Feb 14, 2013 – 19 Weeks: Happy Valentine’s!

I can hardly believe I am almost at the halfway point.  Just one more week until the big ultrasound, at which point baby will be as long as a banana.  The nausea seems to have mostly faded, but oh my WORD some of the other symptoms are not fun.

Last week I didn’t gain any weight at all, and this week I gained several lbs.  Good thing I got sick of pot pies, I won’t be able to afford to pound those down anymore (not that I should anyway).  Last week’s picture was the first time I did a double-take and thought, “Wow, I finally look pregnant!"  My pre-pregnancy pants can't even be buttoned now...thank goodness for the belly band and the few stretchy pants I already own or there wouldn't be much for me to wear.  Can't wait for skirt/dress weather, it will be so much more comfortable.

This will be our last Valentine’s Day alone before baby comes, so we plan on making the most of it by trying out a Greek restaurant.  I got a little misty-eyed today thinking of how grateful I am to have such a thoughtful husband that makes a big deal out of holidays like this.  Maybe it was partly hormones, ha!

Baby continues to move a lit bit pretty much every day now, though I wish it were more often.  What I was feeling a couple weeks ago (and ever since) must actually be the baby, because most first-time moms start feeling it by now.  I seem to notice the movements most often in the middle of the night right before I fall asleep, or when I’m leaning forward typing at my computer.  Hopefully I’m not squishing him/her in that position.  I disagree that it feels like butterfly wings or popcorn popping.  So far it seems more like muscle twitches or a goldfish swimming around.  Right now the moves are pretty erratic.

I haven’t been able to “make” kicks happen by putting a cold hand on my belly, poking my belly lightly, singing, or power of suggestion.  Baby clearly has my stubbornness and is going to move when he/she darn well pleases.  I could always try playing different kinds of music.  Or shining a flashlight on my belly since baby is supposed to be able to sense light now…but Matt thinks that’s mean and that I should just be patient.  I don’t know, is it "mean"??  It won’t hurt baby, will it?  I think of it more like interacting.  I had a friend that used to put an ice pack on her belly and a heating pad on her back and enjoyed watching the baby kick at the ice pack.

With all that we have going on (baby stuff, Matt’s job, studying for the bar, and Valentine’s Day), I have pretty much forgotten about the fact that I turn 30 in two weeks.  Normally I get really excited about birthdays but with all the baby excitement I don’t seem to care as much about it.  But I am looking forward to the fact that my parents are coming to visit that weekend.  It will be fun to show them around Baltimore and have Mom here to do baby stuff with me.