30 Weeks! Only about 68 days to go..

So, again, I'm a little beind. It's been a busy weekend. My sister Kim and her family came into town last week so we had a family gathering Friday night. Then Saturday morning was the Dairy Breakfast followed a few hours later by my 10 year reunion with the class I would have graduated with if I would have stayed in Independence. Finally, Sunday was Kaylyn's (my cousin) graduation party and a visit to Gary's parents to celebrate Father's Day a week early since Gary has to work next weekend. It was a wonderful weekend with lots of fun but it really took a lot of energy out of me! Plus, I'm still working on my online Religions class which is pretty demanding and requires a lot of reading... most of it interesting but yikes... I'll be glad when it's over. :) Anyhow... here are the baby updates! :) ------------------30 weeks----------------- My Baby By this week, your baby's senses are developed to the point where she can taste, touch, see, and hear what's going on around her. She'll also react to stimuli--for instance, if you poke your belly, she may kick or hit back at the spot you've touched. It's exciting to interact with your baby even before she's born. Try rubbing your belly and talking gently to her when she kicks--you may find that you're already able to calm her down. Baby's Length: 16.25-17 in. Baby's Weight: 3 lbs. Baby's Size: Thick Wool Sweater, Folded How your baby's growing: Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.) --------------------29 weeks--------------------- My Baby For the past six weeks or so, your baby has been listening to your voice (along with the voices of your partner, older children, and anyone else who's been talking to your belly). Speaking to your baby is not only a key part of prenatal bonding, but may also form the basis of language development. Babies who have been spoken to in utero recognize and turn to familiar voices immediately after birth. There may also be links between prenatal stimulation and the development of speech and IQ. Conversely, studies have shown that songbirds hatched from the nests of silent foster parents don't sing. Baby's Length: 15.75-16.25 in. Baby's Weight: 2.5-2.75 lbs. Baby's Size: Basketball How your baby's growing:Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.