19 Weeks

I am now 19 weeks along. Almost to the halfway point.
My belly keeps growing (well, duh), though I am not putting on the weight as fast as I should be. I need to eat more. And sleep more. (and exercise and de-stress and take more time for myself, etc.) The baby is kicking around a lot more in there. Not quite enough for anyone to really be able to feel it well. But soon, I hope. Matt thought he might have felt it a few nights ago. But the baby tends to settle down when Matt puts his hand on my belly...maybe the warmth emanating from him? Heh.

In two more days (on Wednesday), we have our ultrasound appointment. This is the one where they take time looking at the baby, measuring things, etc. And yes, this is the appointment where we could find out of the gender if the baby cooperated and we were interested in finding out. But this time we are going to wait and be surprised. Matt would kind of like to know, but I really want to be surprised this time...waiting until I give birth to find out whether it's a girl or boy. I didn't wait the first time for various reasons, and this time those reasons aren't there, so I see no reason not to wait. We aren't big on girl or boy themes, more into neutrals, and we have lots of clothes and items from Liam, so there is no need to ask for anything from people. If anyone really wants to get us gender-specific clothing/items (pink and frilly, etc), they are welcome to...they should just include a gift receipt with it (or be okay with us re gifting it down the line) in case it turns out to be the opposite. I don't mind this, and I don't mind picking out two names. I think it will be far more exciting to hear the news as a part of that wonderful moment, for us anyway. Hopefully everyone will respect that (I am surprised at how many people are surprised and have their own opinion on how we should run our pregnancy).
We WILL post whatever good ultrasound pictures we are given. So check back soon after, okay?!


Here is this week's official pregnancy info for 19 weeks:

Baby starts growing again, and you can feel it, with backaches and even some heartburn!
Six inches (15 cm) in length and weighing more than 7 ounces (.20 kg), your baby is still tiny. But remember, by the time you deliver, baby's weight will increase by about 15 times what it is now! Your baby's skin has begun to develop a creamy, protective coating called vernix, but on a sophisticated ultrasound, you will clearly see the network of developing blood vessels showing through baby's thin skin.

Heartburn, backache, constipation, leg cramps, swelling of your feet and ankles--these are just some of the discomforts you may experience as baby grows. Dizziness is also common, often due to a drop in blood pressure, so be extra careful when rising from a bed or chair. You may also notice tiny bright red bumps, known as spider nevi, appearing on your body. Not to worry, they are just dilated blood vessels and will also be gone shortly after your deliver. Sometime during your second or third trimester, you may also develop melasma (also known as "pregnancy mask"). These brown spots of hyper-pigmentation (usually across cheeks and bridge of the nose) are related to raging hormones but are exacerbated by the sun. Most often it fades after delivery.