38th Week of My Development

At this point I have really plumped up. I now weighs about 6.8 pounds and over 19 1/2 inches long. I have a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold my hand for the first time! My organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color my eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If I'm born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If I'm born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time I'm 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after birth, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue (dad's note- most likely it woud be brown, LOL). Green, Hazel and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.

My lung are now producing large amounts of the hormone cortisol, which helps to produce surfactant, the substance that stops the lungs from sticking together. This will help ensure my transition from breathing amniotic fluid to breathing air once I am born is as seamless as possible, but it may take a few hours until my breathing pattern is completely normal. My fat stores are continuing to build up, enabling me to regulate my body temperature and while I may still have some vernix on the surface of my skin when I'm born, it will mainly be in creases and crevices of the skin.

Did you know that if a light is shown at mom's bump then I will turn towards it. This is known as the 'orienting response' – the reflex that causes an organism to respond immediately to a change in its environment. Wow!!!

Friends see you in 4 days!!!

Image from: http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-38-weeks