Well, we're getting closer. And today I think I've really started feeling uncomfortable all over. I've been thrilled with my health during this pregnancy and the ability to continue working and everything. But I'm finally really starting to feel it. I think he has an elbow or something poking me. Something sharp is poking me in the belly anyway. Ha ha.

We went to the doctor yesterday and got our ultrasound to see about how big he is. The doctor told us before that I'm measuring big and wanted to know more about how big our little one is going to be so we can have a better plan for delivery. He told us that he's had other women measure the same as me and one had an 11 pound baby and another had a 7 pound baby. So he wanted to see where we are. We were sure hoping for the 7 pound kid. :o) As you can see below, the average baby weighs about 7 pounds right now. And the doctor said at this point babies gain about an ounce a day. Does anyone want to guess approximately how big our baby boy is right now?

I thought about doing a poll, but I'm just gonna tell you. They measure the baby's head diameter, his waist size, and the femur bone to come up with his approximate weight. Then the computer does some calculations and comes up with a number. And the number is......... 9 pounds and 2 ounces with 10 days still to go. And if I go over my due date, well he just keeps on growing. Pretty wild, huh?

Last week I was hoping baby boy wouldn't come until April 6th so I could still do teleprompter for General Conference. I'm kinda hoping he comes sooner than later now so he doesn't keep getting bigger in there. He's almost grown out of newborn diapers already! :o)

I'm so looking forward to meeting and holding our darling little boy! The time is so close and I'm excited and nervous.

Here's what's happening during this week and next.

Your pregnancy: 39 weeks

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How your baby's growing:

Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

How your life's changing:

At each of your now-weekly visits, your caregiver will do an abdominal exam to check your baby's growth and position. She might also do an internal exam to see whether your cervix has started ripening: softening, effacing (thinning out), and dilating (opening). But even armed with this information, there's still no way for your caregiver to predict exactly when your baby is coming. If you go past your due date, your caregiver will schedule you for fetal testing (usually a sonogram) after 40 weeks to ensure that it's safe to continue the pregnancy. If you don't go into labor on your own, most practitioners will induce labor when you're between one and two weeks overdue — or sooner if there's an indication that the risk of waiting is greater than the risks of delivering your baby without further delay.

While you're waiting, it's important to continue to pay attention to your baby's movements and let your caregiver know right away if they seem to decrease. Your baby should remain active right up to delivery, and a noticeable slowdown in activity could be a sign of a problem. Also call if you think your water may have broken. Membranes rupture before the beginning of labor in about 8 percent of term pregnancies. Sometimes there's a big gush of fluid, but sometimes there's only a small gush or a slow leak. (Don't try to make the diagnosis yourself. Call even if you only suspect you have a leak.) If you rupture your membranes and don't start contractions on your own, you'll be induced.

Your pregnancy: 40 weeks

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How your baby's growing:

It's hard to say for sure how big your baby will be, but the average newborn weighs about 7 1/2 pounds (a small pumpkin) and is about 20 inches long. His skull bones are not yet fused, which allows them to overlap a bit if it's a snug fit through the birth canal during labor. This so-called "molding" is the reason your baby's noggin may look a little conehead-ish after birth. Rest assured — it's normal and temporary.

How your life's changing:

After months of anticipation, your due date rolls around, and... you're still pregnant. It's a frustrating, but common, situation in which to find yourself. You may not be as late as you think, especially if you're relying solely on a due date calculated from the day of your last period because sometimes women ovulate later than expected. Even with reliable dating, some women have prolonged pregnancies for no apparent reason.

You still have a couple of weeks before you'll be considered "post-term." But to be sure your baby is still thriving, your practitioner will schedule you for testing to keep an eye on her if your pregnancy continues.

You may have a biophysical profile (BPP), which consists of an ultrasound to look at your baby's overall movements, breathing movements (movement of her chest muscles and diaphragm), and muscle tone (whether she opens and closes her hand or extends and then flexes her limbs), as well as the amount of amniotic fluid that surrounds her (important because it's a reflection of how well the placenta is supporting your baby).

Fetal heart rate monitoring (called a nonstress test or NST) will generally be done as well — by itself or as part of the BPP. Or, you may have what's known as a modified BPP, which consists of an NST and an ultrasound to assess the amount of amniotic fluid.

If the fetal testing isn't reassuring — the amniotic fluid level is too low, for example — you'll be induced. If there's a serious, urgent problem, you may have an immediate c-section.

Your practitioner will also check your cervix to see if it's "ripening." Its position, how soft it is, how effaced (thinned out) it is, and how dilated (open) it is can all affect when and how your labor is induced. If you don't go into labor on your own, you'll be induced, usually sometime between 41 and 42 weeks.

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