37 Weeks (January 4 - 10)

This pregnancy is now considered full-term! To be honest, I am so thrilled I finally reached this week. I was just too scared I wouldn't reach this far. Anyway, I took this pic last Monday and I actually love the way it came out, hehe! I think I will print this out and frame it one of these days.

Had my doctor's appointment and I gained another 2lbs! So, I now weigh 136lbs. The doctor thinks I'm doing fine and the weight gain is just about right. Baby's heart rate this time is 152. I am however, disappointed that she didn't check me for dilation this time. I just remember that I was already 3cm dilated at 37 weeks with my first child so it kind of freaked me out not being able to know for sure especially that this is my third one. Well, in a way I also don't like to be checked because it's never comfortable for me anyway. In the last few days this week, I have been feeling so much pressure when I go to the bathroom even when I just go #1. I know I have mentioned this a lot in my previous entries but I think this week it has gotten really worse that's why I have been worried that my doctor didn't check me for dilation this week. I am hoping that I'm wrong and all of these are just part of my being paranoid. I sure hope so. Well, I think this is all for this week. I'll be back next time to update you all. Thanks for reading!

How my baby's growing:

Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

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.

36 Weeks (December 28 - January 3)

Happy New Year! January 1st was also our wedding anniversary. Hubby and I have been married for seven years now! Anyway, speaking of those things, it means food for me again, lol! I had two yummy slices of strawberry cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory this week. They're really good but I know it means another weight gain for me. Starting this week, my doctor's appointment will be every week. I had my appointment yesterday. Everything went fine except that I gained 5lbs in 2 weeks! So, from 129lbs, I now weigh 134lbs. The doctor didn't say anything bad about it though. I think she understood the fact that people just really gain weight during the holiday season. Baby's heartrate this time is 162.

Anyway, I have been preparing things for the baby's coming. I already finished washing the baby's clothes and folded them as well. I got quite a few new cute stuffs for the baby that I am actually having a hard time which one to pick for the baby's homecoming, lol! I haven't packed my hospital bag yet though so I should do that in the next few days. I have ordered a couple of handmade hats for the baby online. Got this two from Lisa's Handmade Babywear. Aren't they cute? I just love it. She makes them nicely and I am very satisfied with what I got. I can't wait to put it on the baby, hehe! Can you tell that I am very excited? I am but there are actually times that I am scared as well. I don't know but I just get paranoid sometimes. I just pray everything's gonna be fine with the baby and me during delivery.

How my baby's growing:

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 (December 21 - 27)

Merry Christmas! I hope you all had a great one. We definitely enjoyed ours this year. The boys had so much fun opening their presents. Christmas isn't over here yet though 'coz we still have the big family Christmas party on Saturday at my mother-in-law's house. AND, speaking of my mother-in-law, she went shopping for the baby again. I wanted to wrap it and put it under the tree but she said I shouldn't 'coz the baby isn't here to open it anyways, lol! She's right but somehow I just wanna see lots of wrapped presents under the tree, haha!

So, what have I been up to this week. Well, I ate lots of turkey and rolls with butter on Christmas day, lol! My belly is getting heavier as always. There were a few nights this week that I had a hard time going to sleep. I think it might have something to do with the excitement that I have for Christmas. I feel like a little kid who can't wait to know what Santa has to bring, lol! Rolling in bed from left to right and vice versa is really getting painful this time. My pelvic bones are hurting but I'm glad it's not as worse as the last time I was pregnant.

How my baby's growing:

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). 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.

34 Weeks (December 14 - 20)

I had my doctor's appointment this week and as usual I'm gaining more weight. From 125.5lbs two weeks ago, I now weigh 129lbs! It may sound a lot but actually I'm way bigger before at this gestation. So, I think I'm actually doing fine. I still think sometimes that this baby is probably isn't as big as the first two. Everything's fine with my check up. Baby's heart rate this time is 150. I've already washed the baby's clothes and folded them as well. I think after Christmas, I'm going to start packing up my bags for the hospital and all the other gadgets I plan to bring like my laptop and the DSLR camera. I still plan to blog while I stay in the hospital, lol! Anyway, this week has been alright for me although I'm starting to get paranoid about going to the bathroom because I'm actually scared I'd push the baby out while going #2! LOL! How crazy is that? I know I should know better by now. I mean it's my 3rd for goodness' sake but I just can't help it, hehe!

I am getting really excited about the baby's coming though and there are times that I just can't wait any longer. There are also times that I feel sad because it will be all over soon. This week my craving for puto maya is really strong! Sometimes, I eat it three times a day till I just run out, lol! I have a feeling I'll gain a lot of weight on my next appointment for this but I sure love the taste! Since I already use a lot of sugar when I eat this thing, I try to pair it with hot cocoa without sugar. I got Hershey's unsweetened chocolate powder and it really goes well with puto maya especially in the morning. Well, that's it for this week.

How my baby's growing:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

33 Weeks (December 7 - 13)

Getting bigger and bigger is all I can say. My belly is definitely heavy. I feel pelvic pains every time I get up from bed in the mornings or even when I get up from sitting. So, unlike other pregnant women, I prefer to stand, lol! We've been to hubby's company party last Dec. 9th and I heard this other pregnant lady that she needs to get off of her feet. With all three pregnancies, I didn't have any feet problems (pains) at all except with Aiden, my feet got bigger because I was extremely big. So, I think it was just normal for my feet to get big as well, lol! Hmm, so what's new? I'm still eating a lot, more than the usual actually. I get tummy aches at night because of that. So stupid I know but I think it's also my subconscious telling me to do it because I honestly feel like this baby is smaller than my first two. My pregnancy newsletter mentioned that the baby is trying to fill its body with fats now so I'm thinking maybe if I eat more than the usual, the baby can get more out of it and get big, lol! That's just my thought but it might help you know. I don't want a tiny baby because they lose weight during the first few days after they're born. So, that's it for this week. I'll have my doctor's appointment next time so I'll have more to chat about then. Have a great week!

How my baby's growing:

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.