24 Weeks

We are finally feeling the baby move a lot now. At my last midwives appointment she told me that my placenta is right in the front and will be a bit of a buffer when trying to feel movement. It will make it a little tricky for me to feel, and very tricky for people to feel from the outside. I thought that this would meant that it would take a long time for Eric to feel it, but it seems to have really picked up lately. In the last couple of days Eric has even been able to feel it in his side or back or something when we're snuggling. I love seeing him get excited when he feels it. It's really quite precious. I am grateful to have a partner in this whole thing, and to have someone who can enjoy and appreciate it all as much as me. We are definitely starting to get excited to meet our little baby.
This has been the first real week that I've started to feel stretched and uncomfortable. I need to get up every once in a while at work and walk around because I am stating to feel the baby take up more space in my body. I felt a stretch up near my ribs the other day, and I officially got kicked in the bladder this week. That was a weird feeling - I almost peed my pants, but held it together okay. I am starting to feel myself wear out faster as well. Things that used to not even phase me have stated to make me tired, and doing too many of them has started to make me feel exhausted. My body is working hard, and I am trying to learn how to be patient with it while it does it's own thing instead of all the things I want it to do some days.
Things are starting to get more fun, but I still can't seem to actually be able to grasp the fact that I have a baby inside of me. Even when I feel it move and stretch and know that I am tired and uncomfortable, I still can't quite get a handle on the whole thing. I can't believe that in 16 weeks (or 4ish months) I will actually have a baby in my arms, and will be responsible for another human being. I'm not sure I'm ready for that, but I suppose no one really ever is. I am very very excited though. Each time I see a new little baby I get more and more ready to meet my own baby.
I have been thinking about the nursery lately and trying to come up with ideas for it. It's hard to do gender neutral. Anyone who says differently is either lying or not as picky as me (probably the later). It's been a lot of fun to try to think of ideas for the room, but mostly it's just made me beyond anxious for February to come! I just want to know the gender of my baby so badly now - and with that I want to meet him/her and give him/her a name and be a family together. I can't wait!
Here is our most recent picture - no picture this week, it's been so so busy around here and I haven't seen my photographer for longer than a few minutes in the morning and at bedtime in days. Hoping for one next week!