28 weeks!

1. How far along?: 28 weeks.
2. How big is baby?: By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.
3. Weight gain?: -2 lbs. Almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight.
4. Stretch marks?: None yet. 
5. Maternity clothes?: I'm wearing my maternity pants and maternity shirts. 
   
6. Best moment last week?: We planted our seeds for our veggie garden!  So excited to see how it works this year.  I love fresh veggies from the garden.  Also, pregnancy related, we made it into the 3rd trimester.  We are in the home stretch!
7. Food cravings?: Fresh fruit(still!)  
8. Symptoms?:  Still having contractions every now and then.  I've had a few instance of nausea.  I really hope the morning sickness isn't coming back.
9. Gender?: Baby Girl!! Cara Joyce.
10. Movement?:   I feel her everyday!  She has been a little more quiet the past few days though.
11. Belly button?: Still in, not too much longer till it's flat/out. 
12. What I miss?: Nothing.
13. Labor signs?: I was/am having some contractions.  I got checked out and everything seems to be going fine (no preterm labor).
14. What I'm looking forward to?: Getting her crib and getting her nursery done.

27 weeks!

I missed the check in last week but here is a picture. :)

And here is week 7 for comparison!!

26 weeks!

1. How far along?: 26 weeks.
2. How big is baby?: The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take two to three days.
3. Weight gain?: -4 lbs.
4. Stretch marks?: None yet. 
5. Maternity clothes?: I'm wearing my maternity pants and maternity shirts. 
   
6. Best moment last week?: Cara got to take her second trip to Arizona (we were there when I was 5/6 weeks).
7. Food cravings?: Fresh fruit (strawberries, peaches, melon) (still!)  
8. Symptoms?:  Still having contractions every now and then.  I've been getting tired in the afternoons.
9. Gender?: Baby Girl!! Cara Joyce.
10. Movement?:   I feel her everyday!
11. Belly button?: Still in, not too much longer till it's flat/out. 
12. What I miss?: Nothing.
13. Labor signs?: I was/am having some contractions.  I got checked out and everything seems to be going fine (no preterm labor).
14. What I'm looking forward to?: Getting her crib and getting her nursery done.

25 weeks

I missed the 25 week check in because we were enjoying some sunshine in Arizona! Here are a few pictures.

24 weeks!

1. How far along?: 24 weeks.
2. How big is baby?: Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 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.
3. Weight gain?: -5 lbs.
4. Stretch marks?: None yet. 
5. Maternity clothes?: I'm wearing my maternity pants and maternity shirts. 
   
6. Best moment last week?: Ryan got to feel Cara kick!!  Melt my heart :)
7. Food cravings?: Fresh fruit (strawberries, peaches, melon) (still!)  
8. Symptoms?:  Still having contractions every now and then.  I'm having some issues with sleep.
9. Gender?: Baby Girl!! Cara Joyce.
10. Movement?:   I feel her everyday!
11. Belly button?: Still in but it's definitely changing. 
12. What I miss?: A cold beer would be nice as the days are getting warmer and sunny. :)
13. Labor signs?: I was/am having some contractions.  I got checked out and everything seems to be going fine (no preterm labor).
14. What I'm looking forward to?: We are leaving for Arizona for a week on Friday! So excited for sunshine and hot weather, as well as relaxing with Ryan.

23 Weeks!

My shirt looks weird in this picture.  It's a regular tank top and it doesn't really fit anymore.  It's too short in the front.  I'm finding that with pretty much all my non-maternity shirts.  Must mean baby girl is growing!

1. How far along?: 23 weeks.
2. How big is baby?: Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby'sincreasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.
3. Weight gain?: -5 lbs.
4. Stretch marks?: None yet. 
5. Maternity clothes?: I'm wearing my maternity pants, although they are too big (pre-pregnancy jeans aren't working anymore) and maternity shirts. My belly is getting bigger! :)
   
6. Best moment last week?: It's been a rough week but the sun is shining so I'm thankful for that.
7. Food cravings?: Fresh fruit (strawberries, peaches, melon)
8. Symptoms?:  I am feeling ok.  It's been a rough week and I'm having some physical pains.
9. Gender?: Baby Girl!! Cara Joyce.  
10. Movement?:  I feel her every day.  Some days its more then others but nothing consistent.
11. Belly button?: Still in.
12. What I miss?: Nothing this week.
13. Labor signs?: I was/am having some contractions.  I got checked out and everything seems to be going fine (no preterm labor).
14. What I'm looking forward to?: Easter is on Sunday and its supposed to be 68*. Woohoo!!

22 weeks!

1. How far along?: 22 weeks.
2. How big is baby?: At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily. (Taken from baby center)
3. Weight gain?: -7 lbs.
4. Stretch marks?: None yet. 
5. Maternity clothes?: I'm wearing my maternity pants, although they are too big (pre-pregnancy jeans aren't working anymore) and maternity shirts. My belly is getting bigger! :)
   
6. Best moment last week?:  She is really starting to move.
7. Food cravings?: Chinese food sounds really good!
8. Symptoms?:  I am feeling pretty good, other then some back pain
9. Exercise?: Not really exercise but stretches for my tailbone/sciatic pain.
10. Gender?: Baby Girl!! 
11. Movement?: Yes, I'm feeling her most days.  
12. Belly button?: Still in.
13. What I miss?: Nothing this week.
14. Labor signs?: Better not have these yet.
15. What I'm looking forward to?: Meeting a friend for coffee on Friday.  :)