How far along? 19 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: About +5 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Indeed. Same rotation of pants and shirts.
Stretch marks? Still only pre-preg thigh variety.
Sleep: Have some nights where it’s good, some bad.
Best moment this week: Getting the loud noise kick.
Movement: I haz it.
Food cravings: Nothing in particular. Just more of everything.
Gender: Back to thinking boy but wishing girl.
Labor Signs: Still a few Braxton Hicks now and then.
Belly Button in or out? Just barely innie. Still wider.
What I miss: Being able to stay out past 11pm.
What I am looking forward to: The ultrasound in ONE HOUR!
Weekly Wisdom: I’ll stick with the importance of water. Drink it. Love it.
Milestones: The noise/movement combo.

Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby’s skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.

Mangoes and greasy white substances. Mmmmmm.

So far in this pregnancy, I’ve noticed one constant. I’ll have a symptom or milestone (backackes, movements) and then I’ll get an email from “What to Expect” or a Bump email saying “Aching back?” or something. It’s like this kiddo is stoked about making me feel most effects of pregnancy…right on time.

Today is no different. The Ninja moves around on a definite schedule. Two of the more normal times are around 9am and 11pm. However, this morning, while on the train around 8:15…the “door closing” signal went off (imagine a loud, ear piercing screech) and then WHAM! – a huge kick that made me jump out of my seat. That’s the first time that I can tell that there’s been a direct correlation between noise and movement.

I check the blog this morning and my nurturedfamily.com ticker says, “Day 118: Loud noises may startle the baby.”

Check.

In other news, I’m totally scurred about the drinking 32 ounces of water by 8 am tomorrow and not being able to pee until after the u/s. How in God’s name will I avoid pissing in my pants?! HOW?!

Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby’s finally big enough that you’ll be able to feel those movements soon.

(That’s a sweet potato. Yeah, I was confused too.)

I wasn’t expecting you so soon! It was a bit of a surprise to me yesterday as the hubs and I were driving to see “Up” that suddenly it felt like my pants were digging into my uterus. But alas, it was just you. And you scared the hell outta me.

I silently was thinking “I’m having contractions” and thought about saying it aloud, but didn’t want to alarm the hubs. It was only you, and for the most part, you are relatively harmless. (Albeit annoying.)

You continued to visit me throughout the movie, and the drive home. I learned after pulling out the trusty “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” that you can be triggered by dehydration. Guilty. I knew I was dehydrated when I woke up, yet I didn’t properly rehydrate, instead I downed movie theater popcorn and a cherry coke like they were going out of style. This decision only added to my dehydration, and by the time I got to the car, I had chugged two bottles of water to try to redeem myself.

I was better last night. Today, you came back. Uninvited-again.

The nurse has informed me that I must drink 65 ounces of water a day to stay properly hydrated. Needless to say I have been not doing that. AT ALL. So today, I hope, is your last day of visit, Braxton Hicks, my friend. Nothing personal.

Signed,
jennabee

I think we had another milestone this morning.

As I was procrastinating getting out of bed this morning after the hubs left for work, I had my hand on my stomach. And I felt a couple kicks from the outside.

::squeals::

It was pretty cool.

And right now, I think the wee one is enjoying the sausage biscuit/magic coke combo – I’ve gotten a couple kicks that made me jump they were so hard. I’m really trying hard not to put my hand on my stomach at work to feel them, but I don’t want to look like a lunatic.