This Week I am Learning To...

...chill out. This week, I've decided to chill. I move a little bit, but because it's getting so cramped in here, I like to just sleep. I'm getting all caught up on sleep so that when I get outta here, I can stay awake for Mommy and Daddy for long long spands of time at once; I know they'll be so glad for that! I am also working on gaining weight...and what better to do then than chill out and be lazy! Mommy found out yesterday that I am in fact head down, no mystery there, and that I am facing backwards, like I am supposed to for delivery to be best for me and Mommy. She also found out that she isn't dilated at all...so I'm not quite ready to ocme out, now everyone knows. I'll let them know when it gets closer to time so that Mommy and Daddy have the oppertunity to get to the hospital and be in the same town. Don't worry Oma, my Daddy will be there to see me born, and my Mommy will make it to the right hospital in Tulsa to have me come out! No worries, I got their backs! Since I'm stuck in here, being lazy, I put on an average of a half of an ounce a day in fat. I should have some good lookin fat rolls when you all get to see me next. My skin looks wrinkley, like an old man, right now. Mommy will be putting lots of lotion on me when I bet out; I can see that one coming! I also like to practice breathing while I'm in here and don't really have to do it on my own, because Mommy does it for me right now, but I still want to get all the practice in while I can so that I can be ready to do it all on my own when I finally get outta here! So, I am really getting ready to get out of here you all. I can't wait to meet my Mommy and Daddy and all my Aunts and Uncles and my grandparents too. I should be spoiled pretty good by all those family members; I'm lookin forward to that! Zach, are you ready to pass on your crown of the only Best cousin?! Cause here I come to share that one; and I gotta say, I'm probably gonna be cuter than you for a while!! I haven't quite decided when I am going to come outta here, Daddy, remember that only about 5 percent of babies are born on their predicted due date (which for me would make Daddy and I share a birthday)...but I'll try for you Daddy.

This Week I am Learning to...

...suck. I am working on my sucking motions and actions to get ready for when I get to see my Mommy for the first time. I am growing fat on my little face that helps me work my facial muscles to help me suck. Statisticly, I should be somewhere between 16 and 19 inches long and I should weigh about 6 pounds; but Mommy has been gaining lots of weight lately, so you never know what I'm like in here! The doctor conformed for Mommy yesterday that I am head down...secret's out. I am lying in here head down and ready to go! Next mystery...when will I finally decide to come out? Any guesses??

::36 Weeks::

This Week I am Learning to...

...grow even more. I am working specifically on that layer of fat that will sit below my skin, I hear it's good to keep me warm later, since I'll be going home in the wintertime, I know I'll need it! I am gaining almost a pound a week! Mommy is feeling the effects of that I'm sure! She also thinks that I am upside down, head down, if you will, getting ready to come out. Ask her and Daddy about it, lately they can see my butt and feet sticking out from just above Mommy's belly button (which is trying to pop, but isn't quite there just yet). I can hear really well now, although sound is still muffled for some reason. But I can hear high pitched sounds better than lower pitched sounds, so I love listening to Rashawn Ross wail on the trumpet with the Dave Matthews Band as Mommyand Daddy drive me around town in the car. My lungs are almost ready to go! I can't wait to get my first big breath of that sweet Virginia air...o wait, I'll be in Oklahoma, it'll be a while before I get to take in that sweet Virginia air that my Daddy likes so much. My kidneys and liver are working just fine on their own now and I am working on my own waste products, you know...poopy...It feels good to be independent. Also, you all know that I am a little boy; well, I am proud to say that my testes have completed their descent to normalcy; because you all needed to know that.

This Week I Am Larning To...

...grow some chubb. I am puttin on the pounds, don't worry, it's a good thing! I should have a few little baby rolls on my neck and legs and arms and tummy when you all get to finally see me. I haven't yet decided when that may be. I'll leave you in suspence and make it a suprise. I know how much Mommy and Daddy love suprises.

My immune system is mature now and I can fight my own fights. My bones are hardening, all except the skull, I want to make it easier on Mommy to get me out of here, so I'll wait to make that harder until later. The vernix, you know, the waxy stuff that covers my skin to protect it from all the liquid I am swimming in, is getting thicker around my skin. My lungs are still growing and getting better. I think they will be all good to go when I decide to get out of here and take that first breath.

Mommy will tell you that I love to sleep, but I have fun when I am awake. I like to blink, did you know that you have full control of these things you call eyelids! You can open them and close them and they come in handy when there's a bright light. My eyes are opened when I'm awake and closed when I'm asleep, ya know, just like you all do. I'm a big kid now. I am working on getting into a sleeping patern, but Mommy doesn't think I have one right now. I used to though.

