24 Weeks

How Far Along? 24 weeks

How I'm Feeling Overall: Doing good. Had a few days where my legs were so puffy from water retention that you could actually put dents in my legs by pushing on them with a finger. The kids always find that very amusing. Me... not so much. I was surprised to see it happen so early as I am usually 30+ weeks along before I start getting "puffy", but alas, I get to experience it early this time. My wedding ring is already growing snug too!!!  :(

How your baby's growing: Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Movement? Oh yes! We have a very active little one in there! Especially when I wake up in the middle of the night and realize I am lying slightly on my belly. Baby is in there kicking away like "I'm trying to gestate in here Mom! Please don't lay on me!!"

Food Cravings/Aversions? My sweet tooth is slightly out of control these days and I'm currently working on reigning it in. I am blaming some of my excess weight game on this new development. (As opposed to my lack of will-power.)

Symptoms: Lots of trips to the bathroom at night! Good grief! One would think I don't go to the bathroom all day long the way my body likes to filter itself out at night!!

Maternity Clothes? Psh. Of course. Although today, I did squeeze into a pair of my regular pants for work because my whopping 3 pairs of maternity pants are in the laundry. Holy cow! They were unbuttoned of course and worn below my belly, but still! It was a long day sitting at my desk.

Weight gain? 17lbs. so far. Eeeek! 7 lbs in 4 weeks is not ideal, but I still stand by the fact that my new sweet tooth is to blame.

Sleep? Pretty disrupted. Besides the potty breaks, my hips are starting to get sore so I'm tossing from one side to the other all night long. It really must be that I'm getting older because SERIOUSLY, I don't remember having some of these discomfort things until well past 30 weeks with my other kiddos!

Best Moment of the Week? Sitting in the doctor's office for my OB appointment yesterday and watching my belly move. Once again, I don't remember being able to SEE movement so early on with the other kids but I think that the placenta not being in front is making all the difference.

Gender? Yes, baby has one.  ;)

What I'm looking forward to? Ryan and the kids being able to feel baby move. Although, now that I SAW my belly moving, everyone should be able to feel it.... if baby cooperates. Usually as soon as I say "Baby's moving!" and everyone comes running, baby stops moving.

Emotions? Regarding the pregnancy, I am so excited to meet this little one and have a new tiny one to hold. I LOVE newborns and 3 of my closest friends all just had babies in the last month or so and it makes me so excited to be able to hold my own. Mmmmmmmm, I can just smell that baby smell.  :)

And I'm horrible... I still don't have pics of the ultrasound scanned in yet, but I will try and do that before my next update in 4 weeks.  :) And maybe even post a belly shot or two.  :)