20 Weeks – Halfway There!

How far along: 20 weeks!  I can’t believe I’m at the halfway point.  It feels like just yesterday I was trying to get pregnant.

I’m not sure if it’s the workout top or not, but I’m really looking pregnant these days.  I’ve been noticing it for a while, but it’s finally very visible to others.  How can I not notice when this has become my view from above before working out:

And at my desk at work:

How big is baby:  This week baby’s a banana at 6.5 inches long and about 10.6 ounces in weight.  Baby’s digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And the baby’s genitals are now fully formed.  Guess we’ll see his manhood in all its glory tomorrow!

Total weight gain:  I’ll find out tomorrow.  I can’t imagine being surprised by any number on the scale since I’m feeling pretty good, eating healthy, and still working out consistently.

Maternity clothes:  This week Remy and I were home alone, so you can imagine how startled I was to hear a lout bang on the door earlier this week in the evening.  At least I had my guard dog by my side.  I opened the door to find a UPS delivery from Gillian in Seattle which contained loads of maternity clothes!!  Many were hers and many were Lauren’s.  I can’t say thank you enough for this!!  Those clothes ain’t cheap.

I’ve also been wearing a ton of my maternity clothes this week.  I can still squeeze into many of my dresses, but these just fit me better.

Sleep:  With the exception of Thursday night’s sleep, it’s been great.  I had been putting off getting work done on a tooth until after giving birth and getting better dental coverage in January.  Big mistake!  I woke up Thursday night/Friday morning with a throbbing toothache.  Not having JP there was awful.  I felt so alone and was tempted to call my parents, but I toughed it out until I finally fell back asleep.  Now I’m having emergency root canal done on Wednesday, which was the soonest they could get me in.  I tried crying my way into an earlier appointment (very mature) and all I got was a prescription for antibiotics.

I also needed my OBGYN’s approval in order to get work done.  Thankfully the 2nd trimester is the ideal time to have any necessary dental work done during pregnancy.  He called that evening to check on me (best doctor ever) and had prescribed some safe painkillers for me to take.  I had been putting off taking any until I was in DIRE need but he calmed my fears that it would harm the baby and urged me to take 2 while we were on the phone.  I could kiss the man!  I felt better within 10 minutes!  And lucky for me, the pain hasn’t come back as severe yet so that was the only time I had to take the painkillers.  Fingers crossed I make it to Wednesday relatively pain free!

Best moment of the week: Picking up JP from the airport on Friday night!!  The long week without him wasn’t as bad as I thought (until the tooth pain kicked in) but Remy and I were ready to get the gang back together.

She missed her daddy!

Food cravings:  I had been craving my favorite squash for quite some time, but most stores don’t sell it.  So when I saw it at Whole Foods last week, I scooped the bad boy up!

If you’ve never tried it, trust me and do it!  Kabocha squash is naturally so buttery that you need virtually nothing on it for it to taste good.  I bake it for 30 minutes at 375, flipping once, and that’s it.  Granted cutting the thing open is another story!

And with the tooth situation, a lot of smoothies are being consumed.  I made JP and me some lean green smoothies for lunch part 1 today!

From this…

To this:

Food aversions:  I had a bad sushi incident this week.  No, I didn’t eat raw fish.  I got some cooked rolls while everyone else got the good stuff while out for my coworker Lindsey’s birthday.  It did not sit well with me and now I think my yearnings for sushi are gone. Thank god because I was ready to dive first into the sashimi when it initally came out.  They sat the pregnant woman at the end of the table so she wouldn’t be tempted.  Smart move!

Symptoms:  Nothing new aside from the constant peeing.  The groin pressure from last week is gone at least.

Movement:  Just tiny pokes here and there.  To be honest, I don’t even know for certain if it’s the baby.  I think it’s him in there though.

Gender:  Boy!  He’ll be proving it tomorrow.

Exercise: Workouts are still going great!  I’m still jogging and feeling awesome.  I never imagined I’d be 5 months pregnant and still able to run, but as long as I’m feeling good I’m going to keep it up.  My coworker Ashleigh and I have been incorporated running into our walks and it’s been a great boost to my workouts!

What I’m looking forward to:  Seeing our baby boy on the big screen tomorrow, having this root canal behind me, and my baby shower at the end of September!  The invitations have come in and my sister texted me a picture.  They’re adorable!  I’ve also been working diligently on my registry which is making it feel all the more real.  Gillian sent me the most intensive list I’ve ever seen and as a result, planning my registry was a breeze.  Her and my doctor this week…MVPs!

What I miss:  Napping on my belly.  Otherwise, I’m feeling pretty “normal” this week.

Next appt:  Tomorrow morning, bright and early.  It’s the big anatomy scan, followed by a routine OB checkup.  Very excited!

I’ll leave you with something that left me dying this week courtesy of my friend Meghan.  I’m thinking if my sister can make this cake happen, she totally should!!! 😉