Week 37: Chard-ging Forward

This week's marks a big moment for baby... we are officially considered full-term! It's exciting to feel a little more 'in the clear' but it is also scary! Anytime is Baby time!! It could be an hour, it could be a month, and its not good for mental preparation! I'm still paranoid about counting baby movements. My stomach is super lumpy and I assume when the lumps move to different locations, that counts as a movement even though I have been too distracted to make note of it.

As far as full-term development, the baby should be about 6.5 lbs and 19inchs head to heel, which is the lenth of a stalk of swiss chard.

Swiss chard? More like Swiss cheese, Swiss Miss, Mushroom and Swiss Runza! Matt once asked if swiss cheese came from Sweden. That was when he was 'courting' me and lucky for him, I just laughed and mocked him and chose to date him anyway. Look where that has led us! Another random baby fact is that its hair could be anywhere from a 1/2" to 1 1/2" (unless it has Matt's hair genes and is bald - hopefully there is a good balance of Matt's baldness and my hairiness). Thank God there are only 3 more weeks of these development updates. The fun is definitely gone and the comparisons have definitely gotten worse.

Mommy development this week has led to a very annoying realization... I can barely cross my legs. SOOOO annoying. Sitting at work all day sucks bad enough and now my legs barely cross which means even less comfortable options. I guess thats good for my veins and my manners~ maybe crossing at the ankles will become a habit. Actually at this point, its become sitting Indian-style. Thank God I have my own office and no one has to observe my repositioning every 10 minutes.

A friend advised me not to go to movies in the last 2 months of pregnancy due to the discomfort baby brings and that was in the back of my mind when I booked Jersey Boys, Becky's New Car, and Chicago tickets all between now and next Friday. In my defense, my season OCP membership makes tickets a deal I can't refuse and luckily after Chicago, there are no shows I want to see until January. The Jersey Boys tickets were redeeming Matt's anniversary gift and how can you pass up the 'real deal' on a Broadway show? Jersey Boys was last night and I have to admit, sitting still was not easy but the show was fast-paced and had awesome music (which remember, Baby enjoyed as well since it can hear). I think the old people behind me, dressed in their theater-best, were appalled at my theater etiquette of bare feet and crossed legs flipping around every 10 minutes but hey, I'm pregnant! Leave me alone! Becky's New Car is tonight so we will see how that turns out.

In addition to my leg-crossing, sitting-still issues, my ankles, feet and fingers have turned into sausages the past week or so. Matt has given the husbandly "No, your ankles don't look fat," response but I can tell they look thicker. My feet for sure do. I'm hoping I can push the summer sandals, gauchos, skirts and dresses a few more weeks. These past few mornings have given my bare toes a run for their money but I think I can make it work.

Now that we are seriously in the home stretch, the nursery is DONE. Finally! I have shown bits and pieces of most of it but here are pictures of the whole thing. (I attempted to video a virtual tour with our new video camera but I didn't like the sound of my voice narrating it - too bad so sad.)

Looking into the room from the door

Mobile above the crib and cornice board in the background

Crib close-up (just 1 of the 5 sheets - all in different black/white fabrics)

View to left of crib (closet and dresser)

View to right of crib (ignore all of the baby junk on the changing table - laundry prep!)

Sitting Area (I cut the flowers from the cornice fabric for the lamp shade)

Love this saying!

Now all we need is a Baby to stick in the room! When will it be?!? (and WHAT will it be?!?)