24 Weeks

Baby's now the size of a bigger papaya!Baby's skin is becoming more opaque as the fat starts to pack on. And, thanks to the formation of small capillaries, her newly thick skin is taking on a fresh pink glow. As much as we love your company, take a break from the computer if your fingers feel numb or tingly. It's probably carpal tunnel syndrome, often brought on by pregnancy. Stretch your hands frequently to loosen them up. For significant symptoms, try wrist braces or splints at nighttime. Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

So we have been working on names for Baby Girl Higgins. We have a narrowed down to a couple, but there is a front runner. This is the best kept secret hopefully for 17 more weeks. We want to tell everyone after she is born. It will be a wonderful surprise. Believe it or not, Mike is the one that came up with her first name. Unless something else comes along that we really love, this name will probably stick. Mike is already calling her that when we talks to my tummy.