24 weeks [a few days removed]

24 weeks

what's cooking? [new baby things]: baby is growing like crazy.  her ears are fully functional now - including her inner ear so she can tell if she is upside down or not.  which kind of freaks me out.  i liked picturing her in an anti-gravity machine so she wouldn't really care if i switch over sides, etc.  i hope i'm not making her dizzy!  i know near delivery she's upside down for quite sometime so maybe this is just training.  she is about the size of a foot-long hotdog and weighs about 1 1/3 pound.

gender: little bitty girl! hi little princess!

movement: still moving a TON in the evenings, before i go to bed and before i get up.  she's so strong now and if you squish her she'll respond nearly every time. everything i read says she's kind of cramped in there and i believe it.  every time she gets situated it feels like a giant rumble in there.  now when i lay on my back in the evenings and stare at my belly it looks just like a rave. she's bouncing off the walls in there.

momma developments:  last week was a lot of hard work.  and my body was feeling it.  i was absolutely exhausted and my whole body hurt by sunday.  it was worth it but my prego body just can't do the things my non-pregnant body could.  i've also been more emotional, more easy to cry, more easily angered.  neither are things i really like.  i hope it is a phase.  i've been praying especially about the anger part.  i don't want to be a irritable mess.  my belly button is nearly flat.  i fear we're quickly approaching outtie territory.  oh yikes.   i have a super duper faint linea nigra kicking now, so that's new.  and although i don't think i've blogged about it yet for the past month or more i've had this pain in my....leg, we'll say leg.  when i look it up online they say its a nerve thing.  it feels like a strained muscle but when you touch it there is no extra comfort or discomfort.  it's weird.  but enough with all the complaining - my 'bad' things aren't really so bad.  other momma developments are that i am having so much fun being pregnant and i feel unbelievably blessed that the Lord has lead us to this place.

total weight gain: 15-17 pounds.  momma had a growth spurt so maybe that means baby did too?  lets hope so!

maternity clothes: i didn't really wear real clothes for the past week.  i was dressed head to toe in junk that could be covered in paint & grime.  and those nasty clothes were all regular tees and sweats.  sadly, after writing that i tried to figure out how many showers i took last week.  lets just say...it may rhyme with ew.

cravings: jimmy johns, and i'm not allowed to have it :(  so sad.  ben keeps telling me, we have lunchmeat you can use at home but we both know its not the same as a slim 4 with cheese.  we both know.

anything hard?
not being able to physically or mentally take care of things like i normally would.  its all just an adjustment and i'm not actually that good with big changes.

juggling work and life and family and ministry and preparing for parenthood.  we are so blessed by all the things on our plate.  the plate is just pretty full.  we're still figuring out a lot of what that means.

spacial planning - not my forte.

never forget:
we found a baby in a magazine that looks just like a little baby girl version of your dad when he was a baby.  we hung her on our fridge.  every day i look at her and think - that could be you in there.  and laugh that we stole your glamor shot from a dr.'s office.

this sunday past sunday was easter.  i think you were probably in a dress.  even though i was in sweats.  you're dainty like that.  i pray that someday you will know the power & meaning of the resurrection.  i pray that it would mean everything to you & that you'd celebrate it every day of the year. i can't wait to tell you all about your heavenly Father and how much loves you, what he'd go through to have you.

you have a room!  and its not filled with a queen bed!  you have clean pretty walls, brand new carpet and the sweetest little chandelier a girl could want.  obviously you still need a place to sleep, maybe somewhere to be rocked and some curtains to block out that early morning light...but we're getting there.  can't wait to play with you little one.  we made you a space on your floor right in front of the window for you to play with all your toys while the sunshine pours in.

your dad really wants to meet you.  he can't wait to see your tiny little face and squeeze your cheeks.  he's looking forward to giving you lots of raspberries.  i've told him he has to be gentle with his big beard.

baby info sources:
baby center
parents connect
what to expect