The Wednesday Stork: Week 20

Happy halfway to me :) Or Ty, rather. I'm not really actively engaging in the overall process, though at times I feel like I'm training for some kind of insane athletic event. I have never had to ration my energy as much as I have these past few weeks and I'm starting to realize just what a precious commodity it is.

For instance, I try to take a walk most days though I don't always succeed, and somedays that's on purpose. If I look at my day and see that I have something else on the schedule that will require energy, the walk might get dropped. At least for the morning. I may make it up in the evening, but that's dependent on lots of other things going "just right." (Some examples of activities that require extra energy for me are mopping and socializing ;)

Here's something else I've been pondering this week: you're considered "pregnant" about two weeks before you're actually pregnant, and then it's another two weeks before you find out you're pregnant. By the time you've got all that out of the way you may have put in a good month's worth of pregnant time unconsciously.

It's a sweet deal up front but I have a feeling I'm going to be extra pregnancy-conscious for the second half of things...no four-week free pass this time around. Fair? I think not.

Did that make any sense to anyone else, or is it just me? It's probably just me.

Enough of my ramblings. Here's what you came for! (Unless you came to see the bump picture, in which case I'm afraid you were disappointed ;)

Weeks: 20! It's all...uphill from here? 

Weight gain so far: Yikes, over 7.5 pounds, but not 8 yet. I'm about 2.5 over what I wanted to be at this point, but when I set the goal of only gaining 5 pounds by 20 weeks, I didn't know if I was being realistic. I don't know where the weight's coming from or where it's hiding, but I guess it's there somewhere.   

Wearing maternity clothes? No, but have I mentioned how thankful I am for elastic these days? 

Got any prego stretch marks? Don't think so, but I'm probably not going to emerge unscathed.  

How am I sleeping? Not bad. It's so tempting (and I often give in) to sleep on my back, but I know that's not recommended. I try to do the side thing but only the right side ever works out. Sometimes I wake up with a sore hip and have to just flip to my back. I am so not a side sleeper. 

What do I miss? Feeling invigorated in the morning. It used to be my best time of the day. Now I don't have a best time of the day.    

Feeling anything in there? Yes, but he had me concerned more than once this week. I don't know if he's just been extra sleepy or what but he barely moved at all this weekend. I've caught him being a little more active the past couple of days, and I think it's still pretty early to read much into his movements. It's been an exercise in letting go of the zero-control I have anyway :) Oh, and he's super ornery. Already. He must be my sister's kid that I got accidentally. Sometimes when he's in a moving mood I'll have Todd try to feel him, but so often he just freezes as soon as Todd's hand is there. Ornery.   

Aversions or cravings? PB&J still sounds really good like all the time, but I only give in occasionally. 

What’s the gender? Boy.  

Any labor signs? None. 

How pregnant do I feel? I told Todd at least once this week that I need my stomach to s-t-r-e-t-c-h!!! It's not that big from the outside but I think I want it to be bigger just so it won't feel so...so like it's going to pop. I get the idea that I should probably just get used to feeling like that. Oh, and this is why I said that I probably wouldn't emerge unscathed in the stretch mark department. 

Belly button status: Still in. 

Still sporting my wedding rings? Yes, thankfully :) I'll be sad if I have to take them off!

So yeah, that's the week. How was yours, by the way?