Twenty Weeks

Well, twenty weeks marks the halfway point in a pregnancy, so congratulations to me – I made it halfway! So much has happened this week...twenty weeks is a big one for most people...we found out the sex of the baby, so I can quit calling the baby “it” or “Ziggy.” Although I like Ziggy and will probably keep that going on the blog for a while. We don’t have the name picked out yet, and I’m not really sure how B will feel about me sharing it, so Ziggy it is for now.

Let’s see. We’ll do the technical stuff first and get that out of the way...according to babycenter.com my baby weighs 10.5 ounces now and he’s around 6.5 inches long from head to bottom, 10 inches long from head to heel. That makes him the size of a banana. (Too cute!) He’s swallowing more these days, which is good practice for later, outside the womb, and he producing meconium, which is a black, sticky by-product of his digestive process. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels and will come out in his first soiled diaper.

Sounds like fun, right?

source

From my perspective, this week has been “ripe” with activity. I just started feeling the movements two short weeks ago, but let me tell you, he is one busy boy down there! He’s like a Mexican jumping bean on some days...and other times I can tell that he’s just chilling. He developed a new skill this week – standing on my bladder. Or jumping on my bladder. Feeling the little nudges/kicks on your side and abdomen are one thing...feeling them hit your internal organs, especially ones that tend to stay quite full? Totally separate issue altogether! But at least I know that he’s well.

He was moving around mainly in the evenings when I get settled into bed with a book or a show on TV, but now I’m noticing it all time during the day. Especially right before I eat. It’s like he’s trying to tell me “Hey Mom! Send some more food!” and I can just picture him jerking on the cord as if to prod me along...I know. I don’t know where I get these mental images either...it’s ok.
I didn’t really share any stats from my appt last week, so here you go:

Weight? 0 gain (I had lost three lbs, but gained it back this week, putting me back at my starting weight.)
Stretch marks? None yet. I have some very small ones from my previous pregnancy way around on my sides, but no new ones.
Belly Button – innie/outie? Innie still, but getting flatter. Does that make sense? It’s not as deep as it was, if that’s clearer.
Swelling? None.
Contractions/Signs of Labor? None.
Other Issues? Heartburn. It’s becoming a “good friend” and constant companion. Goes with the territory, I know.

Here’s my belly shots for this week...

Now I see what people keep telling me about how small I still am. I promise you that my belly is getting larger, and with certain clothes that I wear it’s total pregnany-city. But with other clothes, not so much. I got the concept completely when I went in today for my sonogram...the room will filled with other pregnant ladies. Maybe they were all there for their 20 week sono too, I don’t know. But they were ALL bigger than I was. Surely some of them were there for later-on sonos...but I don’t really know. So I hear you now, loud and clear. I’m small. Which is a blessing. Please don’t hear me complaining, because I’m NOT!

So now that we know what we’re having...my thoughts are turning towards registry and nursery décor. Yes, I should be focused on names, but B has sort of settled on one name and nothing else sounds good right now. So we’ve decided to take our time with the naming process. And since I can’t obsess about names, then what’s left but the nursery! Fun times, fun times!