24 Weeks...WE HAVE ARRIVED!

**This is a pregnancy-related post, so please feel free to skip this post if you're not up for it. God bless.**

24 weeks (yesterday)…ladies and gentlemen, WE HAVE ARRIVED AT VIABILITY!

I don’t want to put TOO much of an emphasis on this milestone, because I don’t want peanut to get any bright ideas (please stay put for AT LEAST 13 more weeks, kiddo!)…BUT…I have to say, it feels amazing to be here. Surreal. Amazing.

My doctor even congratulated me at my appointment yesterday! I guess I thought that the viability milestone only meant something to crazy/post-IF mamas like myself, because clearly it is still way too early for a baby to come (ideally), but he was really happy for me. And that felt great. He has seen me through some of my darkest days, and I’m so glad he is beside me to help me celebrate some of the happiest ones, too.

So YEAH GUYS, sunny skies ahead! Peanut is growing and growing and growing…my belly even measured ½ a week ahead yesterday! Our little one’s heartbeat was a strong 155 BPM, and despite lots of new and (not) exciting physical symptoms, this mama is feeling great. Hard not to when your baby is such a rock-star/miracle/champ, isn’t it?

THIS WEEK: We got the front porch painted, woohoo! First major CHECK off of our house project check-list. We tried to get started on the back porch, but in the process, discovered some major water damage to the supporting joists. Yikes. So now, we are deciding (with the help of a contractor/T’s dad) whether to tear the porch off altogether, or, if it is salvageable, turn it into a bedroom (which was our ultimate goal anyway). The bedroom-renovation would definitely cost us some moola, and we weren’t planning on doing that for a while, but if we decide to do that I know it will be very exciting. Another bedroom for future kiddos—yay!

(Wanted photographic evidence that, at 6-months pregnant, I spent a day painting. Check.)

We also got some general house organization done, which feels great to me. I am DEFINITELY in nesting mode—isn’t it too early for that to kick in? Regardless, after spending a few hours getting our kitchen junk drawer organized into clear Lucite bins, I realized I had not felt joy like that in ages—AHHH, clean drawers! It was then that I realized there must be some sort of motherly drive behind these urges. Either that, or I’m way too passionate about drawer-organization.

I also tried out a few awesome recipes this week. I didn’t take pictures—forgot—but we had chicken sausage gumbo with cheesy corn grits, apple brie cheddar beer soup, and homemade chocolate chip banana bread with cream cheese frosting! More nesting, or just boredom? Hard to say, but the baby has been eating well for sure!

Ahead, we have our last “free weekend” for the foreseeable future. I’m not kidding, you guys! Between now and January 1^st, we have ONE free weekend in December, and that’s it. So hold on to your hats, people! There will be updates galore for a while—pretend like you love it!

On to things that go BUMP in the night (and morning, and afternoon, and all the time really):

How far along?  24 weeks!!!!! 13.5 inches long (how is this possible?!) and 1.5 pounds…so so so crazy!

Clothing? Mostly maternity all around, including not one, but TWO extenders on my bra because my RIBCAGE/BACK has expanded and I can hardly breathe! Too crazy. Also, hope you enjoy the maternity coat pic above…hoping I’m not jinxing myself with that size prediction, haha!

Stretch marks? Nope!

Sleep? Not terrible, but not great. Still able to fall asleep relatively quickly, but hard to stay asleep. Not peeing as much in the middle of the night, but still tossing and turning. And I keep waking up on my back! I know that’s bad, but it keeps happening!

Best moment of this week? Getting a perfect report at the doc yesterday, and hearing that beautiful 155 BPM! Music to my ears! Also, REACHING VIABILITY…DUH!!!

Worst moment of this week? This drama with our back porch. But, really, a drop in the ocean compared to the joy we’re feeling these days.

Miss anything? With the chill in the air, a glass of red wine is sounding awfully good. But then again, it always does. Oh well!

Movement? Yes, consistently more than ever before! Although I will stay that she still has her quiet days, which the doc says is normal. But I LOOOOOVE her active days when she is shaking/moving my belly all over the place! OH, and yesterday was the first time I reached down, felt a hard bump, pushed down on it, and it pushed BACK at me! A tooshie perhaps?! It was so cool!!

Symptoms? Fatigue, sore breasts, heartburn/indigestion, COSTOCHONDRITIS, random dizziness, rib pain, sore back/RLP, a BIG growing belly, Charlie horses, hip pain, terrible sinuses, nesting, and my linea nigra!

Food cravings? COCONUT WATER, constantly. Baked goods. And this week, a WHOLE BAG of Cheetos…yep.

Gender? I still think girl!

Labor Signs? No siree.

Belly button in or out? Juuuuust starting to poke out a bit. Is there still a chance I will wind up with an outie?

Wedding rings on or off? On, but fingers are swelling occasionally.

Mood? A bit weepy (I think this is because I’ve been overwhelmed by our calendar/projects/etc.), but overall, HAPPY :)

Rituals? Nighttime lullaby, holy water on the belly in the morning, holy oil on the belly at night. And staring at my ultrasound pictures/watching the videos as often as I can!!!!! Along with routine bedtime chats.

Milestones? VIABILITY BABY!!!!! My little one’s lungs are now producing surfactant, preparing it to breathe on its own! She also has hair, even though it lacks pigment—how cool is that!

Looking forward to? I guess I am already  looking forward to my next appointment—28 weeks, holy cow, on October 29! Also looking forward to my mini baby-moon next weekend with T—yahoo!

This week's pregnancy-small-talk-gems (aka things other people say to pregnant ladies without thinking): Well, I offered to  let my little brother Matty feel a baby kick this week, and his response was, “No, that’s gross.” In his defense, he is 17, and a boy. Still, pretty funny and ridiculous.

Also, it is OFFICIALLY FALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My favorite time of year!

And one gratuitous photo of T fishing, because I found it in our photo stream and I think it's awfully cute.

That’s all for now, kids! Have an awesome and blessed week, especially because it is the kick-off week of the month of the Rosary! Our Lady of Mercy, pray for us!