34 Weeks

The body is amazing! Phil and I were just talking about how accommodating the body is in preparation for baby and then how "magically" it returns to "normal." I can definitely feel my body stretching and widening. My body is getting ready for birth!

I met with my doula Barbara Monday evening for a prenatal visit. She came here to our house and we talked about her experiences and my upcoming birth. Barbara is going to help me with my labor. The word "doula" comes from the ancient Greek meaning "a woman who serves" and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period. Phil and I are both very excited about working with her!

Baby Micah now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds and is almost 18 inches long! His fat layers are filling out and and making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. Some great news is that most babies born between 34 and 37 weeks that have no health problems generally do just fine. He might need a stay in the neonatal nursery but babies born during this time can do as well as full term babies! I have been praying that Micah stays inside my womb as long as he needs.

Today Luke was sitting on my lap and leaning against my belly and I could feel Micah bumping back at him! I don't think that Luke noticed but I sure did. It is so funny that they know nothing of each other! Soon enough they will. We moved some things around in our bedroom to make room for Micah. I washed all of Luke's newborn clothes and I folded them and put them away in our bedroom. Luke even helped me pack Micah's bag for the hospital. Actually, Phil and Luke were playing "trick or treat" so he packed Micah's clothes in his trick or treat bag and took them to Phil! I love him!