21 Weeks - Ninja Baby

Twenty-one weeks means only 19 weeks to go! I'm officially halfway through the second trimester and now more than halfway through this pregnancy. Wow.

 

This week's pic is another crappy/blurry bathroom pic...apparently I'm not so good at this self-pic thing. I'm going to stop apologizing for these, though, as if they're an anomaly, since they're (obviously) pretty much the norm. At least you can see the belly!

 

 

Big, eh? I feel kind of like this these days:

 

 

(Sorry to expose your eyes to that.)

 

Baby is the size of a: Carrot. Length-wise, that is. A little over 10.5 inches long. And weighing in at 14-15 oz. (closing in on a pound!).

Development: She's apparently working on her ninja/Chuck Norris skills - I'm feeling her more and more these days. (She's kicking as I type this, for the record; must know I'm talking about her.) She's small enough that the kicks are still soft and not at all uncomfortable/painful (none of the "Ow! She just kicked me in the ribs!!" stuff yet). The best comparison I've been able to find is that it feels like popcorn kernels popping. It's similar to gas bubbles but stronger and more pronounced - definitely baby. I love it!

Weight gain: The scales say I actually lost a pound this week. Huh. It could be due to my recently renewed "I will eat healthy for this baby" mission - I've had a ton of Greek yogurt, fruits, beans, and veggies this week (so...much...spinach...) and basically no junk at all. Or it could just be good ole fluctuation. Meh. Who knows. Anyway, that still means up six pounds from pre-pregnancy weight.

Maternity clothes: Rocking the maternity jeans, and I also busted out one maternity shirt this week. The shirts are still too big, really, but it was durned comfy.

Sleep: Not bad! Still waking up a lot, but when I'm out, I'm out.

Morning Sickness: Again, a couple of random bouts of nausea this week, but nothing awful.

Aversions/Cravings: Not really. But, heaven help me, Halloween candy is out on the shelves. And that means THESE:

And these:

And {{whimper}} these:

(Note to self: Put the baby carrots in the shopping cart, and repeat ten times: "I will stay OUT of the candy aisle...I will stay OUT of the candy aisle...")

Bump: Is anyone realllly questioning that at this point?

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks! I had no idea that could start this early on, but the doctor assures me it's very normal and nothing to worry about...just the uterine muscle "practicing" for delivery in a few months. A few times a day, my entire belly clenches up into a tight mass...not painful, but it IS uncomfortable (and was scary at first). 

 

Also, the leg cramps are still showing up here and there. I think I scared Alex to death last night, suddenly bolting straight up in bed, throwing off all the blankets, and grunting "Owowowowowowowow!" Stinking knotted muscle. My leg is actually sore today from it.

I miss: Booze. Just kidding. Nah, there's not too much I'm missing as of this week. Except those Reese's pumpkins I'm not buying.

I feel: Pretty good. Tired, but not awful. Mostly just happy and excited and already wishing it were February so we can meet this little gal.

Daddy moment: Alex talks to the baby every evening, telling her he loves her and wants to meet her soon, etc. He was asking last night if I think she recognizes his voice yet...and I bet she does. Love that.