Update on Serena - 37 Weeks Pregnant

Our baby is full term! This means that if Serena arrives now, her lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though our due date is still three weeks away.

Serena has likely hit the six-pound mark by now, and her length could be approximately twenty-one inches. She is practicing her breathing, but has increasingly less space to practice stretching and kicking. Her body fat has increased to about eight percent. By birth, it'll be about fifteen percent. While Serena could be born at any time, the longer she stays in, the more time she has to develop the connections in her brain in the pleasant peace and quiet of the womb. At this point, she can do just about all the things a newborn can. Just as I'm feeling stretched, Serena is being squeezed on all sides. Some of my antibodies are crossing the placenta, giving her immune system some support for her first days in the world.

Serena's skull isn't the only soft structure in her little body. Most of her bones and cartilage are quite soft as well (they'll harden over the first few years of life) — allowing for an easier journey as she squeezes through the birth canal at delivery. The skull bones are also not fused together yet so that the head can easily (well, relatively easily) maneuver through the birth canal. Growth will experience a slowdown now, both so Serena will be able to fit the narrow passageway to the outside and also so she can store up all the energy needed for delivery.

By now, many of Serena's systems are pretty mature, at least in baby terms — and just about ready for life on the outside. Blood circulation, for instance, has been perfected and Serena's immune system has matured enough to protect her from infections outside the womb. Other systems, however, still need a few finishing touches. One such notable example: digestion — which actually won't be fully mature until sometime after birth. Inside her little gestational cocoon, Serena has relied on the umbilical cord for nutrition, meaning that the digestive system — though developed — hasn't been operational. She will take the first year or two to bring that system up to speed.

USA Days in Fairfax, IA

These days it seems like I barely get our suitcases unpacked and the clothes through the laundry when it's time to pack up and go someplace again!

Macy loves going for a "ride." In fact, we have to be careful not to say the word "ride" in her hearing unless we really are planning to take her for a ride because she gets so excited! Usually, we make her sit with me on the passenger's side (for safety's sake!) on our trips; but once in a while Jordan will let her sit with him, which makes Macy extremely happy!! She loves staring out the windows scanning the countryside for birds so she can totally flip out with excitement whenever one comes in view. That is pretty much her whole motivation for going for "rides," I think! ;)

This past weekend, we went to the Cedar Rapids area. On Thursday, Jordan played in a golf tournament with some people from the new company he's working for. They didn't do too well, but I think they all had a good time. :)

Thursday night, Fairfax was having their big USA Days celebration, and Jason's bank had a team in the softball tournament. Jordan and Grant both played for them, so Anna & I went along to watch the game. It was so hot out there!!!! :P We still had fun, though! Since Julia was playing softball, we got to help watch Kaden. Julia's mom was visiting so Kaden really had fun playing with 'Grammie'; and Eltza was there with her little boys to watch Mike play in the softball game too.

Kaden loves his stroller...whether he's pushing it, or being pushed in it, doesn't matter! Fox (Eltza's little boy who is about 6 months older than Kaden) thought it was pretty fun to push Kaden (with a little help from Julia's mom!).

Kaden and Fox were trying to cover up the kleenex with rocks...a much better activity than throwing the rocks at each other! ;)

Friday, we hung out with Jordan's family. Jordan & I had lunch with Grandma & Pa at Culvers (yum!), and Anna & I played the game of Life a few times! :) That night Andria & Daniel came over for a little visit, and all of us girls watched "Marley and Me." Such a sad movie! It was the second time I'd seen it, and I'm pretty sure I balled at least as much as I did the first time!

Saturday, we drove over to Fairfax for their big annual parade. Grant & Anna came along with us again, and this time we brought Macy too. Macy behaved wonderfully the whole weekend. It's so nice to see her starting to mature finally!! She was such a cute puppy, but I'm pretty happy to be leaving the hyper puppy stage behind us! ;) She's such a cutie, so little kids always like to pet her, so it was a big relief to see her greet them so calmly. A few people even commented on what a nice 'calm' dog we had! Hahaha! If only they knew what a little wind-up toy she used to be!!!

