Week 24 highlights

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.

I have another ultrasound tomorrow, to get some pics of things we missed the first time due to baby's position. I can't wait to see how much baby has changed in one month!

Nursery is painted and awaitng furniture!

Pregnant women in my dreams

Last night I had another odd pregnancy dream. I was at a gas station, with lots of green land around it. There were 7 or 8 other pregnant women there too, walking and waddling around. My mom wanted me to pick up subway for her, she ordered a sandwich I had never heard of before. The meat on the sandwich looked like wishbones from a turkey, but with meat on it. (Kind of like U shaped ribs). She also wanted it to be 18 inches, not 12 like a standard subway sandwich. I had a really hard time saying the order, but they understood what she wanted. I thought it was odd she was going to eat right through the bones, but she said it was what she wanted.

When we were going to leave, some random guy who was with us needed to use the bathroom. As he walked back there, the owner showed us to a panel in the wall with buttons on it. Each button played a different spooky Halloween sound in the bathroom. Mom and I thought it was the funniest thing in the world. So we hit all the buttons.

Then, I woke up.

At least this dream wasn't scary. Just odd.

Monthly Dr. Appt- 23 weeks

Just got back from my monthly Doctors Appointment and all is well. I am at 23 weeks, so next month I will get to do the glucose screening test...what fun.

Here are some stats from my appointment:
Blood Pressure: 112/73 <--- The nurse always tells me this is wonderful!
My heart rate: 63 beats/min.
Total weight gained so far: 6 lbs.

Everything is right on track. My belly is measuring just fine and the baby's heartbeat is strong.

Jeff and I toured Maple grove hospital last night. It is a beautiful hospital with state of the art everything. When talking to my doctor about the pros and cons of the hospital, he mentioned they have neonatal staff on 24/7...which is a huge advantage if we were to need it. Time will tell which one we choose, Maple Grove or Unity.

Week 23 highlights

I better start dancing with this week's update!




How your baby's growing:
Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound, you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.


You may notice that your ankles and feet start to swell a bit in the coming weeks or months, especially at the end of the day or during the heat of summer. Sluggish circulation in your legs — coupled with changes in your blood chemistry that may cause some water retention — may result in swelling, also known as edema. Your body will get rid of the extra fluid after you have your baby, which is why you'll pee frequently and sweat a lot for a few days after delivery.

First pic of the belly

Ok, here it is! The first pic of the belly, where it is really starting to show. I am 23 weeks in this picture.

Where did I put that...

Well, I feel like I am losing my mind some days. Most mornings, I almost throw the milk jug into the freezer or the trash, then catch myself at the last moment. I hear that pregnancy can do that to people. I found this cute comic to express how I feel some days.

Week 22 Highlights

Pregnancy Week 21-24: You went long and deep and scored! Your baby is about the
size of an over-inflated football.

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

The bump is pushing out this week, more people are starting to realize I am pregnant. I have had bad round ligament pain this week, which feels like a sore muscle all through my lower abdomen. They say this will happen on and off for the rest of my pregnanc. (Think of how much baby is growing!)