. Two of my roommates got to see the ultrasound which was fun. We also saw the heart beat and the bean is measuring normal. This baby has a great fan club here as well as in the States. I can't wait for everyone to meet him/her.

23 Weeks



This is pretty much where I live now. Meet Julie what a cutie.


I am 23 weeks pregnant and HOT! Lusaka is on the fringes of the dry season and I am daily hoping the rainy season is around the bend. Since the bean is able to sense movement he/she is also able to feel when I am dancing; which is often. His/Her hearing has developed by now which means certain sounds no longer faze the bean... like the high pitch of Michael Jackson's voice.  His/Her blood vessels are developing in the lungs to prepare for breathing. Just this past week the bean kicked and I saw my stomach move. It was so cool and a little creepy.

{All the information came from baby center}

Happy Halloween From the Williams' Family

The bean's first costume.
{Art by Will Williams, Photography by Sydney Hubbard}

22 Weeks

Last weekend Will and I went to Bostwana for a safari. We had a wonderful time. I will post more pictures later. I didn't post a 21 week picture so I made sure I used this scenery to my advantage. 

The bean is 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and weighs almost a pound. His/her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct. Which means he/she is looking more like a new born instead of an alien. 

I have been feeling great. My feet have started to swell which is just beautiful let me tell you. I can feel my belly stretching more and more each day. It is getting harder to get comfortable and the bean's kicks are getting stronger. All and all I couldn't be more blessed. Everything is going well. We go for our next appointment next week. 

{All the facts came from babycenter.com}

Halfway!!!- 20 weeks

 

We are at 20 weeks the halfway point and you guessed it the bean is the size of a banana. He/She is 6 inches long from head to bottom and weighs 9 ounces. The bean is practicing his/her swallowing. This week has been the first time I have been a bit emotional. I have missed my mom a lot more this week. All I wanted to do was lay my head in her lap and have her play with my hair.  It was a feeling I haven't felt in a long time, I felt very young.

Ultrasound Pictures

Here are some ultrasound pictures from our visit this week. 3-D hasn't hit Lusaka just yet so we had to settle for an old school version. It was fine though we still got to see the baby jumping and kicking. 

The baby has its hands up by its head and its knees bent.

This one is a bit scary. You can see the face and the body.

19 weeks-Baby Bean

I confess I put Will up to a photo shoot of sorts. I really wanted a regal pregnancy picture. It all started when I saw Family Stone for the first time. I love the picture that Sarah Jessica Parker gives all the siblings...you know the one...the mother is sitting by a window with the sunlight coming in. It is so classy. 

I am 19 weeks almost half way. The bean is the size of a slice of watermelon, about 6 inches and weighing 8 ounces. His/Her brain is developing millions of neurons. The bean is sleeping about 18 hours, spending the other 6 kicking my tummy.

The facts used in this post are from the pregnancy countdown book.