33 Week Update

I had my bi-weekly appointment this morning and everything is looking good.  I'm measuring about a week and a half early now (about 34.5 weeks), so he is slowing down a little.  My doctor just said that we would keep an eye on it and decide about an ultrasound closer to time.  Some of our good friends who are 5 weeks ahead of us went into labor last night, so that helped me realize how close this could be ... kinda scary!

PREGNANCY HIGHLIGHTS

How Far Along: 33 Weeks

Size of Baby: Your baby weighs about 4½ pounds, as much as a grownup duck, and is approximately 17.5 inches long, about the same as a collarbone-length pearl necklace.

The big news this week is lung development—baby's respiratory system is almost completely mature. That means if your baby was born this week, odds are he'd be a healthy bouncing baby with a just a little help from his friends (aka, the NICU). Some of the specifics are:

Your baby can now detect light and tell the difference between night and day (of course that ability will miraculously disappear once he's born and up all night screaming). His pupils will constrict and dilate in response to light. If you shine a flashlight on your belly, your baby may shy away from the light as if to say, "Cut it out, Ma. You're soooo annoying."

The bones in your baby's skull are soft and are not yet fused together. In other words, now is not the time to teach him how to do a headspin while breakdancing. This pliability allows the bones to overlap; making that trip down the tight birth canal possible (and resulting in that surprising cone head look your baby will sport for the first few days post-birth. Don't worry, it's totally normal and that's what hats are for.)

Your baby will continue to pack on the pounds gaining around ½ pound a week from here on out.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 17 pounds

Movement: Not as many kicks and punches because he's running out of room. It is more like I'm able to feel something (elbow, hand, foot, who knows what) move across my belly, or it feel like his butt is settled into my ribs.  I can also notice hiccups now, which is still at the cute stage, and hasn't made it to the annoying one yet :)

Sleep: Starting to get a little more labored. I wake up every night at least once, maybe twice, because I have to use the restroom, and I always have a hard time falling back asleep for some reason.  I also am having pains in my hips and pelvis when I wake up, but they usually go away by mid-morning.

What I Miss: Sleeping on my stomach and feeling "in shape" (being able to breathe normally after going up a flight of stairs or doing normal household chores).

Cravings: Still none, and still not feeling grilled chicken.

Symptoms: Shortness of breath, increased peeing, and clumsiness have all settled in pretty well. I drop everything I have my hands on right now (and bending over to retrieve those items is getting a little hard too).

Best Moment this Week: I successfully (with the help of great friends) threw Joey a surprise 30th birthday party this past Thursday although his birthday isn't until tomorrow, and then we celebrated by a relaxing weekend at the lake.  I'll try to do a couple posts on our trip up north and the surprise party before we leave for the lake on Wednesday, but no promises!