23 Weeks- A whole week late on posting!

How your baby's growing:

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

1. How Far Along? 23 weeks (I wrote this last Friday, 3/18)

2. Total Weight Gain/Loss? 16lbs

3. Maternity Clothes? Maternity jeans and regular shirts. 

4. Gender? GIRL! :-)

5. Movement? Her movement is getting different. Instead of little kicks and jabs, it feels more like rolls and stretches. Fun!

6. Sleep? I've switched sides with T since we have a fan on that side of the bed and I've been hot at night.  It also gives me access to the window! We'll see how this goes...

7. What I miss? This week has been a little tough on me emotionally.  I'm down about not being able to work out as much as I'd like, too.  When I look in the mirror, I see fat arms. :-( I get a little nervous about how big my belly is actually going to get because I feel like I'm already huge! Today, I went to a shoe store just to browse around and I tried on some cute espidrille sandals.  BIG MISTAKE! Little piece of advice for you- do NOT try on sandals when you don't have a tan and are extremely pale- it's frightening! I'm dying for the warm weather to finally arrive. I need to lay out in the sun like it's my job!

8. Cravings?

Fruit (plums, green apples, and grapes), salad with tart dressing, and Coldstone Creamery ice cream- it's to DIE for! I love the cake batter flavor with fresh raspberries, coconut, and dark chocolate chips. I limit myself to a small scoop each day.

9. Symptoms? Lots of pressure down below. Some swelling. I think that dreaded line is forming on my belly.  It starts under my chest and stops at my belly button.  It's faint and you may have to look twice to see it, but it's definitely there.  I was hoping to avoid that.  

10. Best moment this week?  Not baby related- T starting his new job this week and loving it! :-) Baby related, we're really looking forward to April 4th when we have our next ultrasound to little Baby Girl!!