Letters and Soccer Balls!?!!?

Your baby weighs more than a pound and a half right now and sports a crown-to-rump length of about eight and a half inches (standard letter size!). In the past few weeks, the top of your uterus has risen above your belly button and is now about the size of a soccer ball.

Wondering what (and who) your baby will look like? If you had a baby cam at 24 weeks pregnant, you'd almost be able to tell by now. That beautiful face (though still tiny) is almost fully formed. What's still missing from the picture is the fat that will be piled on under baby's skin. Until those fat deposits are made, that very tender skin is still very transparent, which means a close look would let you see clear through to all the organs, bones, and blood vessels. Fortunately, that see-through look won't last much longer. Babies at this stage of fetal development are gaining about six ounces each week — with much of that gain coming from fat, in addition to growing organs, bones, and muscle.

What's been playing on your little rocker's stereo system these days? All kinds of sounds can be heard by your baby in your womb: from air exhaling from your lungs (deep breath now), those gastric gurgles produced by your stomach and intestines, your voice and your partner's (which your baby will be able to recognize at birth), and even very loud sounds such as honking horns, barking dogs, or a wailing fire truck.

Wow, he's gaining almost 6 ounces per week! It's crazy to think that he will double in weight in the next few weeks. He's been a little lazy the last few days, I was starting to get worried, but realized it's probably because he is a little growing machine. Lounging around packing on that fat so his skin isn't see through anymore... :)

As for me, I'm still feeling pretty good. I'm having to keep a close eye on my blood sugar as I get that funky light headed feeling if I don't pay attention to what/when I eat. I'm used to that though.

Next doctor's appointment is next week. It should be relatively uneventful. Other than that, just enjoying feeling this little man kick away. We haven't yet started ANY of the buying/planning needed for the nursery, but it will come in due time. I think we are shooting for a shower in May sometime. I can't believe we are down to less than 4 months!

Strangers started making comments on my belly and asking pregnancy related questions last week, so I'm officially past the point of no return! Oh, and based on the description at the top of the page, I have this image of my little boy bouncing around inside of my soccer ball uterus. Haha.