Week 36 (Month 9)

We went to the Dr. yesterday, Eric's heartbeat is about 135 beats per minute. He is getting bigger and bigger - he is gaining about an ounce a day, and now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long.

At the end of this week, Eric will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) The Dr. double checked and Eric is in a head-down position! Let's hope he stays that way! We are still dealing with the daily hiccup episodes and my bladder is the most fun thing to kick with one foot while the other foot embeds itself into my rib cage. I thought I was eating smaller more frequent meals, but I am eating even smaller and even more frequent meals and taking a lot of Tums (not more than the bottle says is safe). Somehow milk (the lactose free stuff is all I can handle) has found it's way into almost everything I eat - I'm not sure I would call it a craving, but I have definately had more milk this last month than I have had in the last 4 months all put together!

The Dr. said I may have an easier time breathing when Eric starts to "drop" down into my pelvis. This process — called lightening — often happens a few weeks before labor. Although getting to breathe means increased pressure in my lower abdomen, making walking increasingly uncomfortable, and potty time even more frequent. D'oh!