Introducing Kira Natalie Littlefield

 One Week Old

 
 


On Wednesday, November 10th - Prescott's 30th birthday - we welcomed Kira Natalie Littlefield into the world.  She was born at 10:04 a.m. at 6 pounds, 13.2 ounces and 20.5 inches long.

Today We Are 37 Weeks Pregnant

How Our Baby Girl Is Growing:

Our baby girl is now considered "full term," even though our due date is three weeks away.  If I go into labor now, her lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb.  (Some babies need a bit more time, though.  So if we're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, Dr. Katz will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)

Our baby girl weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard).  Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long.  But we shouldn't be surprised if our baby girl's hair isn't the same color as ours.  Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes.  And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

Modified from: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-37-weeks_1126.bc?read_more=1&scid=mbtw_preg37:942&pe=2UxuZCY

Today We Are 36 Weeks Pregnant

No comments from the peanut gallery, please!

How Our Baby Girl Is Growing:

Our baby girl is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day.  She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long.  She's 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.  Our baby girl swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, which will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, our baby girl 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.)  Most likely she's in a head-down position.  But if she isn't, Dr. Katz may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying he'll try to coax our baby girl into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of my belly.

Modified from: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-36-weeks_1125.bc?read_more=1&scid=mbtw_preg36:932&pe=2UxuZCY

Baby Shower

Margaret's Peaceful Backyard

Kira's Clothesline by Aunt Courtney

Lots of Love for Kira





Gramma Patricia, Aunt Katie & Cousin Ava



Aunt Courtney & Baba Mary Ann

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure and privilege of being "showered" by the most wonderful women. Chrissy, Courtney, Katie, Lital, Lauren & Marissa hosted a lovely shower for me at Chrissy's precious mom, Margaret's, house.  Everything happened so fast, I didn't even get to thank all my loving family and friends for celebrating the upcoming birth of our baby girl.  Thank you all for the beauty you bring to my life.

Today We Are 35 Weeks Pregnant

How Our Baby Girl Is Growing:

Our baby girl doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon).  Because it's so snug in my womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should 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.

Modified from: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-35-weeks_1124.bc?read_more=1&scid=mbtw_preg35:920&pe=2UxuZCY

Today We Are 34 Weeks Pregnant

How Our Baby Girl Is Growing:

Our baby girl now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long.  Her 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.  Babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine.  They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Modified from: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-34-weeks_1123.bc?responsys_count=1&scid=mbtw_preg34:912&pe=2UxuZCY

Today We Are 33 Weeks Pregnant

How Our Baby Girl Is Growing:

This week our baby girl weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening.  The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal.  (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.)  These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Modified from: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-33-weeks_1122.bc?read_more=1&scid=mbtw_preg33:908&pe=2UxuZCY 

Our 32-Week Bump

I have to admit, I'm really beginning to feel the weight.  And in the last couple of weeks, I've become terrified by the idea that our baby girl might grow to be seven to nine pounds by the time she is born.  I was only 6 pounds, 6 ounces when I was born, but Prescott was a healthy 8 pounds, 11 ounces!  And our baby girl's cousins seem to line right up with their genes: Miller cousin Ava weighed in at 6 pounds, 10 ounces when she was born May 8th, and Littlefield cousin William weighed in at 8 pounds, 9 ounces when he was born just last night.  Considering that our baby girl weighed in at approximately 3 pounds, 2 ounces almost three weeks ago and she is supposed to gain about half a pound a week for the remainder of the pregnancy...it's possible she could weigh in at about 8 1/2 pounds when she is born!  Oh my!

Today We Are 32 Weeks Pregnant

How Our Baby Girl Is Growing:

By now, our baby girl weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in my uterus.  I'm gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to our baby girl.  In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb.  She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz).  Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-32-weeks_1121.bc?read_more=1&scid=mbtw_preg32:904&pe=2UxuZCY

Nursery Progress...

Prescott has finished the closet and built-in!

Thinking About the Hospital Bag Already?!?

Last week, I introduced you to "This Week's Activity" from babycenter.  This Week's Activity is to start thinking about the hospital bag!

This Week's Activity:

You don't need to pack your bag yet, but start making a list of items to bring to the hospital. Besides a change of clothes and a toothbrush, some items to include:

• A photograph or object to focus on during labor (hmmm...maybe a photograph of Pres & Lady?)

• Snacks to keep your energy up and gum or mints for bad breath (I thought I wasn't allowed to eat while in labor!)

• Cozy socks and slippers (oooh the socks Court & Matt gave me for Christmas two years ago!)

• Your favorite pillow (you mean pillowS, right?!?)

• Some light reading material (how about all the baby and parenting magazines I never signed up to receive but seem to be arriving faster than I can read them!)

• A nursing nightie and nursing bra (um, I have nursing pajamas from Court...I'm gonna have to go buy a bra soon, I guess...)

• A going-home outfit for your baby (oh my goodness!  something to think about!)

