21 Weeks

According to The Bump, Baby Girl LeNoir is the size of a banana.  She measures about 10.5 inches from head to toe and weighs about 12.7 oz.  She gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, I need to start thinking about what I want her to eat as I prepare my lunch each day.  Her digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion, and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, her womb is now stocked up with her lifetime supply of six million eggs (the number will drop to around one million by birth).

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 21 weeks
Total Weight Gain: No update yet.  I go to the doctor on Thursday, and I have to say, I'm a little nervous to step on that scale. 
Maternity Clothes: Oh yes. I'm not sure I will ever wear anything without elastic ever again. I'm wearing maternity pants every day, but I'm still wearing my "normal" shirts.  Some are starting to get a little too short, but longer ones still seem to be ok. 
Sleep: I'm still really good at taking naps; however, sleeping through the night is another story.  Thankfully, I've only been making one or two bathroom trips during the night; however, when I get back from these trips, I have THE HARDEST time falling back to sleep.  I just start thinking about anything and everything and no matter how hard I try, it usually takes about 15 mins to an hour to fall back to sleep.  SO FRUSTRATING.
Best Moment this Week: Starting to come up with a list of potential names.  No, we aren't sharing these, so please don't be offended if you ask us and we won't tell you. 
Gender: TEAM PINK!!
Movement: Yep. She especially likes it when I eat, which seems to be happening a lot more frequently these days.  The eating, I mean.
Food Cravings: Cinnamon toast.  While I was at the grocery store tonight, I really wanted a BLT sandwich - that may be on the menu for lunch soon (I hope Baby Girl likes the way it tastes!). 
What I miss: Sleeping through the night.  Being able to walk more than 2.9 mph on the treadmill.  I went back to the gym for the first time in a while and just walking for 30 minutes was hard! 
What I am looking forward to: Furniture shopping and deciding on the colors for the nursery.
Weekly Wisdom: I've got nothing this week. 
Symptoms: Thankfully, still feeling pretty good except for the sleeping issues! 

The Weekly Bump Picture:

20 Weeks

This week, according to The Bump, Baby Girl LeNoir is the size of a cantaloupe this week.  Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation... baby's genitals are now fully formed!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 20 weeks, 1 day - I'm halfway there!!
Total Weight Gain: Same as before - I don't go back to the doctor until Jan 28th, so we'll see what it is then.
Maternity Clothes: Oh yes. I'm not sure I will ever wear anything without elastic ever again.
Sleep: I'm still good at it.
Best Moment this week: Going shopping and stocking up on lots of comfy maternity clothes.  Also, showing Ryan my stomach yesterday and hearing his reaction of "Whoa!  There's a bump there!"
Gender: TEAM PINK!!
Movement: All.The.Time.  Seems like she is going to be one active baby.
Food Cravings: Cinnamon toast
What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach
What I am looking forward to: Furniture shopping and deciding on the colors for the nursery.
Weekly Wisdom: Clean your belly button on a regular basis.  Who knows what you'll find when it starts to get more shallow.
Symptoms: Nothing really this week.  I'm feeling pretty good. 

The Weekly Bump Picture:

19 Weeks

This week has been full of excitement.  Ryan threw me an amazing 30th birthday party this weekend.  It was great having our friends and family there to celebrate my birthday!   We also were lucky enough that the babe cooperated and showed us "the goods" yesterday!    According to The Bump, the baby is the size of a mango this week.  Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 19 weeks, 1 day
Total Weight Gain: Same as before - I don't go back to the doctor until Jan 28th, so we'll see what it is then. 
Maternity Clothes: Oh yes.  I'm not sure I will ever wear anything without elastic ever again.
Sleep: I'm still good at it.
Best Moment this week: Celebrating my 30th birthday with friends and family.  Finding out the sex of the baby and learning that everything is normal.  According to the sonographer, she weighs about 10 oz and is 6 inches long. 
Gender: TEAM PINK!!  Based on the poll results, 6 out of 9 thought otherwise! 
Movement: I am definitely starting to feel her more and more.  Such an interesting feeling! 
Food Cravings: Nothing new - still enjoying sweets, especially the leftover birthday cake from Sugarbakers!
What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach
What I am looking forward to: Starting to look at nursery decorating ideas. 
Weekly Wisdom: It doesn't matter what the sex is along as the baby is healthy! 
Symptoms: Just stupid heartburn. 

The Weekly Bump Picture... I think I'm actually starting to look pregnant! 

And for fun, I've posted some pictures from the beginning of the pregnancy through Week 17.  Because I was feeling so awful during weeks 7-11, we didn't take any pictures.  I am also posting some of the cute ultrasound pictures of Baby Girl LeNoir! 

Baby's First Picture, taken 10/16/09

Taken 11/13/09

A profile picture - you can also see her arms, taken 1/11/10

A cute picture of her little foot with her toes curled, taken 1/11/10

18 Weeks

According to The Bump, this week the baby is the size of a sweet potato (an ugly creepy looking sweet potato based on the picture below).  The fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to me), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that I'll be able to feel those movements soon.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 18 weeks
Total Weight Gain: As of my last appt at 15 weeks, 5 days, 1.5 lbs, although I'm sure this has definitely increased after all the eating I've been doing over the holidays.
Maternity Clothes: Still wearing the BeBand. 
Sleep: I'm still good at it.
Best Moment this week: Thinking that I might have felt the babe move for the first time.
Gender: No idea, but we find out in less than a week! Make sure to cast your vote in the poll on the upper left-hand side of the blog. 
Movement: Maybe? 
Food Craving: Green olives and sweet stuff (not together though).
What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach
What I am looking forward to: Finding out the sex and celebrating my 30th birthday this weekend!
Weekly Wisdom: Do as much as you can before you get too uncomfortable.
Symptoms: Sporadic heartburn and some back pain, but nothing too terribly bad. 

And, here's a picture of my growing bump.