20 Down, 20 To Go

Well, we're half way there! This week marked the completion of my 20th week of pregnancy. This being a sort of milestone, I couldn't let it pass without writing a new post. So, I thought I'd just take a minute to fill you in on some random observations about the pregnancy thus far!

Today, I started the process of packing away some of those clothes that just will not fit anymore, and getting my "pregnancy wardrobe" in order. I've been trying to get as much wear out of my normal clothes by keeping the maternity clothes packed away, but getting dressed in the mornings has become increasingly more frustrating over the past couple of weeks. So, I think it's time to start making the switch!

So far, the second trimester has been very good to me! The horrible nauseousness that accompanied the first trimester hung on until about the 14th or 15th week, but since then, I've had more energy, no nauseousness (to speak of) and have been feeling pretty great all around! Oddly, I still do vomit every once in a while for no apparent reason, but usually there's no nauseousness before or after, so I'm happy to chalk it up to one of those quirky pregnancy things!

Speaking of "quirky pregnancy things" a couple of weeks ago I had the hiccups for two days straight. Apparently, hiccups are somewhat common in pregnancy due to the relaxation of the body's muscles, including those in the diaphragm. I'm just glad I didn't have to endure hiccups for 5 months, like this woman. My other weird pregnancy quirk is sore taste buds. If I eat certain nuts or pineapple (even the smallest bit) I'll get one or two swollen and inflamed tastebuds on my tongue. Sure, it's a little annoying, but I can think of far worse to suffer from during pregnancy!

Little George started kicking a couple weeks ago. Many pregnant women describe the baby's first movements "like butterflies fluttering," however that has not been my experience at all! While it certainly isn't painful yet, there is no mistaking that little left jab. I didn't think much about it until I was recently reading the baby blog of our friends, the Byers. Bill wrote this about their brand new baby: "Rachel and I are enjoying watching our little girl express her gentle personality. It is fun to see how her disposition is the same as it was in the womb; she was always fairly docile..." That got me thinking, what does all this activity say about George? Is he a rough and tumble boy? Or maybe she is just a tough and spunky girl. Well, I guess we'll see; our next ultrasound appointment is just two days away!

Tags:

• pregnancy

You Be the Judge!

"Are you showing yet?" asked my mother eagerly during a recent Skype call. Well, that is a tricky question of late. On one hand, I can certainly tell a difference in my belly. The email I received this week from Babycenter.com says that right now the baby is about the size of an avocado. That seems about right to me; I can certainly imagine an avocado in my belly causing this little bulge.

However, on the other hand, no one else seems to see any change whatsoever in my physique. All of my clothes still fit and I think they even tend to hide that little avocado that I'm carrying around. The other day I found myself sitting with two other pregnant women who were 5 and 6 months along.

They were very vocal about how I was not "showing" yet (especially in comparison to their own recent progression) and concluded that it was because this is my first, and they each have one child already.

It seems to me that "showing" is a very subjective term (especially at week 16), so I thought I'd present you with the evidence and let you decide for yourselves! Here are two pictures taken on the same day in different clothes to show you how I'm both "showing" and "not showing" at the same time.

Tags:

• pregnancy
• personal