Week 38

WEEK 38!

Watermelon/Leek

Parents.com: Your baby's hanging out, enjoying her last few weeks of snuggly comfort in your womb. However, if she were born today, she would still be considered a full-term infant. Her brain -- in charge of complicated jobs like regulating breathing, digestion, and circulation -- is functioning better every day. Babies come to term anywhere between 38 and 42 weeks; your 40-week due date simply marks the midpoint of this period.

The Bump: The last bits of vernix caseosa (the white goo keeping baby's skin moist) and lanugo (downy hair) are slowly shedding into your amniotic fluid. Baby's head is about the same circumference as her abdomen, and her head could be covered in an inch or so of hair.

Gerber: Your baby's growth: Growth slows down: This is the week that your baby begins to outgrow the watery home where she's been developing these past 9 months. She should weigh almost 7 pounds this week, but at a length of about 21 inches, she hasn't grown much taller. The average full-term newborn weighs from 6 to 9 pounds and is 18 to 21 inches long.Here are a few other developments this week: Slowing growth. Although your baby's growth is slowing, fat will continue to accumulate, providing a thicker blanket of insulation in preparation for her entry into the outside world. Meconium (baby's feces). It will continue to build up in her intestines. Head. By now the circumference of your baby's head and abdomen are about the same.

BabyCenter: Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb. Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

Wow..I can't believe it, only 2 weeks left until her due date! I'm starting to freak out just a little since the nursery still isn't done and there's soo much to get done still. Joe just has to finish painting the 2nd coat of paint in the back area by the closet, put the furniture together (since he said "its too heavy for you", and stain/put up the trim in the entire room. I hope he understands that Sydney can come any day now, but I don't think he does =\.

I go to the doctor tomorrow for my weekly appointments and I see a new doctor in the group. Hopefully she's nice since I have to see her next week as well (and that's the last appointment before the actual due date).

Week 37

37 Weeks!

Swiss Chard/Watermelon

Parents.com: The umbilical cord begins passing antibodies to your baby in preparation for delivery. By stockpiling antibodies, your baby will be better prepared for the disease and germs he'll encounter outside the womb. Your baby's senses are also getting more time to hone their burgeoning skills. He can hear and recognize your voice. Once he's born you'll be able to see him turn his head in your direction when he hears you speak. He knows his mom! Along with his hearing, his eyesight is improving each day. His fingers are also becoming more coordinated. He can grasp his face or toes. And after birth he'll be able to grab onto your finger

The Bump: At week 37, your pregnancy is considered full term, meaning baby is likely to thrive after birth. Baby spends these last weeks in preparation for the outside world… meaning careful refinement of the blink, suck, inhale and exhale. Meconium, which you’ll probably find in the first diaper, is accumulating in the intestines. If (okay, as) you worry about giving birth, consider what it’s like for the little one. During the journey out of your womb, baby will produce more stress hormones than any other time in life.

Baby Center: Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.) Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

The room is almost complete! (Finally!!) Joe just needs to paint the back closet area and put together the furniture and then i get to finish decorating! 20 more days until her due date....

Week 36 update

I went in to see the doctor yesterday for my weekly checkups. I am zero centimeters dilated BUT she is head down which is a good thing. I'm getting more and more anxious to meet her every day.

How big is baby: she is about 18 inches long and weighs about 5.5lbs.

Total weight gain: 46 lbs

Maternity clothes? definitely

Sleep: Off and on. Depends on the night i guess. I could be up every hour or every 2 hours or less

Best moment this week: Getting the nursery almost all of the way painted

Movement: Oh yeah. She's a hyper one.

Belly Button in or out? full outtie.

Stretch marks? on my thighs

What I miss: My wardrobe and heels

What I am looking forward to: her finally being here

Labor Signs: braxton hicks

Milestones: 24 more days!!

We finally got the room measure for carpet which will be installed next week! And the room (well majority of it) is painted green. It turned out a lot brighter than i thought it would be but i still love it. It makes it more bright and joyful. Joe's concern is that he hopes Sydney will sleep at night because its so bright. Here's a pic...my phone makes it look brighter than it actually looks in person. (don't mind all of the stuff in the middle of the room.)

Week 36

WEEK 36:

CRENSHAW MELON

Parents.com: born, baby fat is a very good thing. Your baby is working hard to accumulate all the fat he can at this point -- his body is growing rounder, and those adorable dimples are forming at elbows and knees. This build-up of fat -- about 15 percent of his total weight--will help him maintain his body temperature and give him a store of energy. Because the fat beneath his skin is white in color, it makes his skin appear lighter and less ruddy.

In a first-time mother, the baby often "drops" two to four weeks before delivery, as the baby's head descends into the mother's pelvic cavity. This is called "engagement," or "lightening," and it means it won't be long now before the big day!

The Bump: She's still in the 17.2- to 18.7-inch and 4.2- to 5.8-pound range and continues to beef up. She's getting closer and closer to being able to breathe on her own. Her skin is getting smooth and soft and her gums are rigid. Her liver and kidneys are in working order. Circulation and immune systems are basically good to go, too.

Baby Center: Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly

35 Weeks!

WEEK 35

HONEYDEW MELON

Almost to the finish line...only 5 more weeks left (or less)

Parents.com: At this point, your unborn baby should be positioned with her head facing down toward the cervix and vagina. About 97 percent of babies have adopted this position by this point; the rest remain in what's known as breech position -- when the butt or feet are in place to come out first. If your baby's among this minority, it does increase your odds of needing a C-section, but there's a good chance your healthcare provider can correct the problem by turning him around manually with pressure applied on your belly. Called an external version, this process has about a 65 percent success rate.

Baby Center: 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.

Joe has finally finished all of the walls & the ceiling. He actually painted the ceiling yesterday which made us late for our own baby shower lol. The room is finally looking more like a room and not like a huge mess. We're still waiting for the carpet guy to get back to us so we can tell them what carpet and see when they'll install it. Joe's new deadline to get this nursery absolutely done is Thanksgiving day! I keep having this nagging feeling Sydney will join us in this world right after Thanksgiving.

We had our baby shower yesterday. It was a lot of fun and very tiring. By the time we got home and reopened everything to see exactly what we got (since it was all a blur during the shower) we were exhausted! We got 3 big ticket items (travel system, convertible car seat, and the exersaucer) and the rest were clothes (only a few pieces of newborn clothes), a lot of hooded bath towels, wipes, blankets and pacifiers. Got a couple bibs, bottles, very few diapers (surprisingly), 2 bottles of baby wash, and a few misc. things. Here's a couple pictures =)

Weeks 33 & 34

WEEK 33

HEFT A PINEAPPLE/HONEYDEW

The Bump: Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month.

Baby Center: 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. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

WEEK 34

AVERAGE CANTALOUPE/HONEYDEW

Parents.com: Your baby's preparing for his arrival in just a few short weeks! This week, the protective vernix caseosa (that cheeselike, white, waxy coating that's keeping his skin safe) begins to thicken, ensuring his birthday suit stays smooth and well-moisturized during D-day. Your baby will likely arrive covered in the stuff, especially in the folds under his arms, behind his ears, and in the groin area. But it'll all be washed off very shortly after birth -- during his first-ever bath. By now, your baby weighs around 5 pounds and may be as long as 20 inches, head to toe.

Baby Center: 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.

On another note: Joe's just about down with all of the walls in the nursery! About time, huh?!

Next step this week is to paint and go look at carpet, & get it installed! I said this all had to get done before the baby shower...which is in 5 more days. Fingers crossed we get it all just about done by then.