23 Weeks

Moving right along! Here's what's new with our little guy this week:

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With his sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that he'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 him squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him 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 him when he hears them outside the womb.

Hear that M&M... the baby can hear you barking. I'm also impressed that he's being weighed in pounds now. I didn't gain any weight this week, but I'm glad our little guy did! :)

• How far along? 23 weeks, 1 day
• Total weight gain: +10 pounds total (no change from last week)
• Sleep: Excellent! I've started sleeping on my left side with a small pillow tucked between my knees and I wake up feeling great.
• Movement: Every day now. I even felt him from the outside. :)
• Best moment this week: See above - coolest thing ever!
• Food cravings: I seemed to really like cheese this week, though that's nothing really new to pregnancy.
• Gender: It's a boy!
• Maternity Clothes: Definitely pants, but regular tops are still fine. I just ironed a bunch of clothes and I think I'll be in good shape for the rest of the pregnancy.
• Belly Button in or out? In
• What I miss: As the weather cools, I miss lattes and cappuccinos. Decaf ones are an option, but still not the greatest thing for baby. I will indulge every now and then.
• What I am looking forward to: We'll see JA's parents tomorrow night. They were in Italy for a few weeks so it will be nice to catch up.
• Weekly Wisdom: "Don't worry about the delivery. With my first child I had the baby in about two minutes with almost no pain." -Told to me by a friend's mom at a housewarming party yesterday... not sure I believe it, but it sounded nice!

Here's the belly at 23 weeks. It is obvious to strangers that I am pregnant, but not one of my third graders has said anything to me yet. Too funny!

Sunday
Breakfast - two scrambled eggs on half a whole wheat pita with organic ketchup; grapes and strawberries
Snack - fruit and veggie smoothie (mixed greens, carrots, grapes, raspberries, strawberries, OJ and blueberry pomegranate juice)
Lunch - cheese and veggies on a whole wheat wrap (broccoli, carrots, green beans, and cauliflower)
Snack - two pieces of crostini with grilled veggies and beans
Dinner - asparagus cous cous, roasted veggies and potatoes

Monday
Breakfast - cheddar cheese and five multigrain crackers
Snack - fruit and veggie smoothie (mixed greens, carrots, grapes, raspberries, strawberries, OJ and blueberry pomegranate juice)
Lunch - grilled veggies with rice (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and sprouts); pasta salad with artichoke hearts and Italian dressing; Triscuits and hummus; strawberries and grapes; Hershey's miniature Krackel
Snack - organic apple; Kashi granola bar
Dinner - two small dinner rolls; vegetable soup; pear and walnut salad
Dessert - apple crustada with vanilla ice cream