Baby Bump @ 37 Weeks

Taken last night after our night-time swim.

How your baby's growing:

Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, her lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. She's also brushing up on skills for the outside world: blinking, sucking, inhaling, exhaling, and gripping (it's getting strong!). (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.

How far along? 37 Weeks!

Weight gain?  I'm honestly not sure. Last week at our appointment I was too busy making sure Kyle didn't peek to look myself. I go back tomorrow, so we'll see if I'm brave enough to look.

Maternity clothes?  Some of my tops are a little short now and my below-the-belly maternity jeans are starting to dig into my sides from where my stomach is stretching them out more. I'm still wearing  mostly non-maternity dresses but a few of them are even getting a little tight through the middle.

Sleep?  I get 1-2 hours on a side before my hips/ribs/groin start to throb and I have to flip over to the other side. I thought this would keep my husband up at night, but apparently he sleeps like a freaking rock.

Best moment this week?  Our night-time swim last night. The water was super, super warm and it was sooo nice to not have the sun beating down on us. I swam all over - which is a big change from my usual floating in my special floaty chair.

Movement?  Wow. The stretching and pushing can get pretty intense. I won't be surprised if she comes out with a big bruise on the top of her head from pushing against the bottom of my rib cage.

Food cravings?  Marshmallows. There is some commercial on tv where a country band roasts marshmallows on the side of the road to make smores and it's got my DYING for a smore. I was trying to convince myself that I could make them in the oven over the weekend but settled for making rice crispy treats instead. Logan helped and we actually made 2 whole batches - one original and one cocoa crispies with nutella mixed into the marshmallow. They're both really, really delicious. I think I probably ate 10 of them this weekend. It's not looking good for my weigh-in tomorrow.

Labor signs?   The Braxton-Hicks contractions are picking up in frequency, duration, and intensity, but still no real signs of labor. I've noticed that they hurt way more if I'm standing.

Belly button in or out?  Way, way out.

What I miss?  Painting my toe nails without smashing the baby and all my insides.

What I am looking forward to?  Getting her OUT! We're so close now, that's all I can really think about. That and only having 10 days left of work before I start my 3 glorious months of maternity leave! I haven't been without work for 3 months since college. I'm REALLY looking forward to that.

Emotions?  Short-tempered, weepy, sentimental, etc.

Milestones: We're officially full term today!