29 Weeks

Holy growing belly, batman! I've noticed a very dramatic change in the size of my bump between this week and last. My belly button has also "popped" slightly. The peanut must be going through a growth spurt. (Disclaimer: Yes, I have now learned that love handles can develop stretch marks. Please ignore the unsightliness of the second picture.)

On the bright side, I'm getting my first pregnancy massage on Saturday (whoo hoo!) so I'm very much looking forward to it. I have finally reached the point where I can't tolerate the discomfort on my own anymore. Now I just wish I could fast forward through the remainder of the week.

From Baby Center this week, our baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. To meet her increasing nutritional demands, I'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. Because her bones are soaking up lots of calcium, I need to be sure to drink my milk or another good source of calcium. This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in our baby's hardening skeleton each day.