37 Weeks - full term!

This weekend has been a very eventful one, so I haven't had a chance to sit down and update the blog til just now. It's exciting to know that since I am now considered full term at 37 weeks, baby could come any day now! I don't think he will for awhile still, but it's surreal to know that it could technically be any day now and he wouldn't be pre-term. I've started experiencing braxton hicks and I am certain this time they really are contractions! My stomach will get very tight all of a sudden, and I'll feel a little bit crampy. I think the couple of times it's happened I've been so surprised at actually feeling a contraction, I just kind of look around to see if anyone would know I'm having a contraction, haha. I don't do any counting or anything! Which is fine, considering we're at the point where I just need to pay attention for the 5-1-1 (5 minutes apart/for an hour/one minute in length) contractions, and those are definitely not happening yet.
We had a great weekend, between getting a new car and hanging out with good friends, and we'll be going to a BBQ today with my mother-in-law. I'm trying to stay active and keep from sitting still too often. I know there are all kinds of suggestions for jump-starting labor, but from all the stories I've heard, it seems no matter what the baby is going to come when he is ready. So, in the meantime, I'll just keep busy and try not to be too surprised when I go into labor!

How far along: 37 weeks 

Fruit/Vegetable comparison: A winter melon: About 6.2-9.2 pounds (I REALLY hope he is not at 9 pounds right now!) and 18.9-20.9 inches in length. 

Total weight gain: 32 pounds

Baby's new developments: Baby's practicing a lot of basic skills in utero right now: exhaling, inhaling, sucking, blinking, and gripping. 

Sleep: Not too bad. I typically go to bed at a decent hour, get up once or twice for a bathroom trip, then wake up about 7 or 8, no matter what day of the week it is. I wake up in the middle of the night on my back sometimes, and I just roll over to my side as soon as I notice it. 

Best moment of the week: We got to visit with our friends the Daniels while they were in town yesterday! We met them at Missions Assessment and already feel a close connection with them, and are so excited for their faithfulness in pursuing ministry in Japan. It was great having them over for dinner and a game night. Matt and Martin once again are ridiculously similar and both have a game strategy of just sabotaging everyone haha!

Miss anything?: Not yet. But I know I am reaaally going to miss sleep once our little guy is here! We talked in birthing class about how often you will be feeding during the first weeks, and it dawned on me that I basically won't be sleeping more than 1 hour stretches during those first weeks. Lord help me. 

Movement: Thankfully he's still, as always, very active. He rolls around more than kicks, and I think he's getting tired of being cramped in there from some of the ways he jostles about! 

Food cravings: Nectarines, raspberries, peaches . . . summer fruit is the best right now! 

Symptoms: Shortness of breath, feeling really hot (I heard my temperature runs 10 degrees warmer being pregnant. Not sure if that's just a saying, but I believe it!) occasional fatigue. 

Looking forward to: Seeing our little guy in just a matter of WEEKS!! Or days, but I think he'll still be closer to my due date ;)