25 Weeks

At this point, the 3rd trimester is so close I can feel it! That scares me on quite a few levels. One being that it feels like just yesterday we found out that I was pregnant and the other being that I quite like feeling this little guy rumble around in my belly. Which isn't to say I can't wait to meet him (because it's essentially all I think about!) but I quite like our baby-in-belly bonding time.

Pregnancy qualms and complaints are dwindling done to nothing major. Heartburn that feels like I've swallowed fire and leg cramps that wake me up in the middle of the night with tears in my eyes but, other than that, nothing new or worse. Which I can deal with. Really, I can.

As for little (or, really, not-so-little) Ethan, he is the size of an eggplant this week!

He's developing his baby fat and also readily growing hair! I'm curious if he'll end up with his dad's Cory Matthews hair (fingers crossed for Shawn Hunter's locks instead, please!). Little capillaries forming inside are giving Ethan a healthy and pink glow. His blood vessels are also forming in his lungs, too! He's soaking up antibodies and getting his tough little immune system ready for the big, scary world outside of the womb. His eyes are forming, too! It's almost time to start blinking.

Also pretty cool: Ethan is so aware of his hands and spends a great deal of his time groping around in the darkness in there. His brain and nerve endings are developed so that he can feel the sensation of touch! His nostrils have cleared out and he's actually mastered breathing through his nose. Pretty awesome, right?

On a more complex note (is all of this really happening right inside of my belly?), Ethan's spine is made up of 150 joints, 33 rings and over 1,000 ligaments.

It sounds like a very busy time for little Ethan in there! He's so awesome.

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I'm also proud to announce that my husband and I have selected Ethan's "coming home form the hospital" outfit. I figure this is our one time to completely doll up the baby for his grand initial photoshoot before we change him back into his layette gowns the second we walk in our door for the first time.



Totally precious, despite the fact I can envision my mother cringing at this very moment. (Hi, mom!)

Do the newborn DC's not make you just MELT? Come on, you know they do. I'm totally melting.