24 weeks

Six months!! Woot woot.

I haven't had as much time to write as of late - Microsoft's fiscal year end is quickly approaching on June 30, and it's always such a sprint to get there! AND we've been busy getting ready for a week of family coming into Seattle. I can hardly keep on my baby hugger, I'm so excited. Sidenote: I just ordered a new BH. Yea - I grew out of it. Surprise, surprise. The velcro doesn't even humor me anymore. It just pops open now. My back is killing me, so I'm counting down the days until Wednesday when the new one comes in the mail. My brother and his wife, Shannon (I know - sometimes I still marvel at saying that... "Dave's wife...") are coming out all the way from New Hampshire, my Ma and Pa from NoDak, Aunt Marty and Uncle Bob from Hawaii, Aunt Julie from Montana, Gramma Gilbertson from Seattle, and all of Aaron's family from Portland. It will be quite the busy house here - though I will probably be sitting and/or laying down through most of it.

My belly is just getting so heavy! Hell, my whole body is heavy - I'm pretty much just a beached whale now. I'm shapes. Too bad I couldn't be one of those elegant, dainty (because typically I'm so dainty) pregnant women who looks better preggies than not; who looovves the experience of building babies in her womb; thinks it's the most beautiful thing; and most importantly, her arms do not resemble a bologna loaf, BEFORE it's cut. I give my Lil' Smokies sausage finger to you all. People sometimes try to humor me by telling me I have "The Glow", to which I respond, "It's because I'm sweating. SWEATING! Everywhere. Because I'm HOT. Really, really HOT. You may think it's only 55 degrees in this room, but the thermostat must be broken, and really it's 104." Oh, and did I mention that I'm waddling now? Yes. Waddling. Secretly I kind of thought pregnant women who waddled were just being slightly over-dramatic. They were not. I will de-mystify this for you. For me, it's because my belly is too big for my legs to face forward, and to come straight out for each step like normal. If they did, I would just be taking all of these little baby steps. Instead, in order to move forward with some speed, my knees have to bend to the side, around the belly. That, and because my thighs rub together. Hence, the waddle.

Before I go into some baby stats, I want to have you all bring out the positive vibes for my very good friend Renee, who is 31 weeks pregnant with triplet girls (I know - who would have thought when we met that we would be two families bringing five kids into the world within months of each other. Whenever I feel like complaining, I just think - I only have two babies in there. I still complain, but at least I feel bad about it.). She went into pre-term labor, and she's in the hospital, so we're mentally trying to make her contractions stop, so the babies can bake for just a few more weeks. Send positivity her way.

Alrighty, time for stats. They are over a pound each this week! And just over a foot! Their brains are also growing quickly now, and taste buds are continuing to develop. Their lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help their air sacs inflate once they hit the outside world. Their skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Btw - I can't believe the picture below is what is actually happening in my belly. Isn't that crazy??