33 Weeks

The big news this week is lung development—baby's respiratory system is almost completely mature. That means if baby was born this week, odds are she'd be a healthy bouncing baby with a just a little help from her friends (aka, the NICU). Some of the specifics are:

Baby can now detect light and tell the difference between night and day (of course that ability will miraculously disappear once she's born and up all night screaming). Her pupils will constrict and dilate in response to light.

The bones in baby's skull are soft and are not yet fused together. This pliability allows the bones to overlap; making that trip down the tight birth canal possible.

Baby will continue to pack on the pounds gaining around ½ pound a week from here on out.

Baby weighs about 4½ pounds, as much as a grownup duck, and is approximately 17.5 inches long.

Shower Pictures

Emily's First Swimsuit:



My Sister's and I (wow, I'm short):


Sisters and Cousins:


Presents!!


Beautiful Decorations:


Cow Snowsuit:


Awesome Cakes:


32 Week Belly



As you can see from the pictures above I had a wonderful baby shower. Everyone was very generous and I don't think Baby Emily will wear the same outfit twice for at least the first 6 months!!

Special thanks to Mom, Momma Meyer, Amanda, Erica, Carrie, and Aunt Becky for all your hard work! I couldn't have had a better shower!

If anyone has pictures please feel free to email them to Eric or I, or any of our family members.

Shower Day!!!

I'm so excited!! Today is the day of our Baby Shower! I know our sisters and moms have done so much to get ready for this day. I was banned from a couple of rooms in the house this weekend so that I wouldn't snoop all the presents. (My family knows me too well).

My mom and aunt made the cakes yesterday and they are absolutely adorable! I can't wait for everyone to see them. They might be too cute to eat.

I know for sure that I have a spoiled little girl growing inside of me, she is loved so much! We all can't wait to meet her.

My sister is going to send me the pictures from this weekend and I will be sure to post them this week.

32 Weeks

Although baby will still remain active, his days of trying out for Cirque du Soleil are nearly over. About this time baby will settle into the head-down position in preparation for birth. Other fascinating facts:

Baby and I are putting on some serious weight at this point. I'll probably gain about a pound a week for the next few weeks, with half of that poundage bulking up baby. She'll likely double her weight in the next eight weeks.

Ever wonder what baby is doing in there these days? She's busy blinking, looking around, grabbing things, making faces, practicing her breathing, peeing and listening to everything around her—pretty much exactly what she'll be doing for the first three months of her life, sans the adoring audience and the flashing camera.

Baby may (or may not) have a full head of hair now. By the end of this week, baby will weigh about 4 pounds and measure over 17 inches long—about the length of a hot pair of above-the-knee boots.

31 Weeks

From this week on, your baby will continue to gain around ½ pound a week until shortly before birth (even though it may feel like a whole lot more with every step you take). Other highlights this week:

Due to increasing space constraints, baby's arms and legs stay drawn up close to the body now, known as the fetal position. Plus, baby can now process information from all five senses—so she'll be all set to smell the pureed peas, taste them, and feel them as she mashes them into her hair.

By now, baby's lungs are the only system not fully mature. Her lungs need a little bit more time to bake before they can kick it in the outside world.

Your baby weighs about 3½ pounds and measures a little over 16 inches.

Project Progress

I thought I would let everyone see my progress on the projects.

Here is the start of the butterfly chandelier:


The inspiration:

And here's Emily's blanket that I'm knitting:


A close up:

30 Weeks

Getting Big!!

Big news for baby's brain this week: It's starting to wrinkle and fold. This is due to the rapid growth of our little genius's brain cells. Other highlights this week:

Fingernails and toenails are finally finished—causing us great fear and anguish the first time they try to cut those little daggers. Plus, the bone marrow is completely in charge of red-blood-cell production now.

Baby is starting to shed his lanugo—the downy hair that was covering his skin. Now that she's chubbier and better able to regulate her body temp, she doesn't need to sport a fur coat 24/7.

"I spy an umbilical cord and the inside of my mom's uterus!" When baby is awake, her eyes are now wide open and she's whittling away the hours looking around, checking out her rather dark, limited environment.

Baby hasn't gained much weight or height this week, as most of her energy's been channeled to the brain. She weighs about 3 pounds and is approximately 15.5 inches long, about the size of a Yorkie terrier.

My doctor appointments are coming every 2 weeks now until 36 weeks, then they go to every week until Emily is here. Still feeling pretty good. A few aches and pains, but those will hopefully be tamed with massage and chiropractic treatments.