Baby Bump @ 25 and 26 weeks

How I'm feeling:
I'm doing okay except for my continued back pain from what I'm now calling scatica. I hadn't thought that's what it was but this past week the pain has been radiating down the back of my right leg so I guess it is.
I'm feeling some stress of only having 3 months left before Ryleigh is born to get lots of schooling finished with BR and get Ryleigh's nursery put together. I know it will be okay but I'm needing to refocus on my priorities and make a plan. I'll be taking a Facebook break for the beginning of the year so that will be one less distraction during for me.

Baby's Development at 26 weeks:
- Beginning at 25 weeks Ryleigh would have begun packing on fat to fill in her wrinkly skin. This will help her skin to be less transparent.
- The network of nerves in Ryleigh's ears is better developed and more sensitive now. She may now be able to hear both my voice, as well as, Chase's and the girls'.
- She is beginning to inhaleand exhale small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of her lungs.
- Ryleigh is continuing to put on baby fat. She now weighs about 1 2/3 pounds and measures around 14 inches (about the size of a scallion) from head to heel.
(Information taken from the What to Expect When Expecting website.)

Ryleigh's Movement:
She is definitely a wiggly girl at night when I get in bed or whenever I sit down to treat during the day. I can tell she is getting stronger as her kicks are becoming more powerful. I often wonder about her position because I feel kicks and punches all over my belly. At our 24 week ultrasound her head was on my left side and her feet over on my right. The ultrasound tech said that was a good thing at that point. I'm hoping she had moved head down by our next appointment at 28 weeks.

Let the Christmas Celebrations Begin for 2015

We kicked off our family Christmas get-together yesterday afternoon at Chase's granddads house for lunch. We had a great time visiting with Granddaddy and Janet, as well as, PawPaw and Bebe.

We enjoyed a wonderful meal prepared by the lovely GranJan and exchanged gifts. The girls LOVE their new Puppy Surprise pets. We are so thankful that Granddaddy is feeling good and cutting up with us and the girls.

After our visit with the Brantley's we headed back to my parents house for Christmas with my PopPop, Nana and my brother, SIL and niece, Alyssa. Again, we had a great meal and exchanged gifts. We all had a great time talking and playing with new toys.

We goofed and didn't get a family picture of our sweet little family, but I am determined that we will get one before the week is over.

And today, we enjoyed a great message and time of worship this morning at church before heading to my Aunt and Uncle's house for our Harris Family Christmas celebration. My mom's side of the family always has a great time together! We had our fifth annual Christmas play after lunch. Chase and I were Mary and Joseph, Brantley was a shepherd and Savannah was an angel.

After a weekend filled with loving family, I can't help but be filled with joy, thankfulness and love as we move on into the week and continue to celebrate God's great gift of His Son Jesus. Thank you, Lord!! Your gift is too great for words! Merry Christmas!!

Baby Bump @ 24 Weeks

How I'm Feeling at 24 weeks:

• Oh gosh, this is getting real and my belly is getting big and uncomfortable. At just 24 weeks, I shouldn't be this uncomfortable, but alas, I am. 
• My back/hip pain is still there and intense at times. I'm still going to the chiropractor for relief but it honestly doesn't seem to help much at all. 
• I am loving that I can now feel Ryleigh moving more during the day, which means she is growing and getting stronger. Her sisters still haven't felt her kicking but that is mostly because they haven't been patient enough to feel her move. ha! 
• I'm still sleeping pretty well (knock on wood)....but I know that will at some point change as it did with both of the girls in the third trimester.

Movement: As I said above, I can now feel and sometimes see Ryleigh moving around in my belly. It is still the coolest and strangest feeling ever. I love it! During my ultrasound on Thursday we could see her moving her arms and legs around like crazy. 

Baby's Development this week:

This is the 24 week video from the What To Expect When Expecting website. Doctor Appointment: I had my 24 week check up this past Thursday morning. During that appointment I had my follow-up ultrasound, the glucose test and saw my doctor. The ultrasound showed that Ryleigh's ureters are now within normal range and that there is nothing to worry about. She is perfect!! Thank you, Lord for healing her and creating her perfectly!! Ryleigh also cooperated this time and let us get a good profile shot of her tiny face. 

At this point we're thinking she's going to look much like her big sisters. I can't wait!!

What I'm Looking Forward To: Right now I'm looking forward to continuing to celebrate Christmas with family and friends. We're already had three wonderful family meals and celebrations. I'll have to post about those next. I'm also looking forward to hopefully having a 4D ultrasound done around my next doctor appointment around 28 weeks. 

Nursery update: We have purchased the crib, car seat, stroller, and were given a Rock 'N Play Sleeper by my parents last night. Slowly we are starting to accumulate all the necessary baby items that we will need for Ryleigh's arrival. Our house situation is up in the air right now so we won't be setting up the nursery for another few months in the hopes of actually moving to the new house before Ryleigh is born. We shall see what the Lord has in store for us. We are prayerful about it and trusting in God's plan and timing in regards to moving.

Bump picture at 24 weeks, 3 days: