24 Weeks!

I'm 24 weeks pregnant!  That means we have about 16 weeks (give or take) to go!  Things are REALLY starting to get real...mostly the practical preparations since have haven't done a thing to the nursery, haven't bought any furniture or other baby necessities, etc.  My main task this week has been trying to make a final decision on where this baby is going to be born and who my care provider will be.  I visited a birth center located about 1 1/2 hours from our home last Friday.  I really liked it and loved the midwife even more.  I am not thrilled about the drive (if only it was a bit closer!!!) but the more I think about it, I'm more and more convinced that it will be worth it.  So, although I haven't notified the midwife yet, I am 99% sure that's my final choice.  Otherwise, this week has been super busy with work and teaching clinicals.  I have been suffering with a cough but still thankful it hasn't been any more than that. 

Here's the bump...

Here are the stats...

How far along?  24 Weeks

Baby is the size of an: ear of corn

Maternity clothes?  Definitely only wearing maternity pants and shirts are about half and half (then again, I feel like I only wear scrubs 75% of the time and for those, I'm wearing my pants from before I lost weight last summer).

Symptoms:  Hyper-gag reflex (especially with the cold I'm suffering from this week), threw up once after gagging the other day, some carpal tunnel in my right wrist, occasional leg cramps while sleeping (thankfully pretty mild and short-lived), growing belly, hearty appetite, increased thirst and urination...

Sleep:  Still pretty good for the most part.  Getting harder and harder to reposition comfortably from one side to the other as my belly grows.

Best moment this week: Nothing big, lots of little things like my hubby giving me a massage today and leaving me little presents (including an adorable mini sized bag of pretzel M&M's).  Hehe.

Miss Anything?  Nothing new.

Number of times I get up to pee each night:  On average, twice.

Food cravings: Cinnamon Crunch bagel from Panera Bread.  Tonight, I remembered I wanted one when we were close to Panera but we got there just a few minutes before they closed!!!  Ughhhh!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not particularly.

Movement:  Yes!  And I LOVE it!  I'm becoming so used to it that it's easy to take for granted which I'm obviously trying very hard not to do.  I hate it when I'm so busy for a prolonged period of time that I don't feel her move.  Her movements are strong enough a lot of the time that it's visible from the outside.  I love to just sit and stare at my belly for long periods of time.

Stretch marks? Nope! (Hoping it stays that way)!

Belly button - in or out? It's definitely starting to poke out some but it's still quite the innie.

Wedding rings - on or off? On.  Sometimes they get a little snug but for the most part, I haven't really noticed any swelling at all.

Gender: Pretty sure it's still a girl!

Mood: Good!

Looking forward to: Having a little more extra time on my hands since I'll be done teaching clinicals after this weekend.  I'm spending more time on practical arrangements like registering for gifts and trying to find furniture for the nursery.

Baby preparations: Ummm, I guess I already answered that question above.  Hehe.

What the baby is up to this week according to Babycenter.com:  Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts her at about 1 1/3 pounds. Since she's almost a foot long (about the size of an ear of corn), she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.