20w0d -- 1/2 way there!!! Only 2 more days until the BIG u/s!

Wow, it's sooo amazing to be at the 1/2 way point. Baby is kicking away as I type...she must be excited too!

Here is what my Pregnancy Weekly update says:
"Your baby is now about 5.6 to 6.4 inches and weighs approximately 9 ounces. Your baby is now big enough that you may be able to tell when he or she is awake or asleep based on the level of activity. You can also see a lot of movement in the ultrasound image. Looking at ultrasound images of other babies can help you figure out what you're looking at when you see your baby's image."

I can't wait to see the little munchkin again on Thursday. Brad is so adorable...he's getting really excited now and he calls to ask, "How is the baby today?" or "How is my little pumpkin doing?". It's really very sweet. My belly is finally starting to poke out more and more as well. Just in time for our cruise (we leave Sunday!!!). Oooh...I can't wait!

My neighbor, Michelle, just told me last night that she and Cindy (both will be on the cruise with us) want to throw me a baby shower. I was so touched!!

Ok, got lots to do ...but wanted to post belly pics.

ps- I have to start pre-registration for High School for Mike tonight!!! OMG...where did the time go?

19wks0days -- She's already stubborn...HAS to be a girl!

Here is the update for 19w from Pregnancy Weekly:

"Your baby weighs approximately 7 ounces and is about 5.2 to 6 inches from crown to rump. The exterior layers of skin tissue are developing to form your baby's one-of-a-kind fingerprints. The amniotic fluid that surrounds your baby allows for the free movement of the arms and legs and is also sometimes swallowed to practice digestion."

I'm more than convinced that we are having a girl. I already know she's stubborn! Brad felt her move for the 1st time on Feb 13th (although he is still not convinced he felt her) and she's been doing her baby aerobics off and on all day for me...but the minute I put his hand on my belly she goes still. As if she is already letting us know she is calling all the shots. LOL! Oh, she's definitely my little princess!!

We'll know in just 9 days!!!!! I'm so excited to just see her again!

Edit (9pm):
Brad felt the baby kicking away tonight!!!

We had just got done watching American Idol and I was in a really giggly mood because the auditions were super funny tonight.

Anyways, I felt her moving around (she was the most active she's ever been today!!) and asked Brad if he wanted to try to feel (thinking he wouldn't be interested cuz we've had such little luck). And insted of laying his hand on my belly...he put his ear to it. Well...looking down on his head pressed to my belly was too much, so I started laughing. It looked so funny...like those old movies where the Indian lays his ear to a traintrack to see if ones coming! Anyways...he's all, "Stop laughing!!" and then I tried to stop, but then he pressed his ear to my belly again and started laughing himself...so that got me going. Well...we tried this a few more times and by then I'm laughin hysterically. He said he thought he could hear here a little...but I didn't feel anything.

Then all of a sudden she kicked really hard in the front and I quickly put his hand there and she did it again and he felt it right away. Then he put his ear to my belly again and she kicked his chin!!! He started laughing and said to her, "Hey, you kicked your pappa in the chin!!!" and pointed out where he kicked her. (it was adorable!) He felt her kick a few more times w/ his hand...it was really neat!!

:)

18wks2days --These kicks are a real kick!!

For the past 4-5 days I've noticed much harder kicks/movement and more often. It's really amazing.

In fact, this morning I woke up at 5am to turn and the baby decided that would be a good time to start her baby aerobics...it was crazy!! And naturally it's so amazing to feel...I couldn't go back to sleep...I just laid there loving it. Now...I'm tired, of course, but it was so worth the loss of sleep!

Brad has been in Mankato since Tuesday night...and I really wish he was here...the kicks are getting stronger each day and lots of them are so obvious...I'm so excited for him to feel a really strong one. He'll be so excited!

2 weeks until the Big U/S!!!!!!

18wks!!

Here are my 18wk Belly shots (the 3rd one the sun changed on me and it shows a little bit of a pooch!)


















Here is the information that PregnancyWeekly sent me about today's new week.

Your baby weighs about 5.25 ounces and is 5-1/2 inches long from crown to rump, or about the size of a large pickle. Your baby's digestive system is starting to produce meconium, its first fecal matter. Some new moms are scared at the sight of it in their newborns diapers and think something must be wrong with their baby, but its perfectly normal and will only last a few days after birth.

We are 45% of the way done...amazing...totally amazing!!!

17wks3days -- Brad felt the baby kick!

On Friday evening (Jan. 13th), Brad felt his baby move for the 1st time. His face was absolutely priceless!! S/he kicked/moved around about 3-4 times and he just looked at me w/ wide eyes...almost confused.

I was like, "did you feel that??!" and he'd say, "I think..."

Afterwards he was like, "it felt more like a movement across...but I thought it would feel like a big kick". I'm all..."What do you expect? She's only the size of a large avacado!!!" LOL!

Her movements are getting much stronger and more often...so I can't wait until he feels it again.

Ironically I felt Mike for the 1st time on January 14th, 1992 and Brad felt this baby 1 day short of 14 years later.

16wks3days - Cervix ck yesterday...all good!

(NOTE: Belly pic is from 15w2days)

We went for my cervix check ultrasound and OB appt yesterday and everything looks good. My cervix is not dialating at all...which is great news! No threat of a cerclage or bedrest at this point!

Silly me thought we'd be getting a sneak peak at our little peanut and maybe even find out our gender and no such luck. The ultrasound was vaginal and they ONLY looked at the cervix. I didn't even see the screen.

Brad said he could see the cervix mass and then the sac wall and could see the baby's head and then the foot and an arm...she was moving all around in there...but he could only see bits and pieces of her since he only had a glimpse of the edge of the sac. We went out to lunch before our appointment and since I was hoping I'd see her "parts" I wanted to make sure she was active so I had a cherry pepsi. Guess it worked...but all in vain.

For the OB appt part she said everything looks good and the heartrate is good and strong. My uterus is sitting exactly where it should be (several inches below my belly button).

My weight was: 109.6pds (a gain of 2.6 pds since my last appt 5wks ago and a total gain of 6pds). Actually my last 2 appointments I weighed 107pds.

Still feeling flutterings and they seem to be more often and maybe slightly stronger sometimes. I'm looking forward to the harder kicks that Brad will be able to share in. Hopefully in the next few weeks!!

My BIG ultrasound and next OB appt is February 2nd at 1:30 (3 days before our cruise!). Stay tuned!!!

Oh, I forgot to mention...although I am still convinced we are having a girl, Brad just told me last week that he thinks we have a boy in there!!