18 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 18 weeks

Size of baby: According to babycenter.com the baby is about the size of a bell pepper.

Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

**Can I just note that this morning I realized that in the next 5 months this kid is going to grow from only about 7 ounces to probably around 7 pounds or more, in only 5 months! Unreal.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: +5ish pounds. Depends on the day but right around 5 pounds.  

Maternity Clothes: still regular clothes though those are getting much tighter. I'm trying to get through the next month or two without having to buy much. I'm at such a weird in between stage and have no idea how big I'll really get so it's either waste money buying clothes that fit me right now (and for not much longer) or guess at how big I may get and buy clothes for later that are too big for me right now.

Gender: we'll find out in a week and a half! There is now a poll on my sidebar so you all can vote on what you think the baby is!

Movement: Still some bubbles here and there. Nothing consistent.

What I miss: having an appetite. I'm no longer nauseous all the time (thank God) so I can eat fine but I really never have much of an appetite and nothing ever really sounds that appealing so eating has been a challenge.

Sleep: Better thanks in large part to the noise machine I got from my friend to eventually put in the nursery. The Ocean noise is so soothing.

Symptoms: Backaches. I had to bring a pillow to work finally to use in my chair because everyday by about 2pm my back hurts so much I can hardly stand it. Also, my belly is starting to feel a lot tighter and I've been having some minor discomfort from things growing in there.

Cravings: Mango Smoothies! I had 3 last weekend and would have had 4 but McD's ran out so I was forced to get the Wild Berry. Smoothies are the one thing that sounds appealing to me.

Best Moment this week: Having my test results come back negative for the AFP and getting lots of baby stuff from my friend.

What I am looking forward to: Finding out the gender in T-minus 11 days!!