21 Weeks Pregnant!!!

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long, the length of a banana. You may soon feel like he's practicing martial arts as his initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to his activity as you get to know him better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now.

Baby is now the size of a banana!!!













Total weight gain/loss: Plus one pound this week. 11 lbs total. My OB would be proud as last week at my appointment, I hadn't gained as much as she would have liked to have seen.
Sleep: Hmmm...how much longer do I have??? Yeah, sleep is starting to become a problem. I'm having a difficult time getting comfortable. Some nights are still ok but I was awake last night at 2am and never was able to get back to sleep. Maybe some napping is in my future.
Food cravings/aversions: Still not as hungry as I was before. Perhaps that intense hunger is gone for good, but Coke has been sounding and tasting so yummy. I try to only have one a week since it is basically just like eating sugar right out of the bag but it is hard!
Best moment last week: I've really been enjoying my exercise routine. It evens out my moods, gives me energy and helps me feel great. I'm so thankful for the time and resources to go to my gym. Also, I got to meet up with an old friend this week who has a boy. It was so much fun to talk pregnancy, birth, babies and get caught up on each other's lives.
Movement: Lots and lots of movement. Feeling him kick higher and higher in my tummy, all the way up by my belly button. I love it when I'm talking to him and he "answers" back with a kick or nudge. I like to pretend he hears my voice and responds to it.
What I miss: Nothing I can really think of this week. :)
Other thoughts: I recently found out two other women at my church who are in their 30s are pregnant with their first. I am so happy for them and glad to know some other women with whom I can relate.
What I am looking forward to: Following the advice of a friend, I ordered a book entitled "Baby Bargins 2010" this week from amazon. Can't wait until it gets here. Supposedly it helps first time moms navigate the overwhelming world of baby items. It compares products based on safety ratings, price, ease of use etc. I'm looking forward to reading it and figuring out what I need and don't need, what is worth the money and what is not.
Milestones: Tummy is starting to become more round as the top of my uterus is now at or above my belly buttom.
21 Week Belly Picture:

20 Weeks Pregnant!!!

Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had via amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you'd like your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

Baby is now the size of a cantaloupe!!!













Total weight gain/loss: No weight gain this week. Still just 10 lbs.
Sleep: Pulling, stretching, and aching. Baby is growing bigger every day and so is my uterus. When I sleep on my side, after a while, the ligaments that hold my uterus in place get achy. I always wondered why pregnant women had to sleep with so many pillows, now I know.
Other symptoms: Since the age of about 30, I have started to get brown spots on my face - a side effect of way too much sun when I was younger. Anyway, I have had some of them lasered off but now I am getting brown spots and blotchy spots from just being pregnant. I can still cover them with makeup pretty well but it is kind of funny to see all the weird things that pregnancy does to one's body.
Best moment last week: I had my big 20 week ultrasound this week. I also got the results of my quad screen back. Praise the Lord! Everything looks good. Baby has all the right parts and pieces and is growing healthy and strong. My quad screen which tests for a higher chance of having a baby with Downs syndrom and other chromosomal abnormalilties came back normal.
Movement: Baby is kicking and punching just like a boy! Dan got to feel a couple of good strong kicks this week. What a fun experience!
What I miss: Starting to miss fitting into my old clothes. It's okay though because I got some gift cards to buy new maternity clothes for my birthday.
Other thoughts: Baby is now the size of a cantaloupe. That is crazy. Baby is melon sized now. It's like it went from small, individual sized fruit to big, multi serving sized fruit in a week. Funny! On a more serious note, it has been an emotional week but I'm so thankful for everything that God has given me. The opportunity to be pregnant with my own biological child, perfect ultrasounds, heartbeats and excellent health for me and baby. Thank you Jesus. You are so good to me.
What I am looking forward to: We have started to do some preliminary baby furniture shopping. It has been so fun to start to look at cribs, changing tables, rocking chairs and see what kind of things I like. I look forward to continuing our search.
Milestones: Big, big milestone this week. I have hit the 20 week mark! Half way through my pregnancy. I can't believe it. It has gone by so fast. I wonder if the next half will go by this quickly.
20 Week Belly Picture:

19 Weeks Pregnant!!!

Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.

Baby is now the size of a large mango!!!!


















