19 Weeks.........Our mango

I am 19 weeks today and feeling great. I have been feeling the baby move a little more lately but still nothing super regular. One night this past week the baby kicked really hard down low a few times which was exciting. I have lots of energy and feel as if I can eat anything in sight. I am still trying to eat healthy so my weight gain is not more than it should be. The biggest and most exciting news is that we get to find out next Friday, at 20 weeks, whether we will be buying pink or blue. I still don't have a feeling either way so we will just have to wait and see what the ultrasound says. Hopefully Baby Elliott will be cooperative for the tech doing the ultrasound and we can get a good picture. I am getting anxious for all of the nice weather. I love to be outside so I am ready for the cold weather to move on out. I have bought my first batch of maternity clothing (which is short sleeve) and my bump is continuing to get larger.

For 19 weeks, our baby is 6 inches long and weighs approximately 8.5 ounces. The baby's hair is beginning to sprout on his or her head. The brain is also developing areas for the senses- taste, smell, hearing, vision, and touch. Many people indicate that this is the time that your baby can begin to hear your voice so you should begin to sing, talk, read, or play music for your baby. There is also a protective coating around the baby now that protects their skin from the amniotic fluid.

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 19 weeks 0 days
Total Weight Gain/Loss: +4
Maternity Clothes: Just a few tops but wearing all of my pants still.
Best Moment this week: Scheduling our ultrasound and hearing our baby's heartbeat again
Gender: Find out March 12th
Movement: Yes but still not super regular
Food Craving: everything.....pizza, guacamole, sweets
What I miss: Nothing
Sleep: It's becoming more difficult to become comfortable but still sleeping sound.
What I am looking forward to: Finding out what we are having and more regular movement from the baby.
Belly Button: In
Symptoms: Lots more energy, some ligament pain, itchy and dry skin
Note: Enjoying seeing my tummy grow and ready to know what Baby Elliott is.

Week 18 Photo

Doctor Appointment Update

We had our 18 week doctors appointment today. My blood pressure was very good and the doctor indicated that my uterus is growing nicely. I had gained four pounds since my last appointment. I am now four pounds heavier than my pre-pregnancy weight. I think I am doing well considering in my book that I read each week it states that up to this point most mothers are 10-12 pounds heavier than their pre-pregnancy weight.

The baby's heartrate was at 170 beats per minute today. She said that is within the normal 120-180 range. So our baby's heartrate is definitely on the high side. Many people say that the higher end means a girl and the lower end means a boy. We get to find out if this is true on March 12th. We will officially know if we are having a boy or girl on that morning. I can't wait!!!

I am feeling wonderful with tons of energy. Just wanted to update on our appointment and let everyone know when our ultrasound will be.

18 Weeks......Our sweet potato

I am 18 weeks pregnant today. I am feeling wonderful and getting more energy everyday. Yesterday when I got home from work I did four loads of laundry, made homemade pizzas for dinner, and washed the dishes. I also stayed up till 11:00 watching the Olympics with Jeremy. A few weeks ago I couldn't keep my eyes open past 9:00. I also see why they call this stage the nesting period. I find myself cleaning and organizing constantly when I am home.

We go to the doctor on Monday for a typical prenatal visit to check my weight and blood pressure, and listen to the baby's heartbeat again. After that appointment, I will get to make my appointment for the ultrasound. We are hoping to be able to make it for the following Monday. If that is the case, we have 10 days from today until we find out whether we are having a boy or girl. We are both so excited to find out. Most of our family and friends think we are having a boy so we shall see.

For week 18, our baby is approximately 5 1/2 inches long and weighs almost 7 ounces. The websites all inform me that the baby is moving a ton now so I should be feeling the baby. I started feeling movement at around 15 weeks with Baby Elliott. The baby is now yawning, hiccuping, rolling, kicking, twisting, punching, sucking, and swallowing. The baby's blood vessels are visible through his or her thin skin, and the baby's ears are in their final position. Baby Elliott has now formed it's genitals and they are visible on ultrasound to determine the baby's gender.

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 18 weeks 0 days
Total Weight Gain/Loss: +4
Maternity Clothes: None Yet, going to shop tonight for a few tops.
Best Moment this week: Feeling baby's movements
Gender: Find out March 12th
Movement: Yes still flutters
Food Craving: sweets, cottage cheese, guacamole
What I miss: Nothing
Sleep: Starting to have to sleep on my sides more. Having some discomfort on occasion in my back and ribs.
What I am looking forward to: Finding out what we are having and more regular movement from the baby.
Belly Button: In
Symptoms: Lots more energy
Note: So happy to be completely off my medicine for nausea and vomitting for a week now!

I will keep you posted on my doctor's visit and when my ultrasound is going to be. Have a nice weekend and come on Spring!!!

House "For Sale"

Our house is officially for sale. We have the sign in the yard and flyers in the tube. We are hoping someone stops, gives us a call, and wants to buy our first home from us. It's a great starter home. We are located in the center of town, minutes from the colleges, and directly across the street from an elementary school. Our house is 2 bed, 1 bath, 1 car garage with a covered porch and a deck that Jeremy built on. It's small but was perfect for just the two of us. We have already outgrown it and the baby is not even here yet so we would love to be out of it before our sweet baby boy or girl arrives. Let me know if you or anyone else you know is interested in looking at our house.

17 Weeks.......Our onion

Well I am going to be 17 weeks tomorrow. Crazy how time has flown by so quickly during this pregnancy. In just a few weeks I will already be to the half way point. That just seems so crazy to me!

I found a new website that I love. It is all things baby. It's called thebump.com. It is a spin off of "The Knot" for engaged couples and produced by the same people. I got my new pregnancy countdown or ticker as their site calls it from them yesterday. I also love that they have a comparison of the baby's size to many fruits and vegetables week by week.

For week 17, it states that our baby is the size of an onion. Baby Elliott is approximately 5.1 inches long and weighs around 5.9 ounces. The baby's skeleton is changing from rubbery cartilage to bone and fat is surrounding the brain now. The umbilical cord is getting stronger and thicker. The baby's fingers and toes can now produce prints that is only unique to them. Pretty cool huh?

As I type this right now, our baby is moving around. I usually do not feel the baby at school at all but only at home towards nighttime when I have been laying down. I am super excited to know that our baby is growing and moving inside of me. I can't wait until I can feel the baby even more frequently than I do now.

I hope everyone is doing well. I will post more once I have my appointment and let you know when Jeremy and I will be finding out the gender of our sweet bundle of joy!!

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 17 weeks 0 days
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Unsure at this point.
Maternity Clothes: None Yet
Best Moment this week: Feeling the baby move alot during one day this week!
Gender: Don't know yet.
Movement: Yes still flutters and only on occasion
Food Craving: Andy's ice cream, cheese and crackers, fruit
What I miss: Nothing......just so happy to be feeling well.
Sleep: Sleeping good at night but still requiring alot of sleep.
What I am looking forward to: Finding out what we are having and more regular movement from the baby.
Belly Button: In
Symptoms: None

16 Weeks

Well I am feeling pretty good. We had a long weekend due to President's Day so that was super nice. I am still a bit tired but not complaining. I would take tired anyday over being sick to my stomach. Not much to update for this week besides I continue to feel the baby moving more often. I will give a more updated post after my appointment on March 1. I can't wait to hear the baby's heartbeat again!