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.

17 Weeks

A baby at pregnancy week 17 is the size of a pomegranate and measures about 5.1 inches long and weighs about 5.9 ounces. Baby's rubbery cartilage is now turning to bone. And baby's growing some meat on those bones, putting on some fat. He is growing a stronger, thicker umbilical cord too.

How far along? 17 weeks

Weight gain/loss: 12 lbs

Sleep? Every night is hit or miss. Frequent pee breaks are part of life.

Best moment this week?This week Noemi was telling me how Joaquin and another boy at the gym were watching Beauty and the Beast. She said they kept covering their eyes and saying "gross" when Beauty and the Beast were hugging and kissing. I asked her what she thought. She said "I think it's lovely." So hilarious and adorable.

Movement:NOPE. And this is longer than it took for both previous pregnancies. Any day I guess? I am getting a little impatient on this one.

Food cravings:Croissants

What I miss? Stomach sleeping.

What I am looking forward to? Date night tonight and a double date night tomorrow!

Milestones: Finding out that Jay doesn't have Zika. Not sure that counts as a milestone but it certainly was a relief.

What I'm nervous about: I am on the brink of beginning my new role with Johnson & Johnson. I am very excited about the company and all of the new opportunities but I know it is going to get busier and it will be really important to make a good impression right away. Not ideal mid way through a pregnancy but it is what it is. I just keep thinking that it can't be worse than the work conditions I endured with my first two pregnancies.

16 Weeks

At 16 weeks pregnant, baby is the size of an avocado, measuring 4.6 inches long and weighing in at 3.5 ounces. Baby can listen to my voice, thanks to tiny bones forming in his ears. He is growing hair, lashes, and eyebrows. And his taste buds are forming.

How far along? 16 weeks

Weight gain/loss: No idea. Still haven't bothered with the battery in the scale.

Sleep? Still pretty good. I finally pulled the body pillow out of the garage and that has been glorious.

Best moment this week?Jay's back from his trip! It is so nice to have him back. The best was when we got to catch up and chat for about three hours on Monday evening after the kids went to bed. It's pretty nice to be married to someone that doesn't bore me after 3 hours!

Movement:Still nothing but I did end up ordering a new doppler after going back through the garage without luck. I found his heartbeat right away so I am feeling better.

Food cravings: I haven't really been super hungry these days but I am still eating normally. Just no cravings.

What I miss? Wine.

What I am looking forward to? I am going to my first meeting with the Newport Beach Democratic Women's Club tonight and I am so excited!

Milestones: Nothing major this week.

What I'm nervous about: Jay got a lot of bug bites on his Costa Rica trip. After a few days of serious research on how, exactly, to get a Zika test, he had his blood taken yesterday. We are hoping for results tomorrow but I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't get them until next week. I am really hoping we have nothing to worry about because if it is Zika that would be BAD.

15 Weeks

At 15 weeks pregnant, baby is as big as a navel orange. The average 15-week fetus weighs 2.5 ounces and measures 4 inches—and baby's proportions are becoming even more normal, since his legs now out-measure the arms. A 15 weeks pregnant ultrasound would reveal that baby's squirming a ton in there, now that he is able to move all limbs and joints! Baby might even be hiccupping.

How far along? 15 weeks (and 1 day, actually)

Weight gain/loss: No idea. Still haven't bothered with the battery in the scale.

Sleep? Pretty good this week! I think being solo with the kids pretty much makes sure that I am TIRED by the end of the day.

Best moment this week?Dinner with my sister in law, Kate, last night. With Jay out of town I had the opportunity to go on a girl date on Balboa Island at a new Italian restaurant. The food was great and it was a joy to have a night out with Kate without the kiddos. Even if her wine look amazing and I couldn't drink it :-(

Movement:Still nothing and now I am really wishing that I knew where my old doppler was. It is a long time between appointments and it would be nice to have some indication that everything is okay.

Food cravings: Hmmm. Nothing in particular. I actually haven't really been wanting to eat anything except that I do get hungry. But nothing gets me excited. And I don't have any chocolate truffles in the house so that's out.

What I miss? Jay! He's been gone 5 days now and I have 1 more to go. It's a long time without him and it will be great to have him back.

What I am looking forward to? Valentine's Day is Tuesday. We don't normally do much to celebrate this holiday but I still like any excuse to be cheesy romantic.

Milestones: Nothing major this week. I guess 15 weeks sounds like a nice number though.

What I'm nervous about: Trying to convince Jay to get Joaquin's closet done. I had someone out to look and sketch for us and got a competitive bid but it's still not a small amount of money. It's really important to me to get this done but most men just cannot appreciate spending money on this type of thing the way I can.