I have fingernails, full sized, and toe nails too! I just hope that I don't scratch myself while I'm in here; these puppies are sharp!

Mommy keeps giving me those antibodies through her blood. This will help in the future so that her breastmilk will help me to fight infections and diseases.

I haven't told anyone if I am lying in here head down or head up yet...you'll just have to wait on that one guys!

So what are you learning this week?

This Week I Am Learning To...

...gain weight!

I'm getting fat; ya know, those cute chubby cheeks that Mommies and Daddies like to kiss on? Well, I'm workin on getting some of those as well as some thigh rolls. Those are always cute on baby boys Mommy says. The white fat cells that are accumulating under my skin will help keep me warm this winter and after I get out of my cozy warm home inside Mommy. They are also making my skin turn from red to pink, so I'll look like you people when I get out of here. And my skin is getting less wrinkly, less like an old man and more like a sweet little baby.
My brain is developing wonderfully now too. In great numbers, the neurons and synapses are developing and connecting in there (don't worry, I can't feel it at all). This will give me the skills I need to have as a newborn, ya know to feel pain and let out that huge cry when my diaper is wet (Mommy and Daddy can't wait for those). I am also working on developing the skill of coordination between my sucking/swallowing and my breathing. It's difficult, but I am working hard, I mean, what else do I have to do in here; it's awful dark. To work on my breathing for that first huge breath and scream when Mommy and Daddy see me soon, I am taking intermittent deep breaths -- of water, just to work out those muscles and my to prepare my aveoli for real oxygen someday. I am also happy with all this amniotic fluid in here with me lately, this is definately more than I've ever had before! The doctor is going to start measuring it soon to let Mommy know that it's alright in here (you can tell her that now though, I'm not worried.)
Now, Mommy and Daddy have seriously been wondering if I am llying in here with my head up or if my head is down yet...well, wouldn't you like to know!!

This Week, I am Learning To...

...be independent. I have 5 senses and they all work great. I am completely fascinated by them and love to practice using them. Mommy says that I am working out in here, I am just doing a little biking and kickboxing lately. I gotta work up my stanima for the big dance. I am growing hair and fingernails and toenails very well (as long as Mommy keeps drinking all that yummy milk!) and occasionally, I scratch myself with my nails, these puppies are sharp! But don't worry, I am working on my immune system to function properly and it gets the practice it needs when I cut myself, sadly enough. But it doesn't really hurt. I love to look around in here, although the view isn't very good (can't wait to see my Mommy and Daddy!). I have blue eyes, in case you were wondering, but that may soon change. It can change after I am exposed to light (I've heard it's very bright.) and it will take months to grow into the color that I will keep for the rest of my life. Now, just to warn you, I am a boy, so I have parts on me that little girls don't have (Mommy says that Daddy is in charge of explaining that to me as I grow up, I don't understand what they are talking about at all yet)...anyways, so my testicles are descending into the scrotum now. I read that somewhere, don't know what it means, but you might, so I told you.

This Week, I Am Learning to...

...dance!

Physically, I am not really doing much growing this week, I know that has been my focus for the past what, 8 months! Now I'm working on my brain. I am produsing hundreds of billions, yes billions, of new nerve cells as we speak, putting my brain into rapid growth. Speaking of brain development, you've all heard about the Mozart effect, I am sure Mommy and Daddy will play lots and lots of Mozart for me in my bedroom...but I am already starting to decide what kind of music I like or don't like. I am excited that Mommy and Daddy are going to go see the Dave Matthews Band this week...I really like them! I like to move to the rhythm of music that I hear, my heart rate will indicate whether or not I enjoy the music I am hearing. You should take a listen!

I am growing fat cells to keep me warm and plump when I'm born. I am also working on storing lots of calcium, phosphorus and iron so that me bones can harden and grow like they should (Hey Mommy, I'm really liking all that milk you like to drink...keep it coming!)

I am also having some crazy dreams in here. You can see tha on a brain scan if your interested. But the stuff I'm seeing in my dreams is nothing like I've ever seeen, well, if you think about it that's not that difficult, as I've never been outside of this here cozy, warm home Mommy and Daddy made for me.

This Week I Am Learning To...

...GROW! My brain is going through a growth spert and my head is following in suit, I am pretty much proportinate at this point, no alien head anymore (Mom.) I enjoy practicing my eye movements, what else do I have to do in here! I can move them from side to side, and blinking is also fun. I like to follow lights, sometimes even try to touch them; I don't quite understand why I can't catch it and hold it, o well.

