Nearly 36 weeks

The promised belly pic. I kept disagreeing when people said that my belly had grown a lot recently. But now that I see the picture, it's totally true. I now look like I'm nearing full term, which I am. I had a midwife appointment today, and the measurement confirmed the growth spurt. Today I was measuring a bit more than a week ahead. She also thought that the baby was starting to drop. Definitely heading towards the finish!

Graeme bought me this shirt the other day:

I love it.

Week 35

I really, really promise a belly shot this weekend. Really. I've been a total slacker, but the fact is that the belly is growing and should definitely be documented.

We have chosen a pediatrician, which seems like a big step. I don't even have a doctor, but Baby Texan does. We went to "Meet the Doctor night" at a local practice last night that came recommended by one of Graeme's colleagues. We got to ask some questions, see the place, and decide if it seemed like a good fit. It did, it's close by, and it came recommended. I suppose we could look around more, but we decided to go with them. That's one more thing off the list.

We have one last party/shower this weekend. We've had three now (yes, there are pictures to post. Yes, I"m a slacker). The party on Sunday night will be mountain bike people - mostly regular customers from the shop. It will be quite fun. And then I'll be able to go buy the last few things we need and I can become organized to an obsessive compulsive level.

5 more weeks to go! (give or take two). The fetal development is getting boring at this point, but for the sake of continuity, here's what's happening this week:

- The average baby weighs almost five and a half pounds now.
- Most babies born now will survive and without many long-term problems.
- Fat accumulations plumps up the arms and legs this week.
- Hearing is fully developed, so be sure to talk to your daughter.
- The baby is now taking up most of the uterus. Soon though, baby will move down and you'll be able to breathe easily again.
- She is 18.2 inches (46.2cm) long and weighs 5.3 pounds (2383gm).

Ankles? What ankles?

Yep, the swelling is still here. I think it's better today though. Yesterday we were installing crown moulding, which meant being on my feet a lot, so all the gains from Saturday were lost. But today is getting better. I was getting a bit stressed because severe swelling can be a symptom of pre-eclampsia. And of course, I have no idea what 'normal' swelling is, so I didn't know if mine was outside the normal realm.

I shouldn't have worried. I had a midwife appointment this morning, and my blood pressure is great and there is no protien in my urine (real symptoms of pre-eclampsia). I was stressed for nothing. However, my weight gain was ridiculous for only 2.5 weeks. I'm sure more than half of it was the water sloshing around in my lower legs though. The midwife said to swim and to keep drinking lots of water. I'll go to the pool tonight and see if that helps.

Otherwise, everything is great. Still measuring perfectly, heart beat, blood pressure - all great. I have another appointment in two weeks, and then I start going in every week. That means we're getting close!

Birth center visit

We went this morning to the Austin Area Birthing Center for a tour and consultation. I have decided that I don't want a hospital birth, for a variety of reasons I won't go into. A birth center is a good option between a hospital birth and a home birth, which I don't think I'm ready for. We wanted to go see the center before making a final decision, although for reading the website, I was pretty sure it would be a good fit for us based on what I had read. It was a good visit. The center was understaffed today because of the "bad weather", but we still got a tour and asked some questions. We definitely like it. I made an appointment for Feb 19th for my first check-up.

A weather report - yes, it's cold. Yes, we got some freezing rain. No, it's not the end of the world. No, the power has not gone out. The mayor told people to stay home if they could, and it's MLK day, so a lot of people had the day off anyway. The result is that it's quieter out on the roads today than on a typical Sunday. The thing is - now they are saying that tomorrow is going to be WORSE! MORE WET! COLDER! THE END OF THE WORLD! Hey, if it's another day off, fine with me.