23 and 24 Weeks Pregnant!

23 weeks

24 Weeks

Wow! We've hit the 6 month mark! This entire pregnancy I've had my fingers crossed that nothing would go wrong and we would make it this far. Now whenever I feel Jackson move I feel incredibly blessed to be carrying him, healthy and whole. My belly has definitely grown as Jackson has and we are beginning his most rapid growth spurt as I move into my 3rd trimester (already!). I'm supposed to start gaining a pound a week and I'm a little freaked out by this. So far I've only put on 15 pounds and I'm still wearing my regular clothes (with the help of a Bella Band). It's going to be interesting how I feel (and look!) carrying around a bunch of extra weight! I've just recently started feeling the effects of being pregnant and I am definitely exhausted and sore after a long day with a bunch of very active first graders! Hopefully next year will bring me a more low-key job with fewer after-work demands!

21 and 22 Weeks Pregnant

21 Weeks Pregnant

22 Weeks Pregnant

So far I have had a blessedly uneventful pregnancy. After a difficult first trimester, things have definitely calmed down and my appetite and energy have picked up. I have only gained eleven pounds so far, but I'm sure that will soon change as Jackson gets bigger! I am still in my regular clothes (with the help of amazing Bella Bands), which I love because cute maternity clothes are not easy to find! I have been hitting up eBay to find cute designer maternity jeans and found a couple of steals- Citizen's Dojo jeans with a half-panel for $15 (NOT recommended due to the pressure they put on your lower abdomen) and some Joe's with a full panel that I've been living in for only $25. Some days I wish I could just wear sweats to work! My latest ultrasound puts my due date at January 10, 2010!

Second Trimester Ultrasound

Little Legs

Love the foot next to his face!

On August 31st I finally got in for my second (and probably last ultrasound) before Jackson arrives. We were so excited to see how much he's grown and verify that I actually am in fact carrying a boy! He is now 9 inches (approximately the size of a barbie doll) and weighs 9 ounces, which puts him in the 43rd percentile for babies his age. This kind of freaked me out at first, but the doctor was quick to reassure me that this is in fact perfectly normal for my size and frame. Everything else checked out perfect and he is right on track for a January 10th delivery. The entire time we were getting the ultrasound he was moving and pushing against the wand so hard that the technician could feel him too! He definitely is a wiggle worm! We got some great pictures, especially the 4D ones that show so such a lifelike depiction of what he will look like. This time we also got a cd with 180 still images and a dvd of the whole process for him to watch later. Wow has technology improved since I was born!