24 Week Checkup, November 24, 2008

To start things off, we have decided on his name......Danley Braydn Whitlock! We will call him Braydn. Actually, we already refer to him as Braydn, and call him by name. It's really fun! We had our 24 week check up with Dr. Gilliam today. My blood pressure was good, 120/70. We have gained one pound since last visit (raising the total to 13 lbs). We heard his heart beat on the doppler again, and she commented on how active he is (they say that every time, he must really be a busy little bee in there). We are scheduled to go back on December 22nd for our glucoli (sugar test), lab work, and another ultrasound. This will be a great Christmas present for daddy and I, we can't wait to see our little Braydn again! By the way, I must mention, that Braydn had a 1st cousin born on Friday, November 21st, Virginia Ruth Little. She weighed 6 lb 3 oz, 18 1/2" long. Mom and baby are both doing great. They went home yesterday. Thanks for checking in. I'll post some pictures soon of our outward belly progress! It has changed since last time, I can promise you all that! We hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving! We are very thankful for our great family and friends and especially for our sweet little Braydn!

We will be 24 weeks on Thursday, 11/20/08

24 WEEK UPDATE (from www. pregnancy.org) Bring on the bulk! Baby gains about 6 ounces this week. The weight is in muscle, bone mass and organs. His body begins to fill out with his appearance increasingly becoming more like a newborn. Taste buds begin to form. If mom drinks something strange or bitter, baby may be observed showing his distaste. Little creases have appeared on his palms. The muscular coordination of his hands has improved as he sucks his thumb. Over the next seven days the sweat glands will be forming in the skin. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily. This week your baby is officially considered viable. Baby weighs 1.3 pound (600gm) and is 11.8 inches (30cm) long -- almost the length of a ruler!

23 week update, www.pregnancy.org

Taken from www.pregnancy.org Week Twenty-Three Proportions of the body are now quite similar to a newborn although thinner since he hasn't begun to form body fat. Bones located in the middle ear harden. Your baby is able to hear. The eyes are formed, though the iris still lacks pigmentation. The pancreas, essential in the production of hormones, is developing steadily. He has begun producing insulin, important for the breakdown of sugars. If born now, your baby has a 15% chance of survival, his odds going up with each passing day. . The average baby at this stage weighs 1.1 pound (501gm) and is 11.38 inches (28.9cm) long.