Hello third trimester! (28 weeks)

Oh my goodness! How have we gotten here so quickly!?!  We are roughly 12 weeks from Evelyn's due date and starting the third trimester!  While my pregnancy with Eb was fast, this one feels like light speed!  I am still feeling good, no real swelling to speak of, I've still got most of my energy and Evie reminds me of her presence daily, all good things!  I have started having some Braxton Hicks contractions already, much earlier than I experienced them with Eb, Evie is starting to feel "heavy" by the end of the day and I have a new rib that Chris has to put in occasionally for me.  Definitely not serious complaints!

Evelyn has done so much growing the last few weeks!  If she were to be born this week (which she is not showing any temptation of doing!!!) her chance of survival has sky rocketed from 24 weeks (from 50% to 95%), and her chances of complications will have plummeted.  This is mainly due to all of the developing her lungs have been doing!  Her air sacks (which allow oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange) are fully formed and working on making surfactant (which will allowing her lungs to expand with air and not get stuck together).  Her sense of hearing is super well developed by now and she is starting to recognize the voice she hears around her, and music!  So its a good time to get some classical playing to help those neuron connections!  Speaking of neurons - almost half of Evie's energy the last couple weeks has been devoted to brain development and growth!  All this growth is part of why she is starting to recognize sounds.  She is practicing blinking and focusing in the dim light that filters through the womb, not to mention practicing sucking, grasping and breathing - all skills she will master before birth.  Along with her lungs, her liver and immune system are still under construction, getting ready for their big debut!  Finally, while she still has a lot of gaining to go she is starting to pack on some fat, making her skin less transparent every day, and bringing her weight within the ballpark of 2 and 1/4 pounds.