30 Weeks - Counting Baby Kicks

Counting baby kicks...there's an app for that! Actually, there are a few app's for that. Too bad I don't have an iPhone. Looks like I'll have to do it the old fashioned way with pen and paper. I'm 30 weeks today, and my doctor told me to officially start keeping track of Kyra's kicks from here on out. She's definitely been more active lately!

There's a whole process to this counting. I'm supposed to pick a time of day, drink a cold glass of water, then sit or lie down quietly in a dark room and keep track of kicks for 1 hour at that same time every day. Once she hits 10 kicks or movements within an hour, she's "passed the test." However, if she doesn't get to 10 kicks or movements in an hour, we're supposed to go directly to Labor & Delivery to make sure everything's fine! That part is a little scary for me, so I think I'll start counting tomorrow and may give Kyra a day or two to show me exactly what time of day is best for us to be counting. Like I said, she's been kicking and moving like crazy lately, so I just have to find the best time of day for this.

I had a check-up on Friday, and she was kicking during the appointment so her heartbeat was much faster than it was last time when she slept through the appointment (in both cases, her heart rate was still well within the normal range). Friday night, we went to see the movie "Up In The Air," and she was kicking and moving around on my left side for most of the movie (maybe she's a fan of George Clooney, like so many other women are)! I guess that's a little reminder of what it'll be like for me to try to focus on things at home once we have her! (the movie was great, by the way, in case you're interested in seeing it). I think I've gotten used to the kicking feeling, but when she actually moves and turns and flips around in there, it's still such a funky feeling!

We had our 4th and final childbirth class yesterday (Baby Care Basics), so we should be experts now, right? I think Geoff and I are both feeling pretty good about things these days...I just keep watching the days tick by, and am beginning to feel a little nervous just because time seems to be flying by! But I'm getting more and more excited to meet our daughter, and just want to finish getting the house cleaned up now so that we can make sure everything is ready for her! The Baby Shower invitations went out about a week ago - they're adorable and in keeping with the elephant theme the nursery has. We already received our first gift in the mail (the baby spa & shower - thanks Rosemary & Mark Olson, grandparents to Kyra's future buddy, Jake Balice!), so I'm mentally preparing myself for all the fun baby stuff that's going to be filling up our little house soon. Geoff recently put together the stroller and car seat travel system, and we've got the Pack n' Play waiting to be unpacked. We'll be ready for Kyra when she gets here in just another couple of months!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and have a great week!

PS: as I'm finishing this post, Kyra's tumbling around in my tummy, reminding me that it's time for breakfast!