38 weeks and still counting :-(

Alright....I'm officially done being pregnant. :-) Everyone told me that the last month is the hardest, but I had no idea just how HARD it really is. I'm EXHAUSTED, have no desire to eat and I'm so uncomfortable. :-( I want to just meet Luke already and if one more person tells me he will be here before I know it, I'm going to scream. LOL!!!

Luke's World:

Your baby has really plumped up. He weighs about 6.8 pounds and he's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). He has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold his hand for the first time! His organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb. Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If he's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If he's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time he's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after he's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

FULL TERM BABY!

Yea! You read that right...I'm officially FULL TERM! I'm 37 weeks today and sooooooo ready to meet our son! He's such an active little boy already and my body can't handle much more. I just pray that he's not one of those little munchkins who stay nice and snug in the belly until like 41 weeks! :-) Other than becoming uncomfortable and going crazy over everything I still need to do, Luke has the hiccups literally like 6 times a day. It is an awesome feeling!!! I'm so happy he is healthy!

Luke's World

Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

In addition to being 37 weeks pregnant, Luke enjoyed his first concert. :-) We went to see and MEET Kenny Chesney on March 17th. It was an amazing concert. We were like 10 rows back and center stage. Yes, I got to FINALLY meet Kenny after being his biggest fan for years!!!! GOOD JOB CHRIS! This was considered my "push" present for having Luke. LOL!!!

One more week!!!!

Nothing new to report other than I'm 36 weeks today and have just one more week until I'm considered full term!!! This marks the week that I go to the doctor once a week rather than every two weeks! I can't believe how close we are to meeting our little island boy! I'm beginning to wonder who he will look like. Will he have blonde hair and blue eyes? Will he have brown hair and brown eyes? Only time will tell!!! :-)

On another note, my last day of work was Friday. It was probably one of the hardest things I ever had to do in life. I cried the entire way home and I can't stop thinking about how I won't be returning full time to my classroom. :-( I just keep praying that I'm making the right decision to stay home with Luke.

Luke's World:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of his first bowel movement.
At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely he's in a head-down position. But if he isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating him from the outside of your belly.

35 weeks and 2 more showers!

This past Friday I had my class shower! They did such a nice job! I got GREAT things for Luke, including my pack n play. We played games and enjoyed a cookie cake. YUMMY!!!

I also had my Church shower Saturday. My friend Amanda and pastor's wife Connie put it together. It was also a nautical theme, which I LOVE since that's Luke's room. We played games, enjoyed some fellowship and opened presents. Again, Luke got great items which included diapers, wipes, blankets, clothes, booster seats, a baby book, toys and my glider and ottoman! After 4 showers, Luke is SO ready for the world! Just 5 more weeks or sooner!!!

Words of Love

The gifts!

My own seat complete with a stool underneath the table to put my feet up

The cake! Nice job Jessica!

Today also marks 35 weeks! I'm still in awe that 1) I made it this far. 2) I'm pregnant....ME, I, Gina is pregnant and going to be a mommy! I can't wait to have my days full of snuggling, running around a child, cleaning boogies, swimming and teaching a munchkin about life!!! God is so good!

35 weeks with Luke!

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

As for today, we are returning items to target and babies r us, putting together the glider and ottoman, building some shelves with boat rope for the nursery, installing the carseat and just finishing up some things in the nursery! AHHHHHHHH!!! He's coming soon!!! XOXO