31 Weeks

The baby countdown is now down to single digits in terms of the number of weeks to go! SO SO SO crazy! I'm still feeling pretty good- it's getting harder to put on shoes, shave my legs, get in and out of the car, etc. The only downside is the weight gain - considering I've had no major cravings - I've gained 25 pounds....YIKES! We had a check up today with the doctor and everything is going well! The baby's heart rate is slowing down - it is now about 140 beats per minute. I'm willing to bet money that we're having a BOY! The baby is positioned like an upside down 'u' in my stomach (i guess that would make it a lowercase 'n'?) It's feet are underneath my left rib, with the back curving across the top of my stomach and right side, and the head is down near the right side of my pelvis. He/she is very active and kicks A LOT! Luckily not in my ribs yet! Here's what's going on with the wiggle worm this week:

Your not-so-little-one is just a bit closer to their birth weight and height at around 4 pounds and 17 inches. With each added layer of baby fat, your baby's skin starts to look more and more like it will when they finally get to see the light of day. The heavy news: you can expect your miracle-gro muffin to gain about a half a pound of weight per week from now until about two weeks before birth. Great. That's just what you needed. Even more weight to carry around!
Your baby's still-developing immune system has gained substantial strength over the past few weeks getting them in full gear to face our disease-ridden world o’ wonders. Obviously, a large majority of your child’s immune strength will be derived from exposure to breast milk as well as the outside elements. Their cute little noggin’ (which could already be covered with luscious locks or just purty peach fuzz), is still soft because the skull bones have not yet fused together. As much as that sounds a little too vulnerable, their “skull softness” allows for a much smoother passage through the birth canal during labor—something both you and your little swimmer will appreciate when it’s finally time to “go!” Also, some babies will have that “soft spot” on their head for up to one year after birth.