Something I think is pretty cool, I don't rely on Mommy for EVERYTHING any more, I am starting to be more independent...next comes walking, cars, college...My bone marrow is now in charge of my own red blood cell production. This way, I can transport my own oxygen to my body and remove all those yucky things like, CO2. My digestive tract is almost completely formed now, and I am working up that mirconium that everyone will so enjoy when I get youtta here...hehe. My lungs are also fully developed now...I am still practicing breathing with them so they are nice and strong when I get outta here.

I'm also working on growing some hair...I haven't decided yet how much I want to grow before I get outta here, but Mommy thinks that if I am anything like my Daddy, it will be alot!!

I also cry in here; yes, I produce tears already...watchout Mommy and Daddy, the waterworks will soon begin. With all these new things I am learning to do, my quarters are a little cramped (Mommy, do you think that you could work on that?); I can only get comfortable in the fetal position, my knees are bent to my tummy and my head is looking down and touching my chest, I can't wait to get outta here and strech. I am thinking about maving head down and get this birthing process started, but I may wait a little while longer...when is that you ask? Wouldn't you like to know!

This Week I Am Learning To...Week 29

...grow fat. I am gaining weight to keep me warm and chubby for when I make my big debut. My skin is fitting me better as a result, it's not so wrinkley as it has been. I am concerned about the amount of room I have in this little cozy home Momma made for me, it's getting rather cramped, and I don't see it getting any better, just worse. I'm still moving around in here, just not as much and I'm not able to kick Daddy's hand as well as I used to. My eyes are moving, I often follow lights and shadows when Daddy waves his hand over Mommy's belly. I am sensitive to changes in light, sound, taste, and smell...when Mommy eats something strong, I can taste it too...when Mommy smells something potent (like when Daddy farts) I can smell it too. Some tastes and smells I like, some not so much (yes, I can decide that already, I'm a genious baby). I am still lying in Mommy's belly side to side, I like my head on the left lately, but soon, I will chill out upside down to get ready to see all you people!

I can't wait to meet all my grandparents, my aunts and uncles, and my cousin, Zachary!

This Week I Am Learning To...

...turn over. I am doing that so much this week! Last night, I moved so much Mom was wierded out; she tried to get it on video, but I am a little camera shy. (Maybe I'll get over that soon!) I also love to make my presance known...just watch Mommy's tummy, you'll see me soon enough!

This Week I Am Learning To...

...grow more and more! It's definately what I am focusing on right now. I am learning to respond to Mommy and Daddy when they rub Mommy's BIG belly. I liek to kick Daddy back when he feels for me. I have turned over completely twice this week! Ask Mommy about it, she could feel it and Daddy even got to see me move over! I am excited that I can really hear Mommy and Daddy when they talk to me or play music for me now. My brain is rapidly growing so that I love it when they share music and conversation with me (I eavesdrop on all of Mommy's conversations...shh, don't tell! I'm sneaky!). Like I said before, I am growing like crazy! This could be considered a "rapid growth period," like I will have again in Middle School! Mommy can also tell my sleep patterns, it's pretty rhythmic throughout the day (maybe I can give her a glimpse into what it will be like when I get out of here...nah, lets leave that a mystery for her, she'll love that). Some experts even think that I can dream while I am sleeping now...I think I'll dream about my first international tour concert expierence tonight (will it be U2?)! I want Daddy to start sharing music with me so that I can know as much as him when I get bigger! And I also bet he can hear and feel my heartbeat if he feels just right on Mommy's tummy! How cool is that!?

This Week I Am Learning To...

...respond to Mommy and Daddy touching me {the other day, Daddy felt my head and pushed on it a little bit through Mommy's tummy and I quickly moved out of the way and kicked her bladder, but Daddy found my head again on the other side of the belly! He's good!} You could see my response to touch and stronger brain waves for vision and hearing if you were to do a brain scann on my little head today. My brain is also gaining those important grooves and valleys, instead of being smooth and gelotionous. I am growing hair!! {We'll see how much I end up with after I come out of here in a few more weeks!} I also have eyelashes, long gorgeous eyelashes (Mommy will love them!).My lungs are forming well, I have air sacs and surfactant, which will help them expand when I get that first bit of oxygen soon. My spine is hard and long and very distinguashable as vertibrets now. I'm a boy, so I habe officially gainied the proper body parts outside of my body at this point. My skin and veins are still very thin, but are visible; I am beginning to put on fat deposits, rapidly. Mommy is also excited, she has officially begin her 3rd trimester today! I bet she and Daddy can't wait to see me!

This Week I Am Learning To...

