Just an update

The doctors office called yesterday and said that everything on the ultrasound looked great and that she was right on course for her due date. I have yet to experience this so called "honeymoon stage". I've had a bad cold for a couple weeks now and all I do is work and sleep...it's an exciting life I lead! Every appointment I've had my blood pressure keeps creeping up so my doctor is keeping a close eye on that. He's says I need to keep my stress level down...I wish I knew how! I have yet to gain any weight...in fact I've lost 27 lbs. but oddly enough my clothes are too small, it's very strange. Getting up from a deep couch...out of bed or rolling over in bed, those have all become a little more difficult. I am days away from being half-way through and I can't believe how fast it has gone. 20 weeks...wow!

19 weeks

Think you're big now? You'll start growing even more rapidly in the weeks to come. This added weight may make it hard for you to keep up your regular pace without taking a catnap during the day. You may also be wondering about that darkened line running from the top of your belly button to the top of your pubic bone. It's called the linea nigra, or 'dark line,' and is caused by a temporary increase in melanin, the substance that colors your hair, skin, and eyes. This is an important time for your baby's sensory development, too. Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she can even hear you talk, so read out loud, talk to her, or sing a happy tune.

I had an ultrasound yesterday and after begging done by me we found out that we are having a girl!

18 weeks

How your baby's growing: Head to bottom, your baby is approximately 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a large sweet potato) and she weighs almost 7 ounces. She's busy flexing her arms and legs — movements that you'll likely start noticing more and more. Her blood vessels are visible through her thin skin and her ears are now in position and stand out from her head. Myelin (a protective covering) is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and Fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If your baby is a boy, his genitals are noticeable, though he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

17 weeks

How your baby's growing: Your baby weighs about 5 ounces now, and he's around 5 inches long — about the size of a large onion. He can move his joints, and his skeleton — until now rubbery cartilage — is starting to harden to bone. His sense of hearing is also developing. The umbilical cord, his lifeline to the placenta, is growing stronger and thicker.

16 weeks

I'm feeling great. I'm pretty sure I felt the baby move the other day...it kind of felt like someone tapping on my stomach from the inside.

At 4 1/2 inches long (head to bottom) and 3 1/2 ounces, your baby is about the size of an avocado. In the next three weeks, she'll go through a tremendous growth spurt, though, doubling her weight and adding inches to her length. Her lower limbs are much more developed now. Her head is more erect than it has been, and her eyes have moved toward the front of her head. Your baby's ears are close to their final position, too. Some of her more advanced body systems are working, including her circulatory system and urinary tract. Her heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, circulating her total blood volume through her body many times. (By the end of your pregnancy, this will increase to about 190 quarts.) The patterning of her scalp has begun, though her hair isn't recognizable yet. Although closed, her eyes are moving (slowly), and she's even started growing toenails