This is what Macy thought of the firetrucks and other emergency vehicles that went by during the parade!

Here comes the crew for Jason's bank! Julia's helping carry the sign in front, and her mom is pushing Kaden in the little car right behind her. I didn't get a picture of Kaden up close in the parade, because I was hoping to get a video and ended up with neither. Poo! :P

Here comes Jason!

The Guaranty Bank truck

Grant, Jordan, and Macy watching the parade and coaching Anna on how to pick up the candy being thrown in the street. ;)

After the parade, we had lunch and then went back to the baseball field for the rest of the softball tournament. Again, it was terribly hot! :P Jason's team wasn't able to pull off the win, but I was glad that meant that Jordan could come sit with me for the rest of the tournament! :) Thankfully, a small thunderstorm blew in and cooled us all off a little! Later, we went back to Jason & Julia's for supper before heading on home!

The next series of pictures warrants a little introduction. Kaden and Macy have always had a rocky relationship. Macy (of course, being the puppy that she is) loves Kaden. Kaden, on the other hand, loves Macy...as long as she stays at a safe distance! Usually, if Macy gets too close, Kaden gets really upset; but when she's safely out of reach, he points at her with a big grin and says "dog"! Well, Kaden went out on the deck and shut the screen door behind him (something Julia said he loves doing)...and when he turned around, Macy was out there with him!! It was really funny to watch Kaden so bravely reach out and pet Macy all by his little self!!

Hmmm.... I wonder what would happen if I just touched her...

Just a little touch with one of my fingers, and I'll keep my hand on the door for some security.

This is actually kinda fun! I think this doggie is pretty neat!

It was a great weekend! We drove home Saturday night and my Mom came down the same night for a short visit. She painted Serena's room for me on Sunday, and on Monday we got a bunch of things done in preparation for Serena's arrival (along with some good old Mother-Daughter time, of course!). I'll be posting pictures of the nursery as soon as it's finished! Hopefully not too much longer! :D

Update on Serena - 36 Weeks Pregnant

At about 20 inches and five and a half pounds (but with about four more weeks to grow), most of our baby's growth over the next month or so before we meet her will be in weight (with an approximate gain of one ounce per day), not height (she's pretty much reached the in-utero limit in that department). Accordingly, fat continues to accumulate at a rapid pace these days (on Serena, not me, of course...ahem). Back in the middle of the pregnancy, our baby's weight was made up of only two percent fat; now at 36 weeks pregnant, that percentage has soared to closer to 15 percent (and will increase to 30 percent at term). This means our baby's once skinny arms and legs are now quite plump…and irresistibly, squeezably soft.

Also continuing to grow at an amazing pace is our baby's brain power. Luckily, the part that surrounds that amazing brain — the skull — remains soft in preparation for the descent through the birth canal.

Serena has been shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath.

At the end of this week, our baby 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.) She's already in a head-down position in preparation for her birth day!

Update on Serena - 35 Weeks Pregnant

Our baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's probably over 18 inches long and tips the scales around 5 pounds. Because it's so snug in the womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks will remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight. Her nervous system and immune system are still maturing but, everything else, from her toenails to the hair on her head, is fully formed. If she were born now, she'd have more than a ninety-nine percent chance of surviving.

VACATION!

The days before Serena's arrival have been flying by, faster and faster it seems! We had talked about going on a vacation in May (once Tax Season was over), but different things came up to thwart our plans. So, we decided that maybe we should just try to go some place close to home for a small get-away since it's getting so late in the pregnancy now. Our weekends have been so full, though; so last weekend, we decided to just take a couple days off of work and make our escape while we still could! So, last Friday night I did a little priceline.com-ing and landed a really nice hotel in Kansas City, MO for Sunday and Monday nights. Our friends Joel & Kate agreed to watch Macy for the first night, and Jordan's cousin Tyson took care of her for the second night. I'll admit I was a little sad after dropping Macy off with Joel & Kate. Seriously, it is a little ridiculous to realize just how attached I've gotten to that dog!!! ;)

We made it to KC around 6 or 7 Sunday evening. After getting settled into the hotel, we ventured down to the Country Club Plaza (which was just a few blocks away from our hotel) for some dessert.

