35 Weeks (and 1 day!)

34 Days to go!

Here's what's happening with the Little Miss this week:

She's running out of room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (about the weight of a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in the womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. (She may not be doing somersaults, but she's definitely stretching, pushing and wiggling a lot!). Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete - she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Appointment update:
Today brought my 35-week OB appointment. My blood pressure was great, as usual. I'd gained 4 pounds for a total of 18 pounds gained so far. I was a little sad I'd gained 4 pounds since the last appointment but my OB did remind me I hadn't gained any weight the previous appointment so I was still on target for the pound-a-week goal.

I had my Group B Strep (GBS) test today. We'll know the results at next week's appointment. Basically, Group B Strep is harmless to me but can harm the baby if she's exposed during birth. If I do test positive, I'll be given antibiotics during labor. Today was also my first internal exam/cervix check. Surprisingly, I'm already making some progress. I'm 1cm dilated and 50% effaced. (!!!)

I'm still measuring a little small, but it's absolutely nothing to worry about at this point. I'm technically in the "small to normal range".

While I know I can remain at 1, 2, or even 3 cms for several weeks with no progress, the fact that I was already making SOME progress was quite the wake-up call that birth is not that far away. Of course, my mind immediately started running through all the things we need to make sure we have complete.

We need to:
-install the car seat
-start packing the hospital bag
-start packing the dogs' bag since they'll be staying with one of their most favorite people (our boarder) while we're at the hospital.
-double-checking that we have all necessary supplies for those first couple of weeks
-buy a few nursing supplies (pjs, bras, a couple of easy-access tops, etc)
-get the December birthday and Christmas shopping completed

I'm sure there's more that needs to be done but those were the major tasks that popped into my mind today. I'll update with 35 week belly pics soon!