Week 39 - Aug. 17, 2009....7 days til D-Day

Week 39:
One uncomfortable complaint of late pregnancy is frequent hiccups. No, not you, your baby. Because there is no air around your baby, when he practices breathing, it can cause amniotic fluid to get into his windpipe, resulting in those regularly spaced thumps that make you think you're carrying a jumping bean in your belly.

Other news this week: The lanugo (an exotic word for soft, downy hair) that used to cover your baby's body has mostly disappeared, but you may find a bit leftover on the shoulders, forehead and neck. It'll fall out soon. The color of baby's skin is changing from a red-pink hue to a white or blue-pink color. These changes are due to the amount of fat your little pudger is putting on. The circumference of your baby's head and abdomen are about the same size now. The placenta is lending your Mini antibodies that'll keep him strong and healthy after birth. That said, it's still a good idea to invest in that mega-size bottle of hand sanitizer. At this point your little critter is about 19 to 20 inches long and weights about 7 pounds.

7 Days til D-Day.....I thought that Saturday was the day...but nope, Eli still wants to stay in my tummy. I woke up Saturday morning, crampy and achy back and thought...hmmmm, this is a good sign. Then I got this huge burst of energy and Mike and I got so much done around the house...it was great!! Baby stuff is organized, Mike's comics are organized and nicely in his closet....picked up the replacement part for the glider/rocker and much more. Then...we both crashed and went to bed. Around 1 am I woke up with contractions...the first time I have been woken up by them....and decided to keep track of how long and how often they were coming. They were stronger and a bit more uncomfortable than I was used to....so I thought....maybe tonight?? I started to keep track and they were coming on about every 20 minutes and lasting between 30-45 seconds. I finally woke Mike at about 2:30 am to let him know what was going on.....and then we both began to doze in and out. The last time I remember looking at the clock was about 4:30 am and then at 8:30 am, I wake up and realize what time it was.....and no more contractions.

Not much more activity after Saturday night....so, we are just waiting until Eli decides to make his presence into this world. Tomorrow I have a doc appointment tomorrow....so, more info to follow.....