My Pregnancy: Week 23

Baby's now the size of a large mango!

Baby's little face is fully formed...minus the baby fat, of course.  The next task at hand for baby: sprouting two teeny-tiny nipples!  Swollen from head to toe?  Increased blood flow, by now an old friend, is to blame. Consider a trip to the shoe store because loosening ligaments will cause your feet to expand even more in the weeks to come.

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...you may be able see her squirm underneath your clothes.  Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world.  Loud noises that become familiar now--such as your dag barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner--probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

Movement and you are certainly no strangers, although you seem to prefer moving when I'm relaxing and laying down.  I don't mind though, because it is comforting to feel you move.  I think you did kick hard enough one night to wake me up in a shock and I'm glad you did because I was not having a good dream!

Now that my belly is actually looking pregnant, I've been getting a few more comments from people at work who didn't realize I was pregnant.  It is amazing what a difference a couple of weeks can make!  It's like the belly just appeared while I was on vacation.

Your dad and I have also been discussing possible names a lot lately.  We've been favoring Leila since the beginning, but have yet to come to agreement on a middle name.  We both have our own opinions and likes, so it will be interesting to see what we decide on.

23 Weeks