19 Weeks! An Heirloom Tomato!

From Babycenter:

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

How your life's changing:

Think you're big now? You'll start growing even faster in the weeks to come. As a result, you may notice some achiness in your lower abdomen or even an occasional brief, stabbing pain on one or both sides — especially when you shift position or at the end of an active day. Most likely, this is round ligament pain. The ligaments that support your uterus are stretching to accommodate its increasing weight. This is nothing to be alarmed about, but call your practitioner if the pain continues even when you're resting or becomes severe.

You may be noticing some skin changes, too. Are the palms of your hands red? Nothing to worry about — it's from the extra estrogen. You may also have patches of darkened skin caused by a temporary increase in pigment. When these darker patches appear on your upper lip, cheeks, and forehead, they're called chloasma, or the "mask of pregnancy." You may also notice some darkening of your nipples, freckles, scars, underarms, inner thighs, and vulva. That darkened line running from your belly button to your pubic bone is called the linea nigra, or "dark line."

These darkened spots will probably fade shortly after delivery. In the meantime, protect yourself from the sun, which intensifies the pigment changes. Cover up, wear a brimmed hat, and use sunscreen when you're outdoors. And if you're self-conscious about your "mask," a little concealing makeup can work wonders.

From Alphamom:

Your Baby:

• Is about 5 1/2 to six inches long and weighs around 7 ounces.
• Although your baby will weigh more than 15 times its current weight by the time it is born, the rapid-fire growth portion of pregnancy is over. Thus, I have nothing else interesting to say up here. Baby is fully assembled; just needs some fattening up and lengthening out.

You:

• May be able to feel your baby’s kicks from the outside of your belly, if you’re lucky. Jason felt his first kick last night, and it was pretty cool and rocking and all that. He only remembered the later, third-trimester wallops from last time — this was the first time we were able to catch one of the gentle, early kicks.
• How are your moods doing? I’m not about to tell anyone what’s “normal” at this point, except to say that whatever you’re feeling? Whether it be fear or worry or impatience or rage or weepiness or ecstatic joy or maybe a combination of all of the above in the span of 10 minutes? Yep. It’s probably normal.
• The moods are normal because things are probably becoming a whole lot more “real” right about now. The belly is undeniable, the movements are steady, perhaps you know whether it’s a boy or a girl and are deciding on names and picking out room decor. So maybe you ran out of the room crying during a movie where something bad happened to a small child. Or to an adult! Because THEY WERE SOMEONE’S BABY ONCE TOO! Congratulations! You’re officially bonding.

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Me: Note about the above rendering: apparently I am gestating something that is nothing more than a head, a pair of hands where ears should be, and some other limbs protruding from the chest cavity. Whoa scary! Where's the rest of him??

As far as my general health, feeling much better now, thanks for asking! Can't even remember the last time I worshiped the porcelain god(dess).

But also have traded one set of symptoms for another: what I'm guessing is Pelvic Girdle Pain. Basically pain that shoots down through my lower back, my butt and upper thigh area. About every time I move. Getting up from the couch is the worst (I think slouching exacerbates it) and then suddenly lighting bolts of pain are shooting through my gluteus maximus and right leg looses all ability to support any weight (momentarily). Fun times!

Oh yeah, and suddenly I am a menopausal woman and experiencing hot flashes! Usually at night, I'm throwing off all the covers and damning the weak AC. However I am sitting here in a normally freezing air-conditioned office, and am finding myself currently steaming (and I'm not mad). I feel like a little turbo heater!

Tomorrow afternoon is our next OB appointment and we will have the Ultrasound first. So what shall it be?? Boy or Girl?? Hamburger or Hotdog? My very official FB poll is voting predominately Girl.