24 Week Check-up

I had my 3rd prenatal appointment today (seriously! Six months pregnant and only 3 appointments! That's really okay with me though. I don't have time for more.)
Everything went well and fast.

BP: 99/62
Fundal Height: 25 cm
Fetal HR: 154/bpm
Weight gain to date: 14.5lbs

I also got the OK to travel to Mexico on Monday, armed with all my medical records and advice to take a baby aspirin for the plane ride.

24 Weeks: Corn

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 (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. (Babycenter.com)




I have already started having Braxton-hicks contractions this week. I have had 4-5 today alone. One as I write this even.


Poppy has been a busy little beaver inside the womb this week, hosting dance parties, boxing tournies, and yoga classes. Just last week I said that Poppy isn't as active is big sis, Sophia, which still holds true, though he/she certainly has been trying to keep up with the big sib.


I am just getting to the uncomfortable stage. Last night, Jared took me on a date to see Prince Caspian at the theater, and I squirmed and wiggled the entire 2 hours and 20 minutes. I could not get comfortable. My belly is getting heavier and larger and starting to get in the way a little.


I have my 24 week appointment on Thursday. Nothing exciting (in fact, she wasn't even sure she wanted to see me at all, even though it's been 6 weeks since my last appointment!). The following appointment, (at 28 weeks) we get a 2nd view of Poppy via ultrasound, and I have my glucose test. So that one will be more exciting.


I have been out in the sun a lot this week. My skin got a nice tan, which surprised me since last year I just got red blotches from any sun exposure. Well, three days after my glorious tan, the blotches appeared. Oh well:)


We leave on Monday for Mexico (coming home Friday the 4th), so next weeks update will be late!

23 Weeks: Mango

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 (about as much as a large mango), 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. (Babycenter.com)

This week has been a good one on the pregnancy front. It has been a very boring-in-a-good-way week. I have not felt sick or queasy at all. I have been sleeping like a rock. I am hungry all the time. I can eat all day and not gain a ton (!!!) thanks to my super-high need for calories-- feeding three takes a lot of food! I feel Poppy kicking several times a day, though he/she is definitely less active than Sophia ever was. And I have been extremely emotional this week, which is to be expected I suppose.

My belly is just starting to feel heavy now. I notice it when I roll over in bed at night, and when we take long walks each day. Yesterday on our family walk, I found myself lagging farther and farther behind. My mom also commented this week that I am starting to "waddle." I feel it.

Jared and I have been starting to look at some name possibilities again! It is so fun (and a little scary) picking out a name that our child will bear forever. I am pretty excited about some of the names on our list, and can't wait to share one very special name with all of you in a few short months!

22 Weeks: Spaghetti Squash

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.

Baby must be growing rapidly this week. Yesterday I had a monster appetite-- the kind that gives pregnant women their reputation, the kind that is embarrassing to let anyone see! But, the silver lining yesterday showed up in the form of an outrageous motivation to clean! I cleaned Gary's place upstairs (he hires us to do so), and then felt in such a cleaning mood that I scoured our place as well. I really need to take advantage of these moods, as they don't show up too often. It is finally on a level of cleanliness that I actually wouldn't be embarrassed to have people over!

Old Poppsters has been hosting a boxing match, right there in my womb. I'm serious, the kid won't stop kicking and punching! I am a little nervous for life after it exits the womb. I think this one's gonna be a handful!

I am happy to report that my skin has not been nearly as sensitive to the sun this time. On the few sunny days we've actually had this year, Sophia and I spend as much time as possible outside. Last year, I would break out in heat rash if I stayed in the sun for more than an hour. No sign of heat rash this time! Woohoo!

Sugar Overload

A strange phenomenon has occurred this week.

Like I mentioned previously, sweets have taken the back burner when it comes to my recent cravings. Salty wins almost every time these days. However, I have apparently been in the mood to make sweets, just not eat them. A few days ago, I whipped up some dessert to bring to a friend's house, but was not satisfied with it when it was finished. So I ran to the store and bought a cake mix. Well, the cake never got made that night. So the following day I made it for us. Yesterday morning I rose at 5:45am to begin the 3 hour process of making homemade cinnamon rolls (which taste EXACTLY like Cinnabons, thank-you-very-much!). When I was finished, I turned and stared at the counter. A smile grew on my face as I said, "Hee hee. Sorry Jared, I guess I will stop making sweets for awhile." He laughed out loud and nodded his head.

My eyes were resting on a full pan of brownies, 3/4 of an angel food cake, a small pan of almond joy bars, and a tray of 8 remaining cinnamon rolls.

Anyone want some dessert? Come on over.

21 Weeks: Carrot

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well. (Babycenter.com)

I have had a hard week. Stress levels have been high this week, which makes everything go downhill. Especially milk production. If pregnancy doesn't kill it enough, extra stress will pretty much wipe it out completely. That has been a constant struggle since January when I got pregnant. After awhile, battling my own body to nourish my growing fetus, and my growing infant at the same time takes a big toll. I keep wondering why God did not make it more possible to breastfeed, and be pregnant at the same time, with sufficient nourishment for both. Please pray for me in this area, as I am feeling weary and frustrated.

Along with the added stress, I have felt exhausted all week. It has also been affecting my appetite. Last night, I made a huge, delicious dinner that took 1 1/2 hours to prepare, and when it was finished, it looked absolutely repulsive to me. I ate a few bites, but that's all I could handle.

Usually, Sophia and I take a walk everyday when the weather is nice. It is something I look forward to, and I think she does too. This week we have not gotten out much because of the crummy weather (Come on! It's JUNE!!), but we were finally able to go around our usual loop yesterday. The fresh air and exercise felt good.