The hotel where we stayed

Sunday evening was gorgeous! It was really nice to walk around the Plaza. I loved looking in the windows of all the shops (they were all closed since it was Sunday night), and Jordan enjoyed looking at all the really nice cars down there. For dessert, we found a cute little shop called Balsano's Gelato Cafe and each got a dish of carmel mocha gelato. SO GOOD!!! I had never even heard of gelato before! It's a lot like frozen custard, only creamier...if that's possible! A little spendy, but hey, we were on vacation! ;)

Sunday night we took advantage of the fabulous work-out facilities, and Jordan took a swim in the pool (I would have loved to join him, but I don't have a swim suit...partly because I hate spending the money, and partly because I'm not sure that I'm willing to subject myself to that kind of humiliation at 34 weeks pregnant!). ;)

Monday morning we woke up at a luxuriously late hour (no puppy to wake Jordan up earlier, haha!) to the sound of pouring rain and thunder. I was really disappointed because I had wanted to go to the zoo that day. Jordan checked the weather, and it looked like it would be rainy all day long. We decided to get up and get ourselves ready for the day and then go find some breakfast. An hour or so later, when we were ready to go, the rain had cleared off and the sun was shining!!! So, off to the zoo we went!!

The Kansas City Zoo

It turned out to be a great day to be at the zoo! Although it was very muggy and warm, we walked almost the whole thing! I think I refilled my water bottle three times over the 4 hours we were there. By the end of the afternoon, we were really ready for some air conditioning. :P Some shakes from McDonalds helped cool us down too! ;)

One of the first areas that we went to at the zoo was filled with birds and animals from Australia. Some of the birds were not in cages, and they were apparently pretty comfortable with having people around! I can't remember what kind of bird this was, but he really liked Jordan! Jordan was looking at the book (to his right in the picture) to see what kinds of birds we were looking at, and this bird would not leave him alone! It was really funny!

The sea lions were a huge highlight! I enjoyed them a lot! We just so happened to be going past their pool about half an hour before one of their daily shows, so we occupied ourselves in the air-conditioned 'tropics' building until it was time for the show. It was definitely worth it! They were great!

The sea lions really seemed to know how to work the crowd!

I could tell it had been a long time since I had been to a zoo. All the animals seemed to be bigger/smaller/uglier/prettier/funnier than I expected!

This warthog definitely won the 'ugliest animal' prize that I was giving away!

This gorilla walked over to that rock and sat down and kept trying to ignore all the people on the deck watching him. He would stare in the other direction for a couple minutes and then look back at us to see if we were still there. He was such a big funny guy!

After the zoo, we stopped by Bass Pro Shops so Jordan could do a little manly shopping. ;) I managed to have some fun still, though. They had a laser shooting range and you could shoot 25 shots for $.50. I challenged Jordan to a contest, and totally beat him! Ha! He claims that it's because he was trying to shoot the targets farther away and I was shooting at the ones that were close; but I'm thinking that only means that not only am I a better shot, but my strategy is way better than his! ;)

Monday night we went back down to the Plaza and ate at an amazing Mexican restaurant for supper. It's called Baja 600. Definitely 5 stars in my book!!! The salsa was fresh and my enchiladas were the best I'd ever had! Plus, I had a really hot date! ;)

