24 Weeks

 

How far along: 24 weeks - EDD 09/10/15

 

How big is baby: The size of a cantaloupe - Her see-through skin is gradually becoming more opaque. It also has a new pink glow, thanks to the small capillaries that have recently formed.

 

What are we having: A sweet baby girl

 

Symptoms this week: I'm hoping it's a fluke, but my back was so bad over the long Memorial Day weekend, that I thought I was going to become a cripple. I was sleeping terribly because of the back pain, so that just made it worse because I never got a good rest to let it heal. I really have to start watching what I do because when I overdo it, I regret it.

 

Weight gain/loss: Since last week wasn't really a full pound, and this week isn't really a full pound, I'm going to say I'm still holding at an 8 pound total gain... But it's probably 8 and a half-ish.

 

Food aversions/cravings: Oh God, the heartburn. I never know what will cause it and what won't. Anything acidic is a definite trigger, but oddly enough, spicy foods don't cause any issues at all.

 

The baby belly: It's getting to the beginning of that "I feel large" phase. With my back bothering me so much I've been really uncomfortable in general, so the belly got caught up in that as well. I feel huge and achy, but ultimately the cause is more my back than my bump.

 

Movement: She's starting to relocate! She is still as low as she can possibly get, but I feel like she's more centered now. I clearly feel, and see, movement left, right, and center. She occasionally kicks me so hard that it makes me jump. It's startling to get kicked out of nowhere!

 

What is freaking me out: Worrying about my back for the remainder of the pregnancy... and rain. It hasn't stopped raining here for weeks, and Houston just flooded from a freak storm. I can't help but think what would happen if I went into labor during a flood or hurricane, and it freaks me out.

 

What I'm totally loving: All of the visible movement! I could just sit and watch my belly for hours. It's incredibly weird and cool at the same time. I know it's just going to get stronger, but this is really the first week that I can consistently see well-defined movement.

 

What I'm looking forward to: My mom coming to visit next month, and my baby shower! It's going to be so much fun, and by the time she gets here it'll have been 9 months since I saw her last.