20 Week Bumpdate

How far along:

20 weeks and 1 Day!

How big is the baby:

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He’s also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby’s legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the “crown to rump” measurement. After 20 weeks, he’s measured from head to toe.) He’s swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He’s also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you’ll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).  (via Baby Center)

Total weight gain:

At my last appointment I’d gained almost exactly six pounds. Haven’t weighed since then, but I’ll have a better idea at the next appointment next Friday!

Sleep:

Meh. Some nights are good, some nights aren’t. Between the backaches that seem to be coming around more frequently these days and the nightmares/freaky dreams that wake me up, I don’t sleep very many solid hours. Fortunately I still manage to maintain a decent amount of energy right now (thank you, Second Trimester!), but I know that in another few weeks, I’ll end up pooped out by the afternoon and I’ll be back to needing/wanting/demanding a nap every afternoon.

Maternity Clothes:

Yep. The belly is slowly reaching the point of making all my non-maternity shirts too short. I did pick up a few new things the other day from Sweet Pea Maternitythat I love but I’m waiting for more places to start putting out winter attire before I make another order. Since it’s going to be Fall/Winter here within the next two months (not that I really consider consistent 48-50 degree weather “summer”), there’s no point in spending a ton of money on short sleeve maternity wear.

Best moment of the last two weeks:

Finally settled on baby bedding for the kid’s bedroom; whether it’s a boy or a girl. It took forever and I’m fairly certain that I spent a good 50+ hours browsing Etsy shops and stores for the “perfect” bedding. But, I did it. I nailed down the two that I love. I’ve already got something picked out for Noah so now it’s just a matter of waiting until we know.

Saw sweet baby on the ultrasound yesterday! S/he was moving and kicking and bumping around like crazy. I think seeing him/her move their legs and wiggle their toes made the entire pregnancy that much more real. For a while it’s been kind of “yeah…I’m pregnant” without any real strong inclination that there is a baby in there and I am having another kid soon. I’m officially in “holy cow! We are having a baby!” mode. S/he was taking their feet and stretching them out, wiggling their toes and then bringing them back to their chin before switching to the other leg. It was hilarious and so fun to watch.

S/he was also mesmerized by their hands…waving them around in their face and flexing their fingers. This baby is also 100 times more active and wiggly on the inside than their big brother. I’m not sure if that’s a forewarning or not, but if it is, we are going to have our hands full. Baby’s heartbeat was an even 150, up a few beats from last time.

Food cravings:

• Watermelon: I craved this with Noah like crazy. I’m not sure if it’s the fact that it’s filled with water so it fills me up that I like or the sweetness, but I’ve been inhaling them lately. I’ve been having cravings for sweet stuff, but since I’m trying my hardest not to gain 35 pounds like I did with Noah (I’d prefer to stick closer to the 25-30 pound mark), these have been curbing my cravings. I can eat a whole small seedless melon all by my lonesome.
• Food in General: I’ve finally gotten my appetite back, though finding something I actually crave is a little different. I’m just hungry. Period.
• Nesting: Um. Yeah. This is either going to A) Drive my husband crazy or B) make him want me to stay pregnant forever. I have cleaned, reorganized, and rearranged like a mad woman the last week and a half. I don’t know if it’s hormones or the realization that we’re going to have four people living in this house or what, but our house has gotten an overhaul.

Food aversions:

• Meat: Gag.
• Really sweet smelling food: I like to eat sweet stuff. But if I catch a whiff of something that smells really sweet, it makes me gag.

Symptoms:

• Hunger Pains: This one is a new one. Since I’ve gotten my appetite back a bit, when I’m hungry, I am hungry and have to eat right away or else I get terrible hunger pains. I woke up one morning and they started and just wouldn’t quit. I’m pretty sure I ate nonstop ALL day that day, trying to get them to go away. I think, again, that’s why I’ve been turning more to fruit. It seems to fill me up.
• Headaches: I’m having to watch my computer time because the longer I’m online the more prone to a headache I am. I seem to be getting one or two moderate-severe headaches a week, depending on much I stare at a screen.
• Motion Sickness: I have never been a car sick person, unless I’m sitting in the backseat or trying to read while riding. But the last few weeks, just going from our house to town (which is about 10 minutes away) makes me crazy nauseous. I have to either drive or sit really still to keep from getting queasy.
• Back Pain/Round Ligament Pain: I can’t really differentiate the two anymore. I have awful achiness in my lower-left back and abdominal area. Not all the time, but pretty frequent jabs of pain. I had this with Naoh, too and I really hoped I’d avoid it this time, but it doesn’t seem to be happening.
• Nightmares/Freaky Dreams: I have had dreams from everything to psychotic serial killers to a multi-millionaire hosting a banquet in which he pumped drugs into the air (oh yeah…that one was weird. I even woke up dizzy like I’d be doped up.). These are making sleep a little more difficult for sure.

Gender:

Dying to find out at our party on Saturday!! Make sure to get your guess in for a chance to win a gift card!

What I’m looking forward to:

Our Gender Reveal Party on Saturday!! And finally, finallybeing able to start buying baby clothes and bedding.

What I miss:

Normal sleep patterns. So far it’s hit or miss with my sleep. Some days I sleep really deep and others I toss and turn all night. though I’m very aware that this is nothing compared to the nights of newborn-ness that await.

Next Appointment:

July 20!

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