Our air conditioning in the hotel room went out Monday at some point, and since we weren't around, we didn't realize it until that night. To make a long story short, we decided to stick it out in our slightly-warm hotel room that night (rather than switching rooms at 11:30pm!). As we were falling asleep, Jordan told me he was going to 'complain royally' to the front desk when we checked out in the morning. Haha! (If you know Jordan, you know that means he's going to be 'working the system' until the hotel gives him some sort of compensation for the inconvenience.) But, they beat him to it! Tuesday morning we found some mail shoved under our door! They credited back the parking charge for our stay, and they gave us free breakfast in their restaurant and a free coffee drink at their coffee shop! Turned out to be over $50 value! :) The breakfast was really good, and the waitress was such a sweetie! She was trying to take such good care of us because I'm pregnant (heehee, gotta live it up while I still can!), and she offered to get me a bowl of fruit from the kitchen (even though I hadn't ordered it) and came back with some yogurt too! It was a great way to balance out my original menu choice...a belgian waffle! Hahaha! ;)

We hung around KC until early afternoon and then drove home because Jordan had softball at 6. However, his games ended up getting rained out, so we enjoyed a free evening at home! Of course, Macy was ecstatic to be reunited with us (and we were pretty happy to see her, too)!

Me with my little doggie!

A Name for Our Baby

No one told me that it would be so hard to choose a name for our baby! I found myself wondering how in the world you are supposed to know what to name this little person whom you have not met but already love so intensely? After we found out our baby's gender, I began the quest for the perfect name. I looked through so many name lists, which I then compiled into a master list that I would show to Jordan now and then. Together, we ruled out different names, but the name we ended up choosing was actually one from the first list that I ever came up with. We didn't pick the name based on meaning (although, I did pay attention to meanings so that our daughter wouldn't end up with a name that had a weird meaning), and we didn't try to name her after anyone. We just chose a name that we thought sounded pretty.

For those who are curious, both Serena and Kay originate from the Latin language. Serena means "serene, calm" (bet you never would have guessed that, ha!), and Kay means "happy, rejoicing."

I'm so happy our baby finally has a name! Now, more than ever, I can't wait to meet our little Serena Kay!

Update on Baby Horak - 34 Weeks Pregnant

This week our baby may be anywhere between 17 to 19 inches in length and weigh more than four and a half pounds. At this stage in fetal development, our baby could grow a full inch more this week alone — especially if she has been on the shorter side.  Weight gain can range from a third more growth to a full doubling before the big debut. 

The level of amniotic fluid in my uterus has reached its maximum this week, making it likely that I have more baby than fluid now. That's one reason why I've been feeling lots of nudges and pushes — there's less liquid to cushion the blows!

Our baby is acting more and more like a baby, with her eyes closing during sleep and opening while awake. And because those uterine walls are becoming thinner, more light penetrates the womb, helping our baby differentiate between day and night.

Our baby has reached an important milestone about now: The development of her own immune system that (along with antibodies from me) will be able to provide protection from mild infections.

Now that our baby's brain has formed billions of neurons, it must accomplish the even more complex feat of hooking the neurons and synapses together. Our baby's brain is forming trillions of connections, making it possible for her to learn in the womb. All of this brain development may be the reason that our baby sleeps frequently at this stage. She may even be dreaming—her eyes dart around rapidly just as an adult's might in REM sleep. A child's development is in no way complete at birth. In the first year after birth, a baby's brain triples in size and becomes three-quarters of its adult size.

Our baby's fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well.

And...here's my 34-week photo!  ;)

Anna's Visit

Last weekend, Jordan's brother Grant competed in YHEC (Youth Hunter Education Challenge) over by Madrid, so Jordan's dad and sister Anna drove Grant over to the competition and then spent the weekend at our house!  Jordan and his dad spent most of their time over at the YHEC competition, so Anna and I got to hang out together!

