Pregnancy Update: Week 24

How far along?  24 weeks

Baby size?  Cantaloupe; between 10.5-11.8 inches and weighing somewhere around 20 ounces.

Baby progress?  Baby Obie's milestones seem to be slowing down now but his skin is much more opaque and almost has a pink glow due to the capillaries that have started forming.  His lungs now produce a substance (surfactant) that will make them inflate when he has to breathe on his own.  He also gained a quarter of a pound in bones, muscle, and fat this past week!  Which means he's starting to fill out and look more and more like a little human!!!!  His eyelashes, hair, and eyebrow hairs are all coming in, but it's white because it lacks pigment still.  Those little ears and fingernails are now complete!!!

Weight gain?  Again, I'm not too sure.  I would say between 6-8 pounds now

Stretch marks?  None!  

Sleep?  It's not really there, but that's not because of Baby Obie.  My sleep is gone due to the stress and anxiety of my job.  I cannot seem to find a way to shut my brain off.

Symptoms?
Nothing new.  Lower back pain, upper back pain, tailbone pain, painful pooping, insane acid reflux.  

Maternity clothes?  While I was home, I ended up buying some new tops.  Some were maternity tops I found on the clearance rack and others were in the junior section, but that had that rouched side that most pregnancy tops have so it works for me.  The best part, they were only $6.99 each!!!!!!  And that wasn't even on sale.  Just regular price.  They're just plain colored shirts, but that's perfect to pair under my sweaters, blazers, cardigans, or with my jeans or maxi skirts on the weekends.  Slap a scarf or a statement necklace over it and we're golden!  I actually should have bought more so I'm going to send my mom some money and ask her to get me more.  

Cravings?  Nothing.  There really is nothing I'm wanting.  

Movement?  Kicking and punching like a mad man!  Whomever said they're movements become more fluid-like around week 22 was a liar.  His movements seems quick, karate type jolts!  I wish more than anything I could just click an "on" button and magically be able to watch him anytime I wanted.  I seriously feel like there's some extreme kickboxing going on in there.  It's not painful (yet) so I don't necessarily mind (except when I'm trying to sleep) but it's just like "what are you doing?!"

Workouts & Activity?  Still none.  I am getting lots of exercise in with my job; all the in and out of the car, running all over the office, and all the walking.  But no set activities and exercises.  

How are you feeling?  Overall, great!  Some days or some moments are a little rough (like when my head is in the toilet and I'm puking up bile from my acid reflux) but overall, I can't really complain!  I know this could be much, much worse.  

Best moment this week?  There were a few.  The first was my baby shower :)  Hands down.  It was more than I could ask for.  My sister did an amazing job planning it all and the decorations were perfect!  My aunts, cousins, mom, and grandma helped to set up and execute the entire thing and it was just perfect.  I can't wait to share the details of it.  This little baby is so blessed and so loved, as am I, and I cannot thank my family enough for everything. 
The second was my family getting to see me pregnant.  The last time they saw me, I was only 11 weeks pregnant and there wasn't much there other than ginormous boobs (my little A cups had grown to a C by then) and a little bump that more resembled some pudge (but was really just bloat).  But this trip, I had a visible bump (I wore the dress they all saw me in at the shower in this week's photos).  They were all so excited to see me and it was a great feeling to get to share this with them instead of sending them the random bump photos.  My brothers even came in town so it was great to see them!
The third best moment (you can have more than one best!) was my family getting to feel Baby Obie kick and punch.  I was worried no one would get to feel him and it made me so upset.  For some reason, he was very, very calm this trip home.  I was actually worried.  I felt him at the Atlanta airport on my layover to St. Louis on Thursday, but I didn't feel him move again until Saturday night!!!!!  Thank goodness he did!!!  Unfortunately, that meant that my aunts, cousins, and friends didn't get to feel him at the shower.  But my mom, dad, two brothers, sister, and grandma all got to feel him!!!!  Saturday and Sunday night, Little Man was kicking and my family was able to feel him.  And I was so happy to share that with them.  Baby Obie must take after his daddy; shy at first but eventually he'll open up and "talk", or in this case, kick, to say hello :)

Worst moment this week?   Saying goodbye to my family.  It was hard because this was really the only time my family will get to take part in this pregnancy.  While it's exciting to think that the next I see them, I will be a mom and I will have a baby in my arms, it's still upsetting.  It's always hard to leave my family, but this was so difficult.  I was able to hold it together when I said goodbye to Grandma, Dad, and my siblings.  But when my mom and I said goodbye before walking through security, I couldn't hold it in.  I cried through security and then when I sat down at my gate, I was still crying and it just intensified.  People were staring, but I didn't even care.  It was just so hard to leave.  I want nothing more to be living in St. Louis with my family and having them be a physical, active part of this pregnancy and Little Man's life.  

What do you miss?  My family.  It's been hard to be back here in Florida without them.  It doesn't help that my husband isn't home much, so I feel really alone right now.  It sucks to be experiencing something so exciting, but feel like you're experiencing most of it alone :(  

Things that suck?    Putting on shoes and wearing heels.  I will still wear heels but not often at all.  I used to wear heels almost every workday and now, I will only wear them once a week.  On the weekends, I'm finding myself not picking cute heels when Nick and I go out.  I hate it.  I love heels but my back just can't handle it anymore.  It's also just so hard to put shoes on.  It's becoming difficult (definitely uncomfortable, sometimes painful) to bend over and put shoes on.  Which is why I'm opting for flats most often.  I use my feet to push them off the shoe rack, use my feet to flip them over (if they land upside down), and then just slip my feet in.  Easy peasy!

Things that don't suck?  My esophagus working.  I don't really know what it is, but this pregnancy has helped my esophagus.  Typically, food will get stuck every day, multiple times a day, causing me to have to dislodge it.  But since being pregnant, I've only had to dislodge food maybe 10 times!!!!  That's a huge improvement because it used to be about 10 times a week!  Food still get stuck, but it seems to be moving much more easily now.

Looking forward to?  Using all this baby stuff!!!  It's kind of a tease to have all this adorable stuff and tiny outfits and not be able to use them.  I just want him here!!