24 Weeks...

I have been finding it difficult to go on short walks with the dogs without developing a sharp pain in my side. I am also feeling very tight around my belly area, especially after a meal. Bub's movements have slowed down significantly compared to the last two weeks which I am sure is because she is now starting to run out of room. She still gives me a good kick every now and again though

I ordered the cot (cribb) for the nursery on Saturday and it will be available in about three weeks. I am really looking forward to putting her room together. I also ordered the stroller (pram) which I will probably pick up in a couple of weeks.

Popp Jnr's Development at 24 weeks... Bub is growing steadily, gaining about 99g since last week. Though she still has little body fat and her skin is thin and fragile, she's now well-proportioned. Her brain is growing rapidly, and she is starting to fill the space in my uterus. She may also be developing a weakness for sweets as her taste buds are now forming. Bub weighs more than 1.3 pounds/ 600 grams. From crown to heel she could measure 11.8 inches / 30 centimetres.

23 Weeks...

Popp Jnr's Development at 23 weeks... Bub now weighs a little over one pound/ 500 grams and measures about 11.4 inches/ 29 centimetres from crown to heel. Her hearing is well established and she can make out a distorted version of my voice, the beating of my heart and stomach rumblings. Loud noises often heard in utero, such as the barking of our dogs or the roar of a vacuum cleaner, probably won't bother bub when she hears them outside the womb. In addition to advances in her hearing, her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing.

On Sunday I was so very touched when my sister Kelly bestowed upon me the honour of being my nephew Harry's Godmother. I hope that I am able to fulfil this role and offer guidence to Harry if and when he needs it.

22 Weeks...

Bubs has been moving around like crazy this past week. Sometime she kicks or punches so hard it can actually be uncomfortable. I haven't noticed any sort of pattern to her movements yet. Apparently she is supposed to have awake times and sleep times, but it just seems like she is active all day and night. It worries me that this may continue after she is born and I'm going to be one of those mums who are in a constant state of zombie-ness.

These past couple of days I have found that I lose my balance very easily and I get a really bad stitch in my side when walking to work from the train station or walking the dogs. Apparently I am already walking like a pregnant women. Not sure how I feel about that seeing as I still have another 4 months to go. I think I am getting to the point where I will soon need to take my belly ring out as it is starting to get irritated. Bummer! I was hoping to keep it in for as long as possible but my stomach has seriously morphed into a major baby belly. So much so that I am now being offered a seat in the train. Granted only one person has done that so far and she was roughly about the same age as me but it was still a nice gesture. It's funny though how guilty and embarrassed I felt about about being offered a seat by someone who was about the same age as me.

I bought some earphones on the weekend and Jeff is going to find me some classical music to play to the baby. It'll give her something else to do in there other than listening to my digestive system all day. Must get boring after a while. I might even throw in some Madonna or Billy Joel so I can get her used to my taste of music so that there won't be any arguments in the car when she's older.

Popp Jnr's Development at 22 weeks... Bub now looks like a miniature newborn. Her lips are becoming more distinct and her eyes have developed; though the iris still lacks pigment, her eyebrows and eyelids are in place. Her pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily and the first signs of teeth are showing beneath the gum line. Bub now weighs almost one pound / 430 grams, and measures nearly 11 inches/ just over 27 centimetres long from crown to heel.

21 Weeks...

Jeff felt bub move for the first time a week ago. He loves it and is always touching my belly waiting for her to do something. I have found that she reacts mostly when I have something hot to drink or something spicy. I know what I’ll be having for breakfast, lunch and dinner when I get closer to the due date. Nothing much has changed with me except my belly is getting bigger. I am still tired and get exhausted very easily especially when walking the dogs. It freaks me out though in the morning when I haven't felt her move. I just have to remind myself that she is probably sleeping. It is so reassuring when I finally do feel little movements in my belly.

We had our 3rd OB appointment on Monday morning and bub is progressing nicely. She didn’t play hide and seek this time and the OB found her heartbeat fairly quickly (145bpm). I always think it sounds like a galloping horse. I had some conflicting due dates when we went for the 19 week scan but my OB has said that I am definitely due on the 18th November. Which means that I have 3 months 1 week and one day left of work. Not that I’m counting.

Popp Jnr’s Development at 21 weeks… She now weighs about three-quarters of a pound/ 360 grams and is approximately 10.5 inches/ 27 centimetres long from crown to heel. Her eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed and the fingernails cover the fingertips.

Our deck is almost finished. It now has a roof and we are able sit out on it and enjoy the weather (Even though it is the middle of winter it is still quite pleasant). My dad, sister and nephew Harry came over for a couple of hours on Sunday. Harry is now 8 months old and has started to army crawl across the floor. He also has two bottom teeth. The dogs had a taste of what it will be like to share floor space with a baby. Ruby just loved Harry and she kept going over to him wagging her little bum and giving Harry kisses. Winston was a little more apprehensive. I have come to realise that I am going to have my hands full once this baby comes home.

2007 Mapleton Scrapbooking Weekend

Last weekend I attended my third annual Mapleton Scrapbooking Weekend. This time both my sisters joined us which was a lot of fun. Kelly is doing her son Harry’s scrapbook and Melissa is doing her annual girl’s pampering weekend scrapbook. My mum is doing a scrapbook for the UK trip she and my dad did last year. Seeing as I finished my wedding album at the last scrapbooking weekend I decided to start a scrapbook of the Contiki Tour of California I did 7 years ago. This will keep me busy until the next annual scrapbooking weekend when I will start on our baby girl’s scrapbook. So fun!! (How many more times I can say scrapbook??)











Ruby wanted to come to Mapleton with me











The Scrapbooking Gurus

I also came home on Sunday to find that the roof had been installed on our deck, Jeff and our builder Ben installed a new 'old' stove to replace the pain-in-the-#$@% stove that came with the house when we bought it (see http://thepopps.blogspot.com/2006/07/home-is-where-you-hang-your-hat-and.html) and Carolyn had painted our bathroom. I think I should go away more often.

In better late than never news… my good friend Rosemary welcomed Paige Elyse Graham into the world on 26 April, 2007 in Toronto, Ontario. She weighed 6 pound 14 ounces. She is now two months old. We have scheduled a playdate with our girls sometime in the next couple of years.

20 Weeks...

Popp Jnr's Development at 20 weeks... Bub is putting on weight now and has turned into a slippery little thing -- a greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats the entire body to protect the skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. Some babies are still covered with this whitish goo when they're born.

• She is about 6.46 inches/ 16.4cm and weighs around 10.58 ounces/ 300g .

• The rapid growth stage is about over. While things have slowed down, this next stage is vital to survival.
• Her legs are reaching their relative size.

• Immunities are being transferred from me to bub now. These immune cells will protect her from viruses I've already had for up to six months after birth!
• Bub may startle in reaction to loud sounds. Amazingly, she can actually hear noises outside of the womb. Familiar voices, music, and sounds that bub becomes accustomed to during her development stages often are calming after birth.
• Her uterus is starting to develop and she has approximately six million eggs in her ovaries. About one million will remain at birth.