Week 31!

It's hard to believe Anthony will be here in less than 9 weeks! Yesterday at my appointment, we found his heart rate is chugging right along in the 140s, which is where it has been most of the pregnancy.

I do have a little bit of bad news, though.... unfortunately, my blood pressure was high again. We talked about me "slowing down" from here on out. My doctor is concerned that I may develop pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure, protein in urine, and swelling are the most common symptoms) and if that is the case, bed rest is the only way to help it until the baby is big enough to be born (around 38 weeks). So, I'm supposed to watch for any major symptoms and try not to over-do it or be stressed. It's easy to say, but harder to do!

Your baby is entering a growth spurt. For the next eight weeks, he'll gain weight faster than he increases in length, at the rate of about half a pound a week. The bigger he gets, the harder it will be to "see" him on ultrasound and get a good estimate of his size. He's definitely growing fast, and you'll notice that his kicks will start to feel more like squirming as he runs out of room to roam. Your baby will be weighing in at around 3 1/2 pounds and measures nearly 15 1/2 inches from head to toe. Your baby's growth weight may begin to slow down a little now, but although it is slowing down the internal organs will continue to grow and develop.

Although I'm pretty bummed about it, we've decided not to go all out and decorate Anthony's nursery. There are just so many things left to get for him that seem more important, so I guess Jason lucked out - he doesn't have to paint anymore! Hopefully we'll at least be able to add a few of his nursery decor items at some point.