Week 25

With Darling Daughter #2:
With Natalie:Our little girl has now formed all 33 rings, 150 joints and 1,000 ligaments in the structure of her spine. The surfactant that is essential for lung function after birth is also beginning to develop. All five senses are fully developed. She's close to 1 1/2 to 2 lbs now and starting to fill out!

I'm definitely having a harder time bending over and so forth now. I make a lot of grunting noises which Emile finds entertaining. She's kicking a lot which I feel really low -- I'm guessing she's breech right now. And the never ending need to pee has started! My Braxton Hicks continue to be pretty frequent, although not painful. Tomorrow I have my next appointment in which they'll test me for Gestational Diabetes. I'm looking forward to hearing her heartbeat again and finding out how everything is going.

Natalie finds it amusing to push on my belly button that sticks out pretty predominately now. We captured a photo of her doing it recently:

When we ask her where her belly is, she'll pull up her shirt and point to it and then come over to me and pull up my shirt to point to my belly button.

Week 24

With Darling Daughter #2:
With Natalie:
I'm getting a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions now, at least 3-4 a day. It's mostly just a tightening of my uterus that goes away in about 30 seconds. It seems to occur less if I drink more water so I'm trying to stay well hydrated. I can feel her kicking all the time now which is a great feeling. She's more active in the afternoon and evening. I can now see her kicking from the outside as of last Friday (23w 3 d). Emile felt her kick on Sunday (23w 5d). I'm glad he was finally able to feel her. It helps make it feel more really for him (not that my big belly doesn't help).

She now weighs about a pound and a half and is probably around 8.5 inches long. Her lungs are gaining blood vessels now, preparing them for taking over the task of getting oxygen into the blood stream. Our baby is working out her own waking and sleeping periods.

Week 23

With Darling Daughter #2:

With Natalie:
Sound sleep is a thing of the past. I'm now waking up a few times a night from both being uncomfortable and to pee. Of course, Natalie waking up and turning her Rainforest crib soother on hasn't helped. I'm definitely feeling the baby a lot more right now. A few times a day I can feel her kick and roll around. I think I may be starting to get Braxton Hicks contractions -- at least once or twice a day my belly starts tightening up, just like with Natalie (it started around week 25 with her). My c-section scar itches a lot lately also.

Our baby's pancreas is developing well and is even beginning to produce insulin. The bones in the little one's middle ear are hardening now. She weighs about a pound and is about 8 inches in length - she's the size of a small doll.

Week 22

With Darling Daughter #2:
With Natalie:

I'm definitely starting to feel our baby more. Not every day, but more frequently than before. I even felt her kick with my hand from the outside of my belly last week Wednesday (21w 1d). I'm starting to feel more sluggish and am making more noises when I get up.

She's probably around 7.5 inches long now and by the end of this week getting close to, if not more than, a pound! She's starting to get plumper now. Her body and face are starting to take on more of an appearance of what she'll look like as an infant -- how exciting! Our baby's liver is now starting to function also.