Week 31 & CHRISTmas

Good Morning! We hope that everyone had a GREAT Christmas & was able to spend the holiday with loved ones :) We were lucky enough to spend a few days with the Goodroes in Social Circle! Unfortunately, I got really sick on Christmas Day, which really put a damper on things :( Still not exactly sure what it was, but it's definitely not a way you want to spend the holiday. I think I also had my first run-in with Braxton-Hicks contractions while I was sick over the weekend. Nothing too bad, but enough to get my attention for sure! Regardless, we had a wonderful holiday & really had fun imagining how next Christmas will be when we have a 10 month old!! This year also marked the last time we'll travel for the holidays since we'll start our own little family Christmas traditions with baby B in 2012.

We're back home now & getting in the swing of things today. Sad to see the Christmas decorations start to come down so soon, but we've got to prepare for other events! This weekend we are expecting a couple of JD's friends to come visit for NYE! AND we can't believe how close the due date is getting for Baby Baker (seriously, only a max of 9 weeks remaining???)!!!

I went to see my doctor last week & he said that everything is still looking good - baby is continuing to G-R-O-W (still measuring 2 weeks ahead of schedule)! I won't go see him this week because he is out of the office, but will go back next week & every week until we have a baby! At my appointment next week we will do another ultrasound (to check baby's position & to see that the placenta is where it ought to be) & an NST (non-stress test) on the baby. Should be a longer visit, but I am really excited about seeing how BIG baby has gotten since our last ultrasound at week 18.

Now that the holiday season is coming to an end, we are hoping to do a few last minute things around the house & finish getting the nursery organized for Baby B's arrival!

Still feeling a lot of movement with Baby B, & different kinds of movement - more punches / kicks rather than flips & spins. Also, he / she is definitely starting to form some sort of schedule - I can expect to feel movement at certain times of the day / night. Here's what else is going on with our growing baby this week...

Your Pregnancy: Week 31 (www.parentsconnect.com)

Your Body
Your mind may not be anywhere near ready for your baby to arrive but your body is already making preparations. One of the ways it's getting ready is by "practicing" for labor in the form of Braxton Hicks contractions. Luckily, these are generally painless, although somewhat annoying as they can occur frequently (the middle of the night, during an important meeting, while you're trying to focus on Access Hollywood, etc).

Braxton Hicks contractions feel like a sudden tightening of your uterus. This is just a little preview of what real contractions will feel like. They usually start to become noticeable around the eighth month and can become very strong by the end of your pregnancy.

While you can't get rid of Braxton Hicks contractions, there are some things you can do to make yourself more comfortable, like gentle exercise (such as walking) or taking a warm, relaxing bath. Calgon, take me away. ...



Your Baby
From this week on, your baby will continue to gain around ½ pound a week until shortly before birth (even though it may feel like a whole lot more with every step you take). Other highlights this week:

Due to increasing space constraints, your baby's arms and legs stay drawn up close to the body now, known as the fetal position (oh, so that's where that name came from!). Plus, your baby can now process information from all five senses—so she'll be all set to smell the pureed peas, taste them, feel them as she mashes them into her hair, hear you crack up and then see the flash as you grab the camera to snap picture after picture.

By now, your baby's lungs are the only system not fully mature. And by mature, we're not saying that the rest of your baby's systems are mature enough to be out past 10 PM with the neighborhood hooligan, just that her lungs need a little bit more time to bake before they can kick it in the outside world.

Your baby weighs about 3½ pounds and measures a little over 16 inches, about the same length as that miniskirt you used to wear (and will again someday!).