Do Fetuses Dream of Embryonic Sheep?

There you are, a big, bountiful baby bump on week 28 of this journey. I know it seems like I've reported almost every movement, every kick, every turn, every hiccup you make. That's because when you move, it's very exciting for everyone here in the outside world.

But, as you are now almost fully developed some cool things are happening in your off time too. When you stop kicking or rolling we normally say, "I guess he went to sleep," and either wait for you to wake up again or jostle you to wake you up for more playing (rude, huh?)

Scientists know that you- and others in your predicament - can actually sleep in two different ways: inactive AND active sleep. On the outside here, we sleep inactively first, and then actively. On the inside, though, you do the opposite- active first, then inactive.

Active sleeping is synonymous with REM (no, not the band, silly; Rapid Eye Movement). And, REM sleep is when we on the outside of your Mom's belly tend to have dreams.

There's no real way to tell, but because you engage in REM sleep, scientists actually think that you might be able to dream too!

In a rare role reversal, I found that absolutely fascinating and amazing, while your Mom took a pragmatic approach.

"But dreams are just your brain trying to make sense of random synapses firing off in your brain- brining in random images of things you've seen or witnessed," she said.

And that's true, as far as I know.

But I still think you have plenty to dream about:

• Certain flavors of food or smells
• Your Mom's heartbeat
• My singing
• The dogs barking
• Your Mom's internal organs
• Being jostled (like in a car ride)
• Kicking
• Music
• The Paul McCartney & Ben Folds Concerts
• Guitar Music
• The feeling of being on a walk

You probably also have a few things to even have nightmares about:

My singing

• That time we put the flashlight up to the belly
• My singing
• Spicy Food
• My singing

So, even if you're not dreaming or just don't have too much to dream about, I can still dream that you are dreaming, right?

And, I know that your Mom and I both are having tons of dreams about you.

While you continue to get bigger and bigger, we'll continue to dream about you coming out to meet us - and, maybe, you'll be dreaming about meeting the people connected to all the voices you've been hearing and internal organs you've been cozying up to for the past 7 months.

Or maybe, you'll just keep dreaming of embryonic sheep.

Weight, Weight- Don't tell me!

Remember wayyy back when when we were actually a little concerned because your mother had lost some weight between appointments?

Well, those weight worries are definitely over.



At Monday's doctor's appointment, they weighed your mother like they always do. Except this time your Mom did something she's never done before:

She asked the nurse how much she weighed.


Up until this point, it was a "don't ask, don't tell" policy on your Mom's weight-- especially after the revelations that the Wii brought up about a month and a half ago.

Please note, young man, that it's never acceptable to discuss a woman's weight in public, unless she's not within earshot, you don't know her, she's a celebrity or she's pregnant and has given you her permission to do so. Our situation definitely falls in line with the last clause.

It's important to see how much preggos gain, to make sure they're gaining enough (and make sure they're not gaining too much).

According to your Mom's best guess, she was hovering around 118 before you started growing. And - drum roll please - yesterday the Doctor clocked your Mom in at 142 pounds!

Way to grow, Holly!

For confirmation, though, and an even better comparison, we double checked with the Dr. Mario (the Nintendo Wii). According to the Wii in early June your Mom weighed 115 and today she weighs 140.

So taking the average of the two measurements, it looks like your Mom has gained about 24.5 pounds thus far.

This is completely normal. For mother's with your Mom's pre-baby BMI (fat percentage), they recommend pregnancy weight gain of anywhere from 25 to 35 pounds total, but of course, every body is different and, even though your Mom is on course to fall in that range, the doctor said that she's gaining the appropriate amount of weight!

No wonder your Mom gets tired so easily-- she's carrying around an additional fifth of her body weight that she wasn't carrying before! I'd be tired too.

But, don't expect your Mom to be best friends with the Wii from here on out. She said that when it weighed her today, it said that she was within a few pounds of being officially labeled "obese." Talk about an inappropriate way to discuss a woman's weight!

We know who will be sleeping on the couch tonight, Nintendo Wii.

Your Smiling Face

Yesterday your Mom and I went to the doctors, with Mimi and Nannah June in tow. This was a very special visit, as it was our last sonogram appointment, and our last chance to see your smiling face until you come out!

Before the doctors came in, though, I woke you up and got you all riled up: you were rolling, and stretching and maneuvering and kicking everyone's hands- and actually moving our hands so that others could see them rise and fall. Both Mimi and Nannah had a lot of fun feeling you kick.

But they had even more fun when we got to see you! You've grown a lot since we saw you last. You're now 2.5 pounds, and have a lot of definition on your face. You also are moving so much, that the sonogram lady had to chase you around your Mom's belly. She said you were almost "too fast" for her- but she managed to get some pictures:

The doctor said everything was looking great- your spine, your brain, your heart, your umbilical cord. And he even gave your mother a compliment that she'd never received before (and probably never will again): "Your Cervix is Awesome!"

Despite that moment of awkwardness, the appointment went wonderfully. It's hard to imagine how much you've grown...just a month or so ago, you looked like the Skeleton King, and now you bear a striking resemblance to Elmer Fudd!

They said you are a happy, healthy baby. And we already knew that you were an active baby, but you didn't have to show off at the doctors. Perhaps we shouldn't have riled you up first!

Look at that profile! It looks like you may have your mother's nose, and her cheeks. But then again, your Aunt Deborah did call me "Elmer Fudd" for a long enough period of my young life that I actually thought that was my name. So maybe you take after your old man a little too!