18 Weeks!

Hello all!

18 weeks today! Officially halfway through the pregnancy.... crazy! Time flies. This week starts the week where the sexual organs of the baby are differentiated enough that you can tell the gender of the baby. However, my midwife said that on the last ultrasound my placenta was low, and they are worried that it will move and block the cervical opening. Thus, causing a C section. I'm really not worried about it because as the uterus grows, it will expand and the placenta should move. If not, well then I get a C section. As long as our baby is ok, I'm ok!

We had a prenatal appointment yesterday. Sad news -- our midwife had a contract dispute with the hospital bigwigs and is no longer working there. So, we have to get a new care provider. All the other midwives in Fairbanks are either not covered by our insurance or are part of a birthing center. I don't want to give birth in a birthing center, I want to at the hospital. Bummer. But I figure, the doctor is only involved for 15 minutes to catch, so its no big deal. AND, more importantly, God is in control! We listened to the heartbeat and it is nice and strong. The cool thing was that while we were listening to the heartbeat, Peanut started shifting around and we could hear the whooshing of Peanut moving! It was really amazing.

How Peanut is this week: Arms and legs are flailing all over the place. Baby is 5.5 inches long and about 7 ounces. Growing like mad! Gender is very much differentiating.... girls = fallopian tubes and ovaries growing; boys = testicles and prostate developing.

How I am this week: I have started showing a little! Still a little bump, but it is significant to me :) Last prenatal appointment (end of January) they said I should start feeling the baby move and.... I HAVE! Not to get inappropriate, but it feels a lot like a gas bubble, and they told me it would. But it feels different. It usually happens when Joel is pressing on my stomach or rubbing it. The baby is saying, "Hey! My space!" Its amazing! I have gained 6 pounds, and they will keep on coming! Buttoning my pants is possible, but extremely uncomfortable. Thanks to my mom and mother-in-law, I have belly bands, which go over the top of my pants so I can leave them unbuttoned but no one could tell. YES. :)

Now the big news.... LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, place your bets! Our ultrasound is scheduled for February 17th!! Boy or girl?? We shall see.... :)

Baby at 18 weeks

15 weeks

Wow! Next week baby will be 4 months old?! People told me it would go fast, but geez, I am floored. I skipped a few weeks because we visited home and I've been working a bunch,  but we're back!

How I am feeling: great! I praise God that this pregnancy has been so manageable! Still no sickness. I am still tired, but I don't feel trainwrecked all the time. Just a little extra sleep here and there and I am a happy camper. I have gained about 2 pounds so far. I partially think that weight is just being divided though... about 2 weeks ago, it started being uncomfortable to button my pants. But, thanks to my wonderful mom and mother-in-law, I got 3 bella bands. They are basically stretchy bands that go over your pants so no one can tell they are unbuttoned :) AMAZING invention! So, I can still button my pants, but it is pretty uncomfortable, so I'm sticking to the bella bands. 

How Peanut is: big! Peanut is moving all around, I am just unable to feel it yet. Both arms and legs are moving like crazy, and legs have outgrown the arms so Peanut is starting on the road to proportional. :) Eyelids are still fused shut, but baby can tell when light is around. If I were to shine a flashlight at my belly, Peanut would move away from it. Can you believe how incredible our God is? Wow. Peanut is now the size of an apple! And about 4 inches long. 

I am so excited to meet this little person! We find out if its a boy or a girl beginning of February so I will keep all posted! 

Little, tiny bump :) 

My apple-sized baby!