20.5 weeks, halfway there!

It's hard to believe how fast this pregnancy is going! Our little one will be here before we know it and Dave and I find ourselves completely overwhelmed with all that needs to get done by April and yet completely overjoyed at the thought of those little toes and fingers we'll be kissing in less than 5 months.

My high school friend Sarah posted pregnancy updates in this format for her entire pregnancy, so I decided to borrow her format for today!

How far along? 20.5 weeks, over halfway!!

Baby Size: about 7-8 inches, or as long as banana, and weighs 0.75 lb.

Total weight gain: Technically none. I lost about 10 pounds at the beginning from being so sick and am just now back to my pre pregnancy weight.

Maternity clothes? All of my regular bottoms still work, especially with my BeBand, but the fit is getting to be a little… weird, so I do have a few pairs of maternity pants that I LOVE. Gap, Old Navy, and Target have saved the day! Not sure how I'm going to give up stretchy/elastic waistbands at the end of this.

Stretch marks? Currently none. Taking preventative measures (moisturizing, trying to keep weight gain in check, staying hydrated) but I know that sometimes they just come no matter what you do, and I don't think I'll be disappointed if I have a few to show by the end of this.

Sleep:  This area of my life is becoming a little difficult. I have a great preggo pillow to help me sleep but minor legs cramps have started at night and, recently, changing positions has become quite a feat. Many nights, though, I'm so exhausted that I pass out pretty hard, so I'm thankful for those times!

Best moment this week:  Settling on a name! We aren't quite ready to share it yet, but we're already calling the baby by name at home. Having a name for your baby makes it seem so real. Eeee!!

Miss Anything? Just being able to move as easily as I used to. I'm still surprised every time I get completely winded from a flight of stairs.

Movement: All. The. Time. I told my doctor at our last appointment that I've been feeling a ton of movement and at first he was skeptical and thought I was confusing it with gas bubbles (I was 18.5 weeks). As soon as we started the ultrasound, though, he said, "Wow, you have a very active child!"

I think I may have said this in my last update, but movement is definitely my favorite part of pregnancy, and I hear lots of other moms say the same thing. In the last couple weeks, we've been able to see and feel the baby move from the outside, and Dave can even hear the little thumps when he presses his ear to my belly.

Food cravings: I don't think I can say that I've had any real cravings. The only two things that I consistently want are fruit and carbs.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Certain smells or foods still get me occasionally-- potato items such as french fries and chips, avocado, raw tomato, hummus, that "restaurant smell" (you know what I'm talking about if you've ever worked in food service).

Gender:  We're pretty positive we know but will make an official announcement after we confirm at our ultrasound this week.

Other Symptoms: Swelling in my legs and feet has begun, and it's pretty bad since I sit at a desk all day. Backache, tummy stretching pains, occasional headaches… but those are just the bad symptoms.

My nails are better than ever, my tummy is getting rounder, and my appetite is back, to name a few of the positive things. Sheesh… writing these pregnancy posts can really make pregnancy sound miserable. It's really not, though. It's such a joy and a privilege and I feel like this season of life has been one of life's greatest blessings.

Belly Button in or out? In, but getting shallow. The navel ring came out a few days ago. :(

Wedding rings on or off?  On!

Mood:  Some days I'm happy as a clam. Other days I cry because the cleaning lady at work moved my trash can two inches. It's always a toss up.

Looking forward to: Birthing classes! Depending on some decisions we make in the next few days, we may start classes in just 2 weeks, rather than January like we originally thought. Regardless, I cannot WAIT.