Family Friday: 23 Weeks

Warning: Family Friday posts are an open and honest update of our pregnancy.  There will be references to lady parts, internal organs, and bodily functions.  There will also be photos of baby bumps and ultrasounds.  If any of this bothers you, please stop reading now.

23 Weeks

THE BABY:

 -  is developing blood vessels in her lungs to prepare her for breathing

 -  is becoming familiar with loud common noises

 -  has developed a sense of movement and can feel me move and dance

 -  is starting to pack on the pounds starting this week and will double her weight in the next month

 -  is about 11.5 inches long from head to heel

We wrote her name in the sand for the photo above but we're not revealing it yet!

WEIGHT:  +11 lbs total.  Another 1 pound gain this week.

BODY:  No change in measurements this week.  My waist is still at +3.5 inches, my lower belly is still at +3.5 inches, and my hips are still at +1.5 inches.  I'm starting to get a very faint Linea Nigra on my lower belly.  I can feel my belly starting to stretch now because my skin is tighter and gets itchy if I don't keep it moisturized.  I massage Bio-Oil onto my belly twice a day and (knock on wood) haven't developed any stretch marks yet.

THE GOOD:  1) Movement.  This is always a good thing.  I can tell that Baby G is starting to settle into a schedule of awake and sleep time.  When she's awake, she moves a lot!  2)  Energy.  My energy levels are still up and my body feels great.

THE BAD:  1) Indigestion.  I had to resort to taking Tums a few times this week.  I had some painful gassy bloating in my stomach for an entire day and have had some mild heartburn lately too.  2) Headaches.... as always.  I dream of the day that I can finally take Advil for the pain again.

FOOD:  I'm on a bagel kick again.  I'm still trying to find an amazing bagel bakery here but this is a small island :/

EXERCISE:  We did a lot of walking and hiking last weekend on a trip we took.  I felt great during the days but every evening I was wiped out!  This week I went to my Power Pump class twice, and did some walking and biking on base.

OTHER NOTES:  Johnnie's family has been visiting for the past few weeks.  Last weekend we took a trip to the Big Island (the island officially named Hawaii) and it was awesome!  There was so much space (it's about the size of Connecticut) that it makes Oahu seem small, crowded, and claustrophobic in comparison.  We saw a miles upon miles of hardened lava, the smoking caldera of the volcano, steep cliffs dropping into the blue ocean, lush tropical vegetation, and my favorite... a black sand beach.  This trip made a total of three plane flights for Baby G so far.  She is becoming a seasoned traveler before she's even born!

*******

"Now my belly is as noble as my heart."

~Gabriela Mistral

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