25 weeks - 15 to go!

Time is moving right along.  Once the holiday's get here time is going to fly by even faster.

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Its weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but its beginning to exchange its long, lean look for some baby fat. As it does, its wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and it'll start to look more and more like a newborn. It'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.  I've finally started to notice that it's taking a little longer to dry my hair in the morning.  Something I'm not used to. 

You may also notice that you can't move around as gracefully as before.  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.  I have my glucose test on Tuesday, as well as another ultrasound.  Hopefully the kid cooperates so they can get all the images that they need this time. 

Have you started thinking about baby names yet? Choosing a name is an important decision, but it should be a fun one, too. You may want to consider family history (Great Grandpa Zeb), favorite locations (Venice, where you honeymooned), or cherished literary or film characters (Greta, Meg, or Atticus, for example). Check out a couple of baby-name books to help you brainstorm, too.  We've had the names picked since we found out.  Easiest part of the pregnancy so far.  And even easier with us not finding out the sex of the baby.  Good thing the names both start with "G."