Wine Down: Bumpdate {24 Weeks}

It is finally warm and sunny so now I can really kick my power-walking regimen into high gear. When it's cold, windy and rainy (which has been the norm around here lately), it makes me lazy and not want to exercise. Baby girl and I have got to get fit and ready for delivery in a few months. I can't believe that I have actually been pregnant for 6 months now. The time is flying by and we are going to be so busy for the next 4 months that I know the remainder of this pregnancy will be gone before I know it.

Week 24: February 12 - February 18

Week 24 Milestones:

- Baby is the size of a cantaloupe this week! She has developed lungs and basically has every vital system that she would need to be able to survive on her own. From here on out, she will just be packing on the pounds!

- I have gained about 21 pounds thus far. My belly button is still in...well technically it is neither in nor out but just completely flat. No stretch marks yet and I am hoping it will stay that way. I have been told that stretch marks are genetic and my mom never got them while pregnant, so hopefully I will be just as lucky.

- I am still sleeping pretty well, except that I usually wake up twice during the night. Once to go to the bathroom and once because I am startled from the insane dreams that I am having. I hate my pregnancy dreams. They are weird, yet very realistic and usually involve me waking up in some state of panic. All of them basically revolve around me (either still pregnant or with baby already) having to use self defense to protect myself and my baby. Either someone is breaking into my house, or attacking me with a weapon, or trying to kidnap me, etc. They are all pretty violent and typically result in me waking up in the middle of the night in a terrified sweat. I guess this means that my biggest fear currently is someone trying to hurt me or my baby. Why can't I have some weird happy dreams? Why do they all have to be so scary?

- I haven't had any feet/ankle swelling this week which is exciting! However, I have been getting random headaches almost every day. They aren't really bad and don't last too long, but they just come and go sporadically. Nothing major, mostly annoying. I am also experiencing stiffness in my back which is not really painful, just irritating. Fair warning, if you are a person who cracks their back, you better kick the habit now because once you get pregnant and you can't crack your back anymore it will drive you crazy. I've always been a back cracker my entire life and now that I can't crack my back anymore, I just have to deal with feeling stiff all the time.

- I am so happy that it is finally starting to warm up because my wardrobe is getting rather limited. I can't fit into the majority of my winter clothes now, but I don't want to buy any winter maternity clothes because the chilly weather could end at any moment here in North Florida. In fact, for the time being I think it has. There are basically 4 sweaters in my closet that I can actually fit in to at this time, so I just rotate them with either my maternity jeans or maternity leggings. So if it looks like I just wear the same outfits all the time, it's because I do. I can't wear any of my own t-shirts any more either. Luckily, Jared kept all of his t-shirts from 4 years of Phi Mu date functions and never wears them so they have now become mine. My main closet staple for the entire winter has been yoga pants from Target. They are so comfy and the waist folds down below my belly so I can still wear them even as the belly grows. However, now it is getting warmer and I like to exercise outside, but none of my Nike running shorts fit any more. I was very sad when I discovered this because these shorts are my absolute favorite clothing item when it's not freezing. I basically wear them every single day unless I have to get dressed up to go somewhere and look presentable. I might have to go to the Nike outlet and get some bigger ones because I don't think I can make it through 4 more months without them.

- Food preferences: Not much has changed here. I'm still obsessed with getting my daily milk and waffles. Plus, I am so thirsty all the time. I honestly think that I drink at least a gallon of water per day.

- This little girl loves to move around and I love it when she does. I feel it a little bit when I wake up in the morning and randomly throughout the day when I sit down. She really like to party at night, especially when I'm sitting on the couch watching TV with Jared. I haven't got to the point where her kicks keep me awake when I'm in bed or wake me up in the middle of the night yet, but I'm also a pretty heavy sleeper so she might be kicking me and I'm not even aware of it. The weirdest/coolest feeling is when I can feel her rolling from one side of my belly to the other. My absolute favorite is when Jared rubs my belly and talks to her, it's the most adorable thing ever.