Thirty-Nine Weeks

I am a week away from the due date, and think I might actually be waddling now. At least especially after walking probably four-plus miles into Decatur this afternoon with Jarrett and Elsa to go to lunch and then stroll the Decatur Book Festival. It was fun, but hot, and I think both Jarrett and I are worn out after not having exercised much in the past few weeks. Yet, still, I do not really feel that the baby is much closer to making her appearance than she was prior to the long walk, so I do not think it did much. She must be comfortable where she is, and will come in her own sweet time.

According to BabyCenter, at 39 weeks our baby is waiting to greet the world! She continues to build a layer of fat to help control her body temperature after birth, but it is likely she already measures about twenty inches and weighs a bit over seven pounds (a mini watermelon). The outer layers of her skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

We grow more and more excited to meet her with each passing day, but I continue to find things to do to fill the time. Yesterday I finally cooked and froze a batch of chili and a lasagna, so I feel good about that. Today, and probably over the entire weekend, I hope to get this house cleaned up a bit and finish up some laundry. And, if I have time, I might just take the car in to get a bath, inside and out.

I am big, and I get stares and comments wherever I go. Today on our way back home from our tour de Decatur, a woman shouted from her car window, "You look like you are about to pop!" A woman selling leather bags at the Book Festival commented that it looked like the baby had dropped and that I was about ready. Our mail lady said, "Look at you! You look so cute! And ready." This goes on wherever I go. Sometimes the attention is nice; other times I just think, "I know, I know. I am huge. I get it." It is really up to our baby now, I guess. She will come when she is good and ready. And it will be a welcome surprise when that time does come.