19 Weeks

Wowwy, I'm halfway through the pregnancy!  Of course, 20 weeks is the official halfway point, but an email I got this week said so and I may not last the entire 40, so I'm claiming it anyway :).  I've been feeling pretty good this week with the exception of some morning nausea.  I don't know if it's because of anxiety (I've always had a nervous stomach) or if it's morning sickness, but it's worse when I brush my teeth and then when I make my breakfast (or even think about eating).  I haven't gotten sick since last week, though, so I think I can deal with it.  Oh, also my knees have been aching because of the cold weather... I know, I'm old... so sleeping has been kind-of tough again.  My back and hips have been ok, but I don't know what to do for my knees... gah!  Maybe I should just wrap my body in an ice pack :).

There are only 10 days left until the big ultrasound and I'm so excited! :)  Jason says we can come up with some solid baby names after the ultrasound.  I told him we need a backup just in case, but he said if the baby comes out the opposite of what we're told, we'll just name it "Surprise!".... yes, with an exclamation point :).  He came up with a girl name that he really likes, but we're still pretty undecided on both boy and girl names.  Hopefully we'll have one figured out by the time he/she gets here ;).

I got a few new items of clothes this week:  3 sweaters and 2 bras (thank God)(sorry if there are any guys reading this).  I just love maternity clothes.  I think I could wear them forever, but Jason probably wouldn't really like that.  Maybe I'll just hold onto them for future Thanksgivings ;).  Anyway, I don't have much else to write about so here are the development details for this week:

• Your baby is now around the size of a mango or large tomato. He is approximately 6 inches long and weighs almost 8 1/2 ounces now!
• This is a very important time in terms of sensory development. Inside your baby’s brain, certain areas are being specialized for smell, touch, taste, hearing and vision.
• Another big development in the last week, hair may finally be sprouting from his scalp.
• By 19 weeks, the uterus is developed in the female and the testes and penis are easily identifiable in males. It may also be time for your ultrasound, so if you don't wish to know the sex of your baby, be sure to make it clear to the ultrasound technician to avoid any unwanted information!

 I'm still not feeling baby movements every day, but I do feel them, which is good enough for me :).  It's always a nice surprise to feel him/her doing somersaults.  It's a bit inconvenient when I'm at work, because I stop what I'm doing so I can concentrate on the movements, but I really don't mind :).  I can't wait until Jason is able to feel the baby too.  Hopefully that will come soon!

I'll post my week 20 update next week and then hopefully I'll have time to write a special post after our ultrasound on Dec. 20th... I'll have lots of pictures and info to share! :)  Have a great week, everyone :).

18 Weeks

 I can't believe how fast these weeks are flying by :).  It seems like I have to write a new entry as soon as I'm done with the previous one!  This (last) week was a pretty eventful one.  I'm pretty sure I've said in previous posts that morning sickness hasn't really been a big problem for me.  I was pretty nauseous for most of the 1st trimester, but other than that I was feeling pretty good.  Well, that changed on Monday.  I was about to leave for work and wasn't feeling very well.  I fed the dog and all I could smell after that was dog food.  Then Jason came down to leave for work and he pulled some barbecue chicken out of the fridge.  I took one look at it and it made my stomach turn... *gag*.  He left for work and I stood in the kitchen for a few minutes until I smelled dog food again, then I had to make a mad dash to the bathroom.  Ugh.  It was horrible.  Now that I've experienced real morning sickness, I appreciate even more that I haven't had to deal with it much.

Sleeping has been a little better this week.  My Snoogle pillow came on Tuesday (yay!) and I think it really has helped.  I have less hip and back pain at night and the main problem right now seems to be adjusting my position with the pillow when I want to turn over... which I really don't mind :).

Work has been going pretty good.  I'm learning a lot and it's becoming a lot less confusing.  Most of the work I'm doing is "busy work", but I really don't mind :).  I heard back about the Motherhood job and she said she needs someone who can work the week of Christmas, which I can't.  We'll be in Oregon and there's no way I'm canceling that trip ;).  If the position is still open after Christmas, she'll call me, but we'll see.  God is in control :).

I've felt the baby moving around a few times this week, but I haven't really felt anything the past few days.  I'm sure I'll start feeling it all the time soon enough, but I want it to happen now!  Jason says it's just a lazy baby... thanks, babe ;). 

Anyway, here are the development details for this week:

• Your baby is now roughly the size of a bell pepper (or sweet potato). He is about 5 1/2 inches long and weighs almost 7 ounces now!
• If you are having a boy, his genitals are now noticeable, if he isn’t curled up and hiding them during the ultrasound. If you are having a girl, her uterus is fully formed and in place, along with her fallopian tubes.
• Your baby’s skeleton, which up until this point has been made up of flexible cartilage, is now hardening into bone. Myelin, a protective covering around his nerves, has begun to form. Myelin plays an important role in the communication between neurons and it will continue to develop through his first year of life.
• At 18 weeks, your baby’s skin is still thin and transparent, so to help protect him, something called the vernix caseosa develops. This is a greasy, cheese-like substance that not only insulates his developing epidermis and dermis from the amniotic fluid; it also makes him nice and slippery for an easier delivery!

We've been talking more about names this week.  Jason has a girl name that he likes and it's starting to grow on me too :).  We're still pretty undecided on boy names, though.  I'm sure it will take us a lot longer to settle on a name, but at least we're coming up with ideas.

Oh, we also started registries at Target and Babies 'R Us this week.  We just chose basic/neutral items, but it was exciting to finally walk through all the aisles and look at the fun baby stuff :).  Once we find out if baby is a boy or girl, I'll have to go back and pick more stuff :D.  If you have any registry item recommendations, please let me know!  I hope everyone has a great week :).

17 Weeks

This has been a pretty good week for me.  I started my new temp job and worked on Monday and Tuesday.  Thursday was Thanksgiving and my birthday (yay, #28!), which was great :).  I got to stuff myself with food and then come home and pass out :).  I finally got over my head cold, so I now have a little more energy but I'm still pretty tired most of the time.  I'm still having trouble sleeping, but Jason bought me a Snoogle body pillow for my birthday and I'm just waiting for it to be delivered... hopefully very soon!  I really hope it helps me to sleep through the night.  Sleeping on my sides has started to get uncomfortable, but I can't sleep on my back (it pinches a main blood vein) and I feel weird about sleeping on my stomach.

I had an interview with Motherhood (maternity clothing store) and it looks pretty promising.  I'm just hoping I can work there so I can get a 30% discount on the clothes ;).  They have some really cute stuff that I want :).  Other than that, things have been pretty much the same at home.  I'm only going to be working a few days each week, which is nice for the time being.

I have felt the baby a few times this week and it's so much fun :).  I can't wait until I can feel it more often.  Here are the development details for the week:

• Your baby is now about the size of a turnip (or onion)! She is roughly 5 inches long and weighs 5 ounces now. That's even more than the placenta weighs.
• Though no new structures have formed this week, she has developed fat deposits under her skin that will account for about 2-6% of her total body weight at her time of birth, just 23 weeks from now!
• Her skeleton, which up until this point has been made up of flexible cartilage, is now hardening into bone. Another exciting event…her sense of hearing begins to develop this week!

I guess that's about it for now :).  I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!