21 weeks

Baby’s size

Your baby is as long as a carrot, and his skin now responds to touch. If you put pressure on your belly, he'll move away or push back.

Baby's Length: 10.51 in.

Baby's Weight: 12.70 oz.

**from parents.com

How I am feeling

I felt really good this week.  I've had more back pain but it's just when I'm home and get up from sitting on the couch.  There isn't much support and I'm usually pretty slouched down into the couch so those two things combined doesn't help my back much.

What do I miss

Getting a decent night's sleep.  

Gender

It's a boy!

Food cravings

No food cravings but I have been craving Bud Light Straw-Ber-Itas which is weird since I don't drink.  Well, I drink like two times a year so to crave a drink is new for me.

Food aversions

Mostly just trying to stay away from spicy and acidic foods because I have acid reflux all the time.  The last several nights I've woken up with acid coming up.  I've been taking Pepcid AC but it's not working very well so I might need to get a prescription soon for something stronger.

Highlights this week
*I bought two bags of clothes at a rummage sale.  I'm so anxious to buy clothes but everything that is out right now is summer and baby boy is going to need winter clothes to start out so I've been holding off.  This rummage sale had the right size and season clothes and had great prices so I grabbed a bunch of cute stuff.
*Non-pregnancy related but this last week was our last full week of school.  We have a half day with the kids tomorrow and then staff goes Tuesday and a short day Wednesday.  So, so glad summer break starts this week.  Hallelujah.  Amen.
*We got Dave's boxed up stuff moved to his parent's house this weekend.  Now we just have some things to take to my parent's house and Goodwill and we'll be all set to actually start buying furniture for the nursery.

week 20

Baby’s size

Your baby is now the size of a small artichoke. She may have thin eyebrows and is sprouting some hair on her head.

Baby's Length: 6.46 in.

Baby's Weight: 10.58 oz.

**from parents.com

How I am feeling

I had another good week this week. I still have the coughing with puking sensation going on but everything else is pretty good. My shoulders are pretty sore from side sleeping all the time so I'll be going in for a massage soon.

What do I miss

Being able to sleep comfortably.

Gender prediction

Well, we had our anatomy scan on Friday.  Baby wasn't cooperating very well for some of the pictures that the tech needed but he did give us a good view of his boy parts after she jiggled my belly around a bit. :o)  We weren't able to get the 3D picture of his face because he kept it towards my back the whole time.  The tech had me get up and walk around for awhile to see if he'd turn but he never did.  He also liked to keep his feet up by his head so he definitely made the tech work for her pictures.  We do have to go back in four weeks for another look so the tech can get all the pictures and measurements.  I told her I wasn't too heartbroken about coming back and seeing the baby again. :o)

Food cravings

Nothing much here this week.  I've been pretty boring in this category so far.

Food aversions

No changes here.

Highlights this week 

*Top highlight was definitely seeing the baby again.  I told Dave that I thought it'd be an emotional experience for me but since I didn't know what I was looking at half the time it wasn't overly emotional.

*Finally knowing the gender!!

*My mom and I went shopping Saturday for baby stuff.  I bought a few decor items for the nursery that I love and we got a few clothing items.  Sidenote: I was so disappointed/frustrated while shopping for clothes.  There were tons of cute things for girls and then just a tiny section of boys clothes in every store we went into.  Then, all the boys stuff was covered in 1 of 4 things: animals, sayings, sports stuff, or trucks.  I don't mind some of that stuff but I don't want those to be the only things the poor kid wears.

week 19

Baby’s size

Your baby is now about the size of a mango. His legs are now longer than his arms, and he'll start giving you "hello" jabs at regular intervals, which you may be able to feel if this is your second or third pregnancy. First-time moms still might not feel anything for a few more weeks.

Baby's Length: 6.02 in.

Baby's Weight: 8.47 oz.

**from parents.com

How I am feeling

I had a good week.  I was super tired all week long but so were my co-workers so I think it had more to do with the dreary weather than anything.  Sundays seem to be my worst day, for whatever reason.  I'm always more tired with more nausea and headaches.  Dave and I went grocery shopping this morning and I coughed a few times and I could not get my stomach to settle down after that.  I told Dave if I coughed again, I was going to puke all over the floor.

What do I miss

Sleeping on my stomach.  I've always been most comfortable on my stomach but not anymore.  I have these two hard-ish spots near my top ribs and the pressure on those bother me more than the pressure on my stomach.

Gender prediction

Well, this will hopefully be my last post where this is a category.  We go in Friday afternoon for the anatomy scan and I'm really hoping baby cooperates so we can find out the gender.  Dave is still holding strong with his boy prediction.  I'm really thinking girl.  One of us is going to be very surprised. :o)

Food cravings

No cravings this week but I am loving milk.

Food aversions

Nothing really though I did have to dump my cereal out this morning after a few bites because I just couldn't handle it.

Highlights this week

*The countdown to the anatomy scan.

*I think I figured out color schemes for both a boy and a girl nursery.  My mom and I will be going shopping this coming Saturday as long as baby shows us what gender it is.  Time to start the baby shopping! 

week 18

Baby’s size

Your baby is now about the size of a sweet potato—and her tiny fingers now have unique fingerprints!

