23 Weeks and we are busy!

So, I am 23 weeks this week!!!! I am enjoying each week as a new milestone toward having this baby! As mentioned in previous blog posts, I have been keeping myself pretty busy during the week so I every week it is almost a surprise to find I am another week along in this pregnancy! Just 17 or so weeks to go. I can do this!

Baby Duffy is around 11 inches long and weighing in at over a pound (about the weight of a large mango)! I can tell she is getting bigger- she is moving and kicking quite a bit....dancing around in my belly like a little future star of "So You Think You Can Dance". In general, I am still feeling good, but have had some interesting developments over the past week!

One: I had to have an emergency root canal which was not fun! I was worried about the baby and the stress of the procedure, but it was relatively quick and I was numbed twice so I could not feel much. I would say it was over in about 30 minutes. I went in to my dentist because I had been in severe pain for about 4 days - I thought it was just pregnancy gum issues but it turned out to be a tooth that was in dire need of a root canal! Super Fun! I made it through and my Dtr. prescribed some Vicodin for the pain (which you can take while pregnant apparently.). I only took one and have managed to work with Extra Strength Tylenol to ease the discomfort. I have one more appointment though to close it up....even more fun! Either way, I will tell you this, the pain I was feeling before I had the procedure made me double over....I am assuming this was a trial run for birth just with my teeth instead.

Two: I had my first real Braxton Hicks contraction the other night. I say this is my first real one because it was the first one I really felt and I knew it was something different. I woke up around 5 AM to a tightness in my abdomen, running into my back. I was very uncomfortable, so much so that I was having trouble breathing. I would say there were about two of them within a five minute period, and then it stopped. But it was not fun...all is fine since then, but I am a little nervous if it happens again! Anyone else out there experience these during pregnancy???