How pregnant am I? 18 weeks began Saturday, October 25th, 2014
How big is baby? Head to rump, Baby Jack is about 5 1/2 inches long, and he weighs almost 7 ounces, which is about the size of a bell pepper, or a sweet potato, depending on the site/app you read.
Curtsey of The Bump (iPhone app)
He’s busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that I’ll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. I’m crossing my fingers I feel him soon. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they’re still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he’s born. His genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound. (Thanks BabyCenter.com)
Curtsey of: BabyCenter.com
Weight Gain: +1 lb this week, +10 lb total
Body & Changes: Heartburn is pretty much the norm at this point, which pretty much sucks. I think about avoiding the foods that I know are more apt to give me the burney, burpy, yucky feelings, but then I remember how those foods are the best foods. What do you MEAN no spaghetti, Beefaroni, apples, burritos, salad, orange juice or sour candy? You silly. And crazy. So, I deal with it, for now, with a side of Tums.
My belly is also getting larger, and more noticeable ALL day, instead of just at the end of the day. It used to be that I’d wake up with a flat tummy and go to sleep looking pretty large, but now I’m just bump-a-rific all day long. But yes, it’s still smaller in the morning than at night.
Exercise: ….oh yeah. I knew I was forgetting something. Part of me wants to remove this little section from my weekly update, but part of me thinks that someday I’ll get back to regular “exercise.” But I am moving and shaking all day, whether it’s errands, cleaning or doing something else around the house.
Speaking of cleaning, I think it’s possible I may be in that nesting phase. It started with vacuuming the living room. Our one cat, Karen, just LOVES to scratch the carpet. Bad kitty. So I finally had enough of looking at the loose threads. Then I used the vacuum on all surfaces, since there’s a bare floor surface feature. Fancy, right? So I used the vacuum on whole house. But I didn’t trust it. No. So I decided to see how good it really worked, and tested it with a broom. Not too shabby! So then figured I might as well mop. Logical, right? So once all bathrooms and kitchen/eating area were mopped, I figured it was a good idea to clean the bathrooms with bleach spray and Windex, then I was like cool, I’ll do the kitchen, and then everything was done, except dusting so I Pledged all the wood stuff. Boom. done. And now I think laundry is a decent plan. Sheets? Towels? SURE! BRING IT ON!
Clothes: I’m so happy – I’ve really accumulated a pretty cute little maternity clothing collection, full of short sleeved and long sleeved shirts, a cozy hoodie, a pretty flower-print sweater, some nice dresses and a couple pairs of jeans.
It was my 29th birthday this past Tuesday the 28th of October, and part of my gift from my parents and family were the softest, most comfortable and adorable clothes. I consider myself lucky, and since a lot of my normal, pre-preggo tee-shirts are looking a bit like belly shirts these days, I’m so happy to have these maternity shirts. Plus, I think that these shirts are way more flattering to my belly than the ones that aren’t meant to fit a pregnant body.
Food:
Cravings: Salt & vinegar chips, strawberry fruit roll-ups, cold orange juice, grapes, fruit snacks, red wine (Too bad I can’t have any… boo, hiss), Claussen Kosher Dill pickles, cold Jell-O vanilla/chocolate swirl pudding, ALL THE PUDDING… my mom’s enchiladas, cold mustard-based potato salad, salty chips with cold onion or ranch dip. On another note, do you even know how good Honey Bunches of Oats cereal is? IT’S AMAZING…
Aversions: Hamburger Helper (so out of left field, but I was looking at the box in my pantry and wanted to hurl) and coconut oil still something I can’t stand the smell of. Makes me queasy. I still like to use it under my eyes, but even that can make a girl sick to her stomach. Frown.
Any Movement? No… I’m sad. I keep reading from so many other women at my point in pregnancy and how they feel so much movement, and here I am like… was that movement or a burp/fart/gurgle?
Sleep: I’m so tired… My new Sleep Master sleep mask is helping me to fall asleep a lot faster, but I’m still up and moving around 3-5 times an evening, whether it’s to pee or to eat, or to just… sit awake in the dark. I sort of float through the day, and on Wednesday, I couldn’t go on without a nap. I just had to. There was no time for feelings of guilt or whatever else icky I feel when I take naps during the day. I was just SO TIRED…
Emotions: I cried when I watched a funeral procession drive by. I cried when I realized there were no more American Horror Story episodes for me to watch on Netflix. I cried when I laid down for a nap. I cry at old House episodes. Enough said. I’m crazy emotional over all sorts of things.
Purchases: Four shirts from A Pea in The Pod using a promotion I qualified for, and though I didn’t purchase them, my family and friends did for my birthday! More shirts and a few dresses.
What I miss: Eating without heartburn as an after effect, having energy, being able to focus on anything.
What I’m looking forward to: Feeling Baby Jack!!! I CAN’T WAIT!!!! Also, very excited for the 3D/4D (whatever it’s called) scan we scheduled for Nov. 14!!! Ow, ow!
Best Moment of the Week: My birthday was exceptional. I had an awesome time with my family, and really enjoyed spending time with everyone. I also really enjoyed getting some new maternity duds! I feel pretty, oh so pretty! My husband also got me the most beautiful Gramercy Eight necklace made from rose gold and pink opal.
And guess what? My beautiful cousin made it! It’s perfect, and I love it so much. I recommend Gramercy Eight to any and everyone all day erry day.
The quality and craftsmanship of the jewelry is elegant, and the simplicity of each piece is created by hand and are both beautiful and delicate.
Previous weeks:
- week 12
- week 13
- week 14
- week 15
- week 16
- week 17
- Gender Reveal
