18 Weeks

How Far Along: 18 weeks!

Size of Baby: He/she is the size of a sweet potato, which we found out at our last ultrasound is 6 inches from head to rump (not including legs). Wow! It's no wonder I feel him/her all the time.

Picture of Baby: None. My OB-GYN didn't print any and I forgot to ask.

18 Weeks: He/she is busy flexing his/her arms and legs — movements that I will start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His/her blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his/her ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his/her head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his/her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he/she is born. (Information from BabyCenter's website).

Maternity Clothes: I think I'm going to delete this one for future weekly updates because, obviously, I'm wearing maternity clothes.

Weight Gain: I am about where I was when I first found out I was pregnant. So, I lost 5 pounds in the beginning, but now I've gained it all back. At least I know 1/2 pound of it is baby! :)

Belly Pic: None this week. Sorry!

Stretch Marks: I'm going to delete this one from future weekly updates, too. If/when I get stretch marks, it likely won't happen at the very end of my pregnancy. With Ella, I was good until the very end and then I got them! And they sure aren't pretty. :(

Sleep: I'm really tired, but then I have a hard time getting comfortable. Mostly from the heat (our bedroom is the hottest in the house), but also because I can't get truly comfortable on my side. Plus, getting up three times a night to pee can really put a damper on sleeping soundly.

Best Moment of the Week: The ultrasound, even though we didn't find out the sex of the baby.

Movement: Baby is moving A LOT, but not at the most critical moment...the ultrasound! Stubborn little peanut.

Symptoms: Still throwing up, but not nearly as much. And it's usually a result of smelling something.  Mornings and nights are the worse. Also, heartburn is now a daily nuisance, but nothing a Tums can't fix. I guess my newest symptom is round ligament pain. Whenever I move from one position to the next too fast, I get sharp pains on either side. So, now I try to remember to move slowly when switching sides in bed or when getting up from sitting. Just goes to show my uterus is expanding!

Food Cravings: No major cravings this week. I got some hummus from Trader Joe's that is gone already, so I guess that was a main attraction this week. I love hummus! :)

Gender: We'll *knock on wood* find out July 18th.

What I Miss: Nothing. 

What I'm Looking Forward to: Finding out the baby's gender and my first baby shower on July 30th. I know it's early to be having one, but Aaron, Ella and I are driving up to Oregon to visit family and this will be the only time we see them before the baby comes. So, yay for a baby shower!!! They all know how long we waited for this baby, so they are all so happy for us! :)

Weekly Wisdom: Drink some juice or eat something sugary before going in for the gender reveal ultrasound! Otherwise, you just might have a snoozer, like me.

Milestones: I can't believe I'm 18 weeks already. I'm officially 4 months pregnant...only 5 more months until my due date. You would think that 16 weeks is 4 months, but that's only if every month was like February. :)

Emotions: Happy. Excited.