Baby's Length: 5.59 in.

Baby's Weight: 6.70 oz.

**from parents.com

How I am feeling

This week was really pretty good.  I felt good and wasn't overly tired.  Of course, it helped that I only had to work 3 days last week.

What do I miss

Still nothing.

Gender prediction

Same predictions for both of us.

Food cravings

My biggest craving the past week or so has been Kaboom cereal.  It's not made anymore so I'm out of luck there.

Food aversions

There wasn't anything that sounded bad this week.  But, I did have several moments where I'd be eating something and suddenly think it was disgusting and would have to quit eating it.

Highlights this week 

*The hospital called on Monday and we scheduled the anatomy scan for May 9.

*A three day work week.

*Dave and I celebrated our 6th anniversary on Saturday.  We went to Sioux Falls Friday and spent the weekend there.  We did some browsing for baby items.  We didn't end up buying anything but have a better idea of what we do want.

week 17

Baby’s size

Your baby is now the size of a pear. He has hiccuped before, but this is the first time you might feel it.

Baby's Length: 5.12 in.

Baby's Weight: 4.94 oz.

**from parents.com

How I am feeling

This week was pretty good.  I still had some nausea hanging on and I didn't have a lot of energy.  I was tired over the holiday weekend, taking a long nap on Saturday and a short one today.  

I've had a weird thing going on for the past couple weeks where every time I cough, I feel like I'm going to puke all over.  It just takes a couple of deep breaths to settle everything down but it's not super fun.

I definitely feel pregnant.  I told Dave tonight that for as heavy as this kid is already, I'm really afraid of how big its head is going to be.  I'm terrified of labor and delivery at this point (might do a separate post on that later) and some of it is because I'm afraid our kid is going to have a giant melon.

What do I miss

Nothing as of now.

Gender prediction

Dave - boy   Me- I was feeling very strongly this week that it is a girl.  Then, I did the ring test at my mom's over the weekend and it came out boy.  Now I'm second-guessing myself.  Three more weeks and we'll know for sure (hopefully).

Food cravings

This week I had a craving for frog eye salad.  My mom it for me for Easter lunch and even sent some home with us. :o)

Food aversions

I can't think of anything that bothered me this week.

Highlights this week

*Pretty sure I felt some kicks this week.  They were more on the side of -I'm pretty sure that's what it is-  rather than -I wonder if that's what it is. 

*I had my 16 week appointment (a week late) on Friday.  Loved getting to hear the heartbeat again (at 156 bpm while I was there).

*My blood pressure was great once again.  This is a highlight because I have white coat syndrome something fierce so my blood pressure is almost always high at the start of any doctor appointment.  Luckily, so far, I have had great numbers at all my OB appointments.

*The nurse told me they put an order in for our 20 week ultrasound at the hospital and that I should be getting a call from them soon to schedule the appointment.  So excited to see the baby again, find out if everything developed as it should (a little nervous about this), and find out the gender!

*Spending time with my family over the Easter weekend.

16 weeks

Baby’s size

Your baby is now the size of an avocado—and she can make a fist and even suck her thumb.

Baby's Length: 4.57 in.

Baby's Weight: 3.53 oz

**from parents.com

How I am feeling

The nausea was back this week.  It wasn't an all day, every day thing but it was around quite a bit.  I was also more tired this week than the past couple of weeks.  Oh, and the headaches are still around.  Feels like I went backward in this area. 

What do I miss

Being able to take Ibuprofen for headaches.  I'm able to take Tylenol but so far have avoided it. 

Gender prediction

Same thoughts for both of us.

Food cravings

Hmm...I don't think I had any this week.

Food aversions

Nothing here either.

Highlights this week 

*Had a few light flutters this week that I think might have been the baby moving.

*Dave took got our desks out of the office this weekend so we are another step closer to starting the nursery.  We have a lot of junk to get rid of/pack up yet but we're closer at least.

week 15

Baby’s size

Your baby is now the size of an apple. His brain now controls all the muscles in her body; he is able to move. Yes, he'll even do somersaults! But if this is your first baby, you probably won't feel him moving for several more weeks.

Baby's Length: 3.98 in.

Baby's Weight: 2.47 oz.

**from parents.com

How I am feeling

Well, this is the first week that I've really felt pregnant.  Every time I stand up, I feel a heaviness in my uterus...a good reminder that there really is a baby in there since my mind is having a hard time grasping that concept.  My stomach has also seemed to have grown this week since some of my shirts are becoming shorter.  I checked my weight yesterday because I was sure I must have put on at least 5 pounds this week but I'm up less than two pounds since my first doctor visit.

My energy level is good and overall I'm feeling well.  I did have some bad headaches around 8-8:30 a few times this week so I just went to bed early to relieve them.

What do I miss

There's still not really anything to put in this category right now.

Gender prediction

Dave - boy       Me - girl

Food cravings

I had the worst craving for a McDonald's chicken sandwich at lunch on Friday.  It stuck with me throughout the afternoon so I grabbed one for supper that night.  Otherwise, nothing has been too overwhelming.

Food aversions

Thankfully nothing is bothering me at this point.

Highlights this week 

It was a pretty quiet week so nothing to write here.