25 weeks and counting!

• How far along?: I'm 25 weeks ... can't believe it!!!
• Total weight gain: 15 pounds. It's official ... I'm back to feeling like a heifer ... but I will say, the nurse practitioner said that I'm fine ... not to worry ... "keep eating healthful foods" ... huhm
  
• Maternity clothes?: I'm comfortably wearing maternity clothes ... it's great!
  
• How big is baby?: can you believe it ... she's about 13 1/2 inches in length! Momma's baby girl!
  
• Stretch marks?: still nothing ... keep your fingers crossed ...
  
• Sleep?: I'm actually sleeping better ... the problem is that I pass out on the couch and then I wake up around 2 or 3 am and I'm too lazy to go to bed ... bummer ... that's no way to sleep well
  
• Best moment this week?: tiny fingers (I imagine) tickling me down low ... I had to giggle ... her movement has never actually tickled before until the other day ... :D
  
• Movement?: Watching my little baby during "play time" ... my shirts bouncing up and down ... its adorable
  
• Food cravings?: Just food in general ... LOL
• Labor signs?: Nope ... that wouldn't be good
  
• Belly button in or out?: still in ... again, lets keep our fingers crossed ...
  
• What I miss: actually feeling more in control of my eating ... in a strange way ... like if I want something ... I don't have the luxury of going for a "diet" option ... either I eat it or I don't eat it ...
  
• What I'm looking forward to: The arrival of our little lady & of course, maternity leave!
• Milestone: During my research ... I came up with the following:

How your baby's growing

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

How your life's changing

Your baby's not the only one with more hair — your locks may look more full and lustrous than ever. It's not that you're growing more hair, but thanks to hormonal changes, the hair that you'd normally shed is sticking around longer than usual. Enjoy the fullness while you can — the extra hair will fall out after you give birth.

You may also notice that you can't move around as gracefully as before. Unless your caregiver has advised you otherwise, it's fine to continue to exercise, but follow a few safety rules: Don't work out when you're feeling overly tired and stop if you feel any pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath. Don't lie flat on your back and avoid contact sports as well as any exercise where you're apt to lose your balance. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and make time for both warm-up and cool-down periods.

When you have your glucose-screening test at 24 to 28 weeks, a second tube of blood may be taken at the same time to check for anemia. If blood tests show that you have iron-deficiency anemia (the most common type of anemia), your caregiver will probably recommend that you take an iron supplement.