31 Weeks

How far Along: 31 weeks

Size of baby: She seems to be on the smaller side, only in the 23rd percentile weighing about 3 pounds

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 15 pounds

Maternity Clothes: I can still wear my non maternity jeans and some t-shirts, the rest is maternity

Gender: Sweet baby girl

Name: Harper Grace 

Movement: She is most active at night or anytime I stop moving. She is not nearly as active as her older brothers were in the womb. Yesterday you could see a tiny little foot pushing out on my tummy...it was very poky

Sleep: Not great. Like I said she likes to move a lot when I lay down. She pushes on my bladder during the night and I have to go potty A LOT! I am just getting more prepared for the LONG nights with a newborn in the house!!

What I miss: Being able to bend over with ease. It is hard to tie little boys shoes when I can't bend over. I also miss sleeping on my tummy

Cravings: Nothing really. I get really full super easy. Suppose I am running out of room in there

Symptoms: contractions contractions contractions! cramping and random low back pain. I have had more pelvic pressure this past week, but nothing too crazy. This entire pregnancy has been full of these symptoms, so nothing out of the "ordinary" 

Best Moment this week: Listening to Maddox share with me all the ways he is going to help out when his sister gets here. He is so in love with her already (I just hope once she is actually here and cramping his style a little that he is still so fond of her!) 

This week marks an incredible milestone in Harper's lung development. Before now, the air sacs and branches in her lungs were present but not functional. The lungs were not able to inflate properly. However, now there is surfactant being produced in her lungs, which will prevent Harper's lungs from collapsing outside of the uterus and she will be able to take in air and breathe properly! The fetal ear is almost completely developed both inside and out. She can hear our voices and other familiar sounds that she will recognize after birth. (She definitely heard a lot of my voice today telling her brothers to stop fighting and play nicely. She will know the popular saying in our house very well "You can either play nicely together or you can go to timeout together" Ha.) She should be plumping up at this point and is putting on white fat under the skin and now her skin's color is pink instead of red. Her fingernails have grown to the end of her tiny little fingers and she may even scratch herself while she is still in my tummy. She might need her first "manicure" after she is born!!! 

I know that she still needs time to cook in my belly and to grow strong and healthy, so I am not ready for her to get here just yet, but I am getting so excited to meet this little girl. I am anxious to see how our lives are going to change yet again and what our new normal will look like as a family of 5. I am nervous as to how her brothers will respond to her arrival and I am praying the Lord guides me as I transform to a mommy of 3 precious blessings. I continue to pray that the Lord guards my heart, emotions and hormones post partum. I pray specifically that she is healthy, happy and calm, and I pray she sleeps well, eats like a champ and does not endure tummy problems like her brothers. 

We are anxiously awaiting her arrival and excited to see our family with a little (or a LOT) of pink in it!! Keep growing little Harper!!