20th Week Update

I reached 20 weeks this past Wednesday! It's one of the goals I've been looking forward to this pregnancy. Next goal- viability at 24 weeks. Bring it on!

Everytime I talk to my grandma on the phone she wants to know if I'm "showing" yet. So I told her at 20 weeks I'd start taking a picture of myself to email her. Actually, she doesn't do email but my aunt can print out a pic for her. Anyway, I don't generally do full body shots, or profile shots for that matter (ha ha!) but there's something special growing in