Charlotte Brooke - 29 weeks

Yesterday, we had an ultrasound to check on Charlotte's growth thus far.  I never, ever get tired of seeing my children up on that ultrasound screen....just amazing.  To see them in utero just hanging out...yawning, breathing, kicking, being adorable.  In those moments, I feel so incredibly blessed to be a woman and be able to experience this miracle. 

Here is a profile shot we got of our littlest one yesterday.  Up until now, she has not been very cooperative, but yesterday we were able to get a good look. :)

This first thing I noticed was those lips.  I looked at Jeremy and said, "Look at those lips!  Whose do they look like?"  Right away, he said, "Collen."  All 3 of our kids have had those same lips/mouth structure.  They get them from me.  I guess my "lips gene" is very dominant.  She is looking more like Ayden to me, but I see a little Collen in there, too.  Of course, you really can't tell much by what you see at this point, but I was able to pick up on a few similarities.  She continues to remind me more of Ayden, though.

Here is what we found out from the appointment yesterday:

- She is measuring in the 54th percentile - so she is average for growth!  That is a huge, huge relief because with the 2 vessel cord, a major concern is growth.  She is weighing in around 2lbs 15oz.  If she continues to grow like she is, she is likely to top 8 pounds at birth.  That would put her right on target for "our babies" since we grow them on the big side. ;)

- She is breech right now.  At 29 weeks, she has more than enough time to turn herself around.  I was a little surprised by that but I had begun to suspect that she was in a breech position.  Feeling from the outside, I thought I could feel a head below my belly button, but I just wasn't sure.  The movements I feel in my abdomen were feeling more and more like little feet, though, so seeing that she is breech definitely made sense.  My midwife said that if she has not turned at 36 weeks, we have the option of choosing to have them turn her for us.  She said at that point, if we choose to do that, we have look at risks vs. benefits.  If we're in that position at 36 weeks, I don't think I will choose to have her turned.  With her cord already being a sensitive issue, I don't want to do anything that could cause her distress.  So, if we have to elect for a c-section, then that's what we will do.  I just want her here, healthy, and screaming!

- On my side of things, I have only gained 10 pounds.  This is the least amount of weight I have gained in my 3 pregnancies.  Typically, I have gained at least 15 at this point, and I normally top out around 25-30.  I'm thinking I'll still hit that range, but I definitely stay busier these days in my past pregnancies. I haven't had time to lounge around and be lazy this time around.  Collen keeps me very active...moving all the time.  I eat like there's no tomorrow....I just ate lunch and literally had to stop from gorging myself on whatever was in sight. (I didn't...I did good. :) )  I do indulge (McDonald's Mocha Frappes are my big craving....sooooo yummy.  But I don't get them often, and I plan my caffeine intake around them!), but I have been more conscious about eating fruit and veggies this time around.  Just trying to give her the nourishment she needs.

- My blood pressure is good. Weight gain is good.  No swelling.  Plenty of amniotic fluid.  A baby growing on target.  I couldn't be happier with the way everything is going.  I just pray it continues.


We have so much to do before she gets here.  I'm trying to stay optimistic and believe it will all fall into place. I CAN NOT for the life of me decide on bedding for her room.  And I can't choose paint colors until I find bedding.  I want to go with aqua and pink, but anything I find that I like in those colors is crazy expensive of discontinued.  I've checked Etsy to see about custom bedding, but their prices are insane!  I know what I want, and I don't want to compromise...grrr.  I love Damask print and shabby chic.   Her furniture will be white and distressed....I like that antique look. :)  It's proving difficult to find something that fits my expectations.  Sigh....I'll get there.

We have another ultrasound in 3 weeks to check growth again.  Please pray that she continues to gain weight and grow as she should.  2 vessel cord babies have a tendency to decline in growth, especially toward the end.  They decide they're finished growing.  As long as she does not drop below 10%, we're good.  So, we are praying she stays around the 50% range and continues to grow as she should.

Thank you for your prayers for Charlotte.  We are getting more and more excited about welcoming her into our family! Collen is going to be a fantastic big brother.  He loves babies and is so good with them.  I'm trying to spend as much time with him as possible before she comes...making special memories and being sure he gets all the attention we can give him now before it all changes.