21 Weeks: Carrot

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well. (Babycenter.com)

I have had a hard week. Stress levels have been high this week, which makes everything go downhill. Especially milk production. If pregnancy doesn't kill it enough, extra stress will pretty much wipe it out completely. That has been a constant struggle since January when I got pregnant. After awhile, battling my own body to nourish my growing fetus, and my growing infant at the same time takes a big toll. I keep wondering why God did not make it more possible to breastfeed, and be pregnant at the same time, with sufficient nourishment for both. Please pray for me in this area, as I am feeling weary and frustrated.

Along with the added stress, I have felt exhausted all week. It has also been affecting my appetite. Last night, I made a huge, delicious dinner that took 1 1/2 hours to prepare, and when it was finished, it looked absolutely repulsive to me. I ate a few bites, but that's all I could handle.

Usually, Sophia and I take a walk everyday when the weather is nice. It is something I look forward to, and I think she does too. This week we have not gotten out much because of the crummy weather (Come on! It's JUNE!!), but we were finally able to go around our usual loop yesterday. The fresh air and exercise felt good.