37 Weeks

How far along: 37 weeks (I'm behind- this is from December 29, 2011) = FULL TERM!!!

Size of baby:

Photo Credit: The Bump

Photo Credit: Baby Center

Interesting Facts: 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.
     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.

       Credit: Baby Center & Planning Family

Total Weight Gain: 26 pounds.

Gender: BOY!!! Gabriel Turner.

Movement: He's getting hiccups just about every day. I don't feel the occassional kick or punch anymore- it's a lot of movement all at once then he settles back down. I can feel his head and hands moving around really low- awesome!

Sleep: Ok, not having too much trouble getting comfortable but I wake at least every 2 hours to pee and sip water, and sometimes have a hard time falling back asleep due to the BH contractions.

Symptoms: The burning feeling at the top of my big belly has gotten worse. It hurts a little bit all the time, but when I cough or sneeze, roll over in bed, or push on it, it is so painful!

Other Notes: I had an unnerving experience a week and a half ago (on my 36 weeks Thursday) that scared me & Perry. I called my Mom, then my doctor around dinner time. It was good to actually talk to her- not an on-call MD; she advised us not to worry but to come in the office in the morning if it wasn't better & I wanted to be checked out. Perry literally got 1 hour of sleep, and I got 4 only after taking Benadryl. We got to the office 10 minutes after they opened on Friday morning! Everything checked out okay, thank God!! Just a twist in the road. Before the doctor left the room Perry asked "would you say this is no big deal?", mostly to calm my anxiety because I was still freaking out, and she said "no big deal"! It's unexpected and abnormal, but I can handle it. {I really have no choice!}

Best moment this week: Completely finishing the nursery! I can't wait to share a "tour" with pictures of the room {Jamie, you don't have to wait much longer!}.

What we are looking forward to: Meeting our son!!!! The New Year! Touring the hospital (if we make it!).

Things checked off our "to-do" list:
-We hung the last of the artwork in the nursery!
-I finished my birth plan, titled "Birth Preferences," as it's for my ideal experience and I know you can't plan this sort of thing!

37 Week Belly Picture: