****It wont be long before we know the gender!***
How far along: 20 weeks
Fruit-size comparison: A banana (which just so happens to be Dutch’s favorite fruit right now)
Developmental milestones: Teeny Peep is swallowing and has his/her own functioning taste buds now. So that I can help him or her have a preference for healthy foods, I’m cramming lots of green foods into my diet. Teeny Peep is also producing meconium for that first dirty diaper we will get to change. Yes, I’m already excited about this; bring on more cloth diapers!
Maternity clothes: I would say this is a strong yes ;-) I can’t fit into most of my regular clothes, so I’ve been doing a bit of shopping. My larger pregnancy clothes that I purchased when I was pregnant with Dutch were all for the summer, so I will need more fall and winter appropriate maternity clothes with Teeny Peep. I don’t mind shopping for maternity clothes at all; in fact, I find it really fun to dress my bump :-)
Weight gain: It depends. When I get on the scale in the morning, I am still at my pre-preggo weight (which due to the fact that I’m really having to lean forward to even read the number on the scale because of my jumbo belly makes me wonder how I’ve not put on more weight), but by the evening I’m 1 lb heavier. So I’m going to say that I’ve still only gained 1 lb with this pregnancy. This makes me feel pretty good to only be up 1 lb and at the half-way point to meeting this baby. I hope that I can maintain a small weight-gain. With Dutch I only gained 31 lbs, and by this time in my pregnancy I was up 6 lbs, so I feel like my body is gaining weight pretty similarly.
Stretch Marks: I've got plenty of kisses from heaven from carrying Dutch. I applied lotions and such daily with that pregnancy, but to be honest I don't think I'm even going to try to prevent future stretch marks. I absolutely love these badges of honor and I'm so proud to wear them.
Sleep: I have had some occasional restless sleep; I toss and turn a lot to get comfortable. However, when I’m sleeping, I’m sleeping hard. I think my body is getting back in the mode for a newborn. You know the mode, not a lot of sleep but capitalizing on the sleep you do get? Yeah I think my body is in practice mode haha
Best moment of the week: I think this is the best and worst moment of the week: I’m both ecstatic and petrified that we are officially half-way done with this pregnancy. Obviously I’m just about to bust out of my skin (almost literally) to meet this precious baby. I can’t wait for baby snuggles and baby coos, nursing a new baby, learning about the latest addition to our family, and so many other things I can’t even express. However, I’m still so sad that the pregnancy is going by so fast. Soon I will have to share my baby! I know that sounds just so greedy, but I’m totally okay with that. I love having this one-on-one time where it is just me and Teeny Peep. I will never get this back, and it will never be like this where it is just us two ever again. So I’m trying my very best to cherish every single day of this pregnancy, and remind myself that every moment is precious, perfect, and a true gift. And of course, I know that I’m totally and completely unqualified to be a mother of two babies on earth. My toolbox is completely empty, which petrifies me. I.AM.NOT.QUALIFIED. nor am I even close to prepared. I’m trying to turn my fears over to God, because He is the only one that can provide me with the tools of motherhood to raise these babies. God is the only tool I have (and honestly the best one I could have).
Movement: Oh yes! Teeny Peep has started to get regular with his or her movements. I can always anticipate a good solid and continuous 2 hours of movement from 2-4 every afternoon. The movements aren’t visible on the outside and you can’t feel them on the outside yet either (but we should be able to in the next couple of weeks). The movements are not uncomfortable, but very gentle……like he or she is ballet dancing on the inside. It’s such a beautiful feeling, and Teeny Peep has a completely captivated audience :-) I am feeling Teeny Peep more and more throughout the day, but not as continuous as in the afternoon.
Cravings: Yes! I would love a Starbucks mocha frappuccino everyday, all day. So far I’ve limited this pregnancy to 4, but I would love way more lol
Gender: I think I get more and more ready to know what we're having, but at the same time, more and more clueless as to what I think we're having. I have loved reading what you all have guessed (click here to vote), and I can't wait to share with you as soon as we know!
Belly button: Still getting pretty flat
Wedding ring: On, and about to get sparkled up this month.
Anything making you queasy/sick: Nothing except mouthwash at night
What I miss: I can’t think of anything here
What I’m looking forward to: Our anatomy scan is coming up and I’m praying mostly for a boring report and that everything is growing and developing textbook perfect. And the icing on the cake would be that Teeny Peep would cooperate and give us a clue as to whether we’re adding a he or a she to the family :-)
Labor signs: Nooooo! Thank goodness!
Symptoms: I can’t do any of my labor exercises without giving myself heartburn, but I would say that my energy level has returned. I’m never “rested” and I never was before I was pregnant, but I’m not falling asleep anywhere either. I’d say that my body definitely feels the effects of my growing bump with aching legs, feet, and back. I’ve been trying to put my feet up in the evenings after Dutch goes to bed and during his afternoon nap to help with the aches and pains. The Mr. is VERY helpful and tries to give me massages at least every other day (I’m so grateful for him!). I was telling the Mr. that I think God had a good idea when He decided on the average age for menopause. I’m not near menopause, but I cannot imagine being pregnant at that age with the amount of creaking and wear and tear my body is already experiencing. Well played God, well played.
Nursery: There isn't going to be a new nursery. We plan on having Dutch and Teeny Peep share a room. It's not that we don't have the space; we do have another bedroom, but we would like our kiddos to share a room when they are younger. We're thinking this will be a great opportunity to continue building character with our children. And to be honest, Dutch didn't move into his nursery until he was eight months old, and even then only for a few hours a day until he was 11 months old, so the new baby will probably stay in our room about the same amount of time and then we will do a transition of some sort. Of course we don't know what it is like to have two children and exactly what it will be like, but this is how we think we are going to try to start.
Emotions: I think I’ve had another pretty stable week, though I did cry over some silly dog jumping segments on the Today Show this week (but that’s minor, right?). I will say that I feel like my heart is so filled with love. Just when I thought my heart could not feel or produce more love, it grew. Dutch can now point to my belly and say “baby” and I think I just about melt every time. It is such an amazing reminder to me that there is already so much love for this little baby; I can’t help but smile continuously.
