We Can't Wait to Meet You, Baby.: 20 Weeks!

I am hungry, so

hungry...

all of the time now.

Apparently this side effect of the second trimester is only going to get increasingly worse. I am chomping down on celery and salsa as I type. Well. It's official. I am at the end of my 20th week! That means I am looking forward to a cold but baby kicking fifth month. Matt and I are heading to Montana in about one week and as far as I am concerned, I have nothing to wear. This belly of mine is getting rounder by the minute. Today I pulled together a few of my bigger sweaters and dug in to Matt's oversized ones as well.

The in-laws have not gotten the chance to see or rub the baby bump (baby mound) yet and I can hardly wait for them to see it! I am telling you, this has been an out of body experience the whole time. I still look in the mirror and laugh at my kangaroo pouch that is blowing up rapidly.

Finally, my running is starting to kick ass again. Hubby and I have been rocking the trails lately. He says it looks funny to see a pregnant woman still clipping along on runs. I'm telling you, my times have not been too shabby. This week I completed three consecutive days of five miles at 32:30... which is around 6:30 per mile. Just to think, during my first trimester I was so tired a 9 minute mile felt like I was flying. We'll see how I feel in the days to come. It is hard to imagine how much bigger I am still going to get. Maybe my body will slowly adjust to the baby weight to where I won't even notice it! Ha.

Let me think.

As I have said, I've been really fortunate with this pregnancy so far. Being my first one, I really had no idea of what to expect and I will say... this has been better than I expected. Luckily I did not have any morning sickness (totally thought I would). I have not had terrible round ligament pain and no swelling in my feet, ankles, hands or face. And the cravings have not been crazy gross. My sleeping really has not suffered, except for the late night pees and I am able to do most everything I could do before I was pregnant. Minus the indulgence of alcoholic beverages, coffee, and soft cheeses.... damn.

I am not trying to speak too soon, I know I sill have 20 more weeks. All I am saying is that I am very blessed and very thankful for how things have gone so far, especially since Matt was gone the entire first trimester. I just hope to God the next months aren't too hard. That's all.

Anyways... okay.

20 WEEKS.

Hello from BabyCenter!
You're at the halfway mark — congratulations! 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. (The way your baby is measured changes now.) 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 (although some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).>> Read more about this week

Your baby at 20 weeks

Your baby is practicing swallowing.

Week 20

Your Baby:

Is as big as (depending on which measurements from which pregnancy book you use and of course, Your Produce May Vary) a butternut squash, or as long as a banana, or possibly a carrot. I am getting the sense these comparisons are not really an exact science.
Will be measured head-to-toe from this point on, instead of the head-to-rump measurements we’ve used so far. I remember choking on a bagel at 21 weeks last time because HOLY CRAP, MY CHILD JUST GREW FIVE INCHES IN A WEEK.
Has a heartbeat that can be heard with just a regular old stethoscope now and not just the fancy doppler.
Is swallowing and practicing other digestive skills, and can now produce meconium, which is essentially prenatal poop that sits in the bowels during pregnancy. You’ll see this awesome goopy stuff in person during your baby’s very first diaper change, or possibly even during labor like I did, as some babies like to take their first crap in the womb. Meconium in the fluid in considered a delivery complication, but it’s very common and not terribly dangerous — your doctor will just need to suction your baby’s nose and mouth immediately after delivery to prevent any meconium going into your baby’s lungs with their first breath.

You:

Are HALFWAY THERE HALFWAY THERE HALFWAY THERE!
Seriously. You are halfway through this pregnancy, which may bring to mind such deep thoughts like: “Yay!” or “Uh-oh” or “Whoa” or “Must. Organize. Kitchen. Cabinets.”

You can probably tell, Matt took these pictures.

How far along?: 20 Weeks; 6 Days

Total weight gain/loss: +16 Lbs.

Maternity clothes?: NOPE! Stretchy pants! Leggings!
Hubby's pj pants.

Stretch marks?: No... I'm on Matt's lotion regime.

Sleep: Like a baby.

Best moment this week: Reaching the 5 month mark!

Miss Anything?: Enjoying wine or beer when Matt and
I go out to dinner.

Movement: Oh yeah!

Food cravings: Cheese. Pasta. Mashed Potatoes.
French Fries. Chips. Ranch. (Real healthy, huh)

Anything making you queasy or sick: Fish... gag me.

Have you started to show yet: You bet!

Gender: A stinky little Matt Jr.

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out?: In-ish.

Wedding rings on or off?: On and loose.

Happy or Moody most of the time: ECSTATIC!
Although, sometimes I cry for really stupid reasons,
like thinking about how much I love my family, dogs, Nola moms.

Looking forward to: Our One Year Anniversary!
A White Christmas! No work for 2 weeks!

Again, I can not wait to meet our sweet, fat, little satin skin baby.

I am already obsessed with how small his hands and feet are going to be the first time I meet him.