39 Weeks - My Last Week

Well, this is it. My last week being pregnant. As you have probably guessed, I have a ton of different emotions running through me right now. I'm excited to meet my baby girl—this little girl who has been constantly kicking me in the side and ribs, this little girl who has been baking inside me for the last nine months. I'm excited to see who she is and what she looks like. I'm nervous, since she seems to be stubborn and I think she is going to make the doctors come in and get her. I am not nervous about the actual labor, yet. I am looking forward to eating again, and not pricking my finger four times a day due to gestational diabetes. I'm looking forward to not having something like five medical appointments in one week. And I'm looking forward to having my body back to somewhat normal conditions.

So here is just a little update on my appointments over the last few days. I had a repeat ultrasound with the perinatologist in fetal genetics to check on Kaylee's growth and possible heart problem. Nothing but good news there. Kaylee is fine and has actually put on quite a bit of weight in the nine days between ultrasounds. She weighed 5 lbs, 6 oz at the first one and this time she weighed just about 6 whole pounds. So by birth she should be about 6.5 lbs or thereabouts. My OB appointment went well. I am finally progressing and have dilated more since my last appointment. So yay for that news. However, if Kaylee decides to stay put they will be going in after her. My induction is scheduled for Monday, September 29. Yikes! Now time is running out and getting closer and closer to the day we will be meeting Little Miss Kaylee Bria. The non-stress tests are still going well, too. Fluid is still good, her heart rate is still reacting as it should. I think I might actually miss hearing her little heart beat twice a week. Along with the little glimpse into her water filled world. She always does something interesting or funny. This last time she was moving her little fingers up and down, tapping them, almost as if she were plotting something. Hmm.

Update on Kaylee —

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The average baby weighs about 7.25 lbs and is about 20 to 21 inches long. But as I have mentioned before, we already know Kaylee is a lil' munchkin, weighing about 6.5 lbs by now.

Weight and height have probably increased only a little from last week. But her brain is still developing rapidly, with changes we will be able to recognize firsthand as her skill-packed bag of tricks expands almost daily.

Whether I give birth tomorrow or next week, it's pretty much all the same for our Kaylee, who is now truly R-E-A-D-Y to face the big, bright world outside of my womb. Her skin has now finally changed from pink to white, because a thicker fat layer has been deposited over the blood vessels. All her organs have put on the finishing touches. She is already in the birthing position and basically just "hanging out" waiting for that elusive moment when all systems synchronize in my body to trigger the labor process.

And did you know that tear ducts don't function until about a month after birth? So even though she will cry directly after birth, there wont be any tears shed.