23 Weeks

23 Weeks, and here's this week's crappy self-photo (woo hoo!):

 

 

I think it looks bigger again this week. Maybe the issue last week was the white shirt instead of black? Apparently, the whole "black is a slimming color" thing does NOT hold true in pregnancy...I look twice as big when I wear it!

 

Baby is the size of a: Large grapefruit. But...um, is it just me, or do these fruit sizes - from thebump.com - seem a little off? I seriously think a grapefruit is smaller than last week's papaya. Huh.

 

She's still just shy of a foot long and weighing a little over a pound.

Development: Baby's sense of movement is well developed by now, so she can feel me moving around, dancing, etc. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing for future breathing (er, and screaming?). And her ears are getting pretty finely attuned, so she should be used to familiar sounds by now (mine and Alex's voices, cars honking, the vacuum cleaner, etc.).

Movement: It's getting much more frequent and obvious. She gets kick-y about 10-15 minutes after just about every meal, plus in the middle of the night. I can also feel her at random times all throughout the day. She's a little soccer player already, apparently; I totally need this shirt:

Ha. That said, I'm learning that there's a down-side to consistently feeling movement now, too: when I go several hours without feeling her, I get nervous. Sigh.

Weight gain: If the home scales are right, no change the last couple of weeks. But we'll see what the oh-so-dreaded doctor's scales say next week.

Maternity clothes: Yeppers. Still in a lot of my regular things, too, though (elastic/stretchy skirts, loose dresses, etc.).

Sleep: I sleep SO hard lately, and wake up way too tired. Guess it comes with the territory.

Morning Sickness: I think this category can go away at this point. Yay. Hopefully it won't make a comeback in the third trimester.

Aversions/Cravings: Nothing, really. But the "everything tastes weird/off" phenomenon is back. I can't even chew mint gum without it leaving a horrible aftertaste. The only thing that helps is brushing my teeth a bazillion times a day.

Bump: I think this category can go now, too. I'm bumpin' like a gangsta.

Am I betraying my white-girl-ness? Heh.

Symptoms: Still just SO tired all the time. Also, Braxton Hicks contractions are ever-present...I guess they're just going to be around until "real" labor contractions in a few months.

 

Oh, and for all you Learners of Things out there, here's the venerable Mr. Hicks himself:

 

 

Nice sideburns, huh? (Or...neckburns? Yikes.)

 

I miss: Being able to lie on my stomach! I didn't realize how often I did that until now...when I can't...boo.

I feel: Tired. But pretty good other than that.

Looking forward to: The "Baby Showcase" event at the hospital this week. Should be fun! Also my next OB appointment in exactly one week.

Daddy moment: I woke Alex up about 15 minutes after we went to bed last night to tell him to roll over (yep...he was snoring...again). He always feels SO bad when I tell him that - he doesn't like waking/keeping me up. This time, he insisted on some preemptive action: he took his pillow and a blanket and moved to the couch for the night, so I could get good sleep before starting the week. Aw...husband points.