35 weeks!

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bump watch: this week marked the first time i got the "swallowed a watermelon?" comment (at the mall, from a young man determined to sell me salt scrub for $129. his persistence did not pay off.) sweet pea is measuring right on track ... cantaloupe, watermelon, or whatever you want to call it.

sweet pea: in the past month, baby's development has mostly focused on brain growth and chubbing up. at my 32-week appointment, the midwife estimated that sweet pea weighed 4 1/2 pounds. now baby weighs around six pounds and has reached his or her birth length, between 19-21 inches long. sweetpea's circulatory and immune systems are fully developed. every week from here on out ensures that baby's lungs are mature and that the brain and nervous system are well-regulated. keep on cooking, baby!

best moment: taking the stroller out for a walk with Kaiser. granted, i was pushing around my purse and not a baby, but it was still a fun glimpse into the not-so-distant future. and Nick got instant daddy points when i couldn't figure out how to disengage the locking system to unfold the stroller (and had brilliantly folded up the instruction manual inside the stroller caddy before folding it, because after reading it cover-to-cover three times i thought i had everything down pat). i hadn't even finished typing "how to unfold chicco liteway plus stroller" into my phone's internet browser when he (having never seen the instruction manual) popped open a lever and voila! the stroller sprung into action. daddy magic already!

symptoms: shrek feet. that is the most apt description i've heard yet for the sudden onset of puffy feet and cankles. unfortunately, the best technique for getting rid of the swelling (apart from lots of water and walking) is lying down and elevating the feet ... and sweetpea is currently facing posterior with his or her face towards my belly instead of towards my spine, so to encourage baby to spin into the most optimal position (occiput anterior), i'm supposed to lean forward and keep my knees lower than my hips. 

cravings: not so much, recently. i've definitely reached the stage where i feel full faster and sometimes have to wait a bit for things to digest before finishing my meal. 

what i miss: a full wardrobe of clothes that fit. i've hit an unpleasant point where my belly is too big to fit many of the shirts that have served me well throughout the pregnancy up to this point, but too small to convincingly fill out the fall maternity clothes i bought. definitely a first world problem! 
looking forward to: finishing up the nursery! the stroller, carseat, swing, pack'n'play, co-sleeper and bouncer are all set up; baby clothes, blankets, towels and sheets are washed; diaper bag and my birth bag are packed; and now we just need to set up the changing table and crib, and hang the pictures in the nursery. i'd like to have it all ready by 37 weeks so we can just relax and wait for baby! 

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