- starting week 39 & still growing -

ahniér matches up to a mini-watermelon,

weighing a bit over 7# [length's about 20", head to heel]

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WEIGHT/HEIGHT
ahniér's weight & height have probably increased only a little from last week [& mama’s overstretched skin’s probably grateful for that], but her brain’s still developing rapidly [a pace that continues during the first 3 years of life], with changes you'll be able to recognize firsthand as her skill-packed bag of tricks expands almost daily - the lanugo [that soft covering of hair] is mostly gone now & ahniér will continue to gain weight, even up to the last week or two of pregnancy - she doesn't have much room to move in the uterus, so movements may begin to slow
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TEARS
heard that babies cry a lot? - there's definitely truth to that rumor, as you'll find out soon enough [& usually during the middle of the night] - but what you may not have heard is that tiny babies don't produce tiny tears when they cry, since their tear ducts aren't open for business yet - while you'll be consoling ahniér right from the get-go, it won't be until sometime after the first month that you'll be wiping tears off those chubby cheeks
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SKIN
her skin’s now finally changed from pink to white [no matter how dark-skinned she’ll be eventually; pigmentation will occur soon following birth] - that's because a thicker fat layer’s been deposited over the blood vessels [making her cheeks ‘both kinds’, pinchably & kissably round]

HAIR
at this point, all the organ systems are developed & in place – she’s still building a layer of fat to help control body temperature after birth - the last part of development’s maturing of lungs & she’s ready to greet the world – she’s approximately 20” & weighs 7# or a bit more - whether you give birth tomorrow or next week, it's pretty much all the same for ahniér, who’s now truly R-E-A-D-Y to face the big bright world outside of the womb - speaking of wombs, mama’s body’s priming up for the big moment & hopefully, she’ll be as prepared mentally as she can be – ahniér’s well stocked up on fat & all her organs have put on the finishing touches - here's hoping she’s already in the birthing position & basically just ‘hanging out’ waiting for that elusive moment when all systems synchronize in mama’s body to trigger the labor process