Week 24!

Our baby's growing steadily, gaining about a quarter of a pound since last week. Since she's almost a foot long, that makes for a pretty lean figure, but her body's filling out proportionally. Our baby's brain is growing rapidly, and her taste buds may be working now. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily. Our baby can hear more now, and she may even startle at loud, sudden noises. But she's probably getting used to the regular noises she hears around the house, such as our dogs barking or the roar of a vacuum cleaner.