Week 30

Dear Bun,

10 weeks to go! I can't believe we are now in the 30's!  You are around 17 inches long and just over 3 lbs now.  Your big developments this week are your brain- it is preparing for life outside the womb and is starting to develop grooves and indentations just like an adult brain.  One thing your brain is taking on now is temperature regulation.  Several weeks ago, you started growing lanugo (hair to keep you warm) but now your brain is capable of turning up the heat, so you are starting to shed that lanugo that has been keeping you warm up until now. 

I have still been feeling good, aside from being really tired most evenings.  I had to travel last week and it is starting to get uncomfortable. I can no longer bend over in my seat to get something out of my bag, and I have to put a pillow behind my back now because those airplane seats have no support.  I am hoping this will be my last trip, I am supposed to go to Maine next month, but I may see if I can just conference in for the meeting.  The good thing about traveling while being pregnant is that people are so nice!  Everyone was trying to help me with my bag, talk to me about you, tell me about thier babies, etc.  It's amazing how a whole new network opens up once you have parenthood in common. 

Last week, we took a tour of the maternity ward at the hospital.  It was very surreal to think that we will be there in 10 or so weeks!  The hospital you will be born at is Presbyterian Hospital.  It is about 3 miles from our house. The facilities are very nice and high-tech.  For example, every now and then a few years ago, you would hear of "baby snatching" where someone would sneak into the nursery and take a newborn.  Well I found out that now, you will have an ankle monitor on you right after you are born, and if anyone (even me) takes you outside a certain radius, the hospital shuts down!  All the elevators are stopped and the exits are locked.  We saw the room where I would deliver you, and then the room we would go for recovery, and I thought both were very nice.  They had tv's, hookups for ipods, stereos, dvd players, jacuzzi tubs, etc.  I don't think your dad was very impressed with the sleeping arrangements for him, but we probably won't be getting much sleep anyway. 

Here we are at 30 weeks! 

Look how far we've come!

Love,

Mom