Hey there!

As promised, here is my latest belly pic. When I think about it growing fuller for another 4 months, it honestly scares me a bit! My skin sometimes feels stretched to the limit already. It is getting more uncomfortable to sleep and I think a full body pillow is in my future.
I have noticed that I'm more winded when I walk now, especially on the hills around my house. Weight gain this sudden has certainly been noticeable for me. I nearly broke a magic number at the doctor's appointment on Monday. I never thought I'd see that number at my height!
It's quite the physical and mental adjustment....

Carrie

It finally happened to me, several times in one night- The belly pat. My 23-week pregnant stomach juts out enough to seem interesting and different I suppose. I also hadn't seen some of the patters in quite some time so they reached down and went for it.

I know this is a nagging issue for some expectant mothers on other forums I've read. I know you can even buy t-shirts that warn people not to touch your belly bump. But, honestly, I didn't mind it. I think I've done the same thing myself. There's something mysterious about it and I don't blame people for wanting to see for themselves.

I thought it would feel gushy, like the Pillsbury Doughboy, but it's actually quite firm to the touch. I think all of my weight gain minus a few pounds has gone into the belly.

Perhaps I'll feel differently later but I'm just as fascinated as friends and family so they can pat away. It is nice to be asked first though!

I will get a new belly photo posted soon but I'll need my husband to take it for me! Carrie

I thought it would be fun to open up this post to you.

I promise to answer even the embarrassing pregnancy questions! Carrie

I think I've finally experienced baby moving around for the past several days and it is exciting! Instead of butterflies or bubbles, it has felt like a thud, thud, thud. It seems to be below the belly button and I think it happens in mid-morning and evening but not much in the late afternoons.

I just read this in my weekly pregnancy update: Fetal researchers say babies move about 50 times an hour even while sleeping. I think it's amazing I don't feel it more in that case!

Anyway, I've been waiting to feel him/her and it's very cool.

Carrie

p.s. I watched Juno yesterday -- good movie for us emotional pregnant women to watch!

Let's be honest about some of the things we've heard are bad in pregnancy but we do (a little) anyway! 40 weeks is a long time to be a saint.

I'll start-- I still drink some coffee and have had steak just a little pink in the middle, enjoyed one glass of wine on vacation and just colored my hair (highlights instead of all over color though). You?

Carrie

The crib, dresser and bedding are ordered so in a matter of weeks, the baby's room will actually look like one. I was a guinea pig of sorts over the weekend as my mom performed a "test" to find out baby's sex by letting a pencil on a string swing over my wrist. I guess if it crosses your wrist horizontally it's a girl and vertically, up and down your forearm, is a boy?! Mine showed boy.

Meanwhile, my sister found something online that said you can tell the sex by how quickly your body hair grows back or by the brightness of your urine. Others I've heard-- whether you're carrying a baby high or low and whether one breast is larger than the other, hmmm. It wouldn't be half as much fun doing all this guessing if I knew the answer!


So, what do you think of these gender guessing games, any believers? Carrie

I recently toured the Weston hospital where I'll deliver in August. The rooms are spacious and tastefully decorated. I suspect I won't even notice the decorator details while I'm in the actual pain of labor! They offer patients tv, music with a 5-disc cd player and even a slushy machine to occupy your time. It made me wonder what the day will really be like. It seems so far off.

I'm comfortable with having my family near me while I'm in labor, at least my mom right inside my room. Did you allow anyone besides your significant other in the room? There wasn't much of a waiting room for family members. When I asked, they said anyone supporting you can be in the patient room but it must get overwhelming. Do relatives help or hinder your experience? I wondered what others did in labor.

Perhaps it'll be over so fast, it won't even be a factor, right? (hopefully!)

Carrie

P.S. Baby is the length of a cantaloupe now- 6.5 inches!

I'm beginning a pregnancy scrapbook to document my thoughts, the many changes I've experienced and maybe to show the grown up "baby" how excited I was to have him or her come into our lives.

I've always been a saver of mementos dating back to high school concerts and shows, love notes, movie stubs, etc. I don't save as much now but I imagine I'll end up saving every little accomplishment documenting our baby's life. We'll need a bigger house!

I wish I knew more about formal scrapbooking techniques. My first ones have handwritten notes about events with my friends and I would tape together any receipt or brochure of somewhere I'd visited. It's still entertaining to look back on those memories but the tape has loosened off some of the pages so they're kind of a mess.

Do you create on your own or get help from classes? There are so many things you can buy to design scrapbooks now, it's overwhelming. Anyone just getting into it? At least it helps pass the time while I wait for the big event. Carrie

I just don't get tired of looking at images of our baby.

We had the 20-week ultrasound today, a bit early, but I'm nearly mid-way through my pregnancy. My husband had seen the first photos when baby was just 11 weeks but it was his first view of the baby kicking and moving on the screen. I don't know when I won't be overwhelmed but I can't stop the tears every time I see the tiny little one in action. I think I saw Pete's eyes get wet too. They must be very used to blubbering parents in the ultrasound rooms!

Pete thought the baby might have lips shaped like mine. I say it has his nose. It's amazing! And because the movement hasn't been noticeable to me yet, it's still so surreal that it's growing so well and getting bigger all the time.

As you know, I haven't chosen to learn what we're having so when it was time to check on the gender, I stared straight up at the ceiling tile, as difficult as it was not to peek. I don't even know if it was obvious that it was a boy or girl but I know the technician said "that's a good view there". She wrote the gender down on a piece of paper and now it's up to him to look or not. I hope I can be strong enough to keep this special surprise.

I'd love to have an ultrasound machine at home so we could check in on the baby every day. What's your ultrasound story?

Carrie