21 Weeks (and 20 Weeks) - MORE THAN HALF WAY THERE!!!

Okay - So it's been busy and I totally flaked on my 20 week post. This is a combo.

At 20 weeks, baby was as big as a banana and weighed about 10.2 ounces and measures about 6.5 inches from crown to rump. Baby now has working taste buds. He is gulping down several ounces of amniotic fluid each day—that's significantly more than before.

At 21 weeks pregnant, baby is as big as a head of endive and is about 10.5 inches from head to toe (yes, we now measure differently) and about 12.7 ounces. As baby's digestive system preps for the outside world, he or she's manufacturing meconium—the tarry black substance you'll find in the first dirty diaper (gross). How far along? 21 weeks

Weight gain/loss: 17

Sleep? Okay. My shoulders are sore from sleeping on my sides but otherwise no complaints here.

Best moment this week?Watching Joaquin's first baseball game was really fun. The kids are adorable and Joaquin seemed like he was having lots of fun.

Movement:YES. And even Jay has felt some kicks. It's pretty neat.

Food cravings:All kinds of fruit

What I miss? My yoga practice. I am still trying but it is a bit frustrating to be so limited and easily worn out. I love the way I feel after a really difficult class and it is hard to take it easy. This is very different from my previous pregnancies, as I did not really exercise at all during either (I know!). I really only discovered my enjoyment of exercise in the last 7 years or so and this has been the single hardest thing for me to give up over the last few months. I am truly dreading the "dark period" in late third trimester and after the baby is born when I am not allowed exercise at all. Until then, I will keep trying (but not too hard).

What I am looking forward to? Can I just keep saying vacation?! I am SOOO excited.

Milestones: I'm over half way done. This pregnancy business is long and boring so it's nice to be on the downhill.

What I'm nervous about: I really need to start actually preparing for the baby's arrival at home. We got rid of everything thinking we were done (and not wanting to store a bunch of stuff). So we need a crib, changing table, Rock n Play and all that other baby stuff again. Joaquin's closet is being done in two weeks so once that's done I will really need to get to work. I am hoping we have some generous friends who want to get rid of unnecessary baby stuff because the idea of spending all of that money again is just too much. Haha.

Anatomy Scan Pictures

I can't quite figure out how to rotate these properly so this will have to do. The 3-D version is not super clear because his mouth was obscured but you can make out eyes, a nose and even his arms over his head.

19 Weeks

Baby is as big as a mango and about 6.0 inches long and weighing in at about 8.5 ounces. He is developing a protective coating over his skin called vernix caseosa. He is also working on his five senses. Yep, nerve cells for sense of taste, hearing, sight, and smell are all developing in baby's brain.

How far along? 19 weeks (and 3 days)

Weight gain/loss: No idea. Maybe 14/15 lbs?

Sleep? Still doing okay on this front.

Best moment this week?We had a great weekend. The first soccer game of the season. A date night. A double date night. And Joaquin's first official race - which was super fun to watch.

Movement:Maybe? But not any clear kicks yet. Sigh. At my recent ultrasound I learned that I have an anterior placenta that is basically covering the entire front of my uterus so this is explains why I am not feeling anything yet. Maybe next week?

Food cravings:Tacos

What I miss? Warm days. It was much warmer this weekend and we even went to the pool. It reminded me how much I am looking forward to spring and summer and spending more time outdoors with the kids.

What I am looking forward to? Ojai in April and (gasp) Hawaii in May. Jay is pretty much the best and surprised the family with TWO trips!! I am thrilled.

Milestones: We got a thumbs up from the most recent blood panel and the anatomy scan. Huge relief for me. When I get a bit of time I will post pictures and a story from that scan, which was slightly stressful.

What I'm nervous about: Things are getting busier at work and I am trying to navigate a new company's processes, org structure and culture. It is fun and interesting but projects that would normally be easy are becoming difficult lately. Plus a few high ups in legal are coming to visit us this week and I will need to make a great impression.

18 Weeks

At 18 weeks pregnant, baby is as big as an artichoke. Baby's about 5.6 inches long and about 6.7 ounces now and keeps growing quickly. He is working his muscles and practicing all kinds of moves. He is also yawning, hiccupping, sucking, and swallowing. He is twisting, rolling, punching, and kicking too.

How far along? 18 weeks

Weight gain/loss: 12 lbs last week. Not sure this week.

Sleep? Eh. Good enough. Better than sleep with a newborn so no complaints.

Best moment this week?I officially work for Johnson & Johnson now, which is really exciting. I think it will be a great place to work and hopefully will have a long career here.

Movement:STILL NONE. AND NOT PATIENT.

Food cravings:Water. It has been super dry this week and the headaches are no joke.

What I miss? Consistent energy. I am usually fine most of the day but then have extremely difficult periods where I have zero energy in the late afternoon.

What I am looking forward to? A facial tomorrow. Pregnancy acne is the worst.

Milestones: 4 months down, 5 to go!

What I'm nervous about: Monday is the big anatomy scan. I am a bit nervous as this is the final diagnostic test for confirming everything is okay with the pregnancy. And I keep wondering why I am not feeling kicks yet. It will be nice to go in Monday and see that he's moving and healthy. It's been 6 weeks since my last ultrasound, which feels like forever.