36 Weeks

36 Weeks! 

Gracelyn is getting closer and closer to being labeled a full term baby and not a preemie. At 37 weeks a baby is considered full term.  Just a few more days to go baby girl!  You can do it!  We had another follow up appointment Monday (July 30^th) and everything remains the same. The off and on contractions last week are normal and thankfully nothing produced any changes with my cervix.  I will go back Monday the 6^th and the Dr. will determine if I need to continue on modified bed rest.  If no changes I hope to get back to work, at least part time. We shall see…Having these last few weeks at home has been nice.  I have used the time to get the nursery complete and all Gracelyn’s stuff organized. I can definitely say I’ve been in the “nesting” phase these last few weeks.

Talk about excited!!!  Jake and I can hardly wait to see our baby girl for the first time.  Jake and I joke all the time now about when she’ll decide to come.  If she is anything like her mommy she’ll be late, BUT on the other hand, if she takes after her daddy she’ll be early (Jake is 15min early to everything).  I’m getting more and more excited about every upcoming appointment.  I will continue to get checked each week and at this point we are hoping for gradual changes.  Up to this point we have been doing everything possible to stall Gracelyn from coming early, but Dr. Harden reassured us that we are now at a point where the fear and panic can be replaced with excitement! We hope Gracelyn continues to move in the right direction and pray for a happy and healthy baby.

Here are a few pictures of the nursery!  Before and After:

                                                                      

                                                                 Testing paint colors

                                                                      Jake Painting

                                                                        AFTER:

                                                     Wreath I made for Gracelyn's Door :)

                                                                 Coming Home Outfit

                                                             Can't wait to play dress up!

We are 36 weeks so here is our weekly belly shot!

This could be my last week on modified bed rest so I decided to spend a few day's lying by the pool instead of on the couch… It was a very nice and relaxing change of scenery!

                                                                             My view :)

                                                                        Relaxing

                                                                Jake and Zach floating

                                                                   Abigail and Hailey

                                                      
                                                                Seth The Life Guard

We also took Gabe swimming this weekend!

Here is an update of the baby at 36 weeks:

How your baby's growing:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position.