It's Half Time!

Today marks the half-way point! I'm 20 weeks pregnant and our baby is officially half-baked as of today.  Boy did that go fast!  If the second half goes anywhere nearly as quickly as the first half has, I'm in trouble with a capital T.  We now have half the time that we had before and all of the preparations left to be done! As I mentioned in this post, I'd best be getting my larger-than-ever-before pregnant a$$ in gear!

We had our big 20 week ultrasound today.

Our baby passed with flying colors.  All measurements are right on track and all the organs are in place and accounted for.  I have to admit, I always get a bit nervous when I go to these appointments, so it was great to hear that all is looking good.  Plus, it was so fun to be able to see so many details – the fingers, ribs, spine, and even the face!  We had the chance to find out the gender, but we’ve decided to wait and be surprised.  I was worried that the ultrasound tech might slip and say “he” or “she” but she was a pro and we left without a clue as to what we’re having.

I was able to ask the doctor about my greater-than-normal weight gain.  And, no I’m not being vain.  According to the experts, I should have gained about 10 pounds so far and, instead, I’ve gained a whopping (well it feels like it to me) 17 pounds.  Seriously though, that is a statistically significant difference!  

Week 5                           vs                          Week 19

Gaining weight is not easy, even though I know it’s for a good reason.  If this rate of weight gain is necessary for a healthy baby, then I'm fine with it.  I just don’t want to gain more than I need to.  But my doc says that there’s no cause for alarm, especially since I’m doing everything right…i.e. eating healthy and exercising regularly.  Seeing as how I am a registered dietitian and personal trainer, I’d better be doing this right or I’m in the wrong profession!  Her conclusion is that I may well be growing a large baby…GREAT, that’ll ensure a smooth and painless delivery.  Oh dear.

Here are some of my stats at the half-way point:

My measurements:  126 pounds and 5’4”

Baby’s measurements:  10 ounces and 10 inches long 

Morning sickness:  Gone!  Although I was lucky not to have it as bad as many people and never threw up once.

Food aversions:  Some still lingering (chicken, toothpaste) and some gone (cooked vegetables, apples).

Cravings:  Root beer!  Pears!  Frozen peaches!  Chocolate ice cream!  This last one is a weird one because Maureen’s the one who LOVES all things chocolate; it’s never really been my thing.  But, now?  I’m also in love.  I’ve only indulged twice though.

Hair, skin, and nails:  I’m most definitely not experiencing the glorious pregnant glow that I’ve heard so much about.  My hair is greasy, my nails keep splitting, and I’ve had some lovely breakouts on my back and neck – fortunately my face has been spared so far! 

Boobs:  Huge!  At least for me.  I’ve never had big boobs, so this is a whole new world.  The other day, I dropped a bar of soap in the shower, and when I bent over to pick it up, my boobs ran into my stomach.  This was never, ever even possible before!  They’re not all that sore which is good because I bump into them with my arms quite regularly. 

Mood swings:  I’m probably not the best one to talk – you really should probably ask my hubby.  But, I do feel that I’ve been fairly stable mood-wise so far.  Nonetheless, I do admit to being an overly-emotional, dramatic, easily stressed-out crazy person on a few occasions.  What’s funniest is that, in these moments, I totally know that I’m being ridiculous.  But I honestly feel so frustrated/uncomfortable/needy that I just can’t stop.  I feel bad that he gets stuck being the victim of my craziness, so I tried to explain how I feel, so at least he could understand.  That went really well.  The only thing crazier than a pregnant woman being crazy is when she tries to explain how she knows she’s being crazy but can’t help it because “it really is very important and I know it doesn’t make any sense at all but I just need you to pretend like it does right now so that I don’t feel any crazier than I already do”.  Poor boy.  But he’s taking it like a champ and still rubbing my back every night as I fall asleep.  

Pregnancy brain:  Totally!  I’ve been super forgetful these days.  Although I have yet to put the car keys in the fridge or anything like that.  I'm sure that day will come though...

Belly button:  It’s always been an “innie” and it’s stayed that way so far.  Interesting side story:  I have my belly button pierced and have yet to take the piercing out.  This may pose a problem and should probably be addressed soon.  Maureen and I got our belly buttons pierced together, so we had the same ring put in at the same time.  She had to have hers removed when she had an appendectomy a few years back.  When being prepped for surgery in the hospital, the doctor said it had to come out.  One of the nurses stepped in to do the job and couldn’t get it.  Several others tried their hand at it, and no one could even get it to budge, so they had to cut it out!  With some super strong wire cutter machine!  So, I may have a difficult task ahead of me...

Maternity Clothes:  I’ve bought a bunch and am wearing some while still trying to hold onto the last of my regular clothes.  I can still wear my jeans, just barely.  They’re my fat jeans that I wear when I’m a little on the heavier side, which explains while they’re still hanging around.   I do have to unbutton them when I sit down.  But I can still wear them.  Which is good because I have yet to find a good pair of maternity jeans that I like. 

Lastly, here’s a few shots of what I look like at 20 weeks: 

Please excuse my ugly claws hands!

Love.

Baby bump!

The End!