35 Weeks!

Can you believe it? I sure can't! 35 weeks down...and only about 5 weeks to go! I'm going to need every single day of the next 5 weeks to get the house baby-ready...say prayers he doesn't come early, which is a rarity for first babies anyways. Although, at the same time, I'm SO ready to meet Toliver Knox. I'm so in love with him already, and I'm trying to prepare my heart for loving him even more once I finally get to see his sweet face. I've had constant reminders of his impending arrival - everything from my now weekly doctor's appointments (complete with the oh-so-lovely weigh ins) to the pretty painful contractions that occur every so often. I'm afraid to complain too much about these contractions because, well, let's be honest - these are nothing compared to what I'll be experiencing soon!

So here's what the emails say about being 35 weeks pregnant...drum roll please!

Your Growing Baby

At more than five pounds and between sixteen and twenty inches, your baby is becoming more ready for birth with every passing hour. He's the size of a small roasting chicken. His nervous system and immune system are still maturing, and he's adding the fat that he'll need to regulate his body temperature. But, everything else, from his toenails to the hair on his head, is fully formed. If he were born now, he'd have more than a ninety-nine percent chance of surviving.

Your Changing Body (it should say "growing body"!!)

Your size is probably making you really uncomfortable. (REALLY??) You're carrying so much extra weight and fluid that simple things can be tiring. If your job requires sitting all day, take frequent breaks to walk around and stretch your legs (if you have the privacy to lie down for a few minutes or do stretches on your hands and knees, even better). You'll see your care provider once every one or two weeks now. Don't forget to arrange care for any children or pets (poor Rosie's whole life is about to get flipped upside down!!) for the two to three days you'll be in the hospital. Ask a neighbor to collect your newspapers and mail. (We don't know our neighbors yet - yikes!)

So do you want to see what a 35-week pregnant chick looks like?! Well, this week, I'm not so ashamed to post some pictures (hence the reason why I haven't been posting too many weekly updates lately - pure embarrassment!) Yesterday, our friend and photographer took some maternity pictures for us - she is quite talented; actually, she's fantastic! You can check out her blog at http://www.awweddings.com/blog/ and we'll be on there, too - famous in B'ham!! :) Here are a few of my favorite photos from yesterday...enjoy, but don't make fun of my triple chins and my swollen feet, hands, and body!