18 Weeks

 

How far along: 18 weeks - EDD 09/10/15

 

How big is baby: The size of a sweet potato - She is yawning, hiccuping, sucking and swallowing now. She is also working on her muscles by twisting, rolling, punching, and kicking.

 

What are we having: A sweet baby girl

 

Symptoms this week: Nothing to report. I've been sleeping better since I purchased a pregnancy pillow. It seemed to totally elimate the neck/headache issues I was waking up with frequently.

 

Weight gain/loss: Last week's pound that I thought was temporary wound up being a solid one pound gain last week. This week I'm up another pound on top of that, so we're up to two! My thyroid medication was lowered at my last appointment, so I'm sure that's playing a part. If my levels were keeping my metabolism up too much, it would explain the total inability to put on weight.

 

Food aversions/cravings: I'm still into salads and veggies! I've been trying to add plenty of protein and good fats into them when I have them, so I'm not just consuming empty calories. As ridiculous as it sounds, I've been trying to make sure I have a small dessert (usually ice cream) in the evenings after dinner, since I am concerned that I'm just not getting enough calories at this point.

 

The baby belly: I feel like the bump is remaining pretty static as compared to how quickly it grew in the beginning. I feel about the same size, and my pictures are all kind of looking the same to me at this point!

 

Movement: She is picking up the pace in there! I still haven't felt anything that I could say is a kick, but I know she's moving. It's just not strong, defined thumps at this point. I feel rolls/twists, and an almost bubbly feeling when she moves her arms or legs.

 

What is freaking me out: Our anatomy scan is scheduled for the last week in April and I keep [irrationally] worrying that we're going to find out that the DNA test was wrong and she's really a boy!

 

What I'm totally loving: The nursery! Our crib and glider came in, so I assembled them both this past weekend. They look great, and I can't wait for the dresser to come back in stock so we can have all of her furniture in there. Once everything is in, I can really start focusing on decorating.

 

What I'm looking forward to: Our anatomy scan! Now that the date is set, it's nice to be able to look forward to seeing our baby girl again... Especially because the next time we'll see her after that is when she's born!