July 25 - 34 weeks

Tuesday night, Michael and I got home at a decent time and decided to go to the pool, as we had not been in about 3 weeks. It was especially hot outside that afternoon, but the water felt ever so good. Michael said he wanted to take me out to dinner. :) Even as we are saving and preparing to be a family of three, he still manages to treat me so well. After our dip in the pool, we got changed for dinner and decided on Lupe's. Having a meal out on a weeknight is very out of the norm for us, which it made it even more special. It also made me realize just how important these next few weeks are, as it will be our last couple months of just the two of us.

My coworkers are throwing a "Baby Mania" lunch for my coworkers and I. One is due any day and the other has a pregnant wife at home, due about the same time as me. Saturday, will be my last shower, and I'm so excited to see all of my friends! It will be great to finish putting together everything for Brooke's arrival and figure out what we still have left to get (lots of nesting will be had this weekend, I'm sure). And I have a short list of things to do before she comes - make sure everything at work is ready for my leave, hospital bags need to be packed, batteries in all the toys and gadgets, wash her newborn clothes & blankets, finish interviewing & decide on a pediatrician, pick a homecoming outfit for our angel, thank you gifts for nurses....and REST! That is all stuff I want to have done by 36 weeks, with the exception of a couple items, and obviously rest is one I hope to do up until birth!

Today, I am 34 weeks pregnant! Wow. That is more than 8 months that have just blown by! It's unbelievable to think that in less than 6 weeks, our baby girl will be in our arms! My doctor agreed to induce at 39 weeks - so really in a maximum of 5 weeks, we will have our precious baby here with us! :) Pure bliss...

Our baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (about the size of a 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. And just in case, little one decides to come early, 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. 

As for mommy, my hands are still bothering me in the mornings. However, carpel tunnel is very common among expectant mothers. It gets better as the day goes on, so it's not too bad. I stay very well-hydrated, especially considering the Houston heat, and combined with our growing baby, my bathroom breaks are at all-time high! The headaches and heartburn have been scarce (knock on wood). I am hungry all the time it seems. I blame that on our baby girl, as she is putting on about a 1/2 pound a week, it is causing me to eat more (and gain more)! Sleeping is still a struggle, mostly because of the effort it takes to turn over from one side to the next. I surely miss being able to roll over on my stomach (again, another thing I took for granted and will appreciate even more when this bump is gone). I feel Brooke stretching out inside my tummy and sometimes have to give her a nudge to get out of my rib cage. I wonder all the time how big she is going to be. Michael was 7 1/2 pounds...and I was a whopping 9 1/2 pounds. We are both fairly tall, so it will be interesting to see how long she is coming into the world! Oh...I can't wait to meet you Brooke Leigh! xoxo