"Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight -a pound and a half - isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. His hair is probably recognizable now (in color and texture), although both may change after he's born."

"This week marks a major milestone in your baby's hearing and sight. Your baby's hearing system (cochlea and peripheral sensory end organs), which began fine development during week eighteen, is now completely formed, and over the next few weeks, he'll become increasingly sensitive to sound. In about a month, you'll feel him jump if he hears a sudden loud noise. Sound passes easily into your uterus, which helps his ears develop. His eyes are almost fully formed.  The air sacs of the lungs, called alveoli, will be developed by the end of this week and will begin to secrete a substance called surfactant that keeps the lung tissue from sticking together."

How many know what a rutabaga looks like?  Last Tuesday I had my midwife checkup that was canceled before my trip.  I am doing fine except for that pulling muscles thing.  I have stopped take the stairs up but still take them down.  It is just too much strain at this point.  I gained about a pound a week since my last visit.  It feels like all baby and this kid is measuring almost a week ahead.  No name for Baby X yet.  We through out suggestions to each other the last few nights but nothing really grabs us.  We're getting to the point where we already know a child who has name we like so it's on to the next one.  Particularly if they are kids who are trouble. :)  Baby X has also moved up so now you can feel him kick from the outside.  The more pregnant I look the more real it becomes for other people.  They have started talking directly to the baby.

Okay back to packing!  The nursery was painted yesterday and it is the most fun color green.  I'll get pictures up when more of the house is done.