One Week!

One week left until our due date! Can you believe it? Nicole's theory is that Reilly will be late because we feel like we're actually prepared and ready. She thinks that if we felt as though we still had a lot to do that Reilly would maybe already be here. I'm not sure if that is true but we'll go with it.

We have finally finished our Bradley classes and have mixed feelings about being done. We are excited to know that we have put in some good time and have a much greater wealth of knowledge to pull from when labor comes around. We are also sad to not have class every week. We have really enjoyed getting to know the other couples in our class and are excited about continuing those relationships with new friends. The group that was in our class was a lot of fun and we are excited to share in this part of life with them.

One more thing: it is hot. Denver broke a record yesterday and got to 100º. Nicole's poor feet are on fire. We have been putting ice bags on her feet every night. Last night, I was an idiot and never turned on our swamp cooler. Neither of us slept at all. It's all my fault. However, if this is the worst part of pregnancy then we have done well and had it pretty good.

The lanugo has mostly disappeared off of Reilly, but we'll probably find a bit on her shoulders, arms and legs and in those protected little bodily creases. It will vanish completely on its own in time. Her lungs are maturing and surfactant production is increasing and fully prepared to take on the outside world! Our Little Bun doesn't have much room to move and certainly Nicole agrees! I don't think she could imagine 8 months ago that this wee one would be able to hook a toe in her ribs while elbowing her bladder? Reilly certainly has grown! Her body continues laying on the fat stores that will help regulate her body temperature after birth. In addition to normal fat, she is accumulating a special "brown" fat in the nape of her neck, between her shoulders and around organs. Brown fat cells are important for thermogenesis (generating heat) during her first weeks. Reilly probably weighs around 7.25 pounds and is about 19.9 inches inches in length.