17 Weeks and 3 Days

Time is flying by! March will be here before we know it. I can't wait!

Everything still seems to be going well. I had my second appointment with a nurse-midwife at 16 weeks, but they didn't do anything other than listen to the baby's heartbeat, ask me some questions and ask if I had any questions. She said the heartbeat sounded good. I asked her to show me where the top of my uterus is because I can't really feel it. I think where she pointed to was just below my belly button, which she said is big for where we are in the pregnancy. She said maybe my dates were off (I'm fairly certain they're not) or maybe this was just a big baby. However, from the research I've done, this type of measurement (called the fundal height) is not an accurate way to assess the size of the baby. We should know more about the size after our next ultrasound.

Our anatomy/gender ultrasound is scheduled for October 25th and I am so very excited! Not only will we find out the gender (if the baby cooperates!), but we get to see the baby again! Our last ultrasound was at 8 weeks, so the baby still looked like a blob with tiny arms and legs. It'll be awesome to see it looking like a baby! I'm excited for J to see it too. I know the experience for me is completely different from what he's going through, so I'm glad he has an opportunity to actually see this little person who is making me become a bigger person!

I think I felt the baby moving for the first time this week, on the day I turned 17 weeks! I had felt some flutters before that which might have been the baby, but it's impossible to know for sure. But this was a feeling I had never felt before, so I feel fairly certain it was my little one. I was driving my car to work and I felt this feeling that felt sort of like popcorn popping or like being punched or kicked by something small. It was so cool! I haven't felt it since then, but I know it's still early. Hopefully within the next few days, I'll start feeling more consistent movement.

It's nice that this pregnancy has finally gotten to be more fun, rather than being a big worry-fest. Not that I don't worry anymore, but I defintely don't worry as much as I used to. Hopefully we will get the all-clear at the anatomy ultrasound and we can just cruise through the next few months with no problems!

As soon as we know the gender, I'm going to be on the hunt for the perfect name. I have ideas, but J doesn't always like what I do. And I'm so picky. Even picking out names for my dogs is a big deal to me! So picking out a name for a person...that's a major thing.

I am definitely looking more pregnant now. People are starting to notice without being told first. I'm glad I finally look pregnant and not just like I've indulged in too much junk food! I've gained around seven pounds so far. Pretty soon I'll be looking at numbers on the scale that I've never seen before. That's a little stressful, but I know it's necessary and for the best cause. I just know I'll have some work to do after the baby is born so I can lose the extra weight...otherwise, I won't have many clothes to wear!