36 Weeks - 4 to go!

I am officially nine months pregnant (with the understanding that pregnancy lasts 10 months!) To celebrate, I noticed for the first time this week some swelling in my feet and lower legs - super fun! ;)  I do think it's just my body's way of telling me to slow down and rest, so I'm going to listen. Over the past couple of weeks JA and I have been out until waaayyy past my bedtime, and it's time to retire. We got home after two this morning (dinner in NYC with friends) and I was up around 7:30 to get ready for brunch with our dear friends Alice, Will, and Ella. I then took a nice three hour nap between breakfast and lunch. Charles is about ready to make his arrival - in fact, babies born after 37 weeks are considered "full term" so making it through this week is pretty spectacular. My plan is to give him a nice, relaxing week and weekend with not too much planned. Aside from work, my schedule this week includes a doctor's appointment on Wednesday, pizza with some friends, tutoring, and a mani/pedi. The weekend is blissfully un-booked and shall remain that way!

Here's what's new with the little guy this week:

Your baby is gaining about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. He's shedding most of the downy hair that covered his body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. Next week, your baby will be considered full-term. Most likely he's in a head-down position, but if he isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an external cephalic version, where he'll try to turn your baby by manipulating him from the outside of your belly.

Thankfully Charles has been head down for a while now and we expect him to stay that way.

• How far along? 36 weeks
• Total weight gain: +24 pounds (When I first started out in May, my goal was to gain less than 30 pounds. I've heard you can start losing a little toward the end, so maybe I can keep it under 25!)
• Sleep: Not getting enough, but that's my fault - I'm back on the make-sure-I-get-enough-rest bandwagon.
• Movement: Still feeling him, though I think he might be getting more and more squished. Kristi got to feel his hiccups last night. :)
• Best moment this week: classroom and neighborhood showers; seeing our friends on Saturday and Sunday
• Food cravings: cheese and chocolate
• Gender: It's a boy!
• Maternity Clothes: Not yet - just kidding!!
• Belly Button in or out? Still in
• What I miss: wearing boots without discomfort
• What I am looking forward to: Our 36 week appointment and pizza with Pat and Meg on Wednesday. Also, my mani/pedi (thanks to gift cards!) on Friday.
• Nursery Progress: I decided to go with the crab fan so I've ordered that. I also washed a few more items we received at the showers this week. JA and I hope to use our free weekend to finish tidying up the house so it's ready for Charles.

Saturday
Breakfast - bowl of Cap'n Crunch with organic, low fat milk
Snack - a few cubes of cheddar cheese; three tortilla chips with salsa; baby carrot, cucumber, and celery with hummus
Lunch - mini spinach quiche; mini cheese quiche; spinach salad with nuts and strawberries; one slice of French toast
Snack - mini red velvet cupcake; glass of cranberry juice and water
Dinner - Thalia - two pieces of bread with olive tapanade; Caesar salad; butternut squash risotto; asparagus
Dessert - one peanut butter ball; one mini Cinnabon

Sunday
Breakfast - half an everything bagel with chive cream cheese; fruit salad (strawberries, pineapple, melon, canteloupe, blueberries, and blackberries); reduced fat cinnamon bun; apple cheddar quiche
Lunch - two slices of low fat American cheese on a plain bagel with organic romaine and dijon mustard
Snack - fruit and yogurt smoothie (fruit salad with Greek mango yogurt)
Dinner - bowtie pasta with asparagus and peas