24 weeks pregnant- 6 months

My body: I just read that my uterus is about the size of a soccer ball- Holy cow! I still feel good, but am starting to feel the effects of the extra "soccer ball" in my stomach.

The baby: Length:
Size- About the size of an ear of corn
Weight- between 1-2 pounds
3D image of the baby at 22 weeks:
http://3dpregnancy.parentsconnect.com/calendar/24-weeks-pregnant.html

Interesting facts: The baby will gain ½ pound this week alone! Baby’s ears are fully functional now and can hear every word we say!

What's going on with us... This last weekend, we celebrated my Uncle Mark's 60th birthday at my moms house. It was a great night spent with family and friends. Blake and Ryan surprised everyone by flying across the country to be there!

23 weeks pregnant

Big news with baby:
We had our ultrasound last Friday, which was really amazing. From the ultrasound, we learned that our little baby weighed 1.2 pounds which puts him/her in the 60% percentile. Baby has 2 arms and 2 legs, all of which were clearly visible on the screen. We saw baby moving around in my belly, kicking my bladder and holding up a number 1 with his/her finger. It was so neat to be able to see each little finger! We saw the 4 chambers of the heart, the baby's bladder and of course, the giant head. The head size is right on schedule, but currently is the same size as the body (at least that's how it looked to us:) My husband was so surprised by all that we could see, and honestly I was too. The experience brought me to tears. I can't wait to meet this little guy or girl and find out whether baby is a little guy or little girl! The suspense is actually a lot of fun...for me. I think I am driving most people crazy by not finding out!

We also had our monthly check up which confirmed again that things are progressing just as they should. The baby's heartbeat is consistently around 160 bpm, which is a good strong heartbeat. The doctor we saw Wednesday made a prediction that we are having a girl, but he also was clear to say that he is correct less than 50% of the time:) I honestly don't care what I am having, but do hope to have at least 1 boy and at least 1 girl by the time we are finished having kids.

"Baby Brain"- I thought I was in the clear with this, but oh-no. About a week ago, I started misplacing things, forgetting things and simply acting like an airhead. At first, I thought it was funny, but now I am down-right annoyed. I don't know what happened to my brain cells this last week, but I wish they would re-appear quickly. I have had trouble finding words in my vocabulary, performing routines that I do daily and finding things. I am scared to borrow things from people for fear that I will lose them. For example, last week, I lost my work keys. We have plenty of spares, so I requested to use those for a few days while mine turned up. You guessed it, I lost the spares. I ended up finding both sets of keys, in very obvious places, but not before feeling like I had lost my mind.

22 weeks pregnant

My body: I keep reading how my belly is not big enough to get in the way yet and how standing up should not be a problem…well I beg to differ. I am sure it is because of the way I am shaped, but I definitely think it is more difficult to get up and down than it used to be. Also, I forget that I have this new belly and will try to “squeeze” through spaces like I used to…well that isn’t possible any longerJ Other than that, things are pretty uneventful. I think I have developed a case of nesting syndrome because all I can think about is getting things done around the house. You would think this would be a plus for Jonathan, but I have written up a rather lengthy “to do before baby” list. Some things I am just not capable of doing at this point in my pregnancyJ. We go tomorrow (Friday) for an ultrasound and I can’t wait. I will post pictures of the little guy or girl next week!
The baby: Length: 11 inches
Size- About the size of a large banana.
Weight- Almost 1 pound!
3D image of the baby at 22 weeks: http://3dpregnancy.parentsconnect.com/calendar/22-weeks-pregnant.html
Interesting facts:.” 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.”
What’s going on with us: We did register this week, but it is a work in progress. We spent almost 3 hours at Babies ‘R’ Us and that was about all we could handle. If you are curious about the items we registered for, feel free to visit the registry at http://www.toysrus.com/registry/index.jsp. In other news…I forgot to mention last week that we celebrated 2 of my sibling’s birthdays recently. Abby turned 22 and Brady turned 24. I can’t believe how old we all are. We celebrated all together at Benihanas, but had individual gatherings for each of them. This last weekend, Jonathan and I celebrated our nephew Alex’s 1st birthday. I was unable to go, but Jonathan said it was very nice for him. He reported back that the apartment was beautifully decorated and that he enjoyed a delicious dinner. I couldn’t help but get him interactive books, againJ I can’t help it…I am a teacher and I just love good books!

21 weeks pregnant

My body
I continue to feel good, but did feel more tired this week. I think it has more to do with my busy schedule these past weeks and less to do with being pregnant. I am surprised to be at the point where strangers ask me when I am due. Honestly, I was always so fearful that a person wouldn't actually be pregnant, that I would never ask. That being said, I am happy to tell the strangers my due date. After talking to a friend of mine, I realize that the "hip pain" I have been complaining about is the sciatic nerve that I have always heard about. I thought it would feel different, which is why I didn't recognize it as this. This pain continues to bother me at night, but is still alleviated easily and I am very thankful for that. This baby is moving moving moving. I feel the "flutters," which I think feel more like a "flop" all the time. Right now, the baby seems to sleep when I sleep, which is very nice of him or her:) Any chances it will stay that way????

The baby
Length: 10.5 inches
Size- About the length of a carrot
Weight- 10.5 ounces

What we are up to
Jonathan is so excited about this weather because he can finally get back in his boat this weekend. I am excited about it, but for the same reasons everyone else is excited about it. This past week, I took a trip to Louisville with the girls to see Teresa's beautiful new home. We had a really nice time visiting with Lauren who is still in town from Seattle. Also, I am honored to have been asked to be in my oldest friends wedding. Gina is getting married March 5Th, 2010, so the planning has begun. She asked me before we attended a mass at the church where she will get married next year, St. Barbaras. I am very excited to be a part of her big day! Last, Jonathan and I have plans to register this weekend at Babies R Us...I have a feeling it might be a daunting task.