• A camera or camcorder, fresh batteries, and film, if necessary (are we going to buy a camcorder now?!?)

I've read other lists that are much more extensive than this...a bit overwhelming, too, I'll admit...but I know we'll have it all in order a month from now when I've read we should actually have the bag packed!

Today We Are 31 Weeks Pregnant

How Our Baby Girl Is Growing:

This week, our baby girl measures over 16 inches long.  She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt.  She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin.  She's moving a lot, too, so I am having trouble sleeping because our baby girl's kicks and somersaults keep me up.  But I can take comfort: All this moving is a sign that our baby is active and healthy.

"Innovation for Daddy"...Inspiration for Us

You all know that Prescott & I have been pondering the family-friendly car issue. We test-drove the Toyota Sienna. We considered the Dodge Journey. Then, one night, as we stressed over what to do about trading in the Lexus, I insisted we unpack the stroller and car seat to see whether they fit in the Lexus. To our surprise, the stroller fit in the trunk! The front passenger seat is a little snug with the car seat behind it, but it is definitely tolerable. So we decided to forget about trading in my beloved Lex.

Every once-in-awhile, though, I'd comment to Pres that it would be difficult to deal with the car seat in the Jeep, but we figured that Pres would be the one to handle that on the infrequent occasions that we piled into the Jeep. Then, a little over a week ago, we saw this Nissan commercial, and I turned to Pres and asked if we should "upgrade" his Wrangler Rubicon to an Unlimited. We immediately began discussing how doing so would give us a family car that we could take on all the outdoor excursions we want to go on.

After talking to various dealerships (and visiting three), getting three different estimates on the trade-in, and debating whether to get the 2010 or 2011 (which features a new interior), we bought exactly what we wanted: the 2010 Unlimited version of Pres's 2007 Rubicon. We are so excited about our new family-friendly Wrangler and can't wait to take our little girl camping, hiking, off-roading, you-name-the-outdoor-activity.

Assembling Baby Gear

Each week, I receive a weekly update on the progress of my pregnancy from babycenter.  These updates include a section entitled "This Week's Activity," and this week's activity was to begin assembling baby gear: "This is the perfect job for your partner or a friend who wants to help.  Cribs, bassinets, and strollers are notoriously tricky to put together, especially when you're sleep deprived, so get started now.  Swings, mobiles, and monitors can all require batteries, so make sure you have enough on hand.  Tip: Consider getting rechargeable batteries and a battery charger." 

Naturally, I passed this suggestion on to Prescott, and I'm sure you can all imagine what we've been up to since we got home from work yesterday.  Prescott worked on the nursery until I got home.

After a short dinner break, Pres assembled our baby girl's stroller.

and with the help of some libations...

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Today We Are 30 Weeks Pregnant

How Our Baby Girl Is Growing:

Our baby girl is about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs about 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in my uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

Modified from: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-30-weeks_1119.bc?responsys_count=1&scid=mbtw_preg30:889&pe=2UxuZCY

Today's Visit with Dr. Katz

Here are the ultrasound pics the tech gave us at today's visit with Dr. Katz: two profile, one head-on (I think she flared her nostrils at me)!

Our little Peanut is a little Peanut no more! She now weighs about 3 pounds, 2 ounces! She was very active (as usual); we watched her reach for her foot with her hand and kick kick kick kick kick. We could even see her open and close her mouth. Dr. Katz said everything looks great.

Our next appointment is Monday, October 4th at 9:30 a.m.

Our 29-Week (& 2 Days) Bump

Anyone know how to airbrush out stretchmarks?

Well, we were taking bump pictures every four weeks at first, but Prescott was in Las Vegas for a convention when we would have taken our 28-week picture, and I was barely out of bed when he left for work this past Friday (the office was closed Thursday and Friday for Rosh Hashanah; a benefit of working at a firm with Jewish principals). Yesterday morning, Pres hopped out of bed at 7 a.m. to take Lady to the groomer. When he came home with his coffee and my chai, I just wanted to hang out together before the rush of the day descended upon us. So this morning, when "all" we had planned for the morning was our first childbirth class at Cedars, we took the time to memorialize my early third-trimester bump. Of course we included the crutches because, well, they're part of the story of this pregnancy.

Today We Are 29 Weeks Pregnant

How Our Baby Girl Is Growing:

Our baby girl now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. To meet her increasing nutritional demands, I'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid and iron. And because her bones are soaking up lots of calcium, I have to be sure to drink my milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in our baby girl's hardening skeleton each day.

Modified from: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-29-weeks_1118.bc?read_more=1&scid=mbtw_preg29:878&pe=2UxuZCY

Today We Are 28 Weeks Pregnant

How Our Baby Girl is Growing:

By this week, our baby girl weighs about two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures about 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through my womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Modified from: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-28-weeks_1117.bc?read_more=1&scid=mbtw_preg28:874&pe=2UxuZCY

27 Weeks...To Boot

On Tuesday, August 24th, I enjoyed a nice evening after work with Prescott, Lady, my mom, Katie & Ava. Pres & I wanted to take Lady to the beach, and we invited the Miller girls along. Though my mom opted to stay home, the rest of us piled into Katie's "Peachmobile" and took Ava to the beach for the first time in her life.

