6 months! Thats half a year people!

Yesterday, I hit the 24th week mark in my pregnancy.
That's six whole months!!!

I remember when I hit my 3 month mark, my Dad said to me "geeze, you still have half a year to go!"

Well, it's been half a year and I'm down to the final 3 months! (well, technically it's more like 3 1/2 months, since they count the first couple weeks before you're actually pregnant, rounding full term out to 40 weeks. I know, it's weird.)

(24 weeks! Please ignore the bags and dark circles under my eyes, they are due to the fact that I'm either getting up twice a night to use the bathroom, I toss and turn because of sore hips, or a certain wiggly girl gets up at 4:30am)

So we went to the doctors on Wednesday and it was a really short visit. We were supposed to get blood work done for a glucose test, but the nurse forgot to give me this drink thing I have to drink an hour before, and we were supposed to get another ultrasound since little Stokes was facing my spine, so they couldn't check for a cleft pallet, but the doctor left without saying anything and when I asked the nurse on our way out, she said to remind them next time.

But other than those two little things, we were able to learn that everything is going great! My blood pressure is perfect, my weight gain is perfect (but it sure feels like a lot when that scale keeps climbing and climbing) and my little girls heartbeat is exactly where it should be and she is growing right on track!

The doctor had to keep following her around my stomach with the doppler to get her heartbeat because she was movin' and a groovin' all over the place! He said he was happy to see that she was really active (Me too! But this makes me a little worried for when she's about 2 years old. I can already tells she's going to be a hand full)

So here are just a few things my baby girl can do and how's she's progressed:

--She's between 8-9 inches from head to bum

--She weighs roughly 1.7 pounds, or, the weight of an eggplant. (no body fat yet, she's literally skin and bones. Her fat will start to tack on here in a couple of weeks)

--Her blood vessles are starting to develop in her lungs, which means they are getting closer to maturity!

--Her nostrils are opening up, allowing her to practice breathing through them, even though she's just breathing amniotic fluid for now.

--Her hair color and texture is developing (she has a really good chance of being a red head!)

--She's become A LOT more active! I love feeling her move and roll and flip around, even at 4:30 in the morning, which is her favorite time to get a good stretch in...

As for me:

--I'm feeling a lot more confident that everything is going to go well with the rest of this pregnancy. I think those first few months are the hardest because I would get so worried about miscarrying or something being wrong developmentally with her, but every time I go to the doctors, they always comment on how incredibly healthy both her and I am. It makes me feel so much more relaxed.

--I have been so lucky to have such an easy pregnancy, but I can definitely tell how it's affecting my body. I wake up with charlie horses in my calves, I can't sit in a chair or on the couch for too long or my back hurts, and I've got some growing pains from my quickly expanding belly (but surprisingly, I haven't had any signs of stretch marks... yet)

-My hands have begun to swell. They are the worst first thing in the morning, I can't even get my wedding ring on. I'm thinking of making Bryant buy me a cheap fake one for the last 3 months. The last thing I need is one of the crazy old customers at work giving me a lecture about being pregnant without a ring on my finger (I'm not kidding, I get chewed out by customers for the weirdest things, I had one guy tell me I was a sinner and not a true Mormon because I had never read Jesus the Christ... And then a week later I had one lady hug me, crying, saying that she was going to pray for my soul since I was a Mormon. Crazy people I tell ya! )

--I'm still dealing with mood swings, and I hate it. And poor Bryant is usually in my line of fire when I get grumpy. Thankfully, he understands and is a good sport about it, making sure I'm doing Okay and have anything I need or want rather than getting mad back. He's way too good to me.

--Oh yeah, and I have a head cold. Lame.

As far as preparing for baby:

--We have most of the major things all set, just not set up. We have a stroller, given to us by my cousin (it's got winnie the pooh. I'm such a sucker for winnie the pooh!)

--My aunt is letting us borrow her crib, Score!

--We are planning on going to a car seat class offered by the county health and justice department. It's 25 bucks, you learn how to properly install a car seat and how to properly and safely put your baby in one, then you get a car seat for going! Score again!

--We have a diaper pail! Woo! Graciously given to us by our neighbor. (And my mom has been stocking up on diapers! Thanks mom!)

--I have bought three SF 49ers onesies... We are lacking in the clothes department, but I'm waiting until the baby shower to buy clothes or toys or anything like that.

--We are going to start taking birthing and parenting classes in January I think. I keep telling Bryant it will be good for him, but really, I think I'm the one who really needs it. Even after taking care of and babysitting many, many kids, they were never mine to completely care, protect and provide for. Plus, it's been roughly 10-11 years since I've had to make a bottle...

So, yeah. That's quite a big update, but I figured my mom, mother-in-law and grandma would at least like to know how everything's going!