And just like that, we are at the halfway mark! 20 weeks feels so significant to me because the “teen” weeks of pregnancy were filled with lots of ups and downs and just so much change from week to week. Back at 12 weeks pregnant we had an ultrasound where our baby finally looked like- a baby! Not just a little bean. And that was such a joyful moment. But then I still had some anxiety and nerves around this last ultrasound, the “big one”, as this was the one where all other abnormalities were ruled out and we made sure everything was developing properly. Not to mention that we found out the sex of the baby and had a gender reveal party at week 18. There’s just been a lot going on! But it’s truly the best and I feel so happy and grateful every time I feel those little kicks in my belly. So let’s go back a bit and talk about how the past few weeks have been!

Week 16

Week 16 was a good one! I was waiting for this week and for baby to be the size of my favorite fruit- an avocado!

I was pretty busy this past week so didn’t get too much accomplished on the activity front besides a few online videos and some walks, but oh well- it comes in ebbs and flows!

I felt like maaaaaybe I felt the baby this week? Two times it sort of felt like a “nerve jumping” a few times in my uterus. But it certainly wasn’t an obvious moment like “oh! That’s the baby!” and I haven’t really felt anything consistent. So excited to feel movement every day!

Week 17

Week 17 flew by! Work was incredibly busy and weeknights were mostly just spent trying to get a little exercise and having dinner then going to bed. I’m happy I can actually make it to 10pm now without feeling totally wiped out, but I’m still pretty tired in the evenings.

The weekend is where things got pretty crazy. We had a major issue with our shower and ended up having to re-tile the entire thing! Luckily we have friends/ family who helped out and who knew what they were doing. On the one hand it was a very expensive weekend, on the flip side we now have a beautiful new shower and it wasn’t nearly as expensive as it would have been if we had it done professionally.

Week 18

Week 18 was super busy but so great! We had a doctor’s appointment on Thursday morning- everything seems absolutely perfect and I never get tired of hearing that heartbeat! We had some warmer temps on Tuesday and Wednesday which was such a welcome relief- hello 70 degree weather you cannot come too soon! Unfortunately it was back to snow/ rain the next day, but at least it was nice to have a brief thaw out! And then my parents came on Friday night to spend the weekend with us for our gender reveal party on Saturday! We also installed a new reverse osmosis water filter and it’s fantastic. I have been wanting a water filter for a while and this one did not disappoint. The water tastes SO clean and now i can finally stop buying crazy expensive water from Whole Foods : )

Our gender reveal party was so much fun. I am so grateful to have so many friends/ family members willing to help out and it was a huge success. We had waaaaay too much food, but everyone had a great time. At about 8:30, we did the big reveal and finally announced that we are having a…..GIRL! Erik and I actually found out before the party as I wanted us to have a private moment for us to find out. I am so glad we found out in advance because I was actually almost positive it was a boy! My acupuncturist had been telling me that he thought it was a boy pretty much since I found out I was pregnant, and so I kept picturing this little blonde baby boy! So I’m glad that I found out so I can switch the image in my head ; )

Sunday everyone was pretty tired- Erik had to catch an early flight for a work trip and so I just hung out with my parents in the morning and had a leisurely breakfast plus my mom helped me with some items on my baby registry. When you’re trying to get mostly nontoxic items, I have found that building a registry is a massive effort as each item requires like, hours of research : / at least for the big stuff. But thankfully I have some fellow NTP friends who have had babies recently and who I can ask tons of questions to about baby gear.

The weekend finished up with my prenatal yoga class and getting some salmon at whole foods since I think my body was just craving some healthy food. Two days of pizza/ cake and my body is like “nope- please give me nutrients!”

Week 19

Week 19 was a great one, although most of the week was spent just waiting for our ultrasound on Thursday! As usual, I was nervous/ anxious going in to the appointment but it could not have gone better. Baby girl was measuring exactly at 19 weeks and 4 days (exactly where I’m at with my pregnancy) and everything looked perfect. The female body will never cease to amaze me that my body is just developing this perfect little human while I’m just going about my normal life. It’s incredible!

On Saturday Erik and I went to Buy Buy Baby for the first time to check out some items on our registry. It was so much fun and we were able to narrow down a few essential items like what stroller we want.

And now for a change of pace, here are some additional updates:

Here’s what’s been going on with baby during week 19!

• She is measuring about 6 inches long and weighs about 8.5 ounces
• She has developed a protective coating over her skin called the vernix caseosa
• She is working on her senses  and nerve cells for her taste, hearing, sight, and smell are developing in her brain
• Her kicks and movements are getting stronger

Here’s what’s been happening with me this past week:

Weight gained: I don’t typically weigh myself and primarily just see the scale at appointments. I don’t really think this is a necessary item to comment on either as every single pregnant woman is different!

Workouts: This week was pretty good! Online strength video, online pilates video, walks with Kenzie, and two yoga classes

Symptoms: Not much! Getting a few nosebleeds but not sure if that’s from the dryness/ cold or from pregnancy and my belly is definitely starting to pop more.

Movement: Yes! I started feeling the baby a bit around week 16 sporadically, but now it’s daily where I can feel these little tiny movements. It sort of feels like bubbles or little kicks and I usually feel her most after a meal and when I’m relaxing at night.

Food Aversions: There is nothing that sounds absolutely horrible, but some things that I’m just not in the mood for like sweet potatoes, raw veggies, olive oil, kale and cauliflower mashed potatoes. Also, if I eat something too many days in a row I want nothing to do with it.

Food Cravings: All the dairy- still going strong on wanting yogurt, cottage cheese, regular cheese, sour cream, etc., regular baked potatoes (not sweet potato), and carbs.

Sleep: Okay- I’m trying to sleep on my side but I’m waking up a lot as I find myself on my back and I try to flip over.

Maternity clothes: yes! I’m still mostly living in lululemon align leggings when I’m at home because they have a high waist, but I also got my first pair of maternity jeans and a few sweaters. I’m still primarily wearing regular jeans, but they are becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

Miss anything?: Not really! I was oddly craving a beer this weekend (not wine) and could go for some sushi, but it’s not an intense craving. Also, I do miss being able to do intense exercise, but honestly, that hasn’t happened for like 2 years ; )

Baby Items Purchased: not too much yet but we did go to Buy Buy Baby and are working on our registry.

Looking forward to: Erik being able to finally feel the baby!

And now we are all caught up! Super excited to see what these next few weeks bring but all in all, I’ve felt great and haven’t had anything crazy on the symptom front! Hope it stays this way!