24 Weeks

How far along? 24 weeks, 2 days

How big is baby? About the size of a canteloupe

Total weight gain: I was close…I’ve gained 14 pounds so far.

Maternity clothes? I’m fully into maternity clothes. I (finally) found a dress for my brother’s rehearsal dinner, which should also hopefully still fit for my other brother’s wedding in December. Fingers crossed! It’s very versatile…I can dress it up for the weddings or down for work.

My mom and I (finally) found a store with maternity clothes that fit me. Unfortunately, they are ridiculously expensive. I picked up two tops that should work well all fall. I also got a few things from a friend of mine earlier this week, which was great.

Stretch marks? Not on my belly, but I do have a few on my breast. I didn’t even know that was possible, but I guess that must be what happens when you start out small!

Exercise? I have some room for improvement in this area.

Sleep: I have transitioned to sleeping on my right side and have been sleeping a little better, though it takes a lot longer to fall asleep (I’ve always been a left side sleeper).

Over the past two weeks, I’ve noticed that when I lay on my left side the baby gets very active and starts kicking, to the point where I have to roll over or it gets very uncomfortable. I mentioned that to the doctor, and she said that she thinks he is transverse right now and that his head is on my lower left side. Well no wonder! I’d kick and protest if someone was lying on my head too! I felt so bad when she said that…poor little guy…

Movement: He continues to get more active and I normally feel him at various points throughout the day. He hasn’t reached the stage of constant movement yet. He is also most definitely a night owl!

Right now, he is typically moving around a bit early in the morning, again late afternoon around 4ish and then is very active after dinner and right around the time we go to bed. He loves when I lay on my back…it’s hilarious how much he moves and kicks when I am in that position.

Food cravings: I still haven’t developed any “must have pickles and ice cream at 2 a.m.” cravings, so I’m very thankful for that.

Food aversions: No changes – still as picky as ever. My mom was telling me what is being served at my brother’s reception and my response was, “I’ll eat the cheese and fruit plate, as well as some of the roasted potatoes.” It’s bad…I have never been this picky in my life and it’s driving me bananas.

Gender: It’s a BOY!!

Labor Signs: Nope.

Symptoms: This week was so much better than last week! I’m really hoping I have another good week with my brother’s wedding coming up.

I’ve focused on the lightheadedness issues since that’s hogged center stage, but also wanted to mention some of the other symptoms just for posterity’s sake.

• Mild heartburn (especially after eating bananas…odd)
• Mild headaches
• Constantly stuff nose
• Nosebleeds
• Itchy belly

I am not tired like I was first trimester; however, I get tired/worn out very easily. I have to be careful not to overdo it.

I have a terrible gag reflex. Anytime I so much as cough I get worried. It’s such a strange symptom…I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve thrown up in my whole life before I got pregnant.

My belly is also starting to get in the way, which is somewhat annoying but also makes me pretty excited. It’s harder to lean forward (to tie shoes for instance) and let’s just say I no longer use a sharp razor for some of my personal grooming needs.

Oh – and one symptom I’m not so excited about – my belly button is making a concerted effort to become an “outie” instead of an “innie”.

What people are saying: “Do you know what you are having?” “Have you starting thinking about names?” “How are you feeling?”

I’ve also gotten a few more “never heard that before” comments while shopping for clothes this week:

“You are too busty for that top. See how it’s stretching here?”

And while shopping for skinny jeans, “Try these instead. You’re turning into a curvy girl!”

(I’m not sure if that was polite saleslady speak for, “Your thighs and butt have gotten big.”)

My favorite comment of the week came from the saleslady at Williams-Sonoma. After I had paid, I stepped back from the counter and she said, “Oh wow, I had no idea you were pregnant! You don’t look it all from the torso up. Congratulations!”

Sweet Moments:

Love this little exchange my husband and I had earlier this week:

Me: “It took forever to fall asleep! The baby started kicking like crazy when we went to bed.”
Mike: “That’s because he’s a rock star.”

Also, I asked Mike if he’d like to pick out a book to read to the baby before bed. He said yes with much more enthusiasm than normal (which is to say, he normally gives me the “you are slightly crazy” look at this request). So I get into bed and ask him what he picked out. He held up the Coconut Telegraph, a.k.a. the Jimmy Buffet merchandise catalog. Sigh…

Make room for baby: We got him a few more new (to us) books last weekend and now he has a cute little basket full of books. I love working on his library!

We also bought his crib mattress this morning. Researching crib mattresses was a doozy…the prices are all over the board, as are people’s opinions of them. I determined that I wanted a semi eco-friendly mattress for $100 or less that had overall good reviews. The one we purchased today fell within those guidelines, so I’m pleased with it.

I also worked on his registry yesterday. It was fun to wander around the store and pick out things for him.

Miss Anything? Not having to keep track of my fluids!! I am not a fluids drinker, so getting 60-80 ounces per day is a chore and a half. I would like to meet the inventor of Gatorade in person and express my sincere gratitude to him/her.

Looking forward to: Seeing my Grandma next weekend! She is so excited about the baby and I can’t wait to spend some quality time with her.

Worst/most embarrassing moment this week: None to report!

Best moment this week: Spending time with my mom getting ready for baby. We looked at some childcare options, shopped for maternity clothes and talked about his nursery theme. We always have a good time together and she has been such a huge help with getting ready for baby!