Week 24

It is now week 24 of our pregnancy. That means there are approximately 16 more weeks to go and that is only 4 months! That can be a little overwhelming to think about but VERY exciting all at the same time!

Well after our fun little trip to the hospital last week and a whole lot of rest and relaxation I am now feeling much better. I really do think all I did was pull a little muscle in my big ole belly. Yesterday was the turning point. It was still a nagging pain yesterday morning but I was able to stay off of my feet most of the afternoon (thanks to the great lawn chairs next to the pool!) and today I feel like a new person! I even got up this morning and worked out! It felt so good to get my body moving and to break a nice sweat.

Amazingly our baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts B-C at just over a pound. Since the baby is almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he/she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but its body is filling out proportionally and will soon start to plump up. The brain is also growing quickly now, and the taste buds are continuing to develop. B-C’s lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help the air sacs inflate once they hit the outside world. The baby’s skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon. It is so awesome that our baby is developing at such an amazing rate!
Mark and I are still keeping up our busy pace. Work for me should slow down with school letting out for the summer at the end of this week. I am so fortunate that I am able to work a few extra weeks this summer especially since I will be out (without pay) come the end of September. I am planning on working the rest of June and then I’ll take a few weeks off in July before I have to go back when school starts in August. Mark plans on taking some time off in July too and I think that we are going to plan a fun little summer road trip. We had a very relaxing weekend this past weekend. We actually stayed in Orlando! Saturday was fun…we went over to Epcot in the late afternoon to take advantage of the last weekend of the Flower and Garden Show. The weather was great and while we were in the parking lot we even got to see the Space Shuttle launch…talk about good timing! Sunday was great too…we went to church and then I went straight to the pool! We had a nice quiet night in and even went on a walk after dinner…got to love those Florida summer nights!

We just want to say thank you to all of you for your prayers and concerns this past week. We feel so loved and so does our baby…and B-C isn’t even here yet! I am so glad that I am finally feeling like myself again…pregnancy is tough enough without a crazy pain in your side! But I guess I can’t complain. This pregnancy has been super easy and trouble free so far…I really am so blessed and happy to be pregnant!