Baby H: Week 24 (times two)

I had a shocking realization the day I turned 24-weeks that this pregnancy is 60% of the way finished and I have only 16 more weeks (or less) until this baby is out of my belly and into my arms! It seems like so long ago that I was 16 weeks pregnant so to think that's all that's left seems crazy to me. I have a feeling the next few months are going to fly by and all of a sudden we're going to be a family of four. 

Pregnancy wise I'm still not feeling as good this time around as I did with Mark but that seems to just be the trend. I have continuous aches and pains somewhere or another, usually in my hips and low back, but come to think of it my ribs have been feeling perfectly normal this time around. I have been thinking my belly seems so much lower with this boy as my stretchy pants are even tight sometimes and a lower belly definitely explains the back pain without rib pain. The aches have been keeping my up at night some which is never a good thing for someone who loves sleep like I do so it's lots of pillows for this momma. My belly button is seriously on the move already and given it's outrageous state last time I just have to accept it's hilarity and await the day it no longer goes back in. I don't have any new stretch marks or any swelling which I'm thankful for. We have a doctors appointment at the end of next week and hopefully everything checks out just perfectly.

Slowly but surely the nursery is starting to take shape and it's been so fun to think of another room for another baby. J's mom kindly gifted her new grandson a crib which arrived at the end of last week. We went with the same one Mark has and after a quick trip to purchase a mattress along with sewing up a crib sheet there's a crib in the nursery yet again. It doesn't seem so strange to see a crib set up like it was the first time around but when I think about there being TWO cribs upstairs I feel immensely blessed. The materials are purchased for baby boy's feature art piece, a big time world map, and I can't wait to start the painting for it once J does the handy work. One thing that's extra special in the new nursery now is that I bought the outfit this baby boy will wear home from the hospital and have it laid on the changing pad. It makes me smile every time I see it laying there picturing it filled with a squishy newborn!

In other random news we've been working with Mark about knowing that a baby is coming and it's so cute to seem him start to pick up on things. I don't think he has any idea what an actual baby is but we've been telling him "baby brother's in momma's belly" and any time he hears the word baby he comes over to lift my shirt. He'll occasionally sit on my lap with my belly out and rub it, put his hands on it and even give hugs and kisses to baby brother. I can tell he's picking up that my belly doesn't look the same and it's so sweet to think of him as a big brother. As far as names go we are far from deciding on who this little boy will be, not because we're disagreeing but because nothing's really jumped out as perfect quite yet. Just like last time we aren't going to share but we don't have a secret yet. My mom has started to mention possibilities for a second baby shower to celebrate this new little life and I'm envisioning a yummy brunch with pastries, a mimosa and coffee bar, lots of fresh fruit, etc etc. It's so fun getting to go through this all again and we feel so blessed by this little boy already. 

Can't wait to add in the picture for 34 weeks, although I'm nervous about the size this belly will be by then! (And a comparison to my Mark-belly for fun below!)