35 Weeks! (plus belly shot)

This is OLD news, but I'm 35 weeks pregnant! Since Trevor's return home on January 10, we've been going non-stop. Last weekend we had family and friends in town for my second baby shower. It was so amazing. More on that in a later post. We've also been busy putting the finishing touches on Zoe's nursery and finishing up our series of childbirth, infant care, breastfeeding, and infant CPR classes. I AM EXHAUSTED!!!

I'm still feeling pretty good, but lugging around a 35 week fetus is becoming tiring! My back aches are getting to be more chronic and miserable. I've been having Braxton Hicks like crazy, and Zoe has decided that she likes to lodge her foot (or feet?) in my left rib cage (ouch!). I'm up a total of 16 lbs. from my pre-preggers weight, but my appetite is increasing so the next few weeks will be interesting. Despite the discomfort I'm feeling these days, I wouldn't change any of this for the world. I'm falling in love with this little girl more and more every day, and I cannot wait to meet her!

Zoe this week: according to the books, Zoe is running out of room to move and shouldn't be doing many somersaults. Well, the authors of those books haven't met my baby girl. She's been quite active, and I think she's definitely learned how to do a somersault or two despite the limited space. Zoe's kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. While most of her basic physical development is now complete, the next few weeks will consist of gaining weight.

Zoe is likely between 18-20 inches long, and she weighs approximately 5 1/2 lbs. (about the weight of a honeydew melon):

Here's a 35 week belly shot taken in Zoe's nursery: