6 months down, 4 months to go!

Well, today marks my 24th week or 6 month point in the pregnancy. Since this is also my last month in the 2nd trimester, I have been told to enjoy this next month as much as I can since the third brings a whole new set of troubles for the mom to be. Here is the thing though, I am LOVING being pregnant. I love feeling Desi's kicks and almost being able to tell the time based on when I feel him moving around. I love dreaming of what he is going to look like. I love learning new things about how the human body grows/begins life. I love hearing about all of Adam's plans for him when he is older such as camping, building radios, science experiments, etc. I love trying to figure out with Adam which music will make the baby kick the most (drums seem to be a hit). Most of all, I love falling in love with him. I can't wait to meet him and I feel like November is incredibly far away but I can already tell I am going to miss his little good morning nudges when I trade that in for learning how to solve whatever problem is making him cry.

 By averages, Desi is 11.81in from crown to heel and 1.32lbs

 While he is still growing strong in the womb though, I have doctor appointments to verify that everything is progressing normally. This morning, I had my 24 week check-up. I met a new doctor at the practice and she measured my baby bump and Desi's heart rate as well as went over any pregnancy related woes I might have and here are the results in a nut shell:

• Desi's heart rate is a solid 154 bpm. Anywhere between 150 and 160 seems to be his normal.
• He is a bit territorial. Desi knows when someone is pushing on my belly/taking up his space and he fights back. As soon as the doctor put the Doppler on my tummy he roundhouse kicked it away. Naturally, I can't confirm it was an actual roundhouse but I like to think it was.
• Apparently, Desi is making himself quite at home in there though since my baby bump measurements were a little ahead of schedule. She said that I am looking a little more than 6 months but she also said this is fairly common. The 5th month brings on rapid growth for both mom and baby so she said some moms grow faster than others and then it will even out in the weeks to come. This was actually a surprise to me since everyone keeps comparing me to my friend who is 9 months pregnant. Comparing me to her, my baby bump is small.
• The ligaments in my right hip are a little angry at the moment and she said that it was feeling like my hips are "preparing for birth". Unfortunately, that is just how it is going to be but she gave me some suggestions for bedtime to help me get through the night.
• And finally, I was given the supplies for my gestational diabetes test. It looks to be an awful test where I chug this "Gatorade" type sugary substance then get my blood drawn EXACTLY one hour later. I am told it is really a terrible beverage but if it helps me make sure I keep Desi and me on track during this pregnancy...pass the glass.

And there you have it. Both Desi and I are doing good and the doctor didn't mention anything for me to be concerned about so I am pretty happy!