Week 24! Update :)

Can you believe it? I can't believe I only have a few more weeks in my second trimester! Things are going great. I will get some belly pictures up here today. The belly is pretty large :) I hear that at this point, most women gain about an inch a week! They say the baby is putting on weight rapidly too. I am feeling pretty good (although still have the remnants of a cold I haven't shaken completely). Let's hope that goes away soon. The nausea is mostly gone and only returns for a minute here or there. My energy levels are pretty good and I have been able to get a lot of "baby" stuff completed. We have the room mostly organized and just need wall decor, a white magazine rack for children's books for the wall, and a small chair-side table. We have been buying diapers by the box to get ready for the little one. Our baby's bathroom is almost done too and I will post pictures by the end of the week. Thanks Nick and Katy for the beautiful Restoration Hardware Baby shower curtain! We love it! The linen closet has two new baby towel, supply and baby blanket shelves and the baby's bathroom cupboard is empty and awaiting necessary baby supplies. :) We even have a bib drawer in the kitchen and a sippy cup and bottle shelf :)

We are so excited for 2010 as we get ready to meet our baby! Hope everyone is well! On the baby front, here is an update:

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, 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.