Week 31: Munchkin is a Soccer Ball!

Welcome to Week 31: Munchkin is a Soccer Ball!

Baby's Length: 16-18 in.

Baby's Weight: 3.5 lbs.

Baby's Size: Soccer ball

I can't believe today starts week 31. It's amazing how time flies. J.D. and I had a fun week. On Saturday night, we went out for our late Valentine's dinner at Zaytinya. For anyone that hasn't been there yet, we recommend it highly!! They serve Eastern Mediterranean tapas...DELICIOUS! We had the best time together on our date night!

J.D. might kill me if I didn't mention that we also got a new TV this week. (It actually arrived today.) J.D. is so excited about it! Let's see if I can get the details right: It's a Samsung 46 inch LCD 1080p, 240 hz. (Did I get it right, J.D.??) Thank you to Ryan for coming over immediately after it was delivered to help J.D. mount it! For anyone that knows J.D. well, he never buys anything...especially not something for himself. I'm thrilled that he is able to treat himself to this TV!

As far as the childbirth class goes, we were able to switch into another class with a different instructor, starting next Tuesday. Hopefully this class will be better!

I've been a little more tired this week. The sciatica has been really bad this week. Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and today were particularly bad. The worst thing about these sharp shooting pains is that there's nothing consistent about them. There aren't specific movements that cause them. They just happen randomly and when it's really bad, they happen with every step. It does seem to be worse in the morning and at night.

The baby has been kicking a lot this week. Well, I'm not really sure if it's kicking, or elbowing, or kneeing....but I can definitely feel something bony sticking out. I've been getting kicks in higher places in my stomach recently. He also pushes out a lot more than before. My stomach constantly looks lopsided based on where he's sitting. Pretty weird feeling.

Knock on wood....but I've been sleeping really well the past few weeks (aside from 2-3 bathroom trips/night). I'm still using a wedge pillow under my belly and a regular pillow in between my legs. I try my best to stay on my left side like the doctor's recommend.

I'm sure I probably say this every week, but I really feel like this week in particular, I really popped out and look very pregnant. That said, I did have a parent ask me if my due date was the end of August, meaning that I was only 4 months pregnant. ...pretty funny! Check out my belly this week:

What's happening with Munchkin this week:

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

• The rate of physical growth slows down just a bit, but even though she doesn't get much longer, she will gain a lot of weight the rest of the pregnancy.
• Fat continues accumulating. This layer of fat turns her skin from red to the rosy pink she will have as a newborn.
• Calcium, phosphorus and iron are being stored and his bones are growing and hardening.
• Your baby is 16.2 inches (41.1cm) long and weighs 3.3 pounds (1502gm)
• His brain enters another period of rapid growth, producing hundreds of billions of new nerve cells! Amazing!
• She may move to the rhythm of music. Studies with heart rates show that she also prefers some types of music to others -- already!
• Lungs are the only major organ left to complete development. Remember, that while you may be anxious to meet your little one that these last few weeks can be vital - with each day increasing your baby's ability to breathe on her own.

Chances are your diaphragm is feeling a little cramped these days. Okay, a lot cramped. That's because your uterus is pushing up against it, crowding your lungs and making it more difficult for them to expand fully. The result: Your body is spare on air, and will be until your baby drops near the end of pregnancy in preparation for birth. Your baby, however, is happy as a clam since he gets all the oxygen he needs through the placenta. Weighing in at three-plus pounds and measuring 18 inches long, he's quickly approaching his birth length though he's got to pack on another three to five pounds before D-day. Also developing at an impressive clip: your baby's brain connections (he's got to make trillions of them!). He's now processing information, tracking light, and perceiving signals from all five senses. He's also putting in longer stretches of sleep, which is why you're probably noticing more defined patterns of awake (and moving) periods and sleeping (pretty still) periods.