34 weeks

I'm a couple days into week 34 now. It's so great having the countdown measured in weeks now instead of months!
Here's the updates for the baby — still a honeydew melon — this week:

Her (or his) fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.
AND
The baby responds as a newborn with its eyes open while awake and closed while sleeping. S/he is developing immunities to fight mild infection. Those sharp little fingernails are at the ends of the fingertips already, and you might need to clip them during the first few days after birth.

With those baby fingernails growing already, I guess it's good Brian is getting practice as my makeshift pedicurist :)
As mentioned above, I have been a bit nervous about preterm labor. It's hard not to be when there are so many symptoms for it! Some of the pregnancy books and Web sites offer a little TOO much information on worst-case scenarios. It can be like researching a symptom on WebMD where the results are usually — It sounds like you may have a minor cold... or it's cancer.
I haven't felt too many of the Braxton Hicks contractions (or maybe I have and didn't know it). But I'm getting a lot of cramping and other signals that the baby wants to come out. I actually called the doctor's office earlier this week after dealing with a couple days of sharp, shooting pains whenever I walked around. The doctor said it's just part of the process. It sounds like the baby's head may be moving into the birth canal (yikes!) and the pains are caused by his/her movements and general stretching in the area.
I'm guessing I'll *know* when the baby is really getting ready to come out. But I'm still planning to pack my hospital bag this weekend. Better to be prepared, right? :)