25 weeks

There are some weeks when pregnancy just announces itself. This was one of those weeks. After more than a month without any aches or pains, of being duped into thinking this pregnancy thing's a breeze, I woke up on Monday with back pain and the suspicion that I could actually feel my stomach growing. Luckily, a couple of yoga sessions soothed the pain; as for the latter, I think I'm going to have to buy more maternity clothes soon. After all, he is starting to grow at a rate of almost 1/2 lb. per week.

Not only is the Short Stranger growing leaps and bounds, but he's been kicking up a storm too! Sometimes I can feel him in multiple places at once. And the other night when Mike decided to try to listen to my stomach, the little guy kicked him in the ear! Yes. Attitude already.

Apparently this week, he is the weight of a rutabaga--yet another vegetable that I hardly ever eat. This week babycenter.com tells us this:

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. He's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

Speaking of hair, Mr. Stranger's hair color is one of the greater mysteries. While I was born a dark brunette, Mike came into this world with blonde hair. Yet there's also a chance the little guy will have either black or red hair. At least one member of each family was born a redhead, there are several on my side raven black hair. The only thing I can guess for sure is he probably won't have curly hair.