24 Weeks & Update

This week has been kind-of a whirlwind of emotions.  My ultrasound & amnio were canceled on Monday because of the snow and ice in Atlanta, so I spent most of my time stuck at home thinking about what could be wrong.  I thought that reading about the defects might help by keeping me informed, but it just made me more upset.  The last couple of days have been better, but it has been hard not to become consumed by negative thoughts. 

Jason has definitely been there to hold me up, though, and needless to say, I've been praying almost constantly all week.  The verse that says "pray without ceasing" definitely comes to mind for this week!  Logan has been helping me as well :).  He has been kicking like crazy!  Jason felt him kick on Monday and it made me SO happy.  I've been wanting him to feel it for weeks and Logan finally kicked hard enough that I could feel his "bumps" on the outside.  I absolutely love it :).  Every morning when I feel him moving around, I can't help but say "good morning" and I try to talk to him throughout the day.

I have my 24 week appointment on Tuesday morning at 10:10 (I think) and then my ultrasound/amnio has been rescheduled for Tuesday at 4:00pm.  I would really appreciate everyone's prayers.  Jason will be there with me, but I really need to be at peace during the amnio procedure or I'll fall apart.  We're still praying for healing and for clear test results, but no matter what, God is in control and He will never leave or forsake us :).  We're trusting in Him and His plan for Logan's life.

I think I got my first taste of nesting this afternoon.  I drove around town to take care of a few errands and when I got home, I went through our mail (one thing we have trouble keeping up with, cleaned up the kitchen, loaded & ran the dishwasher, and completely cleaned out and reorganized our pantry.  Whew!  I'm so glad I was able to get it all cleaned up, but now I'm pretty darn tired.  I'm sure this is just the beginning, though :).  I'd like to get started on the nursery soon.  I told Jason he needs to paint it before he goes to Brazil (early February), so hopefully that'll be something he can do in a day or two.

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 an ear of corn; measuring around 12 inches long and weighing a little over 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.
• His brain is growing rapidly and his taste buds are developing. He is pretty lean at 24 weeks, but he'll soon be putting on some "baby fat" to fill out his frame and his wrinkled skin. He has begun to develop white blood cells. These cells are responsible for fighting off disease and infection.
• His lungs develop branches this week and his inner ear is completely developed. In fact, he has basic control over all of his senses: hearing, touch, taste, smell and vision!

And here is a bit of information from the email for moms:

• How are you feeling? Is it hard to believe that your third trimester of pregnancy is just around the corner? By week 24, you may begin to feel brief contractions in your uterus. You may have heard your healthcare provider mention that you might experience these Braxton-Hicks contractions. Usually, these contractions are nothing to worry about. They are commonly felt in the third trimester as they help your uterine muscles prepare for childbirth.
  Typical Braxton-Hicks Contractions:
  
• Last between 15-30 seconds
• Should be completely painless or mildly uncomfortable.
• Do not indicate real labor, unless they are accompanied by back, abdominal, or pelvic pain and vaginal discharge. 

It also lists some symptoms to look for that may signal preterm/premature labor.  I'm praying that that won't be an issue!  I'm also praying that I'll still be able to deliver naturally and that Logan won't have to be delivered via a c-section, but I'm going to try talking to the doctors about this on Tuesday.

Thanks again for all of your prayers and I will try to post an update as soon as I can following our appointments on Tuesday.