You really don’t
like hiccups. It is no surprise that
they wake you, but you certainly protest them by squirming and kicking until
they go away! I’d say you have hiccups
about every other day. Because you are
still in perfect birthing position, your torso is down and to my left. Thus I feel your hiccups bumping your torso
against the front of my left hip.
Simultaneously, your little feet usually kick and squirm on my right
upper side. I hate to break it to you,
but your hiccups won’t go away once you are born. And they are pretty much always just as
annoying! However, I think you will
probably have them less than you do now.
We had another
visit from our midwife, Robin, this week.
She called it her “play date” with you, and said you were something of a
celebrity. All this talk about you,
photos for you, celebration of you, and many people following your progress in
these weekly letters makes you like the star of a soap opera or something!
I only wish every
child had the privilege of being just as wanted and celebrated.
Your house is
thirty four centimeters tall now, making more space for you each week. You weigh almost four pounds, and are about
eighteen inches long! The diameter of
your head is four inches, up from two and a half inches just five weeks
ago. From now through delivery, you will
gain half your birth weight.
Your heartbeat was slower
this week, about 128 to 132 beats per minute.
It is typical for a baby’s heart rate to slow a bit at this point.
All that growth
requires more rest, so you are now sleeping for more of the day and
evening. Although your movements are
still regular throughout the day (and even when I wake at night), I have
noticed that overall you seem a bit more still.
There are times when you seem to sleep, that you don’t move much, even
in response to prodding.
The change in your
movement is a result of the shrinking space around you in relation to your
growing body. Some of your more frequent
movements now are turning your head back and forth, and moving your hands. All of that I feel very low down, and
sometimes can feel your head over my cervix.
One day, that window will open for you to exit through it!
If you are a girl,
your clitoris has formed. If you are a
boy, your testicles are descending from your groin into your scrotum.
Your body is able
to absorb some minerals from your own intestinal tract, including calcium and
iron. Some of those minerals have taken shape
on the tips of your fingers and toes, where your nails are now fully formed and
visible.
Finally, your skin is
gaining pigment. From this point
forward, your skin will lose its translucency, becoming more opaque.
Thirty Two 32 Weeks Pregnant
Thirty Two 32 Weeks Pregnant
A few months ago, I
heard your cousin Aidan was praying daily for you to be obedient to your
parents. Obedience, discipline,
submission… these are not words or actions we like as children, or as adults
either. But they will always be part of
life with Christ, and life with each other.
These actions breed faithfulness and perseverance, qualities of strong
character that bring a meaningful and effective life. It begins not long after birth, and continues
as long as we are here on earth.
“Endure hardship as
discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not
disciplined by their father?” (Hebrews
12:7)
“As obedient children, do
not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.” (1 Peter
1:14)
Just as children have
instructions, so do parents!
“Children, obey your
parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’—which is
the first commandment with a promise — ‘so that it may go well with you and
that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’
Parents, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the
training and instruction of the Lord.”
(Ephesians 6:1-5)
“Children, obey your
parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
Parents, do not embitter
your children, or they will become discouraged.” (Colossians 3:20-22)
The fruit of an
obedient life is felt by the child, the parents, and even those surrounding.
“I have no greater
joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”
3 John 1:4
“Dear children, let us
not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18)
“So that you may become
blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked
generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” (Philippians 2:15)
