39 Weeks and ONE to Go!!!

The doctor says that Baby Williams has dropped a bit so the waiting game is on! She continues to build a layer of fat to help control her body temperature after birth, but it's likely she already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds - like a mini watermelon.

We got a little creative for the belly pics this week.

Waiting for our Bundle of Joy!

38 Weeks and 2 to Go!

Baby Williams is now 6.8 lbs and more than 19 1/2 inches long - the length of a leek. She has a firm grip and her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb. We're ready to meet you, baby!

Whoa, Baby!

Waiting for Baby

37 Weeks - 3 to Go!!

Baby Williams is finally full term! Woohoo! This means that if she arrives now, her lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb. She weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel - like a stalk of Swiss chard (where do they come up with these weird comparisons?!?). Her weight gain is about 1/2 ounce a day.

I can't believe we get to meet our daughter in 3 weeks or so!! Wow. I can't even imagine what it will be like. Travis is out of town until Friday evening so please pray that she doesn't make her debut until he's back home. After that, she is welcome to come ANY day. :)

36 Weeks and 4 to Go!

Baby Williams is almost 6 pounds now - like a crenshaw melon - and is more than 18 1/2 inches long! She is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. At the end of this week, she will be considered full-term.

This is me trying to pretend I'm not uncomfortable and huge and have ankles the size of melons. Convincing?!?!

35 Weeks ... 5 to Go!

Baby Williams is over 18 inches long now and weighs a whopping 5 1/4 pounds - the weight of a honeydew melon. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

34 Weeks - Only 6 More to Go!

Baby Williams weighs about 4 3/4 pounds - the same as an average cantaloupe - and is almost 18 inches long! Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder ... and making me rounder, too! Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well.

I've entered the "uncomfortable" stage and am definitely ready for this baby to come!

33 Weeks

Baby Williams weighs a little over 4 pounds this week - the weight of a pineapple - and has passed the 17-inch mark. My books tell me she'll grow another inch during this week alone! Baby now opens her eyes when she's awake and closes them during sleep. Her immune system is also fully developed so she can now fight off mild infections - just in time for the H1N1 virus! Whew!

I have now reached the stage of my pregnancy where my ankles are blowing up like balloons on a regular basis. Because they are so horrific, I refuse to post photos, but let's just say the word "cankles" is even an understatement. My ankles look like they belong to a 572-pound woman. I actually had to wear crocs to work twice this week because I couldn't fit my poor feet into my regular shoes. Thank goodness for crocs!

32 Weeks

Baby Williams weighs 3.75 lbs. (the weight of a large jicama - hmmm, very weird choice of veggie) and is about 16.7 inches long. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

31 Weeks

Baby Williams is 16 inches long and weighs about 3.3 pounds - the weight of 4 navel oranges. She's been in the fetal position with her legs tucked, for a few weeks now. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs and body are beginning to plump out. She won't get much taller, but she's headed into a major growth spurt. Ummm ... excuse me? Growth spurt?!? But there's no room for more growth!!

Aside from being busy growing, she's also busy moving ... and the little girl is getting strong! She likes to kick my ribs, stick her head up under my ribcage and stand on my bladder. I can't tell if she ever sleeps!

30 Weeks ... 10 Weeks to Go!

Baby Williams weighs almost 3 pounds this week - like a head of cabbage - and she's 15.7 inches long. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in the womb.

The belly in all its hugeness! I'm so excited that we only have 10 weeks to go!

29 Weeks

Baby Williams now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds - like a butternut squash - and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain.

Baby gets hiccups all the time now - almost once day. Poor thing! I've been having lots of back pain lately and when I went to the physical therapist, she said the baby had kicked two ribs out of place. Ooooh - this baby girl is already in trouble!

28 Weeks and the Third Trimester - Woohoo!

We've made it to the third trimester - yippee!!!

Baby Williams weighs the same as a Chinese cabbage - about 2 1/4 lbs - and is 14.8 inches. She can blink her eyes, which now sport little lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through the womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world. Awww, who doesn't love a fat baby?!?

Extreme Closeup!

27 Weeks and Whoa, Baby!

Baby Williams weighs almost 2 lbs - the weight of a head of cauliflower - and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, her brain is very active now. She can't make out objects yet, but she sees light and shadows.

I can't believe how HUGE I feel this week!

26 Weeks

Baby Williams is 14 inches this week - the length of an english cucumber - and weighs about 1.75 lbs. Her newest trick is grasping things (like the umbilical cord). Her ears are better developed and she can now hear my voice and daddy's. She's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of her lungs. This is good practice for when she's born and takes that first gulp of air. We can't wait for that day!!!!

I read that I will now be growing about 1/2 inch per week for the rest of the pregnancy ... and I still have 3 months to go! Whoa. Overall, the pregnancy is going very well, but I could definitely do without the fire-producing heartburn. I can probably exhale flames and am pretty sure I have a hole in my esophagus. My back and sciatic have seen better days and ... oh, the horror ... my once-dainty ankles have been replaced by tree trunks. Nooooooooo! But it's all worth it, right?!? It's a good thing I already love this baby girl so much. :)

25 Weeks

Baby Williams is the weight of a rutabaga (definitely not the cutest veggie!) this week - a pound and a half - and is about 13 1/2 inches. She's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat (awwwww). As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

24 Weeks

Baby Williams is the length of an ear of corn - almost a foot long - and still weighs just over a pound. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop.

I saw baby move for the first time, instead of just feeling her. My stomach started doing alien-like moves - a very strange (but cool) thing to watch. It made me laugh outloud. :)

23 Weeks

Baby Williams is the size of a large mango this week - more than 11 inches long and weighs just over pound. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that her increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world.

Baby's grown a lot in the past few weeks. It sometimes seems that I can feel my stomach expanding by the minute! It's also getting harder to tie my shoes.

Twenty-Two Weeks and the Family Ride

Baby Williams is the length of a spaghetti squash (about 11 inches) and almost 1 lb. Her lips, eyelids and eyebrows are more distinct, and she's developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Her eyes have formed, but her irises still lack pigment.

We finally did it. We sold our impractical-but-fun Mustang convertible and bought the official "family mobile." Plenty of room for carseat, stroller and groceries. We're in our thirties AND driving a station wagon. Adulthood has officially begun! :)

Twenty-One Weeks

Baby Williams is the length of a carrot this week - about 10.5 in. long. Her eyebrows and eyelids are present now, and she's starting to sleep and wake in cycles.

Twenty Weeks - Halfway!

We've reached the halfway point. Woohoo! Baby is the length of a banana this week - about 10 inches from head to heel. According to our ultrasound, she weighs 12 oz (about the weight of a coke can). She is swallowing more these days, which is good for her digestive system, and she's moving all the time now, especially at night.

We went to Taylor Park, Colo. for a few days to camp. It was beautiful and so nice to breathe in the fresh mountain air!