39 Weeks!

Still no sign of baby!  I actually ended up getting a stomach virus, which I would never wish upon anyone let alone a nearly 39 week pregnant lady, and I thought maybe I'd at least get a contraction or two out of it but nope, nothing.  The week went by pretty quickly, especially with the flu bug mixed in there!  I have my weekly appt today so I don't have any Dr update for the week.  My induction is scheduled, tentativly, for the 24th at 6:30!  Hopefully she'll decide to come before then, but if not it looks like my next update will be from the Hospital!

39 week update - Mini Watermelon (again, ha)
Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

38 Weeks!

Nope, no baby yet!  I get asked this question a lot and I am now ready for little Em to come any day!  I've been getting more and more uncomfortable, probably just from the size of my tummy!  I had a breastfeeding class this week.  It was pretty informative and I was 1 of 2 other lone mommies as everyone else brought their significant others.  It was pretty funny because the teacher would say something about your partner being in the delivery room and then would glance over at me and the other girl and quickly correct herself by adding "or your mom or friend...", ha kinda awkward :).  I also had another Drs appt (I have weekly appt now until she comes) and I progressed a little bit to 1 cm dilated and about 50% effaced.  I talked to my Dr about induction dates and we set up a "reservation" for the 24th!  Its not a final date though and if the Dr feels like my body isn't ready for an induction then she said she'll want to push it back a week to give it some more time.  So whenever you want to come Emily we'll be ready for you!!

38 week update - Length of a Leek!
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.)

36 and 37 Weeks!

First off let me apologize to my avid readers (mostly gma e) for not updating last week.  Work has been hectic so I totally forgot to update for week 36!  I'll list the babycenter.com update below along with the 37 one :).  Its becoming a bit surreal that I will shortly have a baby.  I was so anxious to get to this point the whole pregnancy but its finally really hitting me that "woah, my life/our lives, are totally going to change in 2 to 3 weeks!"  This past weekend we had our birthing class (lamaze etc), it was an all day affair where I didn't learn a whole lot of new things except some breathing techniques.  Then on Wednesday I had my GBS test (which came back +, boooo) and my first check.  Not dilated at all but she said I have a "very soft" cervix...whatever that means.  I only know % of effacement, ha!  I also found out that the most my Dr will let me go over my due date is 1 week...so sorry Jill your guess on due date will not be met, ha!  I'm actually considering having her induce me on my due date so that I have my time in the hospital over the weekend when Brett wont be wasting time off sitting around while nurses help with everything but we'll see what works out, Id still prefer to go a little bit early since I have a fear this baby is going to be big (see photo below).

36 week update - Crenshaw melon!
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.

37 week update - Small Watermelon!
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