36 Weeks and Ready

At this point I am tired, more uncomfortable, and ready for the baby to arrive.  Overall this has been a great pregnancy and I can't complain.  Even still things aren't so bad, but by the end of the day I am ready just to sit down and relax.  My next appointment is tomorrow and that will begin my weekly checkups.  One more week and the baby is cooked enough to come out and be A-ok.  He is supposed to stay in a couple more weeks and I think he will, but no worry if he decides he wants to get more room and get out.

Baby is putting on about ½ pound each week now. This layer of fat is what will help our baby regulate his body temperature once he leaves his current climate-controlled home. I guess he will be about 15 percent fat at birth. He can listen, feel, touch and see. His gums are even firm with ridges that look somewhat like teeth.  Everything is developed and ready for action, the only thing separating him from living in the outside world is a little thing called the birth canal.

At 36 weeks he has definite sleep patterns too.  His busy times are around 10am, 6pm, and 10pm.  With these sleep patterns he apparently even opens his eyes while awake and closes them while sleeping.   We haven't tried it yet but he also should become alert and turn his head toward light and sound just like he will as a newborn.  He is now around 18½ inches long and nearly 6 pounds already.  The size of a big melon.