Week 24: Papaya (Viability day!)

Baby’s now the size of a papaya!
Baby’s skin is becoming more opaque as the fat starts to pack on. And, thanks to the formation of small capillaries, her newly thick skin is taking on a fresh pink glow.

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How far along: 24 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I think somewhere around 5 – 7 pounds. I’m not really sure, I don’t check.

Sleep: I got a new body pillow and it seems to help a bit.

Best moment this week: –

Movement: Quite a few quiet days. Hopefully this means the baby will be kicking and squirming over Thanksgiving break.

Food cravings: fruit, chocolate

Food aversions: —

Gender: Team Green!

Labor Signs: None

Belly Button in or out? Neither. It’s just flat right now, haha.

What I miss: –

What I am looking forward to: Having a much-needed break from work

Weekly Wisdom: —

Milestones: Viability day! Basically, after 24 weeks, the baby has a good chance (I believe it’s 75% chance) of surviving outside of the womb if mother goes into pre-term labor. It seems like an odd thing to be thankful for, but I am thankful nonetheless. Before 24 weeks it’s a near 0% chance of survival.

baby journal

Eric Carle’s Very Special Baby Journal

I always enjoyed looking through the baby journal my mom made for me. It was so fun to see my first baby photo, to read about who visited me and what they brought, the little lock of hair from my first haircut, and early family photos.

Anyway, I ran across an Eric Carle baby journal at Barnes and Noble last night, and bought it. I could probably make my own baby book, but if I’m being practical, it’s probably going to be the least of my concerns when I have a newborn. This way, all the hard work is done for me.

baby booties galore!

Well, I can see how parents get carried away with clothes for their children. I was looking for a hat/bootie set on etsy today and came across tons of adorable shoes/booties for newborns:

While looking for the perfect booties, I ran across these bootie patterns from etsy seller monpetitviolon.

I’ve never knitted/crocheted anything besides a scarf, but I do know a few basics, and I think I want to try these. It would give me a little project to work on during Christmas/Thanksgiving break, and I could make them in all different colors/sizes.

nursery art

Since I am a graphic designer, I plan on making  my own art for the nursery. But here are some images I pulled from various websites for inspiration. I wish I had links for all of them, but I’ve just been saving photos in a folder on my desktop.

By Order of the Management Prints

Rock with You and Love

(Right) Monsieur I print (There are several prints by this Etsy seller that I enjoy)

Green Birds on Flowers Print and Lemon Yellow Citrus Birds Print

Animal Alphabet

Birds A-Z

nursery ideas

I started putting together a storyboard for the nursery. I want something with a bit of a grown-up feel, but with bright colors and fun art for baby. I’m sure most people will think this is a bit “boyish”, but I tend to have more masculine tastes.

I can’t decide on a paint color. I think a neutral warm grey (above) is nice, but I could also go for a medium blue. Maybe a green or a yellow? I’ll have to think about it for awhile.

this is all i have to say on the subject:

Week 23: Papaya

Baby’s little face is fully formed…minus the baby fat, of course. During pregnancy week 23 most babies will weigh in at one full pound (or just shy of) and will measure between eight and eleven inches in length!

At 23 weeks pregnant your baby is capable of hearing noises outside the womb. Encourage your partner to talk to your baby during this time so your baby gets used to the sound of their voice. While this may seem unusually your partner will be rewarded when your little one instinctively turns toward the sound of their voice shortly after delivery.

You may also notice that your baby moves around a bit more when you are in a loud environment or when say you are vacuuming or engaging in other loud tasks. By pregnancy week 23 your baby’s middle ear is developing.

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How far along: 23 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I honestly have no idea. I think it’s around 150 now? I pretty much avoid the scale. I figure if my doctor isn’t concerned, I don’t need to be overly crazy about the number.

Sleep: Eh, my hips still hurt. I think I need a new body pillow, mine is all lumpy now.

Best moment this week: Took our first childbirth class this week. Had some good friends come stay with us this weekend.

Movement: Had a really quiet day on Friday. It made me nervous, like upset nervous. The next day baby was kicking all over the place. I sense different kinds of movement now. There are kicks, taps and rolling movements.

Food cravings: sweets, fruit, milk

Food aversions: —

Gender: Team Green!

Labor Signs: None

Belly Button in or out? It has almost disappeared. Sadly, I think I’m going to have to take my belly button ring out. My sister even bought me special pregnancy belly rings (they’re flexible), but the skin is getting irritated and the ring is starting to pull out of my skin (ew, I know). It seems like a lost cause.

What I miss: Wearing normal pants

What I am looking forward to: Thanksgiving vacation in a week! I can’t wait to go home and see my family and friends.

Weekly Wisdom: —

Milestones: Began childbirth classes

childbirth class #1

Proof that Tiffany and I are there, and yes, we are both very pregnant.

Our first class was pretty fun. We had a basic introduction to the class and terms, watched a short video on the third trimester, learned one breathing technique and a relaxation technique. I’m excited to learn more in the coming weeks. Also excited to learn that our birthing rooms (at that hospital) have jacuzzi tubs. Apparently they have many benefits in labor (allows you to relax, helps with pain management and helps lessen tearing during delivery) and I think I will be utilizing it as much as possible.

17 vs 22 weeks

I feel a lot bigger now than I did at 17 weeks, but comparing these photos (I took the 2nd one today) … I don’t know if I see much of a change.

We had a great weekend. My roomate Becca and her husband Matt came to Lynchburg to visit. I love that she let me ramble on and on about baby things, haha. We got our “Grey’s Anatomy” group together, hung out around the apartment, played games, watched movies and baked yummy food. It was so much fun, and I was sad when they had to leave. I’m hoping to go visit them again before the baby comes.

Tonight is our first childbirth class. I’m nervous. I’m a shy person in “new” situations, and the thought of having to be social with a bunch of strangers makes me feel anxious. It seems my middle-school anxieties followed me to adulthood. I’m also hoping we won’t have to watch a video of someone giving birth. I don’t want to see myself give birth much less watch someone else do it. *shudder*

baby, won’t you kick for mama?

I have nothing to say today except I wish the baby would kick, or move … just something. I haven’t felt it move today. I know in the back of my mind that it’s normal, but it doesn’t make me feel any better.

Stupid gloomy, cold, nasty weather doesn’t help either.

Edit: Harry took me out to lunch because I was feeling down. Afterwards, I had a chocolate milkshake and the baby started to move around a bit. It eased my mind a little.