Here's a Baby Room picture that just shows Antoinette unpacking the gigantic box of stuff that she received from my Sister and Mother. While she's not actually in the picture, she was just a minute before. I promise. This stuff that's all over the floor is only about 1/3 of what came in the box from big sis. Literally, we have nearly all of the clothes we will need for little Billy's first year of life. It was really very helpful. This box was full of clothes, socks, toys, books, videos, baby medical supplies, grooming kits, hats, stuffed animals, shoes, dishes, changing mats and pads, etc. It was a huge box. The box was actually so big that the mail lady apparently had to back her SUV on my lawn in order to get the box close enough to the front door to unload it. Tire tracks gave her away.
The Baby Room is really beginning to fill up. My Dad just bought little Billy his first football, baseball glove, T-ball bat, and Authentic Major League baseball with a stand. That all just arrived yesterday, so I'll include that in Week 30's Baby Room update. For Week 31 and 32's updates, my big Brother and his lovely wife are sending another massive box that has a baby swing and bassinet in it, which I will put together and take a few pictures of so everyone can see them.
Some final notes to wrap up this week. Antoinette's symptoms are becoming increasingly uncomfortable, but she's still handling them well. There are plenty, but of the ones I can name on this blog, she's beginning to really get the onset of fatigue, hunger, back pain, some swelling, etc. She's also getting a few other symptoms we'll leave off of here, but some of you women out there can probably fill in a gap or two in this update with your own special symptoms 7 months in. The bad news is that as her belly grows, the symptoms are likely to increase in severity. The good news is that she only has a few weeks to go and she's doing great with them so far.
As for Billy, we're closing out the week with increased versatility in the head and neck allowing him to twist and literally face the noise that may have startled him, fully developed skeleton that is still soft and pliable, and increasing stores of iron, calcium, and phosphorous. Billy's adrenal glands have also begun to secrete a hormone called androgen (and others). Androgen travels to the placenta and stimulates it to begin to make estrogen. Estrogen, in turn, stimulates Antoinette to begin manufacturing prolactin. The increases in prolactin could really kick in by Week 30 (which we are already in) or Week 31. Prolactin triggers the body to begin making colostrum. For those of you who have never had babies, colostrum is what comes from the Mother prior to milk for the first few weeks after the baby is born. Colostrum is richer in protein and weaker in fat and milk sugar. It also carries antibodies that the little guy needs desperately in order to help him fight off any illnesses. The bad part about colostrum production is leakage. Most of you know what I mean. We're not down that road yet, but many women experience this between weeks 29-32.
Week 29 is in the books. Tomorrow, I will send out the first Week 30 Blog Update and hope to have us back on track by Saturday.
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