Upon return from the beach, I stumbled on the last two steps in front of our house. Boy, did it hurt! (Don't worry, I, like a good girl, fell on my bum. Our little girl is fine and has actually been quite active since then.) Everyone came running when they heard me screech. Pres helped me to the living room couch, propped my foot up on a cushion and promptly began the ice-on/ice-off treatment. Then he wrapped my ankle and we went to bed.

The next morning, I could not stand, let alone walk. Same thing the next morning. So I called my doctor, and she arranged for me to have an x-ray that afternoon (turns out it's okay to get an x-ray when you're pregnant!). My mom took me, and while we were relieved to learn I had not broken anything, it turns out I have a "right ankle grade II sprain of deltoid and lateral ligaments" (in layman's terms, I tore the ligaments both inside and outside my ankle, which, according to the doctor, is "as bad as or worse than a break"). The doctor gave me this fancy boot to secure the ligaments and instructed me to remain off my ankle and keep it elevated above my heart for the next week. Then, I will have to do physical therapy twice a week for four weeks. Boy, when I do something, I really "do it right"!

So this is a picture of a boot similar to mine - mine is a little shorter, but you get the idea. I've been hobbling around with crutches, and tonight Pres is renting a wheelchair so I can go "walking" with him and Lady (isn't he sweet to look for something like that?!?).

I know it seemed at the beginning of this post that I might be sharing pictures of Ava's first trip to the beach. Don't worry; I'll load and share them very soon.

Today We Are 27 Weeks Pregnant

How Our Baby Girl is Growing:

This week, our baby girl weighs almost two pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, our baby girl's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning - with a lot of medical help - if she were to be born now. I can chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements I feel to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so I can just relax and enjoy the tickle.

Modified from: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-27-weeks_1116.bc?responsys_count=1&scid=mbtw_preg27:861&pe=2UxuZCY

Today We Are 26 Weeks Pregnant

How Our Baby Girl is Growing:

The network of nerves in our baby girl's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. She may now be able to hear both my voice and Prescott's as we chat with each other. She's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of her lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when she's born and takes that first gulp of air. And she's continuing to put on baby fat. She now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel.

Modified from: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-26-weeks_1115.bc?responsys_count=1&scid=mbtw_preg26:873&pe=2UxuZCY

We're in the Double-Digits and There's No Sign of Gestational Diabetes!

99 Days to Go!

Dr. Katz called this morning with the results of my glucose screening test. He said the results were "perfect."

Dr. Katz also said the rest of the blood work looked good with the exception of a high white blood cell count, which could be indicative of an infection. Dr. Katz said he's not worried, that I looked fine when he saw me on Monday; he just wants to check me again next week. So, I am going in next Tuesday morning for "a re-count."

Surprise Bouquet from Prescott!

I should have written about this yesterday, but in the excitement I only posted the pictures to facebook!

Two nights ago, I burst into tears crying that I wake up in the middle of the night every night and stay awake for two hours on average. Prescott didn't know this (thank goodness I don't wake him up and keep him awake!). Then, yesterday morning, I was still very sensitive, and he noticed. So he surprised me yesterday with this beautiful bouquet with the note,

"Hope your day is going better.

101 Days to Go!"

Not only was I surprised by the stunning arrangement, but also by the fact that he knew how many days were left until our baby girl's due date. I was - and continue to be - extremely touched. I am the luckiest mother-to-be in the world.

Prescott Makes Progress with the Nursery

Tonight, Pres wanted to work on the nursery. Pres has finished sanding down and prepping the closet and the changing table-to-be, and tonight we cleaned the space so we can begin to build it back up.

This is what the nursery looked like on Sunday, August 8th...

Another Step in the Journey Toward a Family-Friendly Car

The 2010 Dodge Journey

Last night, Pres & I decided to explore other options in our search for a family-friendly vehicle. While we were at Carmax getting the Lexus appraised, we thought we should walk around the lot. We looked at a few different options - the Chrysler Town & Country, another minivan; the Dodge Journey, a midsize SUV; the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited (oh my goodness, I've wanted a silver Wrangler since I was 15 and as I peeked inside I told Pres the story of one I saw when visiting Uncle Tom in Reno that Pres would've loved); the Jeep Liberty, a small SUV; the Honda Odyssey, another minivan (oh, boy, the used one I sat in last night smelled so foul it made me never want to consider the Honda Odyssey again); and the Chevy Tahoe, a large SUV (wow, the used one I climbed into last night was so pimped-out it would've made Brandon proud). We circled back to the Dodge Journey because it can seat up to seven and, more importantly, I had read that it is an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick for 2010. While the Toyota Sienna is more spacious, we feel it would be more responsible of us to go with the Dodge Journey. The biggest question, now, is whether I can still park without a back-up camera....