36 Weeks--the Homestretch begins...

Good grief...speaking of stretching, my body feels stretched to the max! Yet, somehow, in the next 4 weeks it will find a way to continue to share with this ever growing baby...either that, or I'm gonna be the first woman ever to deliver a baby via a popping belly! I can definitely feel that Owen has dropped some--especially when I'm exercising. There's quite a lot of pressure that's building up on my bladder these days. ...and I thought I had to pee a lot before! I could go on with the various "joys of pregnancy", but I'm afraid I'm starting to sound like an 80 year old woman listing all her ailments ;) At no time have I ever felt like it hasn't been worth it though. I know that as soon as I hold my son in my arms that all the backaches and stuffy noses will be forgotten!

Tony and I finished most everything on our "to do list" last weekend **pause and sigh with relief**. The nursery is complete! What a great feeling to have that checked off the list and know that Owen's room is ready in waiting for the little guy to come home to! I also finished making his diaper bag, washed some of his clothes, and did some packing for the hospital. All that's left are the things that can't go into the bag until the last minute anyway (toilitries, etc.). The carseat did not get installed last weekend, but Tony does plan on tackling that this weekend.

Tomorrow my sweet & VERY talented friend, Cori, is taking some pregnancy pictures for both Brianne and me. I can't wait to see how they turn out, she's a very talented photographer and I'm super excited to get these done! I shall post some of them when I get them back for sure.

This Sunday is the Super Bowl. The neighborhood ladies are headed to our 2nd Annual Girls Night Out for cheese & chocolate at the Melting Pot and then back to watch the rest of the game with the guys! I'm looking forward to yummy fondue, my favorite! :) I am neither a Patriots fan or a Giants fan so I don't care who wins, but the commercials will be fun to watch.

Here are some pics of Owen's FINISHED Nursery, Yahoo!..

...and finally me, 9 Months Pregnant--ALMOST finished :)
36 weeks: 4 to go!
Your baby is now about 6 pounds in weight and measures slightly more than 20 inches in length. Growth will experience a slowdown now, both so your baby will be able to fit the narrow passageway to the outside and also so he can store up all the energy needed for delivery.

Your baby's skull isn't the only soft structure in his little body. Most of your baby's bones and cartilage are quite soft as well (they'll harden over the first few years of life) — allowing for an easier journey as your baby squeezes through the birth canal at delivery (and less prodding and poking for Mom along the way). The skull bones are also not fused together yet so that the head can easily maneuver through the birth canal.

By now, many of your baby's systems are pretty mature, at least in baby terms — and just about ready for life on the outside. Blood circulation, for instance, has been perfected and your baby's immune system has matured enough to protect him from infections outside the womb. Other systems, however, still need a few finishing touches. Once such notable example: digestion — which actually won't be fully mature until sometime after birth. Why's that? Inside his little gestational cocoon, your baby has relied on the umbilical cord for nutrition, meaning that the digestive system — though developed — hasn't been operational. So your baby will take the first year or two to bring that system up to speed.