19 weeks: big old grapefruit

Nineteen weeks: 1.4.12









Size of baby: a 'large' heirloom tomato according to Baby Center, or a mango according to The Bump. But guess what? No big tomatoes to be found in all of Milwaukee, and mangoes are pretty darn expensive, plus I think I need to use it later on as the fruits get a little more obscure. So I figured out a fruit of my own: a grapefruit. Seems to be about the same size as a 6 inch tomato, right? And pretty. I do like pretty fruits.

Cravings: This should be changed to 'diet'--meaning, 'what did I consume in large portions last week?' I really don't CRAVE anything but am totally enjoying food in general these days. And really, I'm pretty boring right now with this category because I'm not even gorging myself on sweets or anything odd anymore. We'll see if that stays the same or not.

What I love: all of it. The belly, the movement, nearing the halfway mark, planning for a NEW BABY in May. Just love it.

What I'm looking forward to the most: Anatomy scan next Thursday!! And I eluded that we are doing things differently this time, and I will share this much with you: we will have the ultrasound tech write the sex on a card and put it in an envelope (hopefully with a 'money shot' ultrasound picture, too, just to be sure). Then we will wait almost 48 whole hours to find out the sex with a fun gender reveal event of sorts on Saturday morning. I cannot believe we will even have the will power to wait almost 2 days but I know we can remain strong in the name of a big surprise and amazing reveal on Saturday. Cannot wait!! Pictures will follow of course, and I'm not trying to be sneaky---just want to make it a little more fun when you see how we are announcing.

Worries: Not a ton this week, thank goodness. On his/her quiet days I do tend to get a little psychotic and neurotic and may pull out the doppler for a quick check.

What is different this time around: Apparently I was finished painting the nursery at 19 weeks last time. And my bump was a joke. This time I have a legit baby bump and we are not even sure where we will be living when baby comes, so I can only dream of nursery colors for now. Planning to buy our first home and then the logistics of actually moving in, decorating, and settling before baby make this pregnancy a LOT different than the last, I guess.

Symptoms: None! Sometimes my back hurts a bit and it feels wonderful to lay down but otherwise I'm feeling fab.

Sleep: Love it, wish my toddler would sleep past 5:15 to enjoy more of it.

Movement: Um, yes. Big kicks daily although some days are much more active than others. See the 'best moment of the week' for more details.

The belly: It's there! In fact, I had a big 'first' right at 19 weeks (when this post SHOULD have gone up but we were still fruit-hunting): a patient's family member commented on my belly without knowing I am actually pregnant. Granted, I was gesturing to my hips while I demonstrated how to lift a patient properly, but still---that counts as strangers noticing my bump! Can't say that I hate it:)

Boy or Girl: I'm totally torn again. I've stopped trying to decipher my intuition for now since we will find out soon enough. But let me just say again, I will be over the moon excited for EITHER sex as long as baby is healthy. For real.

Milestones: A whopping 6 inches and 8.5 ounces, plus tons of sensory development right now means baby is getting pretty substantial in size. Baby might be able to hear my voice now, so if I was a super-mom I'd start reading and singing and teaching my baby the alphabet right now. Instead, my baby hears me scold the dog and call for Truman to get out of the trash can more often than not. I guess he or she better get used to it!

Best moment of the week: On New Years Day, at 5:15 when Truman woke me up from the other room, I noticed baby was kicking like freaking crazy. I just laid there a little bit, wondering if he'd keep it up much longer. Then I grabbed Nate's hand and pulled it onto my belly and sure enough, he got to feel his first kicks from the outside! Nate said, 'I feel it!' and I have decided this was the best possible way to begin a new year with my family. Now let's just hope that Truman's sibling will not also be an early riser---one can hope!