Bananas! & Papayas!

Oops! I forgot to do any kind of update last week...I honestly haven't felt much like blogging, writers block or something maybe. But never fear -- I'm back! :-P Lol! I never posted for weeks 21 or 22, and now it's almost time for week 23! It's going by so fast! He will be here in such a short time!!! So without further ado, here's weeks 21 & 22!

Week 21:
Baby Andrew's growth rate is decreasing, but now he is mainly putting on weight and his organ systems are continuing to mature. Also, buds for permanent teeth are beginning to form. He should weigh somewhere in the range of 10.5 oz, and he should measure just over 7 inches from head to butt, around the size of a large banana. His eyebrows and eyelids are now fully formed, and even though his eyelids are still sealed, his eyes should be very active. His taste buds are formed this week also! So now, whatever I eat, he can taste too! So I better be careful what I eat, cause that might be all he wants when he arrives :-) Supposedly, he still has plenty of room in there, but I sure don't see how. I can't imagine how 7 inches worth of baby (and that's only head to butt, not including legs) fits inside there! I can tell he's getting bigger though, his kicks are getting really strong! Curt has already felt him move, but that was him touching my bare belly. With all my layers of clothes, no one else has been able to feel him yet. I think that should come soon though, it is getting more consistently strong. In the times he is not kicking and punching and dancing, he must be sleeping. He is most likely getting about 12-14 hours of sleep each day for now.

Random facts (from FitPregnancy): 7 in is about the size of a spoon; 10.5 oz is the size bear cubs are when they are born. Haha!! Too cute!

As for me, I feel great still! I do have heartburn, but the medication is still (mostly) taking care of that....if I remember to take it, haha! I am doing good with remembering my vitamins and such, but I forget about the heartburn meds sometimes. I am starting to ache a little when laying in the bed, but it's not too bad. I REALLY need to get one of those preggo pillows. Especially for the weekend, since I (try) to sleep in on those days. Otherwise, the only thing that is an annoyance is the itchiness of my belly! Holy cow, some days it itches so bad I can't stand it! I am using both lotion and Vitamin E oil, but I think that the cold air is making it worse. It's all good though....so worth it :-)

Week 22:
This week, Andrew should be around 8 in long and weigh anywhere between 12-16 oz. A whole pound?!?! Wow :-) He should be (and most certainly is) moving around a lot, and he moves more when I'm sitting or laying down, as opposed to not much when I'm up and moving. This is because when I'm moving, it is "rocking him to sleep". Aww! His sleep should be in cycles by now, which it kind of it, but it also depends on what I'm doing. He is also able to hear and respond to sound, rhythm and melody. It is suggested that I talk and sing to him, and that he'll be soothed by that after he's born. Little do they know, but I've been doing that for a long time! His fingernails are almost fully formed, his lips are distinct, and canines and molars are forming below his gums. His little face should now be fully developed, so no more alien-faced baby here! Although the alien face was adorable too! His brain and nerve endings are developing, so he may be start reaching for his face just to see what he can feel! His grip is getting stronger too, and he may be holding on to the umbilical cord sometimes. Lastly, he's getting hair on top of his head! However, there's no pigmentation to it yet, so it's bright white! :-)

Another fun fact from FitPregnancy: Blood travels through the umbilical cord at 4 mph!

Week 22 for me: The best thing right now is that my food aversions are FINALLY fading! I can now eat almost anything I can think of (although that could be a bad thing, lol) without being grossed out. Of course, that doesn't go for foods that grossed me out pre-preggo anyway. One of the sites I read every week says that the movement and kicking of the baby could start to bother me. Um NO. I think it's the most amazing thing in the whole world, and it doesn't bother me even one bit! Another says that my lungs are becoming squished, which I haven't really noticed too much yet. I do notice occasionally that I seem short of breath, even when I'm sitting down, so I'm wondering if that's when he's sitting higher up. I'm not sure of that though. Also, my belly button may pop out soon. I didn't think this happened until later, like close to the end. I was apparently wrong, lol! I don't want it to do that yet, I guess I'm a little vain...oh well!

The other problem that happened this week is.....I had a KIDNEY STONE! Ugh! That was sooooo awful! I don't know if it was pregnancy related or not, but I thought I was going to die! I've never had one in my life, so it was completely unexpected and I didn't know what was going on. I'm going to ask the doctor at my next visit if there's any particular reason I had one now. I will say though that the triage nurse at my doctors office is the BEST! She was so sweet and caring and helpful. Even though I still had the stone after I talked to her, she made me feel so much better. I have recommended my doctors office to everyone I know that's pregnant! For those who I haven't told: Greater Carolina's Women's Center is the best OB/GYN I know of!

I think that's about it for now, I'm off to the Christmas Show with my mom and sister and friends!! Have a great weekend!!