Update - 24 weeks, 4 days:

I guess I should post some kind of update, seeing as how I haven't actually written anything since May 10th! So, here goes...

Well, first of all, C-dub asked if my belly is getting in the way and if I'm having trouble bending. Thus far, my belly isn't really getting in the way - as I am a "larger" woman, I'm not showing as much as a smaller woman does. Thus, my belly isn't all that big... though it is definately bigger than it used to be. I got JB to take some pics, but I am not a "cute pregnant lady" so I'm not posting them. Perhaps I'll like the next set of pics better (when I have more of a preggo-belly) and will post them... but no promises. As for bending over... yes, that is more difficult! Apparently things got rearranged inside of me and bending over is definately more challenging than it used to be. Getting in and out of bed can also be interesting.

I went for my second ultrasound on May 31... seeing as how Baby Bee was squirming too much during the April 17th one and the technician couldn't measure everything. I will be seeing my doctor tomorrow, so I'll find out if everything is a-okay. The one thing I did learn is that apparently my right kidney isn't where it's supposed to be - it is lower and twisted. The technician and doctor (yes, the doctor on staff came in to take a look... he was a mean old man who has very poor bedside manner and is very rough with the ultrasound device... how would he like it if I poked and prodded him when his bladder was full?!) at the ultrasound didn't say much, so I will see what my regular doctor says tomorrow.

Baby Bee made the ultrasound technologist laugh, as s/he was folded in half and apparently had the hiccups! One thing I notice is that during ultrasounds I can feel things with the baby that normally I can't yet. I don't know if it's because you don't have anything better to do than to pay attention to your body for the hour or if it's because of the way the technician is pushing on things... either way... it's neat. I could feel the hiccups and that is a funny sensation! I don't think I'll be able to really feel something like that normally for a week or so, as that's what happened after the first ultrasound.

Now, in terms of whether Baby Bee is a boy or a girl... we don't know. I asked the ultrasound technician if they could tell and they said "I think it's a ... " (emphasis on the long, drawn-out, unsure "think"). However, partway through the ultrasound, the technician accidentally referred to the baby as the opposite gender. Thus, JB and I decided that we do not know if Baby Bee is a boy or a girl. And, we aren't telling people what the ultrasound technologist said. We will wait until our 3D ultrasound on June 16 and see what that shows.

Enough about the ultrasound! The other thing I will find out tomorrow is the results of my GDS test (gestational diabetes screen). That test wasn't nearly as bad as my friend had made it out to be - you have to drink this really sweet, slightly carbonated, orange drink within 5 minutes and then you have to sit in the lab for 1 hour before they take your blood. The drink wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting, but then again I have a really bad sweet tooth and my prego-friend cannot stand things that are too sweet right now.

So, things are going okay. I'm still tired all the time. Other than that, I get pretty bad back pain at times and headaches/migraines are a pretty regular occurance. But, I'm surviving and I know that there are women that go through a lot worse than I have thus far. So, we shall see...