24 Weeks - Baby 2

Pregnancy Update March 8, 2014

 

Bryson has his hands out in question saying "Where's Dada?"... which is what we asked him in order to get him to look at the camera as Daddy took the picture. Couldn't get a smile at the right time, but at least he was looking, I guess!

How far along: 24 Weeks!  Due June 28, 2014.

Size of baby: 12.5 inches, 1.25lbs. An ear of corn.

What developed this past week: Baby can probably sense which way is up now (which I would think that if I was him I'd rather not know, considering my head is supposed to be down for WEEKS yet...). His respiratory system is also rapidly growing - lungs are developing and moving amniotic fluid in and out, though oxygen is still being provided to him through the placenta. 

He is gaining about 6oz a week between the growing fat supplies and the growing organs and bones. He's able to hear a lot of what's going on now too! His face is almost fully formed, complete with eyebrows, eyelashes, and hair. Bryson was born with dark hair (that turned blonder over time). It'll be interesting to see what this baby has!

Weight Gain: 16.8 pounds. I've made up for a little of the excessive weight gain of the past 2 weeks - I didn't gain an OUNCE this week! Woohoo! lol

Maternity clothes: I think my smaller size maternity clothes are starting to get tight. I wish it wasn't so cold so that I could take some walks and try to help my body decide where to gain the baby weight so I could hopefully stay in the smaller maternity pants! 

Gender: A cute boy!!
Look at that precious jaw, lips, shoulder, bicep, and chest!

Movement: Baby is often moving. More people got to feel him this week! Even sitting in church on Sunday, I was watching my belly moving around! Talk about a distraction! :) 

Sleep/Symptoms: Not great, but still getting my time in if I can go to bed early enough. Just doesn't feel as restful when I wake up multiple times. I was able to take a few naps this weekend to help give me enough energy to get some cleaning done.  

What I miss: Being able to workout. I'm planning to ask my doctor in a couple weeks if I can start taking walks outside when the weather warms up. I feel like a bump on a log, but I don't want to irritate my placenta at all. So far the doctor just said pelvic rest and to limit doing things that put pressure on my cervix, like heavy lifting. I'm not sure if walking counts as a "strenuous" activity??

Low-lying placenta update: According to the ultrasound, my placenta is still low-lying, as it was last time (5 weeks ago). The Sonographer said it's "kissing my cervix"... so it's not covering the inner cervix at all, but it's right there... She and the doctor both think there is plenty of hope that it will move, since I have so much time left for B2 to grow and pull it up (as the baby gets bigger, the lower region of the uterus grows the most, making the placenta further north than it had once been).  We'll check again at 35ish weeks (and I'm hoping for another check around 30 weeks so I can know how much hope I have of a natural delivery) to decide if I can deliver or need to schedule a c-section. Pray it moves!

Cravings: Everything is good! Eating salad for lunch almost every day at work... it makes me feel better about eating extra meals/snacks throughout the day, knowing that at least 1 meal was only veggies! :) 

Best moment this week: My 23 week doctor appointment and ultrasound (3/3/14)! Got to see our sweet boy again.  His heart rate was a [crazy] 181 bpm! I've never had either boy be above 173ish. I didn't feel terribly nervous, but I was about to find out if my placenta moved at all.... so maybe he and I were both a little one edge.

His skin was all closed up around his perfectly formed spine! No spina bifida! And no cleft lip! 

He was positioned with his head down, bum to my right and feet back to my left, like he was folded in half kissing his knees. His toes were way above his head! My 2nd tall boy! 

Bryson Update: Bryson had his 15 month doctor appointment on Wednesday the 5th (at 15.5 months old). He was 27 lbs .4oz. 32.5 inches long. Head was 50th percentile, height and weight were both around 80th percentile. He had 2 more shots to get (leaving only 1 more for his 18 mo appt!! Just before I have another baby and start all the shots all over again. Boo! :( ). Bryson freaks out whenever I get him near that dr table... it's no wonder! Nothing good happens on that table! Poked and prodded every time! Otherwise, the doctor said he was ahead of the game with his comprehension and ability to name things like animals and body parts. He's on par for his speech (5-10 words), but he also signs plenty more words and performs MANY "tricks" on command, which the doctor applauded.

At the doctor's office, waiting for the doctor to come in:

Bryson can now add "Artist" or "Writer" (according to Grammy's notation) to his resume... while at Grammy and Grandpa's house on 2/21, Grandpa allowed Bryson the use of his pen! I hadn't taught Bryson yet how to color, so Grandpa got the honor when Bryson went down to his office to say good morning.
Here's his work of art:

The kid's a prodigy, I know... :)
In other news, Bryson now knows to point to my belly if I ask him, "Where's your brother??" Unfortunately, I think he may think that's what my belly is called, as he doesn't quite understand there's another boy in there! He'll get there...
Bryson also is daily putting his hands out asking "Where?" or "Why?" whenever we ask him where something is, for example. He also does it when he doesn't know something. Very cute to see him understand what we're asking and respond.
This week he got to play at his cousin's house while mama and daddy went shopping for an hour or two. My SIL said he climbed the stairs, up and down, no less than 500 times, and climbed on and off their toddler beds at least 100 times! That kid likes to do something new over and over until he perfects it! haha When we picked him up, he fell asleep in the car and didn't wake up at all while we took his coat off and put his sleep sack on him! Those girls and stairs tired him out!

My sweet boy in his daddy's hat