35 Weeks

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he'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 your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.


Well, he may not be doing somersaults, but he sure is moving around a lot. It feels like he's just pushing on me trying to make more space and there's not any more space in there!

A Baby by Thanksgiving!

Well, that's at least our doctor's prediction. Had an appointment this morning and everything is still looking good. Blood pressure and weight are right on track. We'll know more after our next appointment in 2 weeks, but our doctor thinks we'll have Little Man here by Thanksgiving. She wants Nov. 21st because she's on call that night. At my office the over/under date is Nov. 15 and most people are choosing before the 15th.

34 Weeks

Your baby 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. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that 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.

The Daily Whine

I am not going to post this on a daily basis, but at least for now, I must whine. We are now at 33 1/2 weeks (not that I'm anxious or anything) and I have officially hit the miserable and uncomfortable stage. I'd seen glimpses of this stage, but they were temporary. Well, not anymore.

My back has pretty much hurt all day. Just that lovely, dull ache in the lower and middle back. It is not comfortable to sit, stand, or lie down. So basically, it hurts just to exist! I feel like I've chewed an entire bottle of Tums. I know I haven't, but it feels like it. Heartburn, acid reflux--it's all good stuff. And Little Man is just moving constantly. Our doctor told us we should be able to count something like 10 movements in a 30-minute period. Hah! This little guy does 10 movements in 20 seconds. His range of activity consists of hanging out right on top of my bladder, pushing his feet or some other appendage into my ribs so that I can't breathe, or (and this is my personal favorite) positioning himself so he is perfectly horizontal in my belly as if to try and stretch out my belly even more. But there's a problem with that--there's no more room! I don't know how he's going to grow any more in the next few weeks.

So, there's my lamenting for the day. I'm officially miserable. I can't decide if this stage is better or worse than the first trimester of being sick all day and sleeping non-stop.

33 Weeks

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

The move is over!

Well, the big move is done! With some tremendous help from our families, we got everything moved out to the new house on Sunday. We've got a ton of unpacking to do, but it's nice to be in the house and settlign in to the new digs. ths picutre below is the kitchen, with the island actually installed.

And here's a view of the dining room from our hallway.
The sunken living room. Notice the beautiful flat screen on the wall!
And a view of the entry to our master bedroom. The laundry chute is in the right-hand corner. Don't have the doors for it yet, but at least it's there.
We'll be trying to have people out in the next couple of months, but no promises! I'm afraid it might take that long just to get unpacked. But we hope to be able share the new place with all of our family and friends.

Another doctor's appointment

Well, we're back from another doctor's appointment. Everything still looks good and no changes. I've now entered the stage where I am gaining a pound per week. Can I just tell you how much fun that is not! I know, I know, it's good for Little Man and that's great. But gaining a pound a week? That scale is just not very friendly!