24 and 25 Weeks Pregnant!

24 Weeks

I am a week behind but for good reason.  I have had two crazy weeks and then I got sick which is typical when my stress level goes up.  My week started with a snow storm and a fender bender.  The car behind me could not stop and ended up hitting my car twice.  I have never really been in a fender bender and completely spaced on what I needed to do.  I took a picture of his license and then pretty much fled the scene to go to the hospital.  The entire experience made me realize how much I really love my hospital!  The nurses were awesome, the hospital room was comfy, and my own doctor kept correspondence with the hospital doctor through the entire observation.  They hooked me up to monitors to watch the heart rate and contractions.  The doctor also did an ultrasound to check fluid, the placenta, and the baby.  The baby was a bit camera shy and did not turn toward the ultrasound but his spine looks great!  My husband, once again, was the calming force in the room and knew when to add humor as needed.  I am so lucky to have him next to me through this entire journey (and the journey of life) as he balances me and compliments my crazy-Googling-paranoid-emotional self.

Brian and I were excited to welcome Betsy (Brian's mother) and Maureen (Brian's sister) to our humble abode last weekend.  We enjoyed some yummy dinners out and went to a couple of baby stores to check out strollers and clothes.  It was great to have them both here and to bounce ideas off of Betsy about the nursery, clothes, daycare, and general care of the baby.  This little boy is going to be very lucky to have such great grandparents!

25 Weeks

On Sunday I went to a hotel in Lincoln Park and was sequestered for three days to complete an ISACS school accreditation process for a neighboring school.  I was so excited for the opportunity to "be professional" and go beyond my comfort zone of my own classroom, but unfortunately I got very very sick with a head cold.  It is hard to be professional when your nose is red and raw and you cannot project your voice past two inches.  One night in the hotel, my nose started to bleed very badly while I was in the bathtub.  It looked like a murder scene by the time I got out of there with bloody face towels and footprints on the bath mat!  We did get to go to nice dinners as a group, and it was great networking despite how I was feeling!

How do I feel?  Like I said, I feel pretty yucky but that is because I have a cold that I can't take anything for.  Other than that my lower back is a bit sore, and I have some round ligament pains in the front.  Baby Brown is super active in the evening, and Brian is able to feel the kicks.  My hair is super thick and my skin is amazingly clear which is awesome, too!

Cravings?  Milk and water - kind of weird but can always go for a big glass of cold milk.

The baby is the size of a rutabaga (not even sure what that is!) and is beginning to fill out his body with more fat.  His brain is rapidly growing, and the brain cells are starting to mature.  His hands are fully mature, and he can make fists and reach out and touch things albeit there is not much in there to touch!  His lungs are beginning to develop and the baby's nostrils are beginning to open.  He can also hear sounds so I hope he likes the sound of 20 kindergarteners learning, laughing, and sometimes arguing!