Week 18

How far along: 18 weeks

Best moment this week: People telling me I look pregnant!  The books were right, baby (and bump) hit a growth spurt this past week and I have graduated from, "Hmm... that girl looks like she's had too many donuts." to "Aww...that girl looks like she's pregnant."  I was getting a little self conscious about having a beer gut in public, I'm glad I'm past the questionable stage.

 What's new with baby: Baby is the size of a sweet potato, about 5.6 inches long and 6.7 ounces in weight.  Supposedly baby is super mobile right now- flexing, punching, twisting, turning, rolling and kicking around in there (maybe he/she is a future Olympian?).  I have felt some flutters, no clear kicks yet, but with baby growing so rapidly I should be able to feel more defined moves soon.
 
Mom is feeling: Happy.  I used to forget I was pregnant at times, now when I look down I can't help but smile and remember that there's a baby all snuggled up inside me.

Weight gain: 4 to 5 pounds depending on time of day I weigh myself.

Wardrobe: I bought my first pair of maternity pants this week but I haven't worn them yet.  Thanks to another generous friend I received another box of hand me down maternity clothes for down the road.  Mostly I'm still in non-maternity clothes, mainly larger tops and stretchy skirts.

Cravings: Nope.

 Missing: Energy.  This past week I felt the way everyone said I would during the first trimester but never did- exhausted.  I'm sure it doesn't help that work has been busier than usual and that I'm not having very restful sleep.

Name news: "Is it me, or is Veto starting to sound really good?"  (bonus points for you if you know who said this.)

Scared about: Finding the right daycare.  We've started calling and touring some places to find out what our options are and in case there are waiting lists.  I know it will be a hard decision to make and hope that when the time comes we find and have peace about the perfect fit for our child.

Excited about: So many things... the first definite kick, starting on the nursery, finding out if it's a little lady or baby boy, the halfway point, all the fun trips and visits with family scheduled for the fall, I could go on and on.  Sometimes 9 months seems like such a long time to wait to hold that sweet baby in my arms, but right now I'm just glad that I have 9 months to enjoy all the anticipation and excitement for things to come.