I know it's been quite a while since we've posted any updates. There isn't a 32 or 33 week post and that's due large in part to my health in the pregnancy, as of late. So, here's what's going on, as well as fetal development info for 32 weeks, 33 weeks, and 34 weeks. We're 34 weeks pregnant with Nova Skye Rowell, as of April 23, 2016.

What’s Nova Been Doing During 32, 33, and 34 Weeks?

Nova’s been doing excellent. She still moves around very actively and all of her ultrasounds, including a high definition one have shown us excellent things. She’s small, but perfect. I mean, Rich and I are only 5’2” and 5’3”, respectively. So, she probably isn’t going to be too huge, no matter how long she stays in there. Haha

We had a preterm labor scare at 32 weeks that is being controlled under careful medical supervision, which is a huge part of why I haven’t been able to get much written. At the high definition ultrasound, received during that visit, Nova weighed in at around 3 pounds and 9 ounces. Her length was 17 inches. That’s relatively small for that gestational age. However, again, both of her parents are small.

The key info from that ultrasound, other than the small size, is that she is doing extremely well and is fully developed. As with most babies at this stage, lung (and other respiratory) function after birth is the main concern if she were to be born early. There’s no way to know how that will go until they are born, so it’s always best they stay in as long as possible until the due date, or at least until term, which is 37 weeks.

The follow up appointment on 4/21 went well. Nova’s heartbeat is still super strong and all of my measurements are as they should be. I may not be doing that great, but despite that, she certainly is thriving and that’s the goal. As my mother-in-law Deb pointed out, she’s definitely a fighter.

When’s the Next Doctor Visit?

The next prenatal visit is May 6th. But of course, if anything happens that requires further evaluation before then, my OB will see me and in an emergency, the ER is obviously available. Hopefully, all will be as uneventful as possible and that appointment date will remain as it is.

How’s the Momtrepreneur and Daddy-To-Be This Week?

In short, we’re both very stressed and I’m very sick, but we’re making the best of it and know that Nova will be well worth it all. Yesterday (4/23/2016), I was vomiting severely, some containing a small amount of blood after a while. The severe pain increased. So, I called my OB to ask what I should do.

He increased the dosage times of my medication and told me to lay only on my left side and eat the BRAT diet and drink water, chew ice, or drink ginger ale and not move at all. He said the blood was likely due to my insides getting irritation from so much vomiting. That makes sense since it was a small amount and only occurred after that was going on for a bit.

He said if I were to go to the hospital like that, they'd likely admit me to bed rest there and he'd rather have me be comfortable at home if possible. We agree. But if it gets worse or certain other things happen (such as more labor signs), he wants me to call him and have things reevaluated. Obviously, if it's an emergency, we'd head straight to the hospital and call him on the way.

His recommendations have helped so far. The medicine is quelling the contractions to a point where I don't have to go in and the vomiting has stopped. I'm still in massive pain, however. So, if I'm not as responsive as usual, that's why. Don't worry, I'm resting as I post this and I'm stable enough to be at home, rather than the hospital.

Rich has taken over everything I do, on top of what he does. Plus, he is there to comfort me and take care of me. So, if he's also less responsive and less active at posting, that's why.

Thanks for all the love and support, everyone. It really means a great deal to us.

Accomplishments During Week 32 , 33, & 34 of the Pregnancy

We actually accomplished quite a bit, considering all that's happened. In fact, making it to 34 weeks has been a huge accomplishment, in itself. I would say that’s the biggest accomplishment so far, in light of all the issues I’ve been having. If we can get to at least 37 weeks, that’s even better. So far, so good.

We got some low odor paint that doesn’t seem to be bothering my allergies at all, so that’s good. The kids are helping get that done, since I am pretty useless at this point, as far as doing the things I usually do (home improvement, normal household duties, work, etc). We wanted to finish up the walls before the baby comes, as that is really the main issue in our area of the house.

We also got some great bargains on baby items, as well as some items for Aja and Nathan. Our local thrift store saved us once more and we were able to get 160 clothing items for only $16. No kidding. We don’t really care too much about brands. However, most all of them happened to be brand name items.

Guess what?! We aren't selling our vehicle anymore. Not that we don't need the money, but all we kept getting were scam offers anyhow and we really do need the vehicle with such a large family. So, instead, we put it back on the road. We had already fixed the alternator previously. So, all it took was a battery and registration. Yay! It's an older model ('97 Toyota 4Runner Ltd), so it's not like we were going to make a huge enough amount to be able to move and maintain rent and bills anyway. We just thought it would help.

Let's see, I also cut my hair because, unlike the other pregnancies (which made my hair awesome), this one has done some serious damage to it. I'm not exactly happy about having short hair because I prefer it long and my hair takes FOREVER to grow. But it was super unhealthy. It ended up getting straight and full of split ends and my hair is normally curly and shiny. I'm not well enough to spend the time it would take to revive it. So, I opted for cutting it. There's still some more work to be done on the style I actually want. But, for now, it's manageable and healthier.

The animals have been awesome helping everyone else take care of me. I also managed to get some more cloth diapers done and fix up the page I'll be selling them on here once I'm done making enough for Nova. I have to make hers first and then I can focus on making more to sell. We desperately need the money, so hopefully I'll be able to get that done soon.

Also, we’ve been receiving even more generosity than ever, between people reaching out with love and emotional support to a couple people helping once again with the baby registry. If you’d like to help, the main thing we need on the registry is fragrance free baby wipes. If you can’t afford to help, it helps us a ton when our links from this site and the others we own are shared via social media. And, last but not least, Love, Love, & More Love is hugely appreciated.

For fetal development info in relation to 32, 33, and 34 weeks, continue below the galleries.

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

We decided from the beginning that we would not be polluting the Earth or spending tons of money on icky disposable diapers. I took to making them for several reasons. I'm having fun making cloth diapers and you can too!

Not all of the cloth diapers we found were exactly what we had in mind. They're also hard to find in stores, unless you want flats or pre-folds. Most of the all-in-ones we found in stores require the use of disposable inserts, which seems to defeat the entire purpose of cloth diapers. There also seems to be this trend of diapers that is in between cloth and disposable. Not what we wanted.

So, I started searching online. We bought a few that were okay. But, adding up the cost, I knew that in order to stock enough to be worthwhile, we'd have to spend a lot of money. Being the frugal person I am, there's no way that was happening, no matter the diaper option we chose. Cloth is still cheaper than disposable when adding up the cost over time. But I wanted to save even more.

I also wanted to come up with a unique design that would avoid the use of liners, rubber pants, pins, and the like. My homemade cloth diapers are used just like disposables, except they don't need to be thrown out. The unique design prevents leaks without the use of extra bulky accessories that are uncomfortable to the baby.

We had a ton of fabric and other sewing materials just lying around, so I figured I would make good use of it. I don't use patterns because I like to make each diaper completely unique. However, for those who need one, there are tons of free cloth diaper patterns all over the web, if you simply do a search. Be sure to check for all-in-one designs for the easiest time changing baby.

If you just don't have the time or energy to do it yourself, once I'm done making Nova's cloth diapers, I'll be making and selling super unique ones at a fraction of the usual cost, under the brand name, Mommy2Lots.

Pictured above is one of my unique all-in-one cloth diapers. Look at the gallery below for more.

All Images © Lyn Lomasi; All Rights Reserved