29 Weeks!

I want to thank everyone for their supportive comments and e-mails on yesterday's post! It was a really difficult decision to make-- with lots of tears and lots of worry, but I know that it was the right one.

This week, baby boy is the size of a loaf of bread:

And looks like this:

Baking Baby Blakely

"Having a baby prematurely is frightening, no doubt. But here's a reason to relax: Due to the impressive advancements of medical technology, if your baby is born this week, he'd have a 9 out of 10 chance of survival, which is seriously great news.

Other awesome developments:

Baby's brain can now control his breathing and body temperature. He can also cough, and his sucking abilities have been perfected. Look out, boobs! Your Mini's skin is looking less wrinkled as he packs on the pounds. He's starting to look more like a Pampers model and less like a Depends model. He's now beefing up on the energizing and insulating white fat he'll be born with (unfortunately, white fat is not energizing and insulating for adults!).

And speaking of energy, your little Energizer Bunny is on fire these days. You're sure to feel your share of kicks, punches and elbows, especially when you're lying down. You might want to start keeping a kick chart to monitor your baby's movements, and also to later show your 13-year-old child what you endured for him or her. Ask your doctor how to count kicks and how often you should do it.

This week your baby is a little over 15 inches long—about the length of a loaf of bread—and weighs about 3 pounds, as much as a Macbook Air laptop."

29 Week Belly Pic

Some other updates:

Heartburn: Still going strong. We'll see if the old wives' tale is correct-- maybe all of this heartburn will equal a baby with tons of hair!

Swelling: My feet seem to have returned to their regular size for now-- maybe because I'm spending more time at home where it's cool. Fingers crossed that they stay this way for a while. I know that when the swelling gets bad, I'm going to have to really watch my sodium intake... and since salty things (especially soy sauce) have been my number one pregnancy craving, that will be difficult.

Weight: I stepped on the scale this morning and I was 3 lbs under where I was at my 26 week appointment. Ehh, whatever. Doctor says that Liam is growing and thriving. Will I be one of those freaks of nature who walks out of the hospital weighing less than I did before I got pregnant? Doubt it, but only time will tell and we have 11 weeks to grow.

Contractions: I've been having a few Braxton Hicks contractions each day. Nothing painful, I just feel a little breathless when my tummy tightens up.

Feeling pretty good and ready for our first baby shower coming up next week!