Week 24

Apologies for posting this late...my mom was staying with us for a few days and now I'm trying to catch back up on everything. We had a doctor's appointment this past Thursday and everything went well. The official weight gain is 14 pounds (although according to the scale at home it's 16 - I like the doctor's count better!) and my stomach is officially out and on display for all the world to see. I know this because while my mother and I were out running errands one afternoon I felt her eyes boring holes into me but I couldn't tell what she was looking at so I finally just asked her what she was staring at. The response was my belly - holy grossness! Ethan's heartbeat was normal and everything was measuring in the right ranges. It was a pretty easy appointment and it's nice to see that everything is progressing like it's supposed to since I have absolutely no idea what is going on with my body anymore!

We went to visit Patrick's family on Easter Sunday after mass, and had a nice time visiting with everybody there. My sister-in-law Brooke had me rolling on the floor with her tale of attending mass in Burlington (totally wish I could have been there, and this one is a classic for all you Catholics out there!) and we got to spend some time with our crazy nephews. They have so much energy and definitely keep me entertained. We got to hide eggs for them to find for the egg hunt and it was so much fun to get to relive this tradition. (We haven't participated in an actual egg hunt in many years in my family!) I loved it!!

My mother-in-law had an Easter basket ready for Ethan, and like the tradition in my family all baskets are hidden and you have to search to locate them. Since I was deemed "Ethan's keeper" I was the one that had to search for his basket. I should back up and say that at my house we came up with some crafty hiding places, so I know how to search for a basket. Evidently, this is not the case here because after I cleared the laundry room, Patrick came up to me and told me that I was being incredibly nosy (jokingly, but still!) because the basket was just sitting in a corner in the dining room. So much for checking the dryer, the closet, and every other place that I was checking off my list of potential hiding spots. I don't think anybody else saw me clear every potential spot in the laundry room, but next year I know just to look around and it will probably be pretty visible. Too funny!

Warmer weather has returned to NC, and I am loving it. It is supposed to hit 90 today, and I am happy as can be. So far I haven't been overly hot throughout this pregnancy, so I am definitely enjoying being able to wear shorts, sitting outside and reading my books and magazines, and just relaxing.

I know I'm leaving out a ton of stuff, but hopefully the 25 week update will be on time and I can fill in all the missing pieces then!

Here's the official word on week 24: "Your baby's growing steadily, having gained 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn) he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing branches of the respiratory tree as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon."

Week 24 - I'm growing steadily now!

Caddy discovered the pack n play!

She loved hiding under the changing table part!