Twenty-Four Ears of Corn!

*I don't feel like this pictures do my belly justice, but this was early morning, pre-breakfast!*

Along: 24 weeks, our little Corn on the Cob! With the way this baby moves, which I love, I really feel like there could be 24 ears of corn in there!

Size: Little Luda is roughly 12.5 inches long and weighs about 1.25 lb. He or she is rapidly developing senses and should probably be able to sense what is upside down or right side up. Little Luda's respiratory system is also rapidly growing, lungs are developing in preparation for breathing, moving amniotic fluid in and out. For now the little one is still getting oxygen from the placenta, so bake baby bake!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Still hanging out around the 10 lb mark. I have a doctor's appointment next week, so we will have an official number then. With that being said I feel like I am really starting to pop...some days more than others, but I sure do love my baby bump! 

Maternity Clothes:  I'm going shopping with my mom this weekend and I can not wait! Summer clothes are still working out pretty well, but I'll be down to slim pickings once fall is in full swing and I want to be prepared.

Gender: ?????????

Movement: Little Luda loves to move, which is awesome because his parents are quite the active ones. Baby's favorite times to move are right after a meal, especially when dessert is involved. We're starting to see lots of movement now too and not just feel it, which is just another sign of our healthy, growing baby.

Sleep: I'm able to get solid sleep for about 6-8 hours and then after that I'm waking up every so often to check the clock. Getting power naps in the middle of the day is definitely a strong suit of mine and I'm sure they will come in handy once Little Luda arrives.

Cravings: Fruits, salads, Chik-fil-a, and ice cream/frozen yogurt!

Symptoms: Nothing new to report. Still battling heartburn. The legs cramps have let up this week, which I attribute to me making a effort to eat more foods with potassium. I pee pretty frequently, but I'm usually able to make it through the night with out a trip to the restroom, so I'll take it. For the most part I feel great!

What I'm Thankful For: Answered prayer. At the beginning of the week I wasn't feeling well. I had some cold-like symptoms and the lymph nodes in my neck/along my jaw decided to swell up. At one point is looked like I had a golf ball in my cheek. I was worried about having to take antibiotics, but with a lot of prayer the swelling went down and I was back to normal in just a few days.

Best Moment of the Week: Our best moment of the week is probably our biggest answer to prayer. Shawn's sister and her husband had started the process of adopting after battling with infertility. They have waited 6 years to become parents and on Tuesday we found out that the wait was over and yesterday Kim and Markus got to meet and hold their little boy for the first time! Just 7 weeks old, this little guys is already stealing our hearts and tomorrow they will bring Ethan Christian Lange home. Seeing God work in my brother and sister's lives has been such a blessing and this answer to prayer is just a testament to God's faithfulness.

What's even more of a blessing is that when Shawn and I found out that we were expecting Little Luda our specific prayer was that Kim and Markus would be able to bring home a baby before Little Luda made his/her entrance into the world in December. We knew that the adoption process could take a couple months or it could take over a year, but we knew that God could provide the perfect little one for Kim and Markus.  God did provide and He is faithful. He loves us and shows us that love time and time again.

"For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!'" - Romans 8:15

Having a child is such a blessing and be blessed with that child through the avenue of adoption is true imagery of our adoption as sons and daughters of God. Thank you Father!

We get to meet Ethan this weekend, which we are so excited about and will have pictures to share then, but for now here is a sneak peek of what will be going up in Little Luda's nursery. I can't wait to move into our new home and get everything ready for our little ones arrival!