The Bump: 36 & 37 Weeks

Week 36: Your baby is gaining 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 hair that covered her body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath.

Week 37: Your baby is now considered full term, even though your due date is still three weeks away. If you go into labor now, her lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. She weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long.

I am definitely started to get a bit more uncomfortable as due date approaches, but i'm not complaining...I would take this stage of pregnancy any day over the "morning sickness" stage. My back hurts, my sciatic nerve hurts, I pee far too many times, and I don't really sleep. Everyone keeps telling me, "take advantage of this time and sleep, sleep, sleep....". Ya right, not happening. Oh well, I guess it's preparing me for having a newborn, right :-)

We are definitely excited about the soon-to-be arrival of this little one, but it almost doesn't feel real yet. I feel like she could stay in there and cook for a few more months. I have to keep reminding myself that she could literally show up ANYTIME!

The Bump: 34 & 35 Weeks

Week 34: Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers – which she'll need to regulate her body temperature once she's born – are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well.

Week 35: Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew). Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete – she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

I don't like to do pregnancy like most people...I like to help my husband build fences at 35 weeks pregnant :-) I guess that's what happens when you are do-it-yourselfers!

The Bump: 32 & 33 Weeks

Week 32: Baby by weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

Week 33: This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal (ouch!). These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

We had an ultrasound last week so they could make sure she was gaining the weight that she was supposed to, and sure enough she was just fine! He even said she was measuring ahead of where she is "supposed" to be. All in all, things are looking good :-)

Lauren and I at my baby shower...33 weeks


Isaac is the sweetest little guy...he was talking to his new cousin.

My Favorite Summer Dessert

Summer is my favorite time of year, which is kinda unfortunate because we haven't had much of a summer in Santa Cruz the past few years. Luckily, Santa Cruz is one of the most beautiful places to be when the sun decides to grace us with its presence for the entire day, so I guess I can't complain :-)

I came across this dessert in Martha's "Everyday Food" magazine a few years ago and it has become my summer staple...it is SO easy and SO delish! You can even customize it to whatever fruit you have a hankering for.

Strawberry & Blueberry Fruit Tart

The original recipe is made with fresh cherries and it is out of this world! Click here for the link. I have also made a mixed fruit version with strawberries, kiwis, mandarins, and grapes which is so colorful and pretty....really, the options are endless. But I must warn you, this dessert is sneaky. Though it is made with cream cheese (I use low fat) and whipping cream it seems so light and fluffy...I could probably eat half the tart in one sitting; it's dangerous! Oh, and another tip, if you happen to have any left over, it is so good for breakfast with a cup of coffee :-)

Now do yourself a treat and make this on a beautiful summer day...enjoy!