Thirty-two weeks pregnant (minus two days)

So I meant to do this at thirty weeks pregnant. And then every day after. Aviana wisely told me she didn't think my belly would change that much, even if I was late getting the belly shot taken.

Our baby now weighs about 3.75-4 lbs and measures about 19 inches in total.

Our baby's increasing size means that he has less room to move around in my uterus. That would probably explain why there always seems to be a foot stuck under my ribs.

At our last midwife appointment (which took place in my living room, thank you very much!), she thought the baby was for sure head down, and most in a good position. I'm getting quite good at identifying parts--like a bony knee or foot, and those little hand flutters.

Our baby's lungs are maturing and their lining, which prevents air sacs from collapsing, is growing. This lung development means that Baby D would have a much greater chance of survival if s/he were born prematurely. The digestive system is fully developed as well and is ready to go. I wonder if he/she liked that strawberry ice cream cone...

About 16 fluid ounces of blood are flowing through the wall of my uterus to the site of the placenta, though my blood never mixes with Baby D's blood. It is separated by the placental barrier which is a very thin wall. Water, nutrients and waste are exchanged across this barrier at a rate of 0.3 fluid ounces per second.

Our baby swallows amniotic fluid and urinates.
Our baby's ears are sufficiently developed to hear and recognize your voice, the voices of other family members as well as familiar musical tunes. I'm sure s/he knows a lot of nursery rhymes and is familiar with Laurie Berkner and Go Fish, who have been stuck in our CD player for weeks. I bet he loves all the hugs and pokes s/he gets from his big sisters.

Our baby is probably aware of my Braxton Hicks contractions, which I experience regularly, even when I do not notice them. (oh, but I notice them!)

By this time, our baby is very active and I feel his/her movements frequently.

Our baby is still practicing breathing movements which have now become rhythmic.

Sometimes s/he gets the hiccups --which Aviana and I both can feel--when he accidentally swallows amniotic fluid the wrong way.

He is getting fatter and plumper. If we had an ultrasound, we could see our baby's activities quite easily. More and more fats are now accumulating under our baby's skin. Our baby now has a beautiful and smooth skin.

Our baby has periods of rest and periods of activity now. Our baby is most active when I am trying to rest. S/he has sleep cycles of only 20-40 minutes at this point. I hope s/he works on improving that! (Hear that baby? Homework already!)

The baby can now produce sweat. And believe me, so can his/her mama! It is hot around here. Kevin says he needs to hire me some Egyptian boys to follow me around with peacock feather fans. I quite agree.