30 Weeks

9 more weeks to go! WhatToExpect.com says the baby hasn't grown much in the past week, but it feels like it's running out of room in there. I'm constantly stretching back to ease some of the pressure in my ribs. I wish I could take a peek inside to see what the baby's up to. I swear it's just stretching and rolling all day to entertain itself. We still have a pretty long To Do list before the baby comes.

-Finish the nursery
-Sign up for car seat inspection
-Baby Care class
-Maternity tour at the hospital
-Contact my family doctor to see if she can see the baby
-Complete my leave forms (they're so confusing!)
-Choose a name for the baby

And the list goes on and on. Hopefully I'll cross some of those things off by the end of next week.

Here's what WhatToExpect.com says the baby's been up to this week.

Your baby's height and weight haven't changed much in the past week, but the big news is your baby's brain gain. Until now, the surface of your baby's brain was smooth. Now, your fetus's brain is taking on those characteristic grooves and indentations. The reason for this change in appearance? Those wrinkles allow for an increased amount of brain tissue — a necessary change as your developing baby prepares for life outside your womb, and the street smarts he or she will need.

Another big change at 30 weeks pregnant: Your baby's bone marrow has taken over production of red blood cells (before, tissue groups and then the spleen took care of producing the blood cells). This is an important step for your baby, because it means he or she is better able to thrive on his or her own once born (with a little TLC from you, of course).

And here are the weekly pictures.

Parents.com - a wool sweater
I think Parents.com has the weirdest items to size up the baby each week.


WhatToExpect.com


My belly in all of its glory


My belly dressed for work