32 Weeks

This week the baby is the size of a squash (about 16.7 inches long and 3.8 pounds). He or she will be turning into a head-down position anytime in the next several weeks. With the exception of the lungs, all of the baby's organs are fully developed and are just taking time to practice their functions.  The skin is now opaque instead of transparent.  And he or she has defined sleep and wake cycles.  As he or she continues to grow, Muffin is probably feeling more cramped - and I'm also feeling more crowded and stretched.  My belly definitely feels bigger each week, but I'm also just feeling more uncomfortable as the days pass.  Depending on my position, it can be hard to breathe easily (even when just sitting down) and I'm not always sleeping well.  One challenge is that I'm very gassy at night!  I wake up with stomach discomfort, release some gas, and then eventually fall asleep again.  But this is happening more and more frequently all the time.

This week I ordered A LOT of things from Amazon in preparation for Muffin's arrival.  We made an Amazon baby registry so that we could take advantage of the 15% completion discount.  We were eligible for the discount on Tuesday, so I ordered the majority of the items all at once.  We already have most of the supplies we need, but there were some things we wanted or needed for this second baby.  The order included breastfeeding accessories (pillow, nursing cover, pump parts, pump cleaning parts, breast pads, milk storage bags, nipple cream, manual pump, nursing tanks, etc.), a video baby monitor (we just had an audio monitor with Gavin and we will probably travel with that one), a baby swing (we broke our original swing), a baby carrier (I had a wrap with Gavin and wanted a more structured carrier this time), a few crib sheets, a side table to put next to the glider, a white noise machine, and a few other small items.  We also ordered a gift for Muffin to give Gavin and a gift for Gavin to give Muffin when they get to meet each other for the first time.  

With all of the COVID-19 precautions, we're not sure when Gavin and Muffin will meet.  As of now, Methodist is allowing one support person to accompany laboring mothers, but no other visitors.  Some hospitals are discharging patients earlier than usual (like 24 hours after birth), but I don't know our hospital's current discharge plans.  These are some of the questions I have for our appointment with Dr. Kaufman this week.  Once we know a little more about what to expect, we will finalize our care plans for Gavin.  

Finally, this week was my 32nd birthday (good timing since it was also my 32nd week of pregnancy!).  Gavin wanted me to open my gifts as soon as he woke up - even though he didn't know what they were.  Eric got me a weighted blanket and some cute signs to prop up by my bathtub.  My mom dropped off a bagel and coffee from 5 Borough Bagels and waved at us through the glass door.  We took a family trip to Smokey Row in the afternoon and ordered milkshakes.  And Eric and Gavin served a spicy shrimp pasta for dinner (my request).  Gavin helped set the table to make it "fancy" and we all dressed up to make it feel like we went to a restaurant.  I had a few Zoom meetings for school, but it was a great day!