9 Months/4 more weeks!

Your baby's skull isn't the only soft structure in his or her little body. Most of your baby's bones and cartilage are quite soft as well (they'll harden over the first few years of life) — allowing for an easier journey as your baby squeezes through the birth canal at delivery (and less prodding and poking for Mom along the way). The skull bones are also not fused together yet so that the head can easily (well, relatively easily) maneuver through the birth canal.

So your little bruiser (who you've now learned won't be bruising you all that much with those soft bones) is now about six pounds in weight and measures slightly more than 20 inches in length. Growth will experience a slowdown now, both so your baby will be able to fit the narrow passageway to the outside and also so he or she can store up all the energy needed for delivery.

By now, many of your baby's systems are pretty mature, at least in baby terms — and just about ready for life on the outside. Blood circulation, for instance, has been perfected and your baby's immune system has matured enough to protect him or her from infections outside the womb. Other systems, however, still need a few finishing touches. Once such notable example: digestion — which actually won't be fully mature until sometime after birth. Why's that? Inside his or her little gestational cocoon, your baby has relied on the umbilical cord for nutrition, meaning that the digestive system — though developed — hasn't been operational. So your baby will take the first year or two to bring that system up to speed.

So today's the day I'm officially in my ninth month! Am I ready for the homestretch? Does it matter? It's coming no matter what. Part of me is ready and part of me isn't. But I think just last night did I really FEEL that part of me that might not be ready. It's normal at this point for me to feel some contractions here and there but nothing like what I will be feeling once labor really come on. Up until now, they have all been fairly painless and just uncomfortable. When I got home from work last night as I was changing into my house clothes I got a slight contraction except that THIS time it was a little painful. Nothing so bad like I'm sure it will be but enough pain to scare me. Right now there is no pattern or regularity to it so I'm ok. But that feeling of pain (even if just for a few seconds) kind of slapped a bit of reality in my face. I couldn't help but think, it's going to feel worse than this. And it will come much more regularly. holy crap! So in that sense, I'm not so sure I'm THAT ready.

But, on the other hand, I can't help but day dream about what she will be like. What will she look like? Who will she look more like? I hope she doesn't have my nose. I hope she's smart. All these things!

So ok. I had my doctor's appointment today and for once, my doctor is proud of me and my weight! I was hoping since I lost weight that she would tell me to eat. But just as I suspected, she said to keep it up. It's working for me. Sigh... ok. Everything checked out well. Today's appointment was a little different than most. Most she checks the heart rate, lectures me some about my weight and that's it. Well since I'm 36 weeks, she did the Group B Strep test (Group B streptococcus: A bacterium that can be found in the vagina that can be picked up by the baby as he or she passes through during childbirth, causing a very serious infection in the newborn . Testing for GBS is usually scheduled between weeks 35 and 37. The practitioner will use vaginal and rectal swabs, and if the result is positive, the treatment is to administer either IV antibiotics during labor or oral antibiotics during the last weeks of pregnancy. ) which requires me to, again, have those undressed-from-the-waist-down appointments again. That's never fun, but it has to be done. OK, but the really uncomfortable part is when she had to feel for my cervix. She said this would probably be the most uncomfortable i'd feel at an appointment and so far she is right. The pressure kind of hurt! But the good news is, she was able to tell that my little booger is head down already. Thank God! She moves around so much in there I'm always afraid she'll be a breech baby. But the doctor said that the movement is normal and that she is definitely head down already. Cervix is still closed and "far." But she said we're getting close (I"m assuming b/c I'm nine months?) and that hopefully the baby will come sooner rather than later. So we shall see. The heart rate is reading at about 130-132 which it has slowed down a bit but again, doc says it's normal and that it shows she is maturing well. Doc says the heart rate will slow down to as much as 120 right before delivery. So we're doing well, she says.

I've also noticed that I've dropped a little. My belly doesn't sit as high as it was. I'm not sure if it's really noticeable to anyone else but I can feel it b/c the crowding under my ribs aren't AS bad as it was. Again, this is normal. The closer I get to D-Day, the more I will drop or as they call it, lightening. Basically the baby is making it's way down into your pelvic region getting ready to greet the world and the heaviness and pressure of it causes your belly to drop. But supposedly this only happens with first timers b/c after that, any subsequent pregnancies you drop once it starts to get heavy since your muscles have already been loosened from your first pregnancy. Interesting, huh?

Anyway, so the other day it occurred to me how much reading I've done (and am still doing) about pregnancy. However, I need to read more about raising a child (at least the first year!) and breastfeeding! I know nothing! So I need to invest in a couple more books there. Ooo! But exciting news, I bought my breastpump today. I'm excited about it b/c I did a lot of research on them and although I had to spend a pretty penny on it, I'm told it will pay itself off quite quickly. I just hope I don't have any problems breastfeeding and that all goes well. But I need to do more reading up on it.

Well I have to say I am enjoying my Wednesdays off when I have aappointments. I get so much done in preparation for the baby that it makes me feel more at ease with my nesting instincts. haha! I found the perfect going home outfit for her. A one piece with the closures down the front of the outfit so I don't have to pull anything over her head. I got the breastpump and believe you me. Because if it's pretty penny cost, I used all the gift cards I had PLUS coupons! haha! That thing is expensive! Probably the biggest expense so far! AND, I was able to take all of my extra clothes to a consignment store and some to Goodwill. There are still some things that need to be taken care of but I have assigned those to Junior and he has ASSURED me that it will be done BEFORE the baby gets here. I'd do it myself, but it requires heavy lifting.

Well, one more week until I'm considered full term and the little one can come any day. It's so crazy that even though d-day isn't for another 3 more weeks, she can come safely in one week. eeek!