23 Weeks

Goodness, how time flies :).  I'm 23 weeks now and feeling pretty great.  This week has been a challenging one, but we have had such an overwhelming response of prayers and encouragement that I can't help but feel loved and blessed :).  Thank you to everyone who has been there for us!  We sincerely appreciate all of you and are so thankful for you.  I could go on and on, but that would be repetitive, so thank you from the bottom of our hearts :).  After receiving numerous comments on the blog, on facebook, getting email and facebook messages, text messages, phonecalls, and face-to-face encouragement, we are very uplifted and encouraged.  We also feel a great sense of peace about everything and, with God's help, are ready to tackle anything that comes our way. 

As most of you know, Monday was our last ultrasound and you can read all the details about that in my last post.  Jason and I prayed about everything we were told and by Tuesday evening, I was feeling great... I wasn't worried or panicked anymore and just felt full of love and joy :).  I love our baby more than ever before and can't wait to hold and love on him!

I have been feeling him move and kick a LOT this week.  I don't really have a sense of his sleep schedule yet (apparently that's one of the things I'm supposed to notice eventually), but I'm definitely aware of when he's awake :).  He moves and kicks almost constantly, but it's one of the best feelings ever.  I keep touching my tummy, hoping to feel it on the outside, because I really want Jason to be able to share the experience with me.  Usually as soon as I touch my tummy, he stops kicking.  Stubborn little guy... yes, he's definitely my son! :P  Anyway, I'm hoping that VERY soon Jason will be able to feel it as well :).

I got an email this week saying that my uterus is the size of a soccer ball and I laughed.  The emails try to portray everything in a positive light, which is fine, but I don't know how I'm supposed to get excited about that fact :).  I just think it's funny.  I feel like they want me to respond with a big "YAY!" :)

I've been over my head cold this week, which is great because I can breathe better which means better sleep.  I have started to get some heartburn when I go to bed, though.  Luckily, I've been able to knock it down with a couple of Tums and I'm good-to-go.  I think the baby's main job from here on out is to gain weight and I definitely feel like he's working on that already!  A couple of days this week I was pretty tired and just felt like I was dragging at work and I told Jason I felt very "top heavy".  I need to start doing back stretches and really paying attention to my posture, because he's just going to get bigger and heavier!  I'm up to the challenge, though :).

I guess that's about it for now... here are the development details for the week:

• Your baby continues to grow and develop inside of you. He is now about the size of a mango (HA, yeah right!), measuring approximately 11 inches long and weighing about 1 pound. In the coming weeks, your baby will continue to grow and mature at a fast rate, gaining about 6 ounces of weight a week. By week 23, the blood vessels in his lungs, important for breathing outside the womb, are developing. His lips are becoming more distinct and his eyes continue to develop, though they still lack color. Also, by this week, the bones in his middle ear start to harden.
• His skin is still wrinkled but the pigments that will give his skin color are currently being deposited.

Oh!  I forgot to mention that since he can hear sounds now, I've been humming and singing to him a lot :).  It calms me down a little and I want him to know his momma's voice right away :). 

As a parting note, I would like to request your prayers for our next appointment.  We go in on Monday afternoon at 2:00 for the echo ultrasound and amniocentesis.  I'm at peace with whatever results we get, but I'm slightly nervous/anxious about the amnio procedure itself.  Please pray that the baby will cooperate and that there will be ZERO side effects or risks.  Please pray for the baby's heart... that the hole will close completely.  Finally, please pray for Jason and I.  We're trusting in God for a healthy baby and clear results, but your prayers are invaluable.  We love you all!  I'll try to post an update as soon as I can after our appointment.