"Bumpkin"

Today is Halloween and here is what I wore:

My students asked if I was the pumpkin or my baby. I told them it was the bump....so they said it was a "bumpkin!"

Today during school, I was talking to some students about my little girl when she gave me a full on major kick! It was just one, but there was no mistaking it. I felt several softer kicks last night - about 8-10 in the span of a few minutes. This was the first time I could feel her move from outside.

Week 20 - Half Baked

About Baby: I can't believe we are already at the half-way point! My little girl is now measuring 6.5 inches long and is either the size of a small banana or a cantaloupe. She weighs more than 10 ounces! From now on she will be measured from head to toe instead of crown to rump, so she is really 10 inches long! Wow!

How am I feeling? Good. Having trouble sleeping as I have to change sides constantly in the middle of the night. I also have noticed that I am more short of breath this week. I went for a nice walk this morning and it felt good. I definitely have a lot more energy than I did in the 1st trimester.

Movement? Still sporadic movement. I think I may have felt a kick this morning, but it was just once and it happened so fast that I cannot be certain. I am very ready to feel her more regularly!

Here we are at 20 weeks!

Movement & My Bump

Since Saturday night I have been feeling her move a lot more often and even some semi strong pokes. Its strange that just in a couple of days she seems so much more active. I am sure it is just that I can feel it more. If I went by my original due date of March 11th, today would be exactly 20 weeks, so it is not surprising. The pokes feel like jolts of electricity.

Here are some pictures of my bump.The first picture was taken in Phoenix on Saturday and my little bump really shows. The second picture was taken today (just two days later) and I feel like my bump shows even more.

 Saturday  

 Monday

I shared my news with my students today and they were so excited! It feels great to let this secret out! 

Week 19

About Baby: My little girl is now the size of a mango, and probably even bigger. I had an ultrasound on Tuesday and she measured 19 weeks 1 day at that point. The doctor said she was 9 ounces! Her heart rate was 145 so it has stabilized. I have an anterior placenta, meaning that it is located in the front, but off to the left side. At the ultrasound, they gave me a cute picture of her foot:

Its hard to believe that I am almost 1/2 way! This week, my little girl's brain is working overtime developing the five senses and she has developed a protective coating to guard from wrinkly skin due to amniotic fluid.

How am I feeling? I have been a little tired because of several late nights in a row. I am trying to do more sitting at work, but sometimes have lower back pain so it feels good to stand. My allergies have been driving me nuts this week - lots of sneezing and a stuffy nose. Fortunately I can take Benadryl!

Movement? Yes - and I even think I felt some pokes or kicks tonight. Nothing very strong, but it felt different than the gentle rolling I normally feel from her. Soon I should be feeling stronger kicks and there will be no doubt that it is my sweet girl.

Here we are at 19 weeks!

I am wearing maternity clothes full time now and they are so comfortable. The challenge is I now have an extremely limited wardrobe. Once it gets cooler, I will buy some fall/winter long sleeve tops, but right now it is so hot I am living in shorts and t-shirts!

Week 18

About Baby: We have made it to 18 weeks and my little girl is the size of a sweet potato! She is more than 5.5 inches long and growing all the time...in just two weeks she will be as long as a cantaloupe.  The websites that I read tell me she is kicking, punching, yawning, rolling and even hiccuping - although I still feel very little of her movements. Occasionally I feel a wave like motion which I am convinced is her. I am looking forward to feeling her kick for the first time!

How am I feeling? Good. I seem to finally have more energy, but the heartburn has not improved. One of my friends tells me that means that my little girl will be born with a full head of hair.

Here is my bump photo from today. This is the first week that it is really impossible to hide that I am pregnant, although my students still have not said a word. I have a feeling that this coming week the big secret will be revealed!

Week 17

Today is the beginning of week 17 and our little girl is the size of an onion. That means she is about 5 inches long. Her unique fingerprints have formed and her cartilage is turning into bone.

Physically I feel pretty good. I still get headaches and heartburn. It does not seem to matter what I eat, heartburn sets in so my food choices seem very limited. I definitely have a little bump, although it is not very noticeable to the world. Here is my week 17 bump photo taken at the Duck Pond in Temecula.

Anatomy Scan

Tonight we had the anatomy scan at 16 weeks 4 days. Baby was measuring normal on everything. We also found out that baby is a GIRL and we are absolutely thrilled because that is what we wanted!! Her heartbeat was 142 and she measured a few days ahead at 17 weeks 1 day. We have an ultrasound photo of her little face because she was looking right at us. You can see her skull and eye sockets clearly.

As the ultrasound tech did all the measurements, she went so fast that it was hard to tell what we were seeing. Fortunately she would tell us - leg, kidney, heart, etc. We go back for our next ultrasound in 4 weeks and a Fetal Echo in 5 weeks where they look just at the heart. Now the fun begins - picking out a name for our sweet little girl and designing her nursery!