Twenty-Three Weeks

Here I am, cooking along in the second trimester at 23 weeks. Miss Libby has been kicking up a storm and I feel her little taps throughout the day and well into the evening. Because of my anterior placenta, I only feel her way down low or up by my belly button, but it's exciting none the less. My mom and DH have felt her movement too. Speaking of which, we made our DIY faux-Moby wraps this weekend. It was SO easy! Just bought 6 yards of stretch knit fabric that was 60 inches wide, folded it in half, length-wise and cut it in half. I didn't even finish the edges since they were not frayed or unraveling, even after going through the wash! Super easy and like $20 for TWO baby carriers! Here's my DH trying his out with our first baby, our pug Regina:

Regina is 16 pounds and LOVES to be carried like a baby. She loved the wrap and was all snuggly and wanted to nap in there! It was too cute. DH was excited that he'll be able to wear Libby while he's working around the house and doing homework. He was also happy that I chose this blue-gray color for the fabric rather than some cutesy print or bright red or something. Ladies, if you're on a budget but want a nice wrap, I highly recommend you try making one. No sewing needed! I made ours 30" wide, but if you prefer a less wide one, check out these instructions.

Speaking of furbabies, it seems our 20 pound cat, Bella, has decided that the changing pad is a great place for her to nap:

Unfortunately, she's ruined the $7 Circo Terry Cover I picked up from Target. For now, she can laze around there, but in the next couple of months the plan is to shut ALL furry creatures out of the nursery/office. Once we get an area rug for that space it will be furbaby-free. And then I'll get a new cover for the changing pad that is cat-free. Too funny though that Bella thinks that this is her new place! She's very demonstrative with her appreciation of it and purrs up a storm when she's lounging there. Regina loves lounging on the rocker-recliner too and she'll be sad when it's no longer a place for her to sleep either!

Next week I am off to my last business trip of the year and my last trip of this pregnancy. YAY! I have traveled every month since March! I am ready for a break. So I will be in Nashville for 10 days and then...home where I can just nest and be cozy. Woo hoo! Just in time since I will nearly be in the third trimester after I get home.

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For now, according to BabyCenter, here's what's happening with our baby girl:

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

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