Nineteen Weeks

How far along: 19 weeks as of February 7, 2012!  Almost halfway there. 
Size of baby: Beansprout is about 6 inches long and weighs about 8.5 ounces, the size of an heirloom tomato!  His arms and legs are in the right proportion to the rest of his body now.  His kidneys are making urine, and hair is sprouting on his scalp!  Also, Beansprout's sensory development is really taking off.  His brain is developing specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch.
Movement: Still little pulses a few times a day.  Yesterday he was going nuts in the morning after I drank hot chocolate, I think because of the sugar rush.
Sex of baby: We'll know in five days!!
Sleep: Still fine.  Still always tired, no matter how much sleep I get.
What I miss: Not feeling tired all of the time.
Cravings: Italian food, salty foods.
Symptoms: Fatigue, back ache, some abdominal cramping, but it's not very frequent.
What I'm looking forward to: February 13!  Prayers for a healthy baby, please!

Extras: I am planning to register for some prenatal classes.  We'll take a birthing class at the hospital where we'll deliver, a breastfeeding class (for some reason it's for mom and dad?!), and a baby care class.  Boy, do we need the last one.  Mark asked me yesterday if I can plan on walking the dogs while Beansprout is napping at home.  I thought he was joking until I realized he wasn't.  We have a lot to learn!

Eighteen Weeks

How far along: 18 weeks as of January 31, 2012.
Size of baby: Beansprout is about 5.5 ounces long (about the length of a green pepper), and he weighs about 7 ounces!  He has begun flexing his arms and legs.  His ears are now in their final position!  A protective coating of myelin is forming around his nerves.
Movement: I am still feeling the pulsing movement, and it's more frequent now.  One night this week I even felt Beansprout in the middle of the night.  Sometimes it feels like he's doing flips in there, because I literally feel a wave movement.  It's so cool, and it gives me great reassurance.
Sex of baby: We find out soon!  I had a dream last night that I cheated and opened the card with the sex written on it in the car.  It was a boy!  Can't wait to see if my intuition is right!
Sleep: Fine.
What I miss: Soft cheeses and over easy eggs this week!
Cravings: Wendy's spicy chicken sandwiches (so healthy, I know), hummus (better on that front).
Symptoms: My back is starting to hurt, and I've noticed some leg cramps.  I'm trying to drink lots of water, because I heard they can be caused by dehydration. 
What I'm looking forward to: The ultrasound on February 13.  Can't wait!!

Two Weeks From Today...

We will find out who Beansprout is!  I'm so excited I can barely stand it.  I'm also very anxious to know that Beansprout's heart, brain, bones, etc. are all growing as they should be. 

I've been increasing my nursery planning lately.  We'll use the same furniture whether it's a boy or a girl, so we can re-use it later, but the bedding and decor will be unique.  I found an Etsy seller who makes awesome name letters for the wall above the baby's crib, and she makes them in both the colors I have selected for a boy and those I have chosen for a girl.

Seventeen Weeks

How far along: 17 weeks as of January 24, 2012.  Woo hoo, baby bump!  I made no effort to suck it in in this picture, so here it is in all of its glory.
Size of baby: Beansprout is five inches long, and he weighs about five ounces (the size of a turnip).  His skeleton is hardening from cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord is getting stronger and longer.  I read that babies sometimes tug on the cords, so it better be strong!  Beansprout can now move his joints.
Movement: I think I feel Beansprout now.  It doesn't feel like nervous butterflies, like some people have said, but instead it feels like a pulse beating in my abdomen.  I will feel a couple or three beats, and then it stops.  I've never felt this sensation before, so I am chalking it up to the baby.
Sex of the baby: Our new discovery date is Monday, February 13!  As I said in the previous post, we won't find out until that night at dinner, as long as Beansprout doesn't make it too obvious during the ultrasound.  Once we know, we will send out a picture of the dessert with the blueberries or strawberries!  Mark now thinks Beansprout may be a girl.  He told me the other day that he is guessing there's a 35% chance we'll be buying pink rather than blue.  This is new for him, as he's said boy since day one.  I'm still convinced it's a boy.  My aunt and uncle told me they both think it's a girl.  Any other votes??  It actually would end the name wars if we find out it's a girl, since the girl name has been set since before conception (it's been my favorite for years, and poor Mark had no choice in the matter!)  I thought we had a boy name set, but Mark said the other day he's still not sold on it.  If it's a boy, we'll have to kick the name game up a notch.
Sleep: Still fine, although I'm still always tired.
What I miss: Well, this week I attended a work dinner where lots of wine was ordered, and the red wine smelled so good.  I missed red wine that night, but it's a fleeting desire.
Cravings: Food, food, and more food.  I am worried that I'm going to gain 50 pounds!  I have made an effort to eat more healthfully since my last doctor's appointment where I discovered I had gained 10 pounds by week 16.  I still eat when I'm hungry, which is much of the time, but I'm trying to make better choices.
Symptoms: Fatigue, some round ligament pain.
What I'm looking forward to: February 13!  While it will be exciting to find out the sex, I'm more looking forward to knowing that Beansprout is practically perfect in every way, to quote Mary Poppins.