...grab at things better and better everyday; some would say that my dexterity is improving day by day (now, if some of you wonder how I am able to use so many big words, it would be because I am a genius baby...I'll show you!). I love making a fist and grabbing at things with my palm. I can also show Mommy how my optical nerve is now fully developed; all she has to do it shine a flashlight onto her tummy and my head will turn toward the light. I have officially fully formed my fingerprints, toenails, and fingernails; Mommy will have to trim them when I am still little bitty because they are startingto grow longer and longer already! And you know what else, my spine is straightening out, so I will no longer look like a hunchback when Mommy and Daddy see me at the doctor's. My bones are fully hardened; no more flabby cartilige! To help protect my skin and regulate my body temperature, I am forming my vernix at a rapid pace (for those of you who don't know, that is a waxy substance that covers my whole body; it'll go away after birth). My nostrils are opening too! If I were to live in Northern Ireland (because that's where they did the most recent study), the doctors would say that I even have the capasity to prefer one scent over another (I rock!)! I can also swallow and breathe all by myself, actually it's just liquid that is going through, but I am practicing for the real thing!

Wow! I am definately up to more things now that I'm not an embryo, but a fetus! Next comes crawling, walking talking, college and the real world here I come! (but I know Mommy and Daddy aren't ready for that one yet!)

Uncle Karl should be proud...Mommy got my post done this week before 9am! She rocks too!!

This Week I am Learning to...

...look just like a newborn; if you guys could get in here, you'd recognize me (I'll have my Daddy's lips and my Mommy's cheeks)!  I am beginning to form taste buds.  I can taste what Mommy eats...I think she should have more ice cream and not as many bananas, although I like bananas.  My mouth and lips are sensitive as my auditory, taste, and visual systems are perfecting for when I get out of here.  I still squint when Daddy' turns on the light at 3 in the morning, just before I am up for a few hours for my busy and active morning.  And I also want to let Mommy know that I don't want her going upside down fro a while now, because my inner ear bones have grown and I don't feel so good when my head is below my body.  I am also (go me!) not relying on Mommy for all my brain function; I can regulate everything on my own now.  It's my first step towards independence.

(Thanks Uncle Karl for reminding Mommy this week...she's definitely slacking today!)

This Week I Am Learning To...

...hear much better because my inner ear bones are hardening, I still love Daddy's voice, it soothes me right to sleep everytime (Mommy hopes this will continue after I'm out of my cozy warm home). I have fully formed eyes, but no color yet, we'll see what eye color I have when I come out in October! Aunt Lisa would be proud of me, I have the o-so-important enamel on my teeth now! My lungs are beginning to develop so that I can breathe that oxygen-stuff when I get outta here.

Mommy will tell you that I am moving around ALOT now, but it's only because I need to strengthen my muscles before I start to play baseball someday! Mommy says that my favorite time to play around in here is when Daddy gets up for work at 3 in the morning. It keeps Momma up and she watches some TV to go back to sleep every morning. (She'll be the forst to tell you that there's nothing on TV at 4 in the morning!)

I'm still growing growing growing!!

So Mommy puts these updates up every week on Thursdays, cause that's my "birthday of the week" right now. She uses a couple of websites to get some info on what's going on in my little world so that all of you will know what I'm up to! Hope you enjoy! She wants to keep this going for a long long time!!

This Week, I Am Learning To...

...get my sleep into a pattern, that is if Mommy would stop and chill for a little while so I can sleep in peace! I am still growing like crazy! I have officially passed the halfway mark to get to the size I will be when I debut in this world. My tongue is fully formed and I love practicing making raspberries (I will use it soon to charm all the ladies, my Daddy will be proud.) I can hear everything now, sometimes when it is too loud, I'll cover my ears so I don't hear. I love listening to my Daddy talk to me, he's funny; and Mommy's laugh is infectious, I love it!

This Week I Am Learning To...

...develop my 5 senses. I can hear so well now, I like to jam to music with Mommy in the car. I still LOVE to hear my Daddy's voice and I am working harder and harder to kick his hand when he feels Mommy's big belly. I also like to blink, sometimes the lights are so bright I squint to avoid the brightness.

This Week I Am Learning To...

…listen to what is around me; my inner ear has formed its bones and the nerve endings in my brain have developed so that I can hear everything (I especially love listening to my daddy’s voice!)! I listen to Mommy’s blood flow and her heartbeat is a soothing sound for me. If I hear a loud noise though I will defiantly cover my ears!

My eyes are doing their job well, although they are still closed, I can see bright light sometimes and don’t like it so much.

My lungs are forming the alveoli sacs, so I can work up that big scream when I face this world in a few months. My vocal chords are formed; I periodically practice the fine art of crying (my parentals will appreciate the fact that I have had practice when I get outta here).

So far, I just hang out in here and do a few somersaults every now and then to make sure Mommy knows I’m still here; I’ll see you all sooner or later!