25 weeks!!

Hi everyone, sorry it's been so long between posts, things have been pretty busy here! I had my 24 week appointment last Monday. I got to hear the baby's heartbeat again and the Dr measured my belly for the first time! She said that I'm measuring a little big but it could just be a little extra fat. She said that if I continue to measure big then we'll do another ultrasound to make sure the baby is not measuring big. She said that all of the results from my 20 week ultrasound came back normal and that according to the measurements they took, my due date is actually July 4th instead of the 6th, but since it's only a two day difference she's not going to officially change it in my records. How cool is that?! We could have a Fourth of July baby!!

So, as some of you already know, I got Rob to tell me the baby's sex. I couldn't hold out anymore, not knowing was driving me crazy. It has been so much easier buying clothes for the baby now! They only have one rack of gender neutral clothes at the bx so we would have had to order some online which could get expensive. I'm not going to announce on here what we're having because my Grandma does not want to know until after the baby is born, but if you would like to know please feel free to ask, just please don't post any comments on here about it.

This week, the baby is about 9 inches long (crown to rump) and more than a pound and a half in weight. The baby's skin is turning pinker because small blood vessels, called capillaries, are forming under the skin and filling with blood. Later this week, blood vessels will also develop in the baby's lungs, bringing them one step closer to full maturity — and one step closer to taking that first breath of fresh air. But those lungs are still very much works in progress. Though they are already beginning to develop surfactant, a substance that will help the lungs expand after the baby is born, the lungs are still too undeveloped to sufficiently send oxygen to the bloodstream and release carbon dioxide when he or she exhales. The lungs aren't the only system that's gearing up for air intake. The baby's nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, are starting to open this week. This actually allows our little one to begin taking practice breaths. (Of course since there's no air in there, our baby is really only "breathing" amniotic fluid, but it's the practice that counts, right?) The baby's kicks are getting a lot stronger now. Strong enough, in fact to keep me awake at night and strong enough to send me running to the restroom every time s/he decides to play soccer with my bladder when I'm trying to sleep. I wouldn't trade one minute of sleep for one of those kicks. Each one reminds me how close we're getting to having a beautiful baby right here in our arms.

Here are some new pictures! The first one is the most recent belly pic I took today, the second one is of the blanket I've been working on, and the third pic is of the baby's bedding on the crib and the Tigger that Justin got the baby for x-mas.