Ticker Change Thursday - 21 Weeks

Noemi is 21 weeks today and about the size of a banana. I'm not sure how a banana is bigger than a cantaloupe, but I'll go with it. Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. So, I guess I need think about what I want Noemi to eat as I prepare my own meals. I think this worked with Joaquin, as he has a precocious love of all things spicy and will scarf down slices of brie cheese. :-)

How far along? 21 weeks

Weight gain/loss: Up 16ish pounds.

Sleep? Not bad. Not great.

Best moment this week? Celebrating our anniversary. We didn't do anything fancy, but it was nice to reflect on the last 7 years together.

Movement: I am starting to feel little kicks here and there. SO MUCH FUN!

Food cravings: Sushi. It's all I want.

Belly button in or out? In, barely. It's starting to pop out slowly.

What I miss? Wine.

What I am looking forward to? Getting to 24 weeks, aka "V-Day" or "viability day." At 24 weeks, a baby has a greater than 50% chance of surviving if born.

Milestones: We are more than half way to seeing our healthy baby!

What I'm nervous about: I really need to spend some significant time reorganizing and cleaning out our house. I also want to do a yard sale at some point this summer. We need to purge to make room for the new baby, but the process is very daunting.

Ticker Change Thursday - HALF WAY!

Noemi is 20 weeks today - that's half cooked!! Woohoo! She is about the size of a small cantaloupe. Noemi's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth.

How far along? 20 Weeks Today - half baked!

Weight gain/loss: Up 16ish pounds. :-( I got a speech from my OB about this involving eating healthier. I guess I will have to give up the bagels for breakfast.

Sleep? We finally dug the body pillow out of the garage this week. It is my new best friend. I can't believe how much better I am sleeping now. Stomach sleeping is officially impossible, so the pillow is a must.

Best moment this week? I got all of the real results from the anatomy scan on Monday. Everything looked perfect and all of our risk levels for various problems were way down. yay!

Movement: I can feel her now and then, but I have to be sitting still to notice it. Just like last time, this is because I have an anterior placenta, which means that the placenta is between Noemie and my skin. So, when she kicks or punches, I don't feel it much because she is kicking or punching the placenta.

Food cravings: Sushi. Sushi. Sushi. Yum!

Belly button in or out? In, barely. I give it maybe 3 more weeks.

What I miss? Heels.

What I am looking forward to? Jay's birthday and our anniversary this weekend! 35 years and 7 years.

Milestones: We are half way to seeing our healthy baby today!

What I'm nervous about: Not much.

Belly Picture Friday - 19w1d

Ticker Change Thursday - 19 Weeks

Noemi is 19 weeks today and about the size of a mango. Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.)

How far along? 19 Weeks Today

Weight gain/loss: I think about 11-12 pounts. I am not gaining weight as quickly as I did last time, which is normal I guess.

Sleep? I really need to find that body pillow in the garage....

Best moment this week? The anatomy scan yesterday was very reassuring. Also, we had a great weekend with Jay's counsin Ana, who was visiting from Spain. We went to Sea World Sunday and it was so fun watching Joaquin get so excited about Shamu. Very cute. Despite it being a very long day, it was a blast.

Movement: I can feel her now and then, but I have to be sitting still to notice it.

Food cravings: Seafood and sushi.

Gender: The tech yesterday was the third to guess girl. I guess we are pretty sure at this point.

Belly button in or out? Half and half.

What I miss? Joaquin, while I'm at work.

What I am looking forward to? Next weekend is Jay's 35th birthday and our 7th anniversary!

Milestones: I am hoping that this pregnancy last for about 38 weeks, so I guess we are half way there if I can last that long!

What I'm nervous about: My insurance denied the Makenna, which was the injection my OB wanted to me start to help prevent pre-term labor. She prescribed an alternative but it is not the FDA approved kind. So, after much deliberation, Jay and I decided not to take the drug and try to be more vigilant about proper rest, etc. once I get into third trimester. It was a difficult decision but we just aren't comfortable with the risk of taking the drug.

Anatomy Scan Results and Pics

I have my anatomy scan this morning and everything seemed to look good. I will get the official results from my OB in the next few days. The tech confirmed that baby is a girl. Here are some pics:

Belly Picture Friday - 18 Weeks 1 day

Ticker Change Thursday - 18 Weeks

Noemi is 18 weeks today! She is now passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing.

How far along? 18 Weeks Today

Weight gain/loss: I'd guess I'm up 10 pounds.

Sleep? I think I need to break out the body pillow. I was having a very hard time getting comfortable last night.

Best moment this week?Snuggling with Joaquin on the couch for almost an hour reading books after work. I couldn't believe how long he stayed focused.

Movement: I think I feel movement every now and again but I haven't felt a good kick yet.

Food cravings: Salad.

Gender: In a week we are having the anatomy scan and will confirm that it is a girl.

Belly button in or out? In, barely.

What I miss? Energy.

What I am looking forward to? This weekend. Ana is visiting from Spain and we have lots of fun activities planned for her.

Milestones: Only 5 months to go!

What I'm nervous about: Nothing today.