Extras: I got brave and got a flu shot this week.  This has been a huge struggle for me since getting pregnant.  I'm not big on non-vital vaccines, especially those with any traces of mercury in them, and I have never gotten the flu shot before.  However, it's highly recommended for pregnant women to get the vaccine.  I knew I didn't want to risk it until after the first trimester, and I was considering not getting it at all, until I got so sick in Dec./early January.  I knew that if there was a chance of getting the flu, with my immune system so poor, I'd probably get it.  So, with much anxiety and fear, I rolled up my sleeve on Thursday and got the preservative-free shot.  I checked Beansprout's heartbeat yesterday, and he's still going strong in the high 140s/low 150s.  I'll check again tonight.  I am so glad I invested in the doppler monitor!

Sigh of Relief

Beansprout is neural-tube defect free!!  I just called my doctor's office to ask about a flu shot, and while I was speaking with a nurse, I thought I'd see if the results were in.  Huge relief! 

Way to go, Beansprout!!

On another note, I rescheduled our twenty-week scan because of a work conflict Mark had.  Now we'll find out a little earlier, on February 13.  My plan is for the technician not to tell us during the scan, but instead to write the sex on a card and put it in a sealed envelope, along with a picture, if she can get a good one.  Then, that night we will go to dinner at Rasika (the place is so good that the only time available is 9:30!) and give them the envelope, asking them to prepare a dessert with either strawberries or blueberries.  When they bring out the dessert, we'll know whether Beansprout is a boy or a girl!

Sixteen Weeks

How far along: 16 weeks as of January 17, 2012.  I finally feel like I'm starting to show.  In fact, I'm still able to wear only two pairs of pants, so I have started using the bella band with my jeans to stretch out their wear a little more.  Soon, I think I'll have to resort to maternity pants.
Size of baby: Avocado.  Beansprout is 4.5 inches long and weighs about 3.5 ounces.  His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes and ears are close to their final position!  His heart is now pumping 25 quarts of blood each day.
Movement: I still haven't felt anything.  I'm hoping I will soon, although my doctor told me she didn't feel her daughter until 24 weeks, so I'm trying not to get too anxious.  I also think that because I'm used to stomach pains and have dealt with a finicky stomach my whole life, it may take me longer to be able to distinguish Beansprout's movements.
Sex of the baby: Four more weeks!  I have convinced myself it's a boy, so we'll be in for a shock if it turns out to be a girl!
Sleep: Fine, but I can never get enough of it.
What I miss: Nothing really.
Cravings: Salty comfort food this week, like macaroni and cheese and dips.
Symptoms: I think fatigue will be a constant for me during pregnancy.  I've also started to get round ligament pain from my uterus stretching.  Oh, and the lovely bladder pressure from the uterus sitting right on top of it.  I think that will only get worse as time goes on!
What I'm looking forward to: Hopefully hearing that Beansprout is neural tube defect-free.  We got our bloodwork done this week and should get the results in a week or so.

Extras: I had my 16 week appointment this week.  Everything was fine.  I got to see Dr. Crowther again, and she was reassuring, as always.  Beansprout's heartbeat was 153.  Dr. Crowther also made a note  in my chart that I'm worried about pre-term labor, so they'll check at each appointment to make sure there are no signs that Beansprout is gearing up to come early.

One Month From Today...

We will find out whether the Hiller tradition of first-born sons continues with us, or whether Beansprout here has decided to forge her own path.  We can't wait!  What we really care about is healthy, though; we will be happy with either a football player or a gymnast.

I listened to the heartbeat again this morning.  It was strong and loud, fluctuating between 140-155 or so.  Since Beansprout's sense of hearing is developing, this afternoon I'm going to read him his first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit.  I need to foster a love of reading as soon as I can!