36 Weeks!!

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her 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 her 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 she's in a head-down position. But if she 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 her from the outside of your belly.

We have a growth scan scheduled with our Peri. later today so hopefully we can find out just how plump they think Laiken is right now. This past weekend we did our maternity picture retakes, they turned out a ton better even though the lady who took them was not very good. Her angles made some of the pictures look weird, she def. does not have "the eye"!! There was one picture in particular that I really wanted and she made it look crazy so I didn't order it but I am hoping if I hurry I can get Mandy to capture it for me. If you have looked at her blog or LeAnn's you can tell she def. has a talent for taking beautiful pictures! We have our last shower this Saturday and then it is up to Roddy and I to get everything all put together and ready for her arrival! I feel like a broken record but I really can not believe how fast it has all gone by. I know some women are ready for pregnancy to finally be over but I really have enjoyed it. I guess since I never got any morning sickness or any of the other "problems" that come with pregnancy I have truly loved everything about it. This may also be partly because I know what all we are facing once she does get here and right now nobody is poking and prodding her as I assume they will be once she's here and right now she is safe and healthy and we don't really know what to expect once she has to breathe and function on her own. I wish I could keep her in here forever but I also feel very lucky to have the outstanding medical care that we do less than 15 miles from home.

Speaking of her health, I have debated over how to say this with out sounding like a hypocrite or a nag but I don't really know if there is a way so I am just going to come out with it. While we welcome any and all visitors to the hospital and to our home after Laiken is born we ask that if you smoke to please remember that she has a serious heart defect and can not or should I say will not be around it. I was recently sent an article about third hand smoke which is apparently just as toxic as second hand smoke and therefore if you smoke and you would like to see her please wait until after your visit to do so. Here is a link to the article if you are interested: http://copd.about.com/b/2009/01/08/third-hand-smoke-brings-on-first-rate-problems-for-infants-and-children.htm I hope you all understand our reasons behind this "smoking ban" we are placing for Laiken but we feel she is going to have enough to deal with.