Hey! There's a baby in there!

Last night as I was relaxing watching "The Road Warrior," (more on that momentarily) the baby was moving around a bit higher than usual … and then I realized I could feel him from the outside! Jonathan will be thrilled, as he's been a bit jealous that only I have been able to feel the movements. The movment is pretty subtle … its not like a hand or foot is poking through my skin … but there is definite movement that can be felt with a hand on the tummy.

Now, onto "The Road Warrior." A couple of weeks ago, I watched "Mad Max" for the first time ever. I thought it was a dumb movie and couldn't believe it was responsible for launching Mel Gibson's acting career. The sequel, "The Road Warrior," sounded more interesting, so I rented it. Indeed, it was slightly more interesting, but still dumb. I don't think I can bring myself to watch the third movie, "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome." Last night's movie watching was just a waste of my hour and thirty-five minutes. Maybe that is why the baby could be felt from the outside … he was PROTESTING that dumb movie.

We have over 100 movies on our Netflix list … and I admit, a good portion of them are chick flicks. Since I'm supposed to be "relaxing," I'm going to spend the next few months with my feet up and watching chick flicks with Bella while Jonathan is in D.C. I'll be happy … and he'll be happy that I won't make him watch all of them with me. :)

Besides, I gotta get all of this movie watching taken care of now. I'm sure there will be little quite time in our house for movies come November.

Jennifer

The Baby at 24 Weeks

Week 24: Sounds Like?

Your baby weighs more than a pound and a half right now and sports a crown-to-rump length of about eight and a half inches (standard letter size!).

Wondering what (and who) your baby will look like? If you had a baby cam, you'd almost be able to tell by now. That beautiful face (though still tiny) is almost fully formed. What's still missing from the picture is the fat that will be piled on under baby's skin. Until those fat deposits are made, that very tender skin is still very transparent, which means a close look would let you see clear through to all the organs, bones, and blood vessels. Fortunately, that see-through look won't last much longer. Babies at this point are gaining about six ounces each week — with much of that gain coming from fat, in addition to growing organs, bones, and muscle.

What's been playing on your little rocker's stereo system these days? All kinds of sounds: from air exhaling from your lungs (deep breath now), those gastric gurgles produced by your stomach and intestines, your voice and your partner's (which your baby will be able to recognize at birth), and even very loud sounds such as honking horns, barking dogs, or a wailing fire truck.

Wow ... our baby is the length of a piece of paper! And that is not including legs. AMAZING!!

Jennifer

Off He Goes, Into the Wild Blue Yonder …

Jonathan made his first of many trips to come to Washington D.C. yesterday. Luckily for us, we're both okay with him traveling – and always have been. And Bella is here to keep me company, so I don't get lonely (or scared by bumps in the night).

Originally, we had planned on moving to D.C. over the summer, but those plans transitioned into two weeks in July, two weeks in August and two weeks in September.

They had also discussed Jonathan going to D.C. for the first two weeks of October (rather than August). But I suggested to him that with a due date of November 9th, it would probably be better for the situation if he didn't go so late in the pregnancy. After all, one never knows when a baby will make his way into the world. Some tell me, "First babies are usually late." On the other hand, I have several friends who tell me their first babies were early. So … ya never know. (And according to all the baby shows I watch on Discover Health, this baby could come any time between now and the end of November! My preference is early-to-mid November, thank you very much.)

So when I think of the next four months in terms of how frequently Jonathan will be gone, I realize the rest of this pregnancy will probably go very quickly. And imagine how much bigger I will be when Jonathan comes back after being gone for two weeks in each of the three months! He'll see me down the concourse at the airport and think, "Whoa! Is that MY WIFE?? It can't be!"

Jennifer