20 Weeks Pt. 2

Although I'm happy that I've reached the halfway point of this pregnancy, I'm also a little sad. Mostly because I don't think Paul and I will have more than 2 children (never say never) and that this will potentially be my last time being pregnant and delivering a child.
I'll never have 1st trimester morning sickness again.
I'll never hear that first heartbeat again.
And I'll never feel those first flutters again. But even if I never experience these things again, I'll always be able to reminisce.
I sometimes wonder if my children will enjoy hearing about their births?

Speaking of...my newest nephew was born last weekend. We went to see him and he is just adorable. I was holding him for a while and it made me remember what it was like to be a new mom. I enjoy being pregnant but I can't wait to hold my lil' bean. It's an amazing feeling that you can't compare to anything else. So congratulations to my sister-in-law and her hubby on the safe and healthy arrival of their little angel.

As for things on the home front, we acquired a new BBQ just in time for the season. It's actually pretty monstrous. I haven't taken a picture of it yet but I will. It looks like two BBQ's welded together. One side is for propane use, and the other is strictly charcoal. It really is a man's grill. And of course the food that comes off it is delicious!

And with a good BBQ dinner comes dessert. Sour dessert! Only I didn't get to enjoy my daily grapefruit for most of the week because I didn't end up going to the Citrus Truckload Sale in Bolton. At the time I figured it really wasn't worth it but now I'm beginning to regret not going. I was at the grocery store and saw that their grapefruit wasn't nearly as big (or juicy?) as the ones off the truck. I left them there in hopes that another store would carry larger (and juicier?) ones.

So as Paul and I sat down in front of the TV for the evening (me sans grapefruit), he put in a movie and that's when it happened. Our Blu-ray player got busted. So sad, I know. The only hope for us now is moving the Playstation from the bedroom to the living room every time we want to watch a Blu-ray on the couch. I don't know exactly what to do with the player now. I'm sure we could get it fixed but is it really worth fixing? Maybe buying a used one would be a better option instead of getting a new one? Who knows, but for now we'll be using the PS3.

Towards the end of this week, I began really feeling my lil' bean moving around. It's what I've been waiting for since I found out I was pregnant and to me, it's a huge part of carrying a child. Usually during the first trimester you have to remind yourself that you really are growing a little human. And that the morning sickness isn't part of some illness you've suddenly come across. But those first few flutters that lead to more definable movement really makes it all worth it. So when the lil' bean starts moving I'm really trying to enjoy it since it will most likely be my last time feeling it. And all this movement made me remember that I haven't taken any decent belly shots. So some time in the following week I have to make time to do it. I find myself looking back to Pauly's belly shots and comparing them to my now growing belly. Sometimes I can't believe how different things are this time around.

Speaking of my growing belly, this week my lil' bean is about 6 1/2 inches crown to rump. Before 20 weeks the little one had it's legs curled up and it was hard to measure them. Now...he/she is big enough that the legs are included in the measurements. So the new length is 10 inches head to heel! About the size of a banana. He/she is swallowing more which is great practice for the digestive system. The amniotic fluid being swallowed contains old cells, lanugo, bile and other things the baby has excreted. All this won't hurt my lil' bean but instead causes meconium to start building up in the bowels. This will go on for the next 20 weeks and his/her first poop will be this build up of meconium. Sounds yucky but I got lucky the first time around. Paul was the one who changed Pauly's diaper for the first week so by the time I got to it, I wasn't changing any meconium filled diapers! Maybe this time my dear husband will be kind enough to help out in the same way (wink wink!) :)

20 Weeks!!!!!

Today I hit a huge milestone. I'm officially halfway through my pregnancy. Yay!! And although I've enjoyed every minute of the journey so far, it has gone by quickly. I can see the next 20 weeks flying by and I intend to relish every moment of those weeks like I did the last.

But from here on out it'll be a different kind of journey. With each passing day I can feel my lil' bean getting stronger. Each movement has been more defined and he/she has definitely put on weight. It won't be another 20 weeks wondering how my lil' bean is doing. Instead, it'll be 20 weeks of feeling flips, kicks, and maybe even hiccups. There won't be a moment where I'll be wondering if there really is a baby in there! Also, my conversations won't go unnoticed any longer, along with daddy's. The two of us have been constantly speaking to our lil' bean over the last few weeks and it's comforting to me knowing that he/she can hear us now. It's amazing to think our voices will be how our baby will recognize mom & dad once we're able to hold him/her in our arms.

Next week will also be exciting for Paul & I. We're having our anatomy scan and we'll get to see our growing lil' bean again. Hopefully the computer screen won't be turned away the entire time but that all depends on the technician. The appointment will be an hour long and I'd love to see how my baby's been developing. This scan will show the brain, the heart and all other organs. We'll be sure that he/she has ten fingers and toes, along with healthy lungs and a spinal cord that is well developed. There are so many things to check for but the exciting part about it is that we'll hopefully know if our lil' bean is a boy or girl!

After all this excitement I know I'm going to need a break. That's why Paul & I have decided to go on a baby moon! Nothing fancy, just a week away, up north. We haven't booked a cottage yet but we've got 4 to choose from. I'm really looking foreword to sitting in front of a fire reading, playing a board game, watching the snow fall, feeling the baby move around, or just napping! And Paul will gladly drop what he's doing to feel the baby again. His face lit up the first time he felt it and it seemed he really couldn't believe what was going on.

Some of the not so good things of the week include sleeping, and trips to the bathroom :( My hips are still sore during the night and I've taken to using a pillow between my knees to alleviate some of the pain. It helps but when I switch sides, the pillow doesn't follow. I find myself being conscious of repositioning the pillow when I flip which causes some breaks in my sleep. Which of course isn't good for the bladder! I'm usually getting up twice a night to use the bathroom. And during the day it's even worse. Every two hours or so I heading to the loo. And standing up from a sitting position doesn't help either. But I guess I should be saving my complaints for later...

And what about my precious package you ask?? He/she is about 6 1/2 inches crown to rump. Before 20 weeks my lil' bean had it's legs curled up and it was hard to measure them. Now...he/she is big enough and the legs are included in the measurements. So my lil' bean is now 10 inches head to heel! About the size of a banana. He/she is swallowing more which is great practice for the digestive system. The amniotic fluid being swallowed contains old cells, lanugo, bile and other things the baby has excreted. All this won't hurt my lil' bean but instead causes meconium to start building up in the bowels. This will go on for the next 20 weeks and his/her first poop will be meconium. Yucky you say but I'm the one who'll have to clean it!