35 weeks - Am I in menopause?

Where has the time gone?  We're 35 weeks along, which means we only have 3 more weeks until the baby is considered full term, or as Matt likes to say, we'll be in the "Red Zone."  I'm not wishing for her to get here early, but any way you slice it, she's going to be here before we know it!  I've had two friends from high school who have delivered their babies early in the past couple of weeks, and it has been quite the reality check for me, since we've been chatting about our pregnancies on Facebook for the past several months. 

The baby is about 18 inches long and 5 1/4 pounds now, which is comparable to a honeydew melon.  Her kidneys are fully developed and her liver is now functional, so our job for the next few weeks is to help her pack on some pounds.  More ice cream?  Yes, please!  Here are the 35-week photos:

I'm still feeling pretty good, with the exception of an achy back, stretched out abdominal muscles, and some annoying hot flashes.  I seriously feel like a menopausal woman, and given my complexion, I conveniently turn red when I get warm, alerting everyone around me that I'm overheated.  Fortunately, it only lasts for a couple minutes, and then I return to normal.  Gotta love the hormones!  My prenatal massage last weekend was absolutely heavenly, and I am so grateful to Matt for getting me the gift certificate.  I never would have splurged on myself like that, but I'm so glad I went.  I fell asleep and drooled on the pillow during the massage, and I felt like a different person afterward!

This week, we had our birthing class at the hospital, but we couldn't go on a full tour due to flu season restrictions.  It was still a bit sobering, because we saw all the medical devices that may need to be used if there are any complications during labor and delivery, but I'm glad to at least know more about them now.  We also had an appointment with the midwives, and I met the last one in the group that I hadn't met yet.  She was wonderful, and I'm thankful to be in such good hands with my care providers.  She may have been my favorite, because she told me I was fit, slender, that I have beautiful skin, and my weight gain is right on track.  Clearly she knows how to make a pregnant lady feel good!  She also told me that the baby looks and sounds great, and is head-down in preparation for birth.  I have one more visit in 2 weeks, then I'll go to weekly appointments until the baby arrives.

Preparations around the house are well underway, and Matt is going to stain the shelves and bookcase this weekend.  I'm getting antsy to get the last of the stuff organized and put away.

Just as we were feeling good about our preparations, we had a little adventure on Monday night.  We got home late after our childbirth class, and Matt went to pick up Roscoe from his dad's house.  They got home around 8:45, and Roscoe bolted out of the truck, out the back of the garage, and after whatever scent he smelled.  He is fast, and it was dark out, so he was gone in a matter of seconds.  Matt came running in and told me he needed my help, so after going about 10 feet on foot, I decided I'd get in the car and drive around the neighborhood calling for our crazy coonhound.  I was that person, driving 5mph with all the windows down in the car shouting Roscoe's name and shining a mag lite around to look for him.  After about 20 minutes of searching, Matt found Roscoe digging under some bushes (probably after a rabbit he had chased), and was able to tackle him and get him on leash.  We put him in the car, took him home, and put him in his crate, breathing a sigh of relief.  It was too soon, though, because he proceeded to throw up several times in his crate, which went all over his dog bed, into the grates of the crate, and onto the carpet!  YUCK!!  At this point it was nearly 10pm and we had to clean up the giant mess.  Is this the kind of preparation we need to deal with bodily fluids from a baby??  We were so mad at Roscoe, but after a day of doggie daycare the next day, we all made up.  Who can stay mad at a guy like this?