I'm Drooling

This would be my dream come true...







I may need run to the store.

(15 Weeks) 18 Weeks: Bell Pepper

Head to bottom, your baby is approximately 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and she weighs almost 7 ounces. She's busy flexing her arms and legs — movements that you'll likely start noticing more and more. Her blood vessels are visible through her thin skin and her ears are now in position and stand out from her head. Myelin (a protective covering) is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and Fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If your baby is a boy, his genitals are noticeable, though he may hide them from you during an ultrasound. (Babycenter.com)

I have come to realize that my "morning sickness" is actually "afternoon sickness" and consistently strikes the second Jared walks in the door after work. Please don't take this the wrong way. I promise it is NOT Jared that makes me feel sick! He usually makes me feel better in the midst of my illness. Gin Gins help a lot too ;)

Overall, I have been gradually feeling better and better over the past few months. I feel like some of my energy has been renewed, along with a new resolve to attempt a healthier diet. During most of the first trimester, I threw caution to the wind and indulged in many sweet treats. Luckily, this has not shown in my weight gain whatsoever. I am sure breastfeeding has something to do with that. (woohoo!) I am also very encouraged that I have started to crave some healthier options this week too. Several kinds of veggies and leafy greens sound very appealing. For breakfast almost everyday I make egg toast, which is delicious and gives me precious protein and grains (wheat bread). For a sweet treat, I sliced up some bananas and popped them in the freezer. It is a really healthy, satisfying fix for my sweet tooth!

Yesterday I transferred many of my summer maternity clothes into the closet, and packed away most of my heavy winter clothes. I am so happy about the warming weather! I quickly forgot how sensitive pregnant skin is, and got a nasty sunburn in a matter of an hour or two under the rays. That's not going to stop me from soaking up the sun at every chance I get though. I will just slather on the sunscreen next time!

I have started to feel the baby wiggling around a little now!

BELLY CHECK

SOPHIA......................POPPY

(14 Weeks) 17 Weeks: Turnip

Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and he's around 5 inches long. He can move his joints, and his skeleton is starting to harden to bone. His sense of hearing is also developing. The umbilical cord, his lifeline to the placenta, is growing stronger and thicker. (Babycenter.com)

Best news of the week-- no sciatic pain! That has been a true blessing. I hope that it stays away. But my darling Poppy, if it doesn't, you are SO worth the pain. ;)

I have still been getting queasy every so often, so I finally got around to buying some Gin-Gins (hard ginger candy). So far I have only used one, but it helped settle my stomach.

I scheduled my ultrasound for May 7th, which is only three weeks away! I can hardly believe how quickly time is going with this pregnancy. I like it that way though. Sophia has been keeping me busy so I am not constantly dwelling on the pregnancy. That means that we will get to meet Poppy before we know it! I bet Sophia will LOVE having a sibling to play with!

I have been feeling some small flutterings that I believe Poppy is responsible for. I have not felt any distinctive kicks yet though.

What Nobody Tells You

Nobody tells you that the second time around you can't hold your pee anymore. When you gotta pee (which is all the time), DON'T try to hold it.

(13 Weeks) 16 Weeks: Avacado

At 4 1/2 inches long (head to bottom) and 3 1/2 ounces, your baby is about the size of an avocado. In the next three weeks, she'll go through a tremendous growth spurt. Some of her more advanced body systems are working, including her circulatory system and urinary tract. Her heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, circulating her total blood volume through her body many times. Although closed, her eyes are moving (slowly), and she's even started growing toenails. (Babycenter.com)

Everything is much the same as last week. I am at a point in the pregnancy where change is slow. I am perfectly okay with that. The longer I feel comfortable the better! I am sure that very soon I will start feeling the growth of my belly, and the little one within.


I had my 16 week check-up today. It was short and sweet, but the highlight was hearing Poppy's heart beating sweetly 155 times a minute. I measured at 12.5cm, which the midwife said was just right.



Unfortunately I have started feeling sciatic nerve pain this week. I have heard it is very common during pregnancy. Otherwise, I have been very comfortable and haven't been queasy at all this week.

Quality Nutrition

So far today, I have eaten:

• Two chocolate donuts
• One brownie
• One very tall glass of root beer milk

Off to a good start.

Sigh.

Cravings of the Week

• Root beer milk
• Ice cold plain milk
• Ice cream Snicker bars
• Kentucky Fried Chicken
• Oreos

(12 Weeks) 15 Weeks: Apple

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces. She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. (Babycenter.com)

I have been feeling wonderful this week for the most part. I feel queasy and uninterested in food about two days per week on average. I don't think that's too much to handle.


I am starting to pop out just the slightest bit now. I am still able to wear all my normal clothes, which is nice. Jared bought me some very cute summer maternity clothes this week that I am very excited to put to use in the coming months!


My next appointment is a week from today (next Thursday), and we are excited to hear Poppy's heartbeat for the first time. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my first appointment was at 10 weeks along, and we couldn't pick it up that early.


I still have not felt any defined movement from within. I have felt a slight fluttering that very well could be gas. I just can't tell yet. I get a weekly pregnancy email, and this week it said something like "If this is your second child, you will probably be able to feel your baby sooner than first timers. Second-time moms can easily distinguish kicking from gas bubbles." Um. No I can't. Does that make me a bad mom?

I have been craving SWEETS like crazy again. Pretty much anything sweet sounds appealing, which is quite dangerous. I remember a few years ago before I was pregnant, hoping to myself that I wouldn't be one of those pregnant ladies who craved sweets all the time. No such luck. Why couldn't I crave raw veggies? And fruit? And all the healthy food that I actually need to be eating as a breast-feeding preggy? Oh well. I have been trying to eat as healthy as I can. At my last appointment my midwife asked what I was doing for an exercise routine. I laughed at her. I nearly told her "I am a mom. That is my exercise routine."


I could hardly believe how similar I look to when I was 15 weeks pregnant with Sophia!
Left: Pregnant with Sophia
Right: Pregnant with Poppy

A view of Poppy's development