35 weeks, 1 day

So, remember how last week we told you about babies officially being considered 'term' at 37 weeks? You may or may not know this, but Mrs. Zoo Keeper really likes to plan. She likes to be very prepared for things. This makes a lot of sense for someone who has spent a large portion of her life rehearsing. In the spirit of all that, yesterday we had a little 'rehearsal' which involved a little jaunt to the hospital for some contractions. Since Monkey is not yet at 37 weeks, the contractions were stopped with a little shot and everyone went home and watched a movie. Monkey did great during the whole thing, moving around all the time and dealing very well with it all. The Zoo Keepers did pretty well too, if we say so ourselves, and are doing just fine today. So, Monkey is fine, Zoo Keepers are fine, everyone is fine fine fine. Mrs. Zoo Keeper has been instructed to drink a gallon of water a day, which is sure to keep her up and moving and active. As long as she is drinking her water she can do whatever she pleases (within reason). None of the tests indicate that there is any reason to suspect that Monkey will arrive in the near future, or even on his due date. Please do not expect that he is coming early based on this little rehearsal.

So. Our friends on the interwebs say that Monkey is *gasp* gaining weight!! And sleeping! And moving! And not much more than that. By their estimates, he weighs roughly 5 pounds and is about 18 inches long. At this point, the calculators are getting pretty inaccurate, as babies in this stage of development are more individual in their progress. If we get any indicators as to what Monkey is actually doing in there, we'll let you know.

We have some photos of the beautiful crib that Uncle M and AA set up, and some of the recent additions to the nursery, but we're having some technical difficulties and haven't been able to get them posted yet. Hopefully sometime this weekend when we have some time to catch up on things - although Mrs. Zoo Keeper is going to be hanging out with the girls for a baby shower, and Mr. Zoo Keeper is going to engage in whatever it is the male species does to bond. Fun!

34 weeks

In a mere three weeks, Monkey can technically be considered 'full-term'. Realistically, we expect him to hang around much longer than that before making his appearance, but we are getting much closer. There's a lot of talk about positioning going on, and he seems to have figured it out just fine. Right now, he's building antibodies, and although his liver is not quite finished, it is starting to function. He's got a strong grip and is finishing up work on his central nervous system and lungs. His skin is smoothing out and he urinates almost a pint a day, so the Zoo Keepers are busy building up that diaper stash! (We're into cloth around here - super cute!) He weighs between 4.5 and 5 lbs, and measures just under 18 inches.

In Monkey Exhibit news, Uncle M and Mr. Zoo Keeper will be setting up the crib this weekend. Still waiting on photos from the baby shower, which have been delayed as Auntie B has temporarily relocated to a Western State. She'll be home in a few weeks. We'll try to get some photos of the extremely calm and straight-forward crib assembly adventure this weekend.

He Lives In A Pineapple Under The Sea

YES, IT'S MON-KEY!

33 weeks today and babycenter.com is comparing Monkey's heft (just over 4 pounds!) to a fresh pineapple. He's also 17 inches long, and let us just say that the acrobatics of yesterweeks are coming to an end. Real estate is getting harder to come by in there. His bones are hardening although his skull remains soft, and his lungs now have surfactant covering his alveoli, so he's almost ready to breathe air.

In more exciting news, Aunties B, A, and M cohosted a lovely baby shower last weekend and we hope to get some pictures of the party up soon. Tremendous progress was made towards getting things Monkey-ready, for which we are very, very grateful!!

32 weeks, 1 day

To start with something new and different: here at the Zoo, we've received some generous gifts for the Monkey Exhibit: a lovely crocheted hat, booties, bib and blanket from Grandma M, and a cute little lizard to hang on the wall from Auntie B's trip to Haiti over spring break. Very adorable and we can't wait for Monkey to see them!
As we've said before, Monkey's primary occupation at this point is getting bigger. Not very glamorous or exciting, but very necessary. At just under 4 pounds and just under 17 inches, he is starting to run out of room and they say that this week will be his last big week for moving around freely. After this, he'll be settling into position and trying to find room for himself. Babies who are born at this gestational age tend to be able to suck and swallow, although it may be weak - sort of important skills to have. Monkey is also figuring out temperature changes, like when Zoo Keeper has some ice cream or takes a hot shower. His eyes are blue now (like almost all babies) and will most likely stay that way until after he's born. One source reports he is asleep 90-95% of the time, much like a newborn.

31 Weeks

The Zoo Keepers have scoured the interwebs for fascinating details and facts for this post. Sadly, there doesn't seem to be that much to report. Monkey's brain is firing on all cylinders, and all five sense are online (even though he won't be able to smell anything until he's breathing air). His irises dilate and contract in response to light. His fingernails are getting close to reaching the ends of his fingers. He's a little over 3 lbs and over 16 inches long, and from this point forward, he'll be putting on more weight and not spending as much energy getting longer.

Preparations for Monkey's arrival at this point include classes, midwife visits every two weeks, and desperately making improvements to the zoo as a whole. Not very fun, but it's what needs to be done.