Week 33 - Ready to Go!

Week 33 is here, can you believe it? Pretty soon I'll have that official title of "Big Brother". I guess that means I'll have to throw out all of my old business cards and get some new ones made. So much to do, so little time.

As much as I've gotta get done before Baby Brother arrives, HE'S got even more to do. After all, its not like this is a "mommy only" event. Little Brother has to put in some work as well. Trust me, I speak from experience here. The first thing he's going to do is add a coating of vernix all over himself. No idea what vernix is? That's okay, you're not the first one that I've had to explain it to. Its a waxy coating that will lube him up so he'll slide right out and into the world. Cool huh? 

He's also storing large amounts of glycogen in anticipation of the big day. Much like one of daddy's big races, Baby Brother will need a lot of energy but unlike daddy he can't just throw down on some pasta or other stuff a few days before his escape. Number one, there's no pasta delivery in there. Second, nobody supplies him with utensils even if he DID have pasta. Instead, he'll slowly but surely stash away glycogen from what mommy gives him. He'll burn up a little bit of that as he prepares for birth by doing a pre-birth workout routine. This involves Baby Brother moving his arms and legs around so he can help wiggle his way out.  See? He's doing his part. 

The amount of amniotic fluid has stabilized as well, so we're as close to ready as we can get! Back in the day he pretty much had an olympic sized swimming pool but now its more like a bathtub. A small bathtub. And its half full. And worst of all, there are no tub toys to play with. This is a tough time with little play.

Some other fun facts - Baby Brother is one smart little guy! His head and brain are both growing like crazy right now. Sorry to tell you that mommy, but his head is going to be one major speedbump! In the past week alone, his head has grown by 3/8"! That's a whole lotta noggin right there. The good news is that he will be able to wear some of my hats when he gets out. Heck at THIS rate he might be able to wear daddy's! HAHAHAHAHAHA

Other than that, the pre-escape preps are all but done for Baby Brother. One cool thing to note about this week is that his sight is getting better every day. That's great news by itself, but then there's another cool part of that. Because of his ever-growing little brain, he's starting to actually understand what is going on. He can actually tell the difference between daytime and nighttime now! Don't get me wrong, its not like his day revolves around the rising and setting of the sun. As I've mentioned before, he spends most of his day resting up now,  After all, he's got a lot of work ahead of him.

Oh, and lets not forget about the weekly measurements! Right now Baby Brother is around 4.5lbs and 17.5" tall. I don't know if you've noticed, but he's really starting to pack on the pounds now! Then again, if all you did was eat and sleep you'd probably gain a lot more than a half pound in a week. Heck, daddy gains more than that in a fast food drive thru! At this pace he'll weigh just about as much as I did. Yep, little brother is already copying me. It figures. Who WOULDN'T want to copy greatness?

Alright folks, that's enough for now. Its time for a snack break. What, you thought I was going to say potty break? Sorry, but I'm not as predictable as my daddy. Nope, its time for a good ol' cheese sandwich and a big glass of milk. That'll hit the spot.

And THEN I'll potty. There, you satisfied? Don't forget to vote on the baby names of the week! 

Until next time,

Andrew Joiner, Big Brother