36 Weeks!

Some have asked about Matthew's room. As you can see, it is currently under construction! Taylor, with some help, is working hard on an addition to our house. The picture above includes Matthew's closet, and the picture below shows a different angle of Matthew's room.

Any suggestions on colors for the walls or carpet? Suggestions are appreciated :)



Matthew this week: Matt is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds - like a crenshaw melon - yet another vegetable that I have never heard of - and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath.

At the end of this week, Matthew will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.)

Mom's doctor's appointment: Blood pressure was good...gained 2 pounds...I guess that makes up for 3 weeks with no gain. It might have something to do with the oreos! Still only 1 centimeter dilated. I spent about an hour on a monitor just to check Matt's movements. He passed with flying colors and now I know what a contraction feels like :) They were pretty strong, but lessened over time. I go back to the doctor on Wednesday.

I am really excited about my friends' baby shower on Sunday!

Feeling Blessed!

Baby Bradbury Timeline

As I posted my last post, I took a look at the Bradbury Baby Timeline at the top of the page...we are on the last picture! WOW! He will be here soon :)

35 Weeks!

A Ford Tractor Cake :)

The Hostesses

We were blessed with a baby shower hosted by Taylor's sister, Beth, and his cousins, Kelly and Nancy. They had a farm theme that was too precious. The cake was in a shape of a tractor...blue icing for Ford! and guests sat on bales of straw that were covered in quilts.

I went to the doctor on Wednesday. My blood pressure was great and I hadn't gained any weight in two weeks! (I guess the Oreos have been doing too much damage!) The doctor said that I was one centimeter dilated but warned me not to get to excited...yet. (My sister was 1 centimeter for 4 weeks.) I am supposed to take it easy and keep my feet up as much as possible :) I now go to the doctor every week...we will see what the progress is on Wednesday!

Matthew's Update: Matthew doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds - about the weight of a honeydew melon. Because it's so snug inside my belly, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. (He just seems to be kicking straight into my ribs!) His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Before leaving school on Friday, I wrote Monday's date on the board...September 8th! It is hard to believe that Matthew could be here in 1 MONTH!

Waiting patiently and feeling blessed!

34 Weeks!

This past Saturday I had my first baby shower. It was hosted by my sisters, Kelly and Toni, and my sister-in-law Lee-Anne. It was a great afternoon with family and friends. It was lots of fun celebrating Matthew's upcoming arrival.

This week: Matthew could now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds - the size of the average cantaloupe - and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. FYI: babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies. In other words, Matthew could be here any time :)

33 Weeks!

This week Matthew weighs a little over 4 pounds - about the weight of a pineapple - and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap. These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

I went to the doctor this week. Everything is looking great...my next appointment is in two weeks and then they will be every week!

Thought you might enjoy pictures of Matthew's room at his Aunt Beth's house!

32 Weeks!

Baby Bradbury weighs 3.75 pounds - about the weight of a jicama - (whatever that is!) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in my uterus. I'm gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. (What about the other half?) In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth.


I have enclosed a couple of pictures...enjoy :)

31 Weeks!

Went to the doctor today...all is going great!

This week, Matthew measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds - about the same as 4 navel oranges - and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's moving a lot, too. As soon as the doctor put the heart monitor on today, he pushed or something to let her know that he was there!

I officially started school today even though I have been going in since last Friday. The students have Back to School on Friday and their first day will be next Wednesday...it will be here before we know it. I have a lot of work to do between now and then...Hope all is going well in your world...until next week!