20 week/5 month update

It's hard to believe that I've already been pregnant for 5 months, and even more so, that I am halfway done! Time has seriously flown by, and now that I am finally starting to feel pregnant I am loving it a million times more. I also feel like I actually LOOK pregnant now, and not like I just had too many beers. I think my belly has definitely grown a lot in the past week.





Yesterday was the FIRST time I felt Henry move and it was really, really neat. In the morning I thought I felt something, but I wasn't sure, but then by nighttime I was feeling all sort of "flutters" and at one point during a whole lot of flutters I pushed (gently) on my stomach and he kind of softly flicked my hand! I don't know if that's possible to feel at this point, but I'm pretty sure that's what it was! So awesome. I still am in disbelief that I have this little guy growing inside of me. Every single day it's another realization that I am going to be a Mom in a very short time.



Since our big ultrasound last week when we found the gender, I've kind of been on a baby shopping kick. From advice I've received I've been staying away from newborn sizes (outside of a few onesies) and mainly doing 3, 6, and 9 month clothing. It makes me happy to know my sister will be having babies soon after she gets married in March, so as time goes by we'll be able to share all of our gear and clothing. The main places I've found great baby clothes are H&M, Target, Nordstrom Rack, and Nordstrom. I find myself gravitating more towards simple colors, stripes, and of course the occasional cutesy print. The photo below is a picture I posted to my Twitter of some of my finds from shopping on Monday- the octopus is from my sister!



This week, baby Henry is also the size of a cantaloupe! How did THAT happen?! Last week he was the size of a mango and now he's a melon?! Cantaloupes are pretty big so it's funny to me to think I have a little guy the size of one swimming around in my belly.



This week marks the half way point of your pregnancy. It has been 18 weeks since the date of conception and your baby's crown-to-rump length is 5.6 to 6.4 inches. The fetus weighs about 9 ounces and your belly definitely has an obvious bulge. Your waistline has expanded and is no longer visible. Your uterus has now moved up enough that it is pushing your abdomen outwards. The top of your uterus is even with or just below your navel.

For the remainder of your pregnancy, the growing uterus puts pressure on your lungs, stomach and kidneys. This will make you feel short of breath, the need to urinate more frequently and can cause indigestion. The added pressure on your abdomen can also cause your bellybutton to protrude and cause an `outy` instead of an `inny`. Many pregnant women begin to notice stretch marks around this time as well. Your abdominal muscles are being stretched and pushed apart as your baby grows inside of you.

Your baby's skin begins to thicken this week and will develop four layers. Your baby's sebaceous glands secrete a waxy substance called vernix caseosa. Your baby will be born with this wax and it will look like paste. The vernix caseosa is crucial because it protects the fetus' fragile skin from the continuous immersion in amniotic fluid. Lanugo hairs secure the vernix caseosa in place and it is thick around the eyebrows. Scalp hair and toenails are beginning to form at this point. Hair can also be seen on the upper lip and eyebrows.

This week I also went and picked up a few "maternity" items. I got some maternity leggings and also some comfy t-shirts to wear when I workout. I can make a lot of my regular clothing items work still, but gym attire was presenting a problem because most of my t-shirts would ride up on my little bump and I don't think the YMCA is the place for crop tops. Especially crop tops on pregnant women! So I stocked up on comfy pregnancy friendly gym attire and I couldn't be happier. It's so much easier to exercise when you feel comfortable and confident.

I thought I would end with a little survey of pregnancy questions!

What day did you find out?: March 8th (I think)
How did you feel when you found out?: sat there in disbelief, cried and hugged Hank

Who was with you?: Hank
Who was the first person you told?: my coworker Robyn the same day, then no one else for a week or so
How did they react?: she cried, it was adorable

How did the daddy react?: it was 5am and he was half asleep- he was totally happy and definitely woke up very quickly! haha
When is your due date?: November 18th
How far along are you?: 20 weeks
As far as gender, what did you want?: I honestly didn't care!
What did the daddy want?: He wanted a boy
Do you have a name picked out?: Yes

If so, what is it?: Henry
Is your baby going to be named after someone?: yup, his great-grandpa, grandpa and Daddy!
Where was your baby conceived?: at home, haha
Have you felt the baby move?: yes!
What race will your baby have?: I am Irish, and a mix of other European races, and Hank is a mix of different things including Hispanic
Do you have stretch marks?: no
What was your first symptom?: heightened smell
What religion will the baby know? none

Will your baby have godparents?: yes, even thought we aren't religious. The godmothers are my best friends Autumn and Shirley, and godfather is Jason, Autumn's hubby.
What is the baby's room theme?: white and gray, and maybe yellow? Unsure.
Cravings: fresh fruit all the time

Happy 20 weeks, Henry! I love you :)