BJ at Week 24

The week of July 6th, 2009

Today: 24 weeks, 6 days

BJ is growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts her at just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

What am I thinking: Where did my toes go!!! No, seriously where did they go??

How I am doing: The reality of having a baby is actually starting to settle in. I'm starting to have concerns about how to take care of her and what it will be like to have a baby in the house all the time, someone who is depending on me for survival. It can be a bit over whelming at times. Chip doesn't seem to be bothered. He's so laid back about everything. It annoys me sometimes, because I think he should be scared like me, but I guess one of us has to be strong and he has definately been my rock. I appreciate him for that.

In the past few weeks, the top of my uterus has risen above my belly button and is now about the size of a soccer ball, and my belly certainly is as big as a soccer ball, if not bigger! We had a doctor's appointment on Monday, but my doc wasn't there so we met with her assistant. The baby's heart rate was in the high 150s, which is pretty normal for her now. Every time I check she is between 150 and 155. I have to take my glucose screening test at my next appointment which won't be until I'm 28 weeks. This test checks for gestational diabetes, a pregnancy-related high-blood-sugar condition. Untreated diabetes increases risk of having a difficult vaginal delivery or needing a cesarean section because it causes the baby to grow too large, especially in her upper body. It also raises her odds for other complications like low blood sugar right after birth. A positive result on your GCT doesn't mean I have gestational diabetes, but it does mean that I'll need to take the glucose tolerance test (GTT) to find out for sure. We pray all goes well with this test. My mom had complications from gestational diabetes with me, so I am very aware of it and try to watch my sugar intake.

Not much else new is going on this past week. BJ is still as active as ever which is a great sign. Hopefully sometime soon I will be able to post pictures from the baby shower I had in Holly Springs and a new belly pic if Chip doesn't get home too late from the gym! So stay tuned!