Week 36

Dear Ellison,
You are 36 weeks old now!  Less than one month till your due date!  You are weighing in at almost 6 pounds and are around 18.5 inches from head to heel.  You are gaining about one ounce per day.  You're shedding most of the downy hair that has covered your body and are also losing the vernix caseosa that's protected your skin.  Your lungs are the only organ that still need to mature, but you're getting closer to being able to breathe on your own every day.  Here are the little details of the week...

How Far Along? Thirty Six Weeks...28 days to go!
Weight Gain? Still hovering at 30 pounds. 

Sleep?  While I have very little trouble falling asleep, the sleep I get is never really restful.  When you're up about every two hours, it's hard to feel like you've had a good night's rest.

Miss Anything? Same things I've been missing...my feet, my energy, breathing easily, a nice glass of wine...  But, nothing I can't deal with for the next month or so.  :-)

Movement?  She's still moving around all the time.  She's getting stronger by the day!  This will definitely be something I'll miss.  Feeling your baby wiggling around is one of the most amazing things.  I don't know that I'll really ever be able to put into words how special it is.  I know that once she's here, there will be so many other amazing things to look forward to, but her little kicks, punches, and rolls will be some of my most treasured memories.
Food Cravings? I've found myself wanting more snacks lately rather than actual meals.  Things like popcorn, chips and salsa, edamame, and pistachios all sound really good!
Any Aversions? Yep...still eggs and big chunks of chicken.

Gender? It's a GIRL ~ Ellison Gray.

Symptoms?  I've been having a little lower back pain and some more hip pain.  I get out of breath really easily, and I am a blazing inferno most of the time!  I'm constantly asking people if they think it's hot in any given room.

Best Moment this Week? We went to our breastfeeding class and now feel a little more informed and empowered about our decision to try breastfeeding.  It was definitely an informative class and we are glad we signed up for it.  After our class, we went to a cookout with Barrett's team from work.  When we got there, we were surprised by a sweet little baby shower!  There were gifts, balloons, a banner, and even some cake.  Barrett works with a really wonderful team, and we were so surprised and thankful that they did that for us.
Looking Forward To...  We will be heading to our 36 week appointment tomorrow.  I'll have the group B strep test and meet with our doctor.  After that, we'll have an appointment every week until Ellison arrives.  I can't believe we're almost there!!  We're also going to go tour the Child Development Center at the hospital where I work.  We're on the waiting list still, but will hopefully continue to move up the list between now and when we would need it around December.