33 Weeks

Week 33 and happy as can be!  Only 7 weeks left to go!  Yes, you read that right, only 7 weeks left! Can you believe it!?!? We are getting very excited here in the Petersen house!

Here’s my “self portrait.”

Well, I officially have the “waddle.”  Whether it be caused by my attempts to gain walking momentum in the morning after laying down for the night, or how Little Michael chooses to position himself in the womb during the afternoon, or from my stiffness at the end of the day, I definitely have a waddle going on.  However, I choose to think of it as the “swagger in my stagger.”  Every time I waddle, I think “Hey, this is because I’ve got a cute little baby inside!” and I’m totally ok with it.  Waddling means the end is in sight and Little Michael will soon be arriving! J

One day during this past work week on my way out to my car, I stopped to talk to two of my favorite coworkers.  One of them wants to be surprised by the baby’s gender, so he wants to know very little information during this pregnancy.  When the other coworker said “He’ll be happy for you no matter what, right?” the first coworker said “I’ll be happy if she has a girl.  But if she has a boy, I’ll be disappointed.  She has a lot of brothers, so she’ll be more suited to a girl.  She needs a daughter.”  The other coworker and I shared a knowing look and we both started laughing.  I guess he’ll be pretty disappointed, won’t he? J  Although I do have two brothers, (which doesn’t sound like too many to me), the truth is, Aaron and I were both secretly hoping for a little boy.  A little boy will be the perfect addition to our house of….boys!  With Aaron, Akuna (boy dog) and Little Michael, our happy home will be filled with the sounds of xbox, RC car racing, dome hockey, horse-play wrestling, sports, etc.  I’m sure after an afternoon in the backyard, I will have two little boys who will both need baths—Akuna and Michael!  I am looking forward to my days as a mom to a little cute boy—no matter how grubby his little hands and feet will be!  I will consider it pure joy.  And who knows?  Maybe our next little one will be a girl who I can introduce to my Barbie collection and pick out ballerina shoes for.  But, for now, Aaron and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have a little boy on the way! J

Little Michael is showing us each day that he is working hard at getting ready to turn to be “face down” in the womb. Most days, his head is on the left side of my belly and his little feet move back and forth, back and forth on the right side of my belly.  He slides his feet all over this side of my tummy.  Sometimes his feet get pretty far up the side of my tummy and I cheer him on “Come on Michael, that’s the right direction!”  But alas, his feet slide back down to the lower end of my tummy.  That’s ok, though.  I know that he’ll turn when he’s ready.  J

The other day when Aaron and I were at the grocery store, he stuck a box of IBC root-beer in our cart.  When I looked at it, then up at him with a smile, he said “It’s for you.  You’re craving it.”  J  I sure married a great guy, didn’t I?  J  There’s not a day that goes by that I am not thankful for my sweet husband.  Michael is getting one great dad!

This Week:

-Michael’s respiratory system is nearly mature!

-He can tell the difference between night and day. This means that his pupils will constrict and dilate in response to light. 

-The bones in Michael’s skull are soft and not yet fused together.  This allows the bones to overlap as he makes his way down the birth canal in several weeks.

-Little Baby P. can continue to gain around half a pound a week until birth.  This means he can still gain around 3 and a half pounds. Wow!

-Little Michael weighs about 4 and a half pounds this week (which is about as much as a grown up duck) and he’s about 17 and a half inches long, which is roughly the length of…. A ukulele!



(Photo credit: blogspot.com)

My Craves:

-BJPF.  What’s this, you ask?  Why, it’s Ben and Jerry’s Phish Food ice cream! J Chocolate ice cream, gooey marshmallow swirls, caramel swirls and fudge fish.  This has totally been my favorite Ben and Jerry’s flavor since I was in 8^th grade.  It’s especially yummy in these hot summer days. Fortunately, it only comes in a pint.  So, I pace myself and make it last for a few days.  I’m pretty sure Michael likes it too.  J

-Brownies.  Hmm, I’m sensing a chocolate pattern going on here. 

-Dried fruit—mainly, apricots.  Yes, I finally got some!  They were a tasty snack.

-Tomatoes.  I’m totally looking forward to going to the local produce stand/store near our home and stocking up on some beautiful tomatoes. 

-Cherries!  Mom had some wonderful cherries that I got to enjoy when I spent several days at her house last week while Aaron was on vacation. 

Please feel free to join me in our countdown!   We know that August will be here before we know it!  One of my friends gave birth to an adorable baby boy last week, which made me even more excited to see my cute little one at the end of August! J Thank-you for keeping up with us on our journey thus far!  Until next week,  lots of love and air conditioning!  Love, Reba