week 24...round and round and round...

is my belly!!  without a doubt you have created a much rounder belly than either of your brothers pregnancy's did.  they had quite the slope going on above my belly button, you on the other hand are perfectly round!  maybe it has something to do with the fact that im certain you are growing side to side within me, instead of up and down.  if i had to guess i would say your back is curved nicely right above my belly button and your arms and legs and shooting down past my belly button.  you continue to keep your movements pretty deep inside, seemingly unwilling to share your presence with anyone else in the family!  everything about you is just so different from everything i have ever experienced, and i have to admit, it is making me more and more curious about who you are in there, little one! 

it has been a crazy week of carbs for us.  i cant seem to keep myself away from the sweets and cereal is something we have been consuming more than once per day!  we need to get this spurt under control before the end of the month when we go for our glucose screening...so maybe fresh veggies could be next on the list!?!?  my biggest complaint this past week is rib pain, which is a bit of a mystery, only because you arent even big enough to be touching my ribs yet!  but nonetheless, they are killing me from mid-day until i go to bed!

there was one night this past week baby, that you gave me quite the scare.  i wasnt feeling well at all and although i was certain it was me that wasnt well, and not you trying to do something crazy, i was still worried about you!  i dont know if my evenings of severe stomach aches and nausea are just you and God working together to get me to relax a bit and just take care of us, but let it be known that more subtle clues from this point on would be grately appreciated!  i have the rest of my life to worry about you, so if possible i would like to keep the worrying to a minimal while you are still 'safe' inside my belly!  i will say, the warm bubble baths that come as a result of our bad nights are very enjoyable, but i would love for them to happen just because and not because im in severe pain! 

as for you, you apparently weight a little over a pound now, measuring about a foot long! (in food perspective, you are about the length of an ear of corn!)  your brain is continuing to develop, along with your taste buds and the branches of your lungs!  you remain pretty active very often throughout the day, unless of course we have just eaten a big meal...then you seem content to take a nap!

my curiousity pertaining to you has become so strong this past week.  im starting to question whether we made the right choice to not find out ahead of time if you are our baby girl or our baby boy!  i dont doubt that it will be super exciting on your birthday to hear of your great surprise, but its hard for me to just sit here and wait for you. i want to be doing more for you, shopping for you if i need to, washing your clothes and getting your room all set up!  but there is so much you will need if you are a girl, because as much as i may have said it wouldnt be a big deal to put you in blue (daddy's boy) pajamas, i know when reality hits, i never could!  just as i would never dress you in purple pj's if you are a boy!  i did buy you a new bathtub this week though! its a whale! and im so excited to see your little body in it for your first bath at home!  its crazy to sit back and think about how soon that will be a reality!  i also got us a new boppy...a must have for those first few hours of life, as i try to nurse you for the very first time!  oh baby...the excitement of it all!  i have a hard time containing it sometimes...i just sit here with my hands on my belly, feeling you kick, imagining what you might look like and how your sweet breath will smell while you are asleep in my arms and the soft smell of your hair after you have been bathed...and i just smile!

i love you so much baby...and i dont even know who you are yet!

  millions,

  ~ mommy

waist = 39.5 inches!

(pics will be posted when my computer is fixed/replaced!)

weeks 22 & 23...no pain, no gain!

the last two weeks have truly brought on a new set of challenges...most of which i would call painful!  there is no doubt in my mind (or in the the area i would have once called my hips!)  that you surely are a growing baby.  the amazing part is that i feel you moving, almost all day long!  and daddy finally felt you kick for the first time this past week.  I'm not going to lie, he was super excited...maybe even a little teary eyed!  if i had to guess i would say you are currently growing within me from side to side (hip to hip) instead of being head down and growing up and down.  and truthfully, I'm not so sure my body is handling your positioning very well!  it doesn't take much movement on my part for my lower back, upper legs and pelvis to hurt more than i ever remember.  good news is, its totally normal...bad news is, its expected to get worse!  but all for the love of you baby...i will do what i have to, take whats expected and try my best to be happy about it, knowing in my heart that it is all for your sake!

its crazy to me how quickly the weeks are flying by.  we had a doctors appointment today.  we are officially 23 weeks today.  we gained 5 pounds in the last 4 weeks, putting us up 9 pounds so far!  not bad, especially for me! i think at this point with your brothers i had easily put on well over 25lbs!  your heart rate today was 136 beats per minute, which is lower than your usual, but our doctor said you must have just been waking up from a nap!  we also received our preadmission paperwork today, that we need to fill out and get in the mail so the hospital is ready and waiting for us when the time comes.  its hard to believe we are at that point already!

as for you and your development, you are weighing in at approximately 1.5lbs and are nearly a foot long (about the size of a large mango!)  you have gained awareness to movement and certainly seem to be responding to sound.  you always seem to be in good spirits when I'm eating, although that movement sometimes makes me feel less than wonderful! 

i am expected to gain close to a pound per week from now until the time we deliver.  other than my soreness, I'm feeling pretty good!  and i am getting so anxious to meet you...I've questioned myself more than once whether or not it has been a good idea to keep your identity a surprise until you are born and although i know its the right decision for us, I'd be lying if i said it wasn't super hard.  its hard to not buy new things for you, not knowing if we will need girly or boyish...its hard to picture you in my mind, not know more about what your future features will look like.  i almost feel like i miss you because i haven't been able to draw a mental image of what you might look like.  but in my heart i know that we made the right choice, i know that in those first few seconds of your life outside the womb i will be more than thrilled to find out your deep secret!  either way, i love you millions and i know that you will be the piece that makes this family complete!

grow well baby, and take it easy on me! I'm trying my best :)

love you millions

  ~ mommy 

weight = 142 lbs

waist = 38 inches

(now bigger than daddy's waistline!)