They arrived Friday night, their truck laden down with some nursery furniture that Julia had found for me at the Fairfax city-wide garage sales a few weeks ago.  I now have a comfy gliding rocking chair and a changing table!  :)  

On Saturday, Jordan's cousins Mary and Chloe came over and spent most of the day playing with Anna & I while their mom (Aunt Beth of Tuecke Tribe fame) attended the NICHE conference (Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators).  We had a lot of fun with them!  After Mary & Chloe left, Anna & I decided to venture out and do some shopping.  We went to Old Navy and found all kinds of cute outfits for Anna to model.  :)  We finally ended up with an adorable green tank top for Anna and a pair of flip-flops for each of us.  Then, we went to Michaels to get some fake flowers to embellish our flip-flops with.  About that time, Jordan called and said that they were almost home.  Anna & I hurried home (as much as we could considering the extremely slow check-outs at Michaels!!!) and then we all went out to eat at the Cracker Barrel!!!  Mmmm!  When we got home again, Anna & I tried to glue the flowers on the flip-flops.  We tried hot glue first.  It seemed to work great, but the flowers fell off the next day.  :(  So, we tried super glue Sunday afternoon, but didn't have time to let them dry all the way before Anna had to leave, so I'm not sure yet if that worked.  They sure looked cute, though!

Our flip-flop project.  Aren't they cute?!  The flowers in the vase are from my front yard.  They matched our flip-flops, so I decided to put them in the picture too, haha!  :D  I must say that I have had lots of beautiful flowers blooming in the yard ever since April and I love it!!

Jordan & his dad went to YHEC again on Sunday, so Anna and I went to church by ourselves.  The guys all got home about the time Anna & I were about to enjoy our lunch.  Everyone stayed until about 4...long enough for Anna to beat me in a game of Phase 10!  ;)  It was a fun weekend!

Anna & I before she left on Sunday afternoon.  We had lots of fun together, and I can't wait until she can come visit again!

Pictures from Sunday

To round out the baby shower weekend, I cannot neglect to post the traditional slew of pictures that we took on Sunday all dressed up for church!  :)

Julie, Jess, Christa and Marcus, Me

Christa let me hold her adorable little guy Marcus

And here I get to hold another adorable little guy, my nephew Kaden!!!!  Oooo...I love him!  :)

Mom, Me, Jessica, Julie, Julia & Kaden

Me with Mom & Grandma

Me and Julie

Me and Jess

Sisters picture!  :)  

Don't you love our pretty bright-colored dresses and shoes?!  ;)

It was such a fun weekend!  I'm always so happy to get to be back 'home' again!  But, it was weird to not have Jordan with me!  I missed him a lot!  So, I was really glad to be home with Jordan again Sunday night!  And, the 'welcome home dance' Macy did for me totally melted my heart!  ;) 

Girl Time!

After the shower was over, we got the house put back together and then we had the rest of the night all to ourselves!  We decided to go to Fairmont and eat supper at the Channel Inn...a little resaurant on the lake.  We filled up on some really yummy fried food!  :)

Kaden loved looking out at the lake.  There were ducks, boats, and overgrown carp to watch!

My pretty sisters

Mom, Julie, & Jess

Julia, Me, & Grandma

After supper at Channel Inn, we were so full that we decided to go to Shopko to get some good shopping exercise in.  ;)  We had to check out the shoe selection, of course!  Kaden had fun testing one of the display couches with Uncle Julie; and then showed off his strength to us, the employees, and the other shoppers by pushing around a shopping cart at the entrance of the store for a few minutes.  He loves pushing things that have wheels!

When we got home, we got changed into our comfy clothes and played Mom's favorite game (Mexican Train Dominoes) and ate junk food until midnight, when we finally collapsed into our beds! 

 

Kaden loves climbing up and down the stairs at Grandma's house!

This cute little onesie was a gift from Julie

Me with Julia -- I'm so lucky to have such a great sister-in-law!

All of us girls

A Cabbage Patch Doll for my baby girl!!!  I had one when I was little too!

We put Kaden inside the Cabbage Patch Doll box.  He thought it was so funny!  So did we!  Haha!

Me with Jess

My grandma slept in this bassinet when she was a baby!  She dressed it up with a new pink bow and some pink trim for our baby girl!