Week 17
I think from this point on, I will just be doing updates every 2 weeks or more rather than every week, with the exception of big announcements (ahem, gender reveal in 7 days!). Things are pretty much calming down when it comes to symptoms etc. Other than seeing my growing belly, there’s not too much to update for the time being!
Cravings
My craving for tomatoes has not disappeared yet! I am also, still dizzy here and there and the baby is still kicking away every once in a while. Whenever this happens, I pause what I’m doing whenever I can to fully enjoy that sensation. Since it usually happens while I am laying down reading, it’s not hard to do.
While I still use my computer to update the blog now and then, and my cell phone to stay in touch with family, I have been staying away from most technology to get a bit of a break. With social media being such a big part of blogging, I found myself taking too much time up with the internet. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter… they are all useful tools and are entertaining. It can simply get to be too much sometimes and a break was needed.
This has allowed me to read two books and start a third in the span of a couple of days and it feels great. We did have S for the weekend and since the weather was rainy for some of it, we saw a couple of movies in the theatre. We saw The Land Before Time on the big screen at the Dollar Cinema (so neat to see it in the theatre; I cried my eyes out like usual) and The Jungle Book, which I had been dying to see. I think I love it more than S!
It was a good week overall but not much going on in the Baby world.
Week 18
This week, “baby may have reached 15 cm from crown to rump by now, and he can both feel and hear. Admittedly at the moment, all he can hear is your heartbeat and the flow of your digestive system but soon he’ll be able to detect noise outside the womb and identify your voice.”- Baby Center
On Tuesday, I had another Doctor’s appointment. We got the results for the Trisomy 21 Blood Tests that were done and we are in the clear- 1 in over 10,000 chance that there would be any issues. While we didn’t think we would get any other outcome, but you really never know, right? It was an overall relief to get that good news.
At the last appointment, they did the mandatory tests for STIs, infections, etc. All of those tests came back negative. We then listened to the heartbeat again, and the doctor had to keep moving the wand around because the baby was moving around so much. I am always surprised by how fast the heartbeat is. I know to expect it and it still shocks me.
Since I had lost so much weight in the first trimester,
my doctor wants to weigh me at every appointment. She was happy to see I had started to gain a bit of weight back. She also told me to not worry so much about whether or not I am gaining weight.
Apparently, there was a study done in Australia. The results show, that if the Mother is not weighed throughout her pregnancy and does not fret over whether or not she has gained the “appropriate” amount of weight, they end up gaining the perfect amount of weight by the end of their pregnancy.
My BMI of 18 shows that I should gain an overall weight of around 35 pounds. She does not want me to over-analyze how much weight I do or do not gain. I feel better knowing this. After my appointment, we went to my Mom and Dad’s since I was staying there for a few days.
It was an amazing 5 days.
I enjoyed the sunny weather with a book. I also had a delicious dinner that night that consisted of a “7 Minute Antioxidant Salad” and a Salmon that only my Dad can make.
The next day, my Mom and I went for an hour-long walk and she treated me to a new shade of nail polish (thank you for the treat Mommy!). I ate well, I slept well, and I had numerous “spa moments” in which I got to have relaxing showers, and take care of my nails. I also got a lot of quality time with my Mom. I got caught up watching Coronation Street with her while we drank tea and shared many laughs. I really can’t describe how much I enjoyed spending time with her.
Overall, it was all very much needed and it was extremely hard to leave. I will admit it, I cried on and off all day. Blame pregnancy hormones if you will, but I had a really hard time coming home, even though it was nice to see my SO and cat again.
Between Tuesday and Friday,
I had gained 3 pounds- my tummy has definitely changed and I officially feel like I look pregnant. I definitely FEEL more pregnant now. I can feel the baby moving around a lot and each time it happens, I feel overwhelmed with love.
We have plans to celebrate as a family on Thursday. Still, leaving my parents the day before Mother’s Day felt strange. . We will be trying to see my Mom on Tuesday after we find out the gender! We have a better idea of what the name will be if it is a girl. I can’t believe we are finding out in just a few days! I am so excited.
The next time you get a Baby update, I will be revealing the gender! Stay tuned!! If I don’t get a chance to post a Mother’s Day article, Happy Mother’s Day to all of you lovely women and to all of our Mothers, Grandmothers, etc. You’re all so special to all of us.