Welcome to Week #33!

I can't believe how fast the countdown is going! It seems like only yesterday I began these journals, and now they are almost over. These last few weeks will by far be the most draining (physically and emotionally). I am completely sharing everything inside of me with another human being. Here's what I'm helping the baby do this week:

Baby's appearance is changing rapidly during this week. Most of the wrinkles are disappearing from your baby's face, and there may be a lot of hair on her head. In fact, as the lanugo hair on her body begins to fall off, the hair on her head is growing even faster. By week 32, some babies already have a thick head of hair, while others have only a few strands. Baby is now about four pounds and about 15.5 inches long, an incredible increase of almost two pounds from last month. In other developmental news this week, baby will have completely formed fingernails and toenails. She will be able to turn her head from side to side. She has organs that continue to mature, and has sucking muscles that have matured, and will enable her to latch on and breastfeed once she arrives. (A good sucking pattern is also a sign of good brain and muscle development.) The baby will begin dreaming during sleep toward the end of the eighth month, according to brain scans. Due to her impressive brain development, her sleep will now include both REM and non-REM sleep stages. (REM stands for "rapid eye movement," the dreaming stage of sleep.)

I wonder if the baby's dreams have been as odd and vivid as mine have been. It's crazy to think about two different people in one body having two different dreams. What could the baby possibly have to dream about without having been in the world or seen anything yet?? ....Me????