20 Weeks Today! A Butternut Squash!

From Babycenter:

How your baby's growing:

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)

He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

How your life's changing:

Congratulations! You've hit the halfway mark in your pregnancy. The top of your uterus is about level with your belly button, and you've likely gained around 10 pounds. Expect to gain another pound or so each week from now on. (If you started your pregnancy underweight, you may need to gain a bit more; if you were overweight, perhaps a bit less.) Make sure you're getting enough iron, a mineral that's used primarily to make hemoglobin (the part of your red blood cells that carries oxygen). During pregnancy, your body needs more iron to keep up with your expanding blood volume, as well as for your growing baby and the placenta. Red meat is one of the best sources of iron for pregnant women. Poultry (especially the dark meat) and shellfish also contain iron. Some common non-meat sources of iron include legumes, soy-based products, spinach, prune juice, raisins, and iron-fortified cereals.

If you haven't already signed up for a childbirth education class, you may want to look into one, especially if you're a first-timer. A structured class will help prepare you and your partner for the rigors of labor and delivery. Most hospitals and birth centers offer classes, either as weekly meetings or as a single intensive, one-day session. Many communities have independent instructors as well. Ask your friends, family members, or caregiver for recommendations.

Alphamom:

Your Baby:

• Is as big as (depending on which measurements from which pregnancy book you use and of course, Your Produce May Vary) a butternut squash, or as long as a banana, or possibly a carrot. I am getting the sense these comparisons are not really an exact science.
• Will be measured head-to-toe from this point on, instead of the head-to-rump measurements we’ve used so far. I remember choking on a bagel at 21 weeks last time because HOLY CRAP, MY CHILD JUST GREW FIVE INCHES IN A WEEK.
• Has a heartbeat that can be heard with just a regular old stethoscope now and not just the fancy doppler.
• Is swallowing and practicing other digestive skills, and can now produce meconium, which is essentially prenatal poop that sits in the bowels during pregnancy. You’ll see this awesome goopy stuff in person during your baby’s very first diaper change, or possibly even during labor like I did, as some babies like to take their first crap in the womb. Meconium in the fluid in considered a delivery complication, but it’s very common and not terribly dangerous — your doctor will just need to suction your baby’s nose and mouth immediately after delivery to prevent any meconium going into your baby’s lungs with their first breath.

You:

• Are HALFWAY THERE HALFWAY THERE HALFWAY THERE!
• Seriously. You are halfway through this pregnancy, which may bring to mind such deep thoughts like: “Yay!” or “Uh-oh” or “Whoa” or “Must. Organize. Kitchen. Cabinets.”

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Moi': It sure is nice to be eating again! Not that I'm succumbing to food cravings or even have an appetite like I did pre-pregnancy, but at least now even the thought of food is not nausea-inducing. I've gained about 10 lbs thus far, and still weigh less than what I was weighing before I lost weight before our wedding last year (wow that's alot of Ws).

Take a look at that rendering above... looks like an actual B-A-B-Y! It's still such a foreign concept that I currently have a real, live, butternut squash-sized person kickin' around in my abdomen. Someone that will have hopes, dreams, a name, a social security number, etc. Kicks are becoming slightly more apparent, but still pretty subtle. I'm looking forward to the day when I can discern between a right hook and a high kick, and when external movement can been seen and felt by Dear Sweet Hubs.

The Anatomy Ultrasound last week was fascinating, and finding out the gender does bring it all home just a tad bit more. But it's all still a foreign, theoretical concept in my brain.... when the Tech was waving the wand around on my abdomen and the images were popping up on the screen, I'm thinking "That's in my uterus? Are you sure you aren't waving that around your own belly?"

Bones and heart valves were visible, and even the outline of tiny hands and feet and a wee button nose. Everything looked good, says the Tech and Dr. Smiley. At one point, he (HE!) was kicked back, had a foot resting on a knee and had a hand thrown up behind his head. The Tech said 'Lounge while you can, dear...' His jaw was moving at one point, like chewing gum, and she said that he was practicing sucking (sqeee!).

Didn't opt for the Tri or Penta blood test, as a good Ultrasound was enough for me. But poor Dear Sweet Hubs did have to have his blood drawn to get his blood type, being that I am O Neg. If we are both Negative of any kind, then no further considerations, but if he is anything else, I will have to have the Rho-gram shot at 28 weeks and at delivery. It's all about blood proteins and immunities and I have read the explanations several times but still don't entirely understand it all. It might mean I need a few more shots: enough said.

We have been mulling over some names since we found out the gender, but nothing has stuck thus far. Honestly we both were expecting/hoping for a girl, and I had a whole girl-name list ready to go. But now that we know what we are having, it's back to the drawing board. For one thing, there are already so many boys in the family, so that removes several names for contention (just to name a few, no Paul, Kevin, Brian, Terry, Jeremy, Nicholas, Logan or Ethans). We have 4.5 months to think about it.

The nursery progress is continual and is lookin' good, thanks to DSH's handiwork. The electrical work is done and the drywall is 90% complete. Then it's onto ordering the doors, cutting the closet, shaping the wall niche and finally all the 'finish work'. I also found a great deal on 2 pieces of furniture from Craig's List: an armoire and an entertainment center (that will function as an armoire/wardrobe). They are currently residing in our garage, where they will be painted antique white and distressed, before moving into the nursery.