bébé numéro deux | 23 weeks

progress & countdown: 23 weeks down & 119 days to go! p.s. um, that's like a few weeks shy of counting in double instead of triple digits. and four weeks from THIRD TRIMESTER. woah.

baby size: weighs as much as a mango. 

food & drink: trying to get in plenty of veg and fruit these days. the occasional morning shake. some sunny-side-up eggs. yogurt with granola. and of course, kombucha. and way more meat. i feel pretty darn good after a nice pasture-finished beef fix. it is a little weird after almost two years of a primarily plant-based life, but we are embracing this season. i and listening to my body and going with it. i'm sure it won't last for more than a couple of months but, when in rome...eat all the burgers. and surprise of surprises! elinor loves some steak. we shared a bit with her the other night at dinner and she gobbled it up and asked for more. i tell ya, she keeps us guessing.

bump stuff: it is seriously growing every week. i know, duh, rachel. that's what happens during pregnancy... but, i can *feel it* growing now. each morning, i wake to a bigger and heavier bump and it still surprises me sometimes. i will abruptly sit up from my slumber and there is a full-on bump squishing into my midsection. i don't know if i will ever get used to it. so bizarre. and the coming weeks will become more and more awkward. but i know that once that bump is gone, i will miss it. crazy pregnancy. 

highs: elinor asking (unprompted) to give baby brother kisses and then squeezing my belly because she wants to give ridley a hug.

lows: feeling a general sense of heaviness. not my favorite. but, no real complaints. i know my body is doing cool things. growing a baby and doubling my blood supply and all that jazz.

new developments: baby has a well-developed sense of movement now and can feel when i move around. yes to dance parties. he is more than 11 inches long and weighs over a pound now, so movement is obvious and more intense. can we just camp out on that for a moment...one pound. belly already seems waaaaaay heavier and we still have at least 6 pounds to go. yikes. blood vessels in baby's lungs are developing to prepare for breathing and his hearing is becoming more keen. in fact, baby's cochlea - the inner ear mechanism that houses all components of hearing - is fully formed. so, he can hear what mama hears (just not at the same level).

meaningful moments & hormones & feelings: this week, we started transitioning elinor to her big girl room and it was so much fun. she "helped" us to move some furniture around and hang drapes and redecorate. we still have some refinishing and reupholstering to do and a few more bits to rehang and move around but it is a great start. elinor is adjusting to a fresh space and in the next month or so, the bed moves in to replace the crib. changes and changes. we are taking it slowly and making a celebratory milestone event out of each one so that elinor feels like she has some things that are just for her to enjoy before new things being thrust upon her at once...because that new baby is here now. i am loving these special moments with just her. and we are trying to enjoy these precious times as our family of three. i know that another little one will compound our joy and love, but i also know that it will bring change for all of us and i want to be mindful of that.

superficial stuff: i have said it before, just feeling bigger these days. like a crazy explosion and puffing took place in the last ten days. the pelvis is moving around and the belly is bigger and there is no denying it now...

looking forward to: another appointment next week. always fun to hear baby's heartbeat and talk about all things pregnancy and such.