Week 37

Month 9 (weeks 37-40+)

Miss Mia is now the size of a Watermelon.

According to the "Ultimate Man Guide to Baby Sizes" our little Mia is the size of the ELECTRIC MOTOR in the $110,000, Tesla which can go from 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds. Sweet.

Wow, those are the last of the weekly/monthly baby size pictures from the websites I've been following on the Internet!  Amelia is almost here... and thank goodness she won't get bigger than a watermelon ;0)

I've been feeling really uncomfortable and sore this last week.  I am feeling a lot of pressure and tenderness in my pelvic area.  I also have hip pain at the end of the day, in the mornings, and whenever I wake up from napping.  My stomach is so tight and Amelia is getting so big!  Every time she moves, it feels like someone is punching me in the stomach.  I've definitely been feeling wimpy... I feel like I should be able to handle pregnancy much better, but in reality I'm feeling pretty miserable.

I also thought I would be able to make it through the 40 weeks without stretch marks.  Unfortunately, just in the last few days, they've shown up all over my stomach!  The area near my belly button now looks like a road map.  Looks like my bikini wearing days are over. 

Okay, I've done enough complaining... I know it will all be worth it in the end ;0)

My prenatal visit went well.  We had a little scare with the baby's heart rate and my high blood pressure... but after we were monitored, everything went back to normal. Phew.  I'm currently 1 cm dilated, 25% effaced, and measuring a little small at 37 weeks.  I've also gained a total of 27 pounds!

During the monitoring, Jimmy was fist pumping (Jersey Shore style) to her heart beat, so that was really funny. During the ultrasound, we got a good look at Amelia's face!  She has a round head, a little bit of hair, what looks like a Filipino nose, and big lips.  We could even see her lips moving like she was trying to suckle and we saw her swallowing a few times too.  She had both her hands up near her face like a little boxer too.  Amazing.  It just gets us more and more excited to meet her in person.

Jimmy and I are starting to wonder how the kitties are going to react to the new baby.  We're wondering if they are going to sleep with her, cuddle with her, or just avoid her all together.  I'm hoping Amelia has a good relationship with them and grows up to love kitties like we do.

Now that we're pretty much ready for the baby, we can focus on getting mentally ready.  I've been spending a lot of time reflecting on my pregnancy experience, thinking about what type of parents we'll be, and what Amelia will grow up to be like as a person.  It's all so scary, but very exciting.  I wouldn't say that I'm getting nervous, but I am very curious ;0) 

I used to work at a daycare center and took care of babies 6 weeks-6 months old for about a year.  However, that was a long time ago!  I'm just hoping that some of my baby care skills come back to me once Amelia is born.  Jimmy has no experience with babies and has never changed a diaper before, so it's going to be interesting.  I have lots of confidence in him and I already know he's going to be a very very helpful and involved daddy.

I was also a adoption counselor when we lived in Texas.  I worked with pregnant women to place their newborns for adoption.  I've had the privilege of working with women throughout their pregnancies, supporting them through their births (vaginal and c section), cutting umbilical cords, travelling with newborns, and working with new adoptive parents. 

I can tell you right now, I cried at every single birth I was at and always wondered how these selfless women were able to chose adoption.  Looking back, I just can't believe I was an adoption counselor without having been through pregnancy, birth, or parenting myself!  I was so young (my early 20's) and definitely feel like I would have a different perspective if I were to work there now.  Now, years later, being pregnant myself, and knowing the love and attachment I feel for my own baby, I don't know how they did it.  I have a new found respect for both birth mothers and adoptive parents.

Jimmy and I have been watching this show called "Bringing Home Baby," which is a reality show about the first 36 hours at home with a newborn baby. Each show follows a couple from the moment they check out of the hospital and the first three days with the baby. Wow, the show is such an eye opener. It just makes me hope and pray that Amelia is a calm, mellow baby!

38 Weeks