Week 25

Highlights:
Size: an eggplant
What baby is up to: She's enjoying her new sense of equilibrium -- she now knows which way is up and which is down.  She's growing more fat and more hair too!  She is growing by leaps and bounds.  Average baby is almost 9 inches in length and more than 1 1/2 pounds in weight.  Capillaries are forming under the skin and filling with blood.  By this time air sacs are lined with capillaries that will develop in her lungs, getting them ready for that first breath of fresh air.  The lungs are not ready for prime time breathing yet- and they have a lot of maturing left to do before they will be.  Her nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, are starting to open up this week.  This enables her to begin practicing taking "breaths."  Her vocal cords are functioning now, leading to occasional hiccups. 

I have still been feeling really good.  I can feel her move all the time, especially after I have eaten something.  I haven't had any major cravings, but I have noticed that I am not a huge fan of BBQ chicken.  Sleeping is starting to become an issue.  Between getting woken up in the middle of the night with Cooper, and trying to keep myself from sleeping on my back, and all the things that are running through my mind is making it difficult to sleep through the night. 

Week 24

Highlights
Size: Papaya or size of a standard letter.
What baby is up to: Her see-through skin is gradually becoming more opaque, and it's got a new pink glow, due to the small capillaries that have recently formed.  Her weekly weight gain is now about 6 ounces.  Much of that weight is coming from accumulating baby fat, as well as from growing organs, bones, and muscle.  By now, her tiny face is almost fully formed, with a complete with a full set of eyelashes and eyebrows and a good sprinkling of hair on her head, (which I think she will have a full head of hair and rather curly when it all grows out). Her hair is snow white right now since there is no pigment in her hair just yet.

Week 23

Highlights
Size: Papaya
What baby is up to: She's forming little nipples, her face is fully formed now (she just needs a little extra fat to fill it out), she's listening to my voice and my heartbeat, and even to loud sounds like cars honking and dogs barking.  Her skin is developing over her body and is saggy, due to the fact that the skin grows faster than it develops and there's not much fat to fill that skin out yet.  This week she will begin to pack on the pounds.  Once all the fat deposit are made she won't be as transparent.  Now the organs and bones can still be seen through the skin.  I still have a lot of energy and I am feeling really good!

Week 22

Highlights
Size: a papaya
What baby is up to: She now has more developed eyes and lips, looking more like a newborn.  She's sleeping in cycles-about 12 to 14 hours per day.  Baby is weighing about a pound and length nearly 8 inches.  She is developing senses, including touch, sight, hearing, and taste. She might be grabbing onto the umbilical cord, she is able to perceive light and dark.  She can hear my voice, Josh's voice, my heartbeat, the sound of my blood whooshing as it circulating through my body, my stomach growling (which doesn't happen very often anymore since I feel like I am always eating), Cooper barking, and other loud noises around.  She is tasting pretty much everything I eat, so I'm trying to mix it up a lot to give her some variety!

The past week I got the common cold from my kiddos at school, so I got in a few days earlier to see my doctor and got an antibiotic to take to relieve the cold.  He checked me and the baby and said everything is moving great! I am growing and she is too!   He is very pleased with our progress.  Other than that I have been feeling really good and still have enough energy to get through the day.  I have had a few mood swings here and there, but they are to be expected-right.

I went to Wilmington to visit my family and while there I got the chance to register for baby items.  Josh and I picked out a few things here and there, but nothing is like being able to register with your mom, who else is better to tell you what works and what doesn't.