Not only can your baby, now about 9" (23 cm) long and weighing nearly 2 lbs (820 g), hear many sounds from both inside and outside your body, she can also taste and smell. Studies have shown that sweet substances inserted into the amniotic fluid cause baby to swallow more, but bitter substances make her swallow less. And there are plenty of things for her to taste: the things you eat (garlic, for instance) actually "flavor" the amniotic fluid. Baby will begin to use her eyesight this week, too, as her eyelids, which were fused shut to protect the delicate developing retina, can now open and close.

Even though she's only 24 weeks old, your baby's lungs are amazingly well developed. Terminal sacs now appear; later on they'll become alveoli, the tiny air sacs that allow the lungs to exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen. Baby's skin is loose and wrinkly at this point, allowing plenty of room for the fat that will accumulate underneath it in the third trimester. And, speaking of future developments: baby's brain now takes off on a major growth spurt, one that will consume more than 50% of the energy she uses!