Little Monkey is 33 weeks old in me!

When we had a check-up last week, he weighed in at around 4lbs for a 32-week old babe suspended in fluid. According to Babycenter US, this is equivalent to a pineapple. Even though everyone's been telling me I look kinda small for my stage of pregnancy, our Little Monkey seems to be right on track with his development and that's the main thing.

This is what he looked like last week:

It was really tough to get a pic because he simply wouldn't co-operate with us. We'd be pleading, "Oh come on, show Mummy and Daddy a picture!" but he would persist in keeping his head down and his tiny hands covering his face. What cheered us up was him giving us the thumbs-up at one point. The doctor laughed and said, "Look, he's telling you he's all right inside!"

This was the best pic we got. So what you're seeing is mostly the top of his skull, his face is at the bottom of the pic. He looks very different from his 23-week-old scan and he's clearly put on some weight. The funny bit about the 23-week-old scan is that he looks just like Dear Hubby does when he's snoozing away.

We were particularly eager to see his nose. This is a family joke. The first thing most people said when they saw his 23-wo scan was, "He's got his dad's nose!" My own father was really pleased that his first grandson didn't seem to inherit my own squashy, flat nose. So Little Monkey's nose has become something of a minor obsession with us. We didn't get to see it though and it was reassuring to read that while newborns often pop out with a squashed nose, things generally right themselves... but only if they're supposed to have a nice nose!

I spent most nights either seated on the couch next to Dear Hubby or stretched out in our comfy lounger, playing with my tummy. If I sort of tickle my tummy, our little boy generally responds with a kick or a wriggle and it's fun to see it. In the mornings, I play my guitar and sing to him and boy, does the low E string get him kicking! You know how they always say to put your hubby's hands on your tummy so that Dad can feel the baby kick too? We've found that it works better to lie side by side so that my tummy is touching his back. That way, he can really feel the kicks.

Well, here we go. Into the final stretch now. Yikes. Some of the participants in my labour class yesterday were in their 37th week of pregnancy and they practised pushing and breathing with the nurses while the rest of the class watched on with interest. I wonder if I'm really going to remember all those exercises come labour!