Little Buddy is officially 23 weeks today! He is getting so big, and he has grown quite a bit in just a week. He is now the size of a grapefruit! Crazy to think that a grapefruit is in my tummy right now. So he's somewhere between 10.5 to 11.8 inches and anywhere from 12.7 to 20.8 ounces. Quite a range, I know, but I'm thinking little buddy is probably somewhere in the middle.
His face is fully formed now and he just needs a little extra fat to fill it out. And they say, he's listening to the sound of my voice and my heartbeat, and he can even hear loud sounds like cars honking and dogs barking. Isn't that just crazy? He's teeny tiny, but he can hear things in the outer realm! Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing. He is also extremely active, and I love feeling him squirming around in there. I'm sure my thoughts on this might change in a month or so when he starts really jabbing me and running out of room. But for the time being I love his little kicks and his little karate chops. And guess what?? Peter felt him move for the first time this weekend. Oh you should have seen his face...such a delightful moment. Peter couldn't stop smiling.
Normally, when little buddy starts doing his thing in there, I tell Peter about it, and ask him if he wants to see if he can feel the baby moving, and most of the time he says yes, sometimes reluctantly, simply because he doesn't want to be let down yet again. And there have been plenty of let down moments, obviously, considering I have been feeling little buddy move since week 16. But Peter finally experienced his moment. He makes me get all quiet and then places his hand on my tummy, and I'm not allowed to tell Peter when the baby moves. So I don't! But this time, LB let his presence be known, and Peter turned to me with a little twinkle in his eyes, and said was that a kick? And of course it was! It was a pretty special moment.
So they say that at 23 weeks, little buddy is getting ready for his big debut, listening in on what's going on in the outside world. They also say, that we should be getting the nursery ready - well we have a closet to fix up, and yes, it is small, but it is still something we have to think about. See, said closet is full of items, so we will need to find a new home for those items so that little buddy has some space for his crib. And they also say we should start thinking about the financials - life insurance, disability insurance, a will, and baby's savings account. What savings account?, I ask! My brother asked us awhile ago if we are budgeting for baby, and my response was why yes, of course! I mean how else could we afford these medical bills and the anticipated ones, and he said, no, I mean when AFTER the baby comes. And I chuckled slightly to myself. The reality is, we can afford things as they are right now, and we are trying to save as much as we possibly can now, but what about when the baby actually arrives? Saying I don't know sounds so irresponsible, but it's the truth. We are just taking each day as it is and living as simply as we can right now.
So let's see...symptoms. Definitely tired, pretty much ALL the time! And my blood pressure doctor said it could be from the medication I'm taking, but it could also just be because I'm pregnant! Who really knows! They do keep telling me that I need to rest more, and I'm starting to think I should take their advice. My sleep schedule is pretty much the same as it was pre-pregnancy, and I'm thinking maybe I need to make a change. I think I'm superwoman or something and that I can just keep plugging along, but the reality is...I eventually crash and I'm not a nice person to live with during these moments. Just ask Peter! Still no swollen body parts, and I am dreading the day when my boots won't fit over my calves or something strange like that.
I know this sounds terrible, but I can't wait for the day that I have an official belly bump and people start to realize that yes, I really am pregnant! Peter finds it so amusing every time someone says...oh you are tiny - how many weeks are you again? And I find myself just rolling my eyes, and waiting in anticipation for the day to come that everyone realizes that I have little buddy in my tummy! I definitely need to lie down more often, and I have had some back aching moments, but not too many. All in all, I'm feeling great and getting more and more excited to meet our little man.
Until Next week,
Malia and LB
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