Eversmashing

Well, it's hard to believe that Baby will be here sometime within the next 4-9 weeks, but we're finally to that point now!

According to my weekly email updates, Baby is now up to 4.5 lbs... and I can definitely tell!  Baby definitely feels heavier was I'm carrying him/her around in my belly, and s/he has definitely been throwing off my balance when it comes to things like bending down, getting out of bed, and getting up off the couch.  I often can feel kicks and nudges both under my ribs and against my hipbone at the same time, so it's no surprise to me that Baby's now almost 17.5 inches long. 

Baby has been most active in these past weeks the hours after I've been active.  The day that we volunteered at our church's 5K run/walk, it felt like Baby was doing his/her own run/walk afterwards!  And on the drive back from our youth group's highway cleanup (which involved Jon & I also walking over a mile, stopping to bend down and pick up garbage along the way), Baby was kicking and wiggling up a storm... perhaps protesting that s/he missed out on all the action?  Baby also likes to kick and wiggle as soon as Jon gets up in the morning (which is usually quite a bit earlier than I feel like getting up!), and as soon as my stomach starts to growl with hunger.  I'm not sure if the noise startles Baby, or if s/he is just giving his/her two cents about my eating schedule.  Baby also likes the band Motion City Soundtrack, and seems to protest when I try to lay on whatever side s/he is facing.

As for me, I've been feeling quite excellent... definitely better thanI had expected.  I had a bout with back pain one afternoon this week,and a dull, throbbing headache that I might attribute to a sugar dump(yes, I'm still watching my sugar intake, so those chocolate chipcookies definitely hit hard!), and have been much more tired than usual(thanks to my newfound inability to sleep through the night), butoverall have been feeling really great.

In other exciting news, Baby's lungs are developing this week, s/he may be growing hair this week, and Baby is now gaining about a half pound a week!  Grow, Baby, grow!