Honeydew!!!:-)

Month 8 (Weeks 33-36)

Unbelievable, but an average pregnancy lasts exactly 10 months! Did you hear about 9 months too?

According to most calendars, an average woman delivers her baby around week 40, sometimes after week 40. Well, we'll see if Karapuz decides to be an early bird and join us earlier than that.

So... I'm getting very close to watermelon (37 weeks/full-term baby) and very excited to carry a honeydew this month.

What's going on inside:

"Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month."  

Week 33: 

"Your baby's immune system gets a boost, while her sleepless mommy could use a boost of energy.

Your baby is still gaining weight (about half a pound a week), and she could grow up to another full inch this week. With that much baby inside your uterus, your amniotic-fluid level has maxed out, which explains why some of her pokes and kicks feel pretty sharp these days. (There's less fluid to cushion the blows.) Antibodies are being passed from you to your little one as she continues to develop her own fetal immune system, which will come in handy once she's outside the womb and fending off all sorts of germs."

Week 34: 
According to one of the Web sources: "With a layer of white fat underneath your baby's skin, your baby's skin tone is no longer reddish but has a pinkish glow to it. Your baby's fingernails are quite long but the toenails have not completely grown. Your baby now weighs almost 5lb (2.25kg) and its total length is 19.8in (44cm). Crown to rump length is 32cm (12¾ in)."

And "What to Expect" says the following: "What's new this week? Your baby is clocking in at five pounds and could be as tall as 20 inches by now, and the vernix (the white coating protecting your baby’s skin) is getting thicker. This week, a boy's testicles start making their way down from his abdomen to their final destination: his scrotum (look out below!). While about three to four percent of boys are born with undescended testicles, it's nothing to worry about — they usually head downtown before junior turns a year old. In other baby-related developments, those tiny fingernails have probably reached the tips of his fingers by now — and getting ready for that first postpartum manicure."

Week 35:

A rapidly growing brain makes your baby's head weigh more and that means more pressure on Mommy's bladder.

"Your baby is standing tall (so to speak) this week at about 20 inches and continues her steady weight gain (she’s about 5.5 pounds). While she won't get much longer, she will continue to pack on the pounds — including large amounts of baby fat — right up 'til delivery day. Something else that's moving at a mind-boggling pace these day: fetal brain development! There’s a lot going on inside that tiny head, which is, by the way, still soft to allow an easier exit through the birth canal."

Week 36:

 Your baby's bones may be ready to rock and roll, but yours may be aching something awful right now.

Update from what to expect is the following:

"Forget your aching back (and everything else!) by trying to focus on your baby, who is now about six pounds and 20 inches long, with soft bones and cartilage to allow a safer journey through the exit door. Most of her systems (from circulatory to musculoskeletal) are ready for prime time, though her digestion system — which has done only practice runs so far — will kick into gear as she takes her first suckle at the breast or bottle."