BJ at Week 23

The week of June 29th, 2009

Today: 23 weeks, 5 days

How BJs growing:Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, she can feel me dance. Now, she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound about as much as a large mango or the size and shape of a small doll, but then, I already know that I am carrying a little living doll :) Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare her for breathing, and the sounds that her increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them in the outside world for the first time. (babycenter.com)

4th of July weekend has come and gone and it was great! I had soo much fun and am so thankful for the friends and family who came over to celebrate with us. Everyone was pleasant and we had a really good time. We watched the Legacy Park firework show from our deck and we even had our own small firework display with Big Brother Tre and the other kids that were over. It was fun. I haven't actually popped fireworks since I was a kid. We took some pictures, so I will have to post them soon, but for now, it's on to more news about BJ!!

She's been much more active lately, actually having a pattern to her movements. She tends to be most active in the morning around 6am then after breakfast and again around 11:30 to midnight before I go to bed. She is now kicking and pushing harder and harder and I no longer have to feel around on the outside to find out where she is kicking. I can just lay my hand on my belly and feel her kick. She's getting bigger and bigger and I can't wait to have her in my arms soon!!

I have noticed that my ankles and feet swell more easily and more often especially by the end of the day and on the HOT days. Ugggh , I may end up wearing support hose before it's all said and done. My body is also retaining more water these days. So, as instructed, I try to lie on my left side and put my feet up when I can. I have been slacking on the exercise, but I vow to get back to it. It's so easy to get out of the routine and so hard to start back!

This week also marks the beginning of some serious weight gain (hence the need to get back to the exercise routine). BJ's weight in the next four weeks alone should double and I am sure I will feel like my weight is doubling too. BJ's skin is reddish in color now because of the developing blood vessels underneath her skin. Her skin is still very thin. It also hangs loosely from her little body at this point, so she looks very wrinkled. That's because the skin grows faster than the fat develops during fetal growth. But, by the time she's born, she will be pleasantly plump and filled out — from chubby cheeks to chubby toes.

I won't have another ultrasound for a while, so here is a pic of what BJ might look like at this stage in 3D.