We had our 31 week appointment yesterday and both baby and mom are doing well. We had an ultrasound to check fetal growth and placenta location, and we got good news and bad news. The good news is that Katherine seems to be growing well and is at the 50th percentile for weight. She weighs 3 1/2 pounds, and she's getting much stronger, as I can attest to from the frequent belly kicks! Her heart rate was normal and her size was normal. We got another glimpse of the goods (this baby is not modest!) and they definitely still believe we're having a girl! She was showing off during the ultrasound, sucking her thumb and her knees. My blood pressure was normal and I actually lost a pound and a half, which I believe is from the swelling I was having but which seems to have dissipated in the last couple of weeks.

The bad news is the placenta problem has not improved. I received the placenta previa diagnosis a couple of months ago when we were at 20 weeks, but was reassured that most of the time it will move out of the way and it's nothing to really worry about. However, this ultrasound showed no movement of the placenta, and I still had a partial placenta previa. Unfortunately, this can be a really serious complication for both of us, even though I feel fine and I'm not experiencing any of the major side effects. However, if I were to go into labor, it could be life threatening for both of us. The remedy is to deliver the baby early, and to that end, July 27th we go in for another major ultrasound to give the placenta one last chance to clear the way of the birth canal. If it does not, and to quote the doctor, "I'm not very optimistic given that you are already 31 weeks...it seems unlikely," I'll be given an amniocentesis to check for fetal lung maturity at 35 weeks. If the test shows that her lungs are mature, they will deliver her at 36 weeks (the first week of August). If her lungs are not yet mature, they will give me steroids to speed up her lung development and deliver her at 37 weeks (the second week of August). Of course, delivery will have to be via c-section, but I can live with that if it means she'll be ok. Kate should start gaining half a pound a week now, so she'll probably be between 5 & 6 pounds when she is born if she is in fact delivered early. All resources say that by 36 weeks she should be fully developed with mature lungs, so she should be just fine and healthy. We have friends who had their baby a month early and little Simon seems just fine and dandy.

The good news is we know in advance she'll probably be coming early, and it gives us extra incentive to get the house ready for her arrival. Sadly, this means a lot of unpacking has to be done in the next few weeks, but it will be nice to get it out of the way. In the last two weeks we got our bedroom furniture, a living room set, and a dining room table (we sold our old furniture in California). We're still on a quest for dining room chairs and end tables, but other than that we'll at least have a place to sit and we can stop eating picnic style on the floor. We'll be spending this weekend at home, installing shelves and putting away our things from the numerous boxes the movers dropped off. It has become a comedy, of sorts, finding the things they packed that no reasonable person would want packed. For example, imagine my surprise when I unwrapped the EMPTY USED toilet bowl deodorizer, wrapped carefully in 3 layers of paper to prevent breakage. Ewwwwww!

Oy, there is a lot of bloodwork done on a pregnant woman. I had another blood draw yesterday as part of my 29 week appointment, this time to make sure I didn't have gestational diabetes. I am happy to report that my tests came back normal, so no problem there!

I also was able to take a peek at the baby again through the ultrasound. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture this time, but did make an appointment for a couple of weeks from now. She looked healthy and was moving for the doctor, so everyone was happy. My fundus measured normal Kate's gestational age, and the doctor discovered she is in a breech position. He said that was normal for this gestational age, but I think Kate is just determined to make this difficult for me!

Daphne came to visit this week, and Kate refused to cooperate and kick for her. Kate's personality is definitely shining through...she has an attitude that says "I am not a trained circus animal and do not respond to requests." Her dad says she got that from me. Really?

Also this week I got my first taste of braxton hicks contractions. Last night, while measuring at the new house, I began to feel cramping first at the top and then down my abdomen. I had been on my feet a lot all day, and the house was hot hot hot. I sat down, and the contractions came and went. I had about 4 at the house, and then we left and caught a taxi home. At home I had 4 more, over about 45 minutes, and then they stopped. Phew! It was a little scary.

Did I mention that I'm getting huge? Now my tummy is so big that regular shirts don't even cover my belly button! I'm also getting tons of kicks these days, sometimes they're even painful! I think if I were to put a ball on my tummy she could kick it off, because she certainly makes my shirt move!

We also recently added things to our registry. What a pain! I was so tired that I couldn't think clearly, and after being in the store for an hour, I could barely concentrate. The stroller selection is the worst, because there are just too many options, and I've never had a kid before, so what do I know? Why is it that every time I go into Buy Buy Baby they are demonstrating those awful bugaboo strollers? They must make huge margins on those things. However, picking out clothes was fun. I can't wait to dress her up in them!

Overall, now that I know I have a nest to set her up in when she arrives, I'm feeling much better. I thought I was having a meltdown before, and finding an apartment here sucks! However, now I'm relaxing again and feeling better about getting things set up in time for her arrival.

I just can't wait to meet her!