Wiggles In My Belly

This week I am 24 weeks pregnant, 6.5 months. Three and a half months until the due date seems at once very close and incredibly far away. I can't wait to meet and hold this little girl!

This isn't a fantastic picture, but at least you can see the bump. It's hard to tell from this photo, but I am showing more, especially at the end of the day.

6 months

So I thought I'd do a bit of a pregnancy update.

How I Feel Physically: Mostly I'm feeling good, though a bit tired. I generally have some problems with my lower back and those have been acting up at night, but not too bad. I have good energy and have been walking and active during the day.
It's also getting a bit harder to move, especially doing things like turning over in bed and putting on my socks. The belly looks soft, but it's really pretty solid!

How I Feel Emotionally: Happy! Like I said, I can't wait to meet this baby. Sometimes she seems very real, like when she's wiggling around, and sometimes she seems more surreal. In any case, both Jacob and I are very excited!

Food: Food has been difficult for me lately. Since I'm already gluten intolerant, there are a lot of things I can't eat. Add to that pregnancy limitations (on fish, under- and uncooked meats and eggs, and unpasteurized cheeses). Add to that my preggo-aversion to chicken and my most-of-my-life-preference not to eat meat and you have a pregnant vegetarian who can't eat wheat. I've been eating dairy and beans a lot and have been looking for new things to make. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Planning: We've started to look into the items we'll need to purchase, like a carseat, crib, changing table, etc. That's been pretty fun, though it requires a fair amount of research - there are just so many options!
And we're beginning a birthing + first three months class soon. I'm sure we'll learn a lot!
I've also been knitting a number of things and have more planned:

Tomato Hat: one for my friend and one for me.

White Hat with Basketweave Bottom - my own design.

Sneak Peak of the Blanket - it's not complete yet.

Clothing: So far I'm mostly still wearing my own clothes. Even my pants fit with a rubber band through the button hole and a BellaBand around my waist. Though, lately my pants are becoming much less comfortable and short shirts ride up too high. I have some maternity clothing and I'll probably transition soon.

Name: We have one picked out but we're not telling until she's born – so don't ask!

About the Baby: Generally, at 24 weeks, the baby is about 12.5 inches long and weighs about 1.25 pounds. She is about the length/size of an ear of corn. She should be able to sense right-side-up and upside-down by now and her respiratory system is developing rapidly in preparation to breathe air. Her lungs are practicing by breathing in amniotic fluid.
More specifically, this baby is super active, with lots of wiggling and kicking. Sometimes she keeps me up at night, but often she is most active in the morning. After many attempts (she's camera shy), I was finally able to get some video of my belly wobbling as my little wiggler moves around. Take a look! [Keep an eye out for any kind of jiggling or rigid motions - it's all her! I was laying very still except for my breathing which you can distinguish by it's rhythm.]

A Funny Story: The cat has been very tender with me lately and likes to lay on my chest/belly when I'm in bed. The other day he was on me and I guess the pressure was uncomfortable for the baby because she started kicking him, kind of hard, in the stomach! He didn't leave for a while, which surprised me, but every time she kicked him he would swat me with his tail. Made me laugh!

Our Fur Baby - peaking out from a warm cave.

110 more days until February 19!