Total weight gain: 2 lbs this week!!! Woah Mama. I'm sure a year from now I'll be looking back at this thinking "What was all that anxiety about gaining weight when I was pregnant??" But for now, it freaks me out. My mom says it is just the sign of a healthy pregnancy and really, I'm still well within the healthy normal range for weight gain if not just a little under the recommended amount for 19 weeks along. 10 lbs total.
Sleep: Great sleep this week. I'm trying to savor every night of good sleep. Some nights, this little baby is like a taking a strong sleeping pill. I out as soon as my head hits the pillow.
Best moment last week: I went to go visit my sister-in-law this week who is 38 weeks pregnant or so. My mother-in-law came as well. We had so much fun visiting and talking babies. My mother-in-law gave me baby's first toy. A fluffy and soft stuffed teddy bear that says "heaven sent" on the front. It was very sweet of her and fun to picture my future baby holding his first toy.
Other fun moments: So I decided that I needed to change up my exercise routine. I need something that is a harder workout than walking but also low impact. So, I ventured into uncharted territory - Water aerobics. Aside from being the youngest person in the class by 20 years or so and the "sweatin' to the oldies" style music, it was actually a pretty good workout. We do a lot of the same things I did in boot camp, only it is in water: lunge jumps, squat jumps, squats, high knees etc. I NEVER thought I would be doing water aerobics. Now I'm doing it and enjoying it. I do draw the line at Chubby Checker's "The Twist". I refuse to move during that song.
Movement: Baby seems to need some extra sugar to get him moving. Seems to move around a lot right after the first few bites of my meals.
What I miss: Valentine's day is the week so maybe a V-Day champagne??
Other thoughts: Bible study started last week it started off with taking a look at Zechariah and Elizabeth in the first book of Luke. They were both well along in age when the Angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and told him he would conceive a son and they would name him John. Zechariah doubted at first and his speech was taken away until Gabriel's prophecy was fulfilled. It just reminded me how God can make the impossible, possible. I know God spoke to my heart and told me that now is the time for me to be a mother but sometimes I still doubt and ask "Lord, how can this be?" I'm so thankful I am not struck dumb like Zechariah and forgiven by grace each time I doubt the words God spoke to my heart. Lord, help me to stand firm on the promises you have given me.
What I am looking forward to: Valentine's Day! I never liked Valentine's Day until I met Dan. He makes a big deal out of it every year (much more than I ever would)and makes me feel very special and loved. Also, I have my big, important ultrasound this week. They will do a total body scan of baby and make sure that all the parts and pieces are there and perfectly formed. Can't wait to see my little one again.
Milestones: No big milestones this week. Will report on the ultrasound results in my next week's post.
19 week belly picture: Not great picture this week. Kind of just look chubby. :(

18 Weeks Pregnant!!!

Baby has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements.

Baby is now the size of a sweet potato!!!













Total weight gain/loss: 1 lb this week for a total of 8 lbs. Right on track. :)
Sleep: Pretty good sleep this week. Getting more difficult to turn and change positions. I notice myself panting after I turn over in the bed like it was really hard work to do so.
Other symptoms: Headaches. A couple times a week I get a bad headache that is caused (I'm told by my doctor) from the extra estrogen. It dilates all the blood vessels in my body so baby gets lots of nutrients. However, the blood vessels in my brain get dilated as well which causes the headaches. Tylenol and an occasional cup of coffee or diet coke seem to work well on the pain.
Best moment last week: The best moment for last week was my birthday. It was the best birthday I have had in years. My mom and sister surprised me at 8am with coffee, donuts and flowers. It was such a wonderful surprise! We went shopping, to lunch and to a movie. I'm so thankful for them. What would I do without my mom and sister???
Movement: Movements are becoming stronger and stronger everyday. I am able to sometimes feel his kicks and punches on the outside of my tummy now. It is such a great feeling to know that baby is growing and getting stronger without having to have an ultrasound to prove it.
Food cravings/aversions: My hunger is not as intense as it was before. When I get hungry, I feel the same way that I used to feel before getting pregnant instead of feeling sick and needing to eat immediately if not sooner like I did a month ago.
What I miss: Nothing this week. Still a content and happy pregnant lady.
Other thoughts: I'm just so thankful every day to be experiencing being pregnant with my very own biological child. So many women out there will never be able to experience this. I really am blessed and when I get down and frustrated to see other women being able to get pregnant so easily, I need to remember how good I have it.
What I am looking forward to: I should get the results of my quad screen this week. It is a test that checks for chromosomal abnormalities. I know that God has created my precious little baby and He never makes mistakes. I am trusting and hoping that His plan for me is to have a healthy baby boy.
Milestones: Turned 32 and so happy to know that I'm going to be a mom and not the hold the Guinness record for the world's oldest pregnant woman even though I feel like it sometimes. :)
18 Week Belly Picture: