39 weeks!!

Dear Reader, 


I'm waiting to greet the world! I continue to build a layer of fat to help control my body temperature after birth, but it's likely I already measure about 20 inches and weigh a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of my skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath. Not too much longer till mommy and daddy will meet me!!



Alec 

38 weeks!!

Dear Reader, 


I have really plumped up. I weigh about 6.8 pounds and am over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). I have a firm grasp, which mommy and daddy will soon be able to test when they hold my hand for the first time! My organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color my eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If I'm born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If I'm born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time I'm 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after they're born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)



Alec

37 weeks!!!

Dear Reader,


I am now considered "full term," even though mommies due date is three weeks away. If she goes into labor now, my lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though.)

I weigh about 6 1/3 pounds and measure a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if my hair isn't the same color as mommies or daddies. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz. Mommies hoping and crossing her fingers that I have a head full of hair!

Alec