23 Weeks

How far along: 23 weeks and 1 day

Baby is the size of: a large mango - over a pound and about 11 inches

Symptoms: Pregnant nose, of course. In addition, I seem to have pregnancy sniffles. Other than that, just the usual: restless legs and a LOT of stretching. Heartburn is a given.

Weight gain: At my last appointment, I had lost four pounds. Here's hoping we can keep that trend going :) Since I'm overweight, I don't "need" to gain weight - 10-15 is the max (and that can happen easily at any time).

Maternity clothes - living in maternity shorts and capris. I can still squeeze into most of my shirts and t-shirts, but I have to start thinking about what to do about work here soon.

Sleep: Getting worse. Jellybean is figuring out how wonderful the night is and has started to take the opportunity of such peace and quiet to really play around. I'm pretty sure it's a Zumba class or something of that caliber. Heartburn gets pretty bad at night as do the restless legs. If I can fall asleep, I can get a couple of hours before I need a pee break.

Movement: Insane. This kid has really really long legs (and strong ones) just like her sister! Her kicks are really really strong and make my whole belly shake. I'm so happy that she's moving and I know she's ok that I don't have the heart to ask her to calm down a bit at night ;)

Cravings: Nothing too consistent. When one hits, it's fleeting and usually only for the day/afternoon/hour. The only one that has hung around has been a need for Subway Tuna Fish sandwiches (which I would normally rather pass on...I still can't believe I keep ordering them).

What I miss: Being comfortable. It's not a huge thing, but sometimes I think it would be really nice to be able to take one day off a month from being pregnant. You know - have the baby hang out with someone else for just one day so I could do anything I want for a day without worrying about it.

Strangest moment: So far? Going to the hospital because I peed my pants. I don't think it gets much stranger than that. Full story available a few posts back - at "If You Can't Laugh at Yourself..."

Gender: Girl

What I look forward to: Meeting her. While things are going really well and we're not having problems, I won't feel totally comfortable until she's out and healthy (and then we have a whole new set of worries, don't we? The nice part then is that others can help with her and I don't have all the care responsibilities).

Milestones: Passing the 20 week mark and being out of the range of "miscarriage." I never ever want to use that word again. Feeling her move. Enjoying her responses to voices, sounds, movement, and music. Watching Katie bond with her sister who she hasn't even met yet.

More than halfway, baby! Just a few more weeks and we can get into that final trimester and really kick things into high speed. I just can't wait to meet you, Jellybean!