Baby 2 at 19 weeks (belly pic)

Baby belly is getting bigger. Mike pointed out to me that it sticks out as far as my boobs, if not a little farther. (Those, by the way, feel like they are getting fuller and heavier again so, they must have gotten the memo to get out of post-breastfeeding mode and back into start-up mode again.)

My hips have been bothering me; technically, I think the chiropractor would argue that it is my LOW BACK and NOT really my hip at all. I'm sure that all of the bending and lifting I do with Sydney, as well as standing and jumping over baby gates doesn't really help. That, and the fact that I am carrying Sydney's weigh PLUS my own a lot of the time. (Thankfully, I started this pregnancy 20 pounds lighter than the last one.) Perhaps, shoveling snow is not the recommended thing to do either....

My varicose veins have been BULGING out of my left leg for the entire month. I wear support hose during the day and sometimes add an extra ankle support for that sore and swollen left ankle. I wonder: WHY my legs are so much worse this time around? (At Kerri's wedding, I talked to a chiropractor (that I went to high school with) about my back. Instantly, he assumed "Let me guess, you're wearing high heels under that dress" to which I proudly lifted the bottom to show him my ultra flat shoes. (I almost wish I would have been wearing tennis shoes.) I also announced "AND I am even wearing TWO PAIRS of support hose... thigh high (hospital white gauze) and knee high (that look like nylons in case anyone saw my feet and lower legs). 

Yesterday, I laughed at my INBOX when I saw the email "HUNGRY AS AN OX?"

That is EXACTLY how I have been feeling for much of this past week!!! I have been STARVING AGAIN, have been eating large meals AND have felt the need for snacking or else I feel sick to my stomach. (I secretly fear how much weight I will have gained over the past month when I go in for my next appointment. Hopefully, it is still within an acceptable range. I believe I have gained about 9 pounds as of last check.)

Baby development status at 19 weeks

Baby's sensory development is exploding! The brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that he/she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to him/her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom . His/her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his/her body now. His/her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on the scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on the skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

(We were just looking at Sydney's ELMO doll the other day and calculated that the baby would be about as big as Elmo is, with the exception that it's arms and legs would be more proportional to a human than a stuffed animal, most likely within this next week. Looks like our guess was almost dead-on. When holding Elmo up to my belly, it is AMAZING to think that there is a baby that size crammed into my tiny belly. It's no wonder that I've been feeling it move a lot this past week; it keeps me up at night when I am trying to fall asleep, but is too faint for Mike to feel it yet.)

How your life's changing:

 

Think you're big now? You'll start growing even faster in the weeks to come. 

(My thought when reading this was: I really didn't think I was big yet; still consider it to look just slightly larger than a beer belly. At least Mike confirmed that it does NOT look like a beer belly because it is starting to look like a baby belly now. Given my recent hunger though, I am not surprised at all to read that I'll be growing even faster in the weeks to come.)

You may be noticing some skin changes, too. That darkened line running from your belly button to your pubic bone is called the linea nigra, or "dark line."

(I have not really noticed any skin changes - other than the fact that I finally seem to be getting out of the acne phase that has struck me so far. I kept waiting for that "pregnant, healthy glow". I do NOT have the "dark line" yet, but remember it from last time - as it stayed with me WELL AFTER BIRTH!!!)

I am anxious for when baby's movements are strong enough to be felt from the outside world. (I know that Mike misses out on all of this excitement that I get to experience early-on. If only I could have shared my morning sickness with HIM instead...)