23 weeks 2 days

Here I am this evening, and I look at this belly and I don't think I am as big as I have been in the past. My face looks normal, and I certainly don't look bloated. I look like more belly than anything (well so far anyways!) I still have many weeks to go.

What does babycenter.com have to say about week 23?

Your baby is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound. He may be able to feel your movements now, so put on some tunes and dance around the house. No matter what race your baby is, he looks red now due to blood vessels showing through his transparent skin. His true skin tone will develop over the course of his first year. Blood vessels in your baby's lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing, but complete lung development will take many more months. The lungs are the last organ to fully develop.

As for symptoms, this weekend I thought I was going to be sick in the morning. That was gross! But it passed with lots of spitting excess spit into the sink! Yuck. Then the wave passed. I was feeling really tired this weekend, and my lovely hubby gave me this whole weekend to sleep in until almost 9 am which was very helpful! This morning I FINALLY woke up feeling refreshed and "normal." I have noticed that my ankles get more swollen towards the end of a long day, but they still go down in the morning (for now I guess) and I am just enjoying this pregnancy as much as I can. I know this is my last one. FOR SURE. No more babies. It is the right choice for our family. And hey, what is it that everybody relates to me like I am Mrs. Duggar who just gave birth to her 17th baby!, or is it because we are all "C" names just like the kids in that family all have "J" names? Just because I have a larger family does not make me a MEGA family. Have you seen her hair? lol.

In all seriousness, I would say I really admire that family. But, I certainly don't want to go there! I don't think that is the right lifestyle for me at all. Or for our family. But, they certainly do a great job with their family. I say don't knock it, until you walk in their shoes! Who am I to judge? Certainly not me. They are one amazing family! As my doctor says he really thought our family is rather small if you look at the overall picture of them vs our family. He is right about that. It is all in the way one looks at things I guess.

The really neat thing about our family of soon to be eight, is that our family will officially be the largest family in his practice of this "generation" of baby makers lol. I said to my doc that our family should get our family photo right up on the main wall of the office. He agreed. His other large family is one of 7 kids, but the first born is already having kids, so they are a lot older.

We have FINALLY found two names, and a Godparent for this baby. But, we have not asked that special person yet. And, the special person will also share a name with the baby too. We are very excited to ask this special person in our lives. Soon, very soon.

Well, Cliff still says it is a boy, and I still think it is a girl. We will find out in a few months! All of the kids who can speak are saying boy too. I hope they are all not disappointed. I will be happy either way. To me, all signs point to girl for me!