Joey's Big Girls...

Hi All! Guess I should post an update. First I will take a moment to embarrass the love of my life. Poor Joseph. Had I not been watching what he was pointing out I never would have been able to make fun of him, but I was watching and I will never let it go. So cute! We were standing over the crib looking at the sweet little outfits and Joey had a very serious question that seemed to have been bothering him for some time now. He said "Why does every little girl outfit come with a hat"? Not a very odd question, because a lot of little girl outfits do come with hats, but what was funny was that he had picked up a pair of bloomers to show me the "hat" he was referring to. I almost died. After I explained that they were bloomers I got a sheepish grin out of him. So needless to say since then we have referred to them as hats. Loved it!

As for an update, we had our 24 week appointment yesterday. It was especially tense for me because I wasn't sure how much weight I had gained. I have had one nurse this entire process, but the appt before yesterday I had a nurse that I didn't particularly care for. She said I had gained 10 pounds (could be the reason I didn't care for her)! I was pretty depressed since I had been doing pretty great at eating healthy, drinking tons of water and just being good in general. Not to mention up until that point they had been telling me I had been losing weight (not surprising with my first couple of months). Anyway... I expected to gain weight, but that much that quickly freaked me out. At work it got worse when a girl said "that's ok... if you continue gaining at this rate you'll only gain 64 lbs". I could have cried! I didn't think 64 lbs would be healthy in any way. So... I went to my home scale to check the nasty nurses accuracy. Yeah... little problem. I noticed the reading was 10 lbs when nothing was on the scale. The question was did it get messed up recently, or have I just been weighing myself with it 10 lbs heavier for a while now???? I had to try it as I saw it, because it wouldn't be fair to turn it back 10 lbs. The stupid thing said I had gained 17 lbs since I started? The bright side was it would only be 17 if I had been weighing myself with the additional 10 lbs. If somehow it got magically screwed up I would have only gained 7. I sure wasn't feeling like I had gained 17 lbs so again not sure what to do here. The Good news is... the nurse didn't weigh me right last appt! Yeah! So it all evened out this appointment. My total weight gain has been 12 lbs, but the first few months I lost 5, so the Dr. said my overall weight gain is 7 lbs. Not sure if you can Imagine my relief! A little too much info I know, but it had been making me crazy for a month now! Doc gave me a high five and said I'm doing great for 6 months!

As for the little angel. Her heart rate this time was 152 bmp. The only other new news from this appointment is we will be having a big girl. She was 27 cm, which he said he expected about 24 or so, but according to my babycenter.com she should be about 21cm. So needless to say she is getting more than enough nutrition. It honestly made us wonder if the original "due date" controversy is still a little up for debate? Not really sure yet, but we should have a better idea next month. We go in for an optional ultrasound (pics & video) and they should be able to do measurements then. So we'll see on all that :). Here is the 24 week update.

Your pregnancy: 24 weeks
See the big picture
How your baby's growing: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 (picture 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.See what your baby looks like this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week.)Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.
How your life's changing:In the past few weeks, the top of your uterus has risen above your belly button and is now about the size of a soccer ball.

Where has the time gone?

Wow! I can't believe how quickly this is all going by! It seems just yesterday that we found out we were pregnant, and here we are at 5 1/2 months. I'm feeling spectacular... except for the congestion I have had for the past 2 days. It's crazy to think about what I will be doing 6 months from now... 1 year from now... just the future in general. Our little girl has been kicking like crazy! Not clearly defined as a hand or a foot, but there is definite movement. Joey got to feel it for the first time yesterday. He wasn't sure the first 2 times he felt her, but in the evening he was pretty sure he did. I think it takes a few times to really be able to identify it as movements rather than gas bubbles, a pulse, or breathing by mama :). Up until recently I have just wanted it all to rush by, but lately I find myself wanting it to slow down. August is coming quicker than expected. I am so excited and ready, and at the same time I don't know if I have been more afraid in my life. Are you ever really prepared for it? Can you ever be ready? I know we will do just fine, and everything will turn out better than I could have expected... but I have a hard time not really knowing what to expect. I have an idea of course, but I'm sure there is much more to it than I can even comprehend right now. I have been around kids my whole life, but I have never had one be my whole life. I think if Joey and I can find a balance and really establish teamwork we will be just fine. It has been a while since I left and update from babycenter... so here you go.

How your baby's growing: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.

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