In just 10 days, my belly has truly doubled in size!  I cannot believe how fast this baby is growing and how strong his little legs have gotten!  We had our 34 week OB appointment this week, and the midwife confirmed that our little boy is already head-down, ready to come out!  I have gained 18 pounds so far (apparently the norm is 24-29 lbs)- which she thought was great and told me to go ahead and eat the ice cream (did I mention, I LOVE her?!), and confirmed that Baby’s heartbeat and my blood pressure are perfect. She also said that at the end of week 35, the baby is technically considered full term!  Wow.  Our next appointment at 36 weeks will begin the weekly doctor visits until he is born.  We also got an appointment with our first choice pediatrician!!  Usually she has a six month wait list, so I am really not sure how Ian convinced them to schedule us- but I’m very excited to meet her on November 7!

I can’t believe we only have 36 days left until his due date.  Time is FLYING by!  As excited as I am to meet him, I am in no rush for the pregnancy to be over. I have loved every second of this incredible and miraculous time. I love my big huge belly and I am going to miss feeling him move inside of me when he’s not in there anymore.  I love the peace and comfort of knowing he is perfectly safe and I have the power to protect him from most everything. This will be the safest he ever is! As soon has he joins us in the world there will be a host of dangers, pitfalls, and heartbreaks I will want to save him from, but just won’t be able to.

It’s midnight and I have been up for days. I’ve been having trouble sleeping through the night lately. I read online this morning that 78% of pregnant ladies experience insomnia. I’m glad I’m not alone, but I’d be happier if all 78% of us could get some sleep. It’s a bunch of things keeping me up. Firstly, it’s nearly impossible for a former back sleeper like me to get comfortable, no matter how many pillows I employ. Then, even if I do finally get to sleep I can count on being awoken at least four or five times a night with the urge to pee, crazy dreams, contractions, heartburn, or INTENSE HUNGER. More likely than not, I am awoken by all of these things at once. *Sigh* At least it’s good practice for the nights to come.

(I am fully aware I am looking pretty rough in this picture, but ignore my hair- check out my GIANT baby bump! 😉 )

Here is my 0-40 update on baby:

Your baby kind of looks like she’s coated in a layer of cream cheese these days. The thick, white substance that protects her skin from pruning in the amniotic fluid is called vernix. When she’s born you’ll probably see some vernix lingering in her “hard-to-reach” places like under her arms, behind her ears and around her va-jay-jay, if she’s a she.. Other news from the womb this week:

The soft fur, lanugo, that covered your baby’s body for much of her stay in the womb is now almost completely gone. Your baby begins to develop her own immune system, instead of relying solely on antibodies received through the placenta. This will come in handy when some grubby relative manhandles the baby without washing his hands first.

This week, your baby measures about 17¾ inches, as almost as long as an American Girl Doll (!) and weighs almost 5 pounds, as heavy as a bag of sugar, minus the cup you put in your decaf this morning.