Week 20: Sun, Nov 24th-Half Way!

20 weeks…half way there! Wow, 5 months have gone by fast! This is just the beginning I'm sure. From now on time is going to speed by. 
I'm trying to enjoy all the things I take for granted, most especially my quiet downtime and moments of having nothing to do…sigh……

Weight: 111 lbs

Circumference (at belly button): 33.5 inches

Nickname for baby this week: "our little banana"

Symptoms this past week: baby movement/kicking usually felt while laying in bed after waking up, tightness in belly (usually after eating), vaginal discharge, lower back pain, need to pee a couple of more times per day.

Body changes: a growing baby bump; my boobs are a little fuller and tired sooner; belly skin is a little itchier. 

We're having a...

We don't know! But the tech who did the ultrasound does ;)

So the news from the 2nd trimester ultrasound is great! Everything about the baby looks normal! The doctor did say that where the umbilical cord meets the placenta is a little off balance (not sure exactly what that means) so I'll go back in my 3rd trimester at the beginning of February for another scan (and because of my "advanced maternal age"). But I saw my OB later the same day and she said that's nothing to worry about. A friend told me too that the doc at the scan has to tell you every little thing they see for liability reasons. So I'm not going to focus (and thus worry) on it.

The fancy UCSF machine is 3D capable so we got to see our baby in 3D too! It's so amazing that the baby is no longer a little peanut-shaped blob but now a fully-fledged human with developed legs, arms, hands, nose, spine, everything! Pregnancy is quite an amazing, mind-blowing thing...a microscopic being formed from a tiny egg and sperm grows into a living, breathing person! Mind boggling! 

Our baby posed for quite the perfect profile shot...must know I'm a photographer and is practicing posing ;)

Week 19: Sun, Nov 17, 2013

Weight: 111 lbs!

Circumference (at belly button): 33.5 inches

Nickname for baby this week: "our little mango"

 

 

Symptoms this past week: a distinct fluttering in my lower left abdomen that lasted about 8 seconds (from what I've been told, this was the baby), prolonged headache that turned migrainish, tightness in belly (usually after eating), v. discharge, a few days in a row of minor abdominal cramping (probably from stretching muscles, or as many people will say, "round ligament pain" due to stretching).

Body changes: my baby bump is definitely showing, at times it feels huge to me but I know it's not really that big yet; my boobs aren't exactly bigger but seem slightly fuller (sweet!). The fine hairs on my belly are more noticeable (b/c I can seem them easier now that they're a few inches closer?)   

 

 

 

**Note! We have our 2nd trimester ultrasound, aka anatomy scan, tomorrow. This is going to be a big one: 45 mins long with a high-tech ultrasound machine. We're having it done at the UCSF satellite office in Monterey. We're waiting to find out the sex the old-fashioned way but could probably find out tomorrow if we wanted to.

So what is an anatomy scan? The tech will look at everything (organs, body parts, etc) to see if there are any current or potential physical issues. Of course we hope for no major problems…hopefully it has 2 legs, 2 arms, a brain, heart and is overall very healthy! I'll post an update with the results once we get them. Keep us in your thoughts/prayers please :)

Week 18: Sun, Nov 10, 2013

Weight: 110 lbs

Circumference (at belly button): just under 33 inches

Nickname for baby this week: "our little sweet potato"

 

 

Symptoms this past week: tightness in belly (usually after eating), v. discharge, tired lower back, abdominal cramps (twinges), pain in the ball of my left foot. The fatigue that I experienced in the first trimester is gone so I have the energy again to do more things, especially during late afternoon-evening (when the fatigue hit the hardest).

Body changes: Besides my growing baby bump, no body changes. 

Week 17-Sun, Nov 3, 2013

Weight: 110 lbs

Circumference (at belly button): 32.75 inches

Nickname for baby this week: "our little onion"

Symptoms this past week: tightness in belly (usually after eating so bloating?), v. discharge, tired lower back…I had a massage so that helped the back :). Now I know why they say pregnant women's hair is often thick...I lose a lot fewer hairs over the course of the day.

Body changes: Besides my baby bump growing, no body changes. According to many sources, I should start to feel kicks...but up until 20-22 weeks, they may just feel like gas and not be distinguishable as kicks.

Our first major baby purchases!

Our first toy…got this little gem for $5! Cor can teach our child about basketball from a very early age :)


















 

We stopped at an antique store in Soquel yesterday and I found this awesome little end table/shelf. It's the perfect size for an IKEA changing pad…yay!

Saw this brand new video baby monitor on sale for less than full price. We tried it out and it works great! Has sound and video.



And last but not least, I got a box full of kids hangers for free via Freecycle (an online site where people offer and request free items). Not like kids hangers are expensive but now I've got 30-40 free ones to get me started :)