31 weeks

*The baby is now ... Over three pounds and something like 18 inches long. He is pretty close to what his length will be at birth -- now he's just got to plump up a little more. :)

*How I'm feeling: I still can't complain too much. I'm sleeping pretty well, and other than the back pain and discomfort from sitting at my desk all day, I think I'm doing good! I've managed to hold off any major swelling so far, and I'm hoping to keep that streak going for a bit longer. (This week's photo was taken after work on Monday, so if I look a tad tired, that's why.)

*Physical differences from last week: I haven't changed on the outside much (ok, maybe a tad bigger), but he's definitely feeling different on the inside. And by "different" I mean "strong." I can feel him hiccuping pretty frequently now (and it's adorable!). It always enables me to tell where his head is, and although he still seems to be moving and rolling a lot, he usually ends up head-down again, which is good. I still love feeling him move, but he has started kicking and poking various internal organs, particularly my bladder. It's not exactly comfortable, but he seems to be active and healthy, which makes me happy.

*What's been on my mind: In just 9 weeks (or less?!), we should have a baby in our arms (or really, really close to it). That's single-digit weeks, people. I'm excited! It's getting really close, and it's surreal. Our lives are about to change drastically, and I'm all kinds of happy/nervous/excited.

*What I'm looking forward to: Knocking out some classes! Soaking up some knowledge! This week I have a breastfeeding class and Mike has a Daddy Boot Camp class. Next Saturday will be our 8-hour marathon childbirth class where I will desperately try to retain all important information. Also, now that I've had my shower (It was awesome! Post on that is forthcoming!), I'm ready to get to Babies R Us and start buying up registry items that haven't been purchased so we can really finish off his room.

*Other random thoughts: We're going to get some professional maternity pictures taken! Four friends went in together on a shower gift -- a certificate for a maternity and a newborn photo session! I'm rushing to schedule the maternity session with the photographer right now, since she likes to do them between 32-34 weeks of pregnancy. I'm hoping to get some outside shots, and since it's a tad warm here right now, that will probably mean doing them very early in the morning. But it will be fun, and I'm really excited to know that I'll be able to get some amazing pictures of the little guy when he is just a week or two old without having to scramble to find the time and money for it.