36 weeks

Well... I'm 36 weeks today. Some consider 36 weeks to be "full term", but most consider 37 weeks to be the official milestone. So we're almost there. Thank goodness. I've hit my wall. I'm over it. I still love that I'm pregnant, and wouldn't trade it for the world..... but there are places on / in my body that ache that I really would like not to... there are sensations (which I won't describe because I'm feeling nice) that I don't really NEED to feel any more... there are kicks and jabs and head grinding that really could just happen outside my body and I'd be happy with it. But I know we're in the home stretch, and that it will go quick, and that in the not-so-distant future I will be missing all of these things I'm complaining about. But for now, I'm done. :-P

But.... I also know that the next week or so is important time in baby development world..... so I will at least wait another week before I sternly tell Colby to get his cute little butt out of there and come meet us, officially. I will try to be patient.... but anyone who knows me knows that patience is NOT one of my strong suits.

So..... 36 weeks.... what does babycenter say about this point in my pregnancy / Colby's development?

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his 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 his 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 he's in a head-down position. But if he 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 him from the outside of your belly.

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First of all.... what the heck is a "Crenshaw Melon"? If anyone has had one and can tell me, I'd love to know. Of course, I just posted the picture of it from babycenter..... but I have no clue! I'm sure I could google it..... but instead I will ask y'all what the heck it is!?

We'll see how Colby measures up against this description next week. We have another growth ultrasound on Monday the 23rd to check his size, etc. I do know that he is head down. He has been since our "big" ultrasound around 19 weeks. So that massive melon of his is pushing down on my bladder, cervix, EVERYTHING down there. Which hopefully will mean some "progress" (ie. dialation, effacement, etc.) when the doc checks tomorrow - fingers crossed!

Since we know we'll be induced by the 10th we have 23 days or so 'til we meet him. Just over 3 weeks. And if he decides to come on his own - we could be meeting him sooner!!! SO exciting!

I'll do another post (maybe tomorrow) or two about the latest in the baby-prep world. Exciting things have been going on. We had some showers that I don't think I ever "talked" about on here, we've made some more progress in the nursery (it's basically done!), we went on a mini-babymoon to the beach..... it's been fun! But that's for another post. Tomorrow may be a blog-heavy day, as I also have another NST / fluid check / doc appointment. So 'til then, this tired (but still excited) mama-to-be will sign off!

ps. the picture to the right is from our "babymoon" at the Oregon coast this past weekend - just a preview of posts to come - and a belly shot.  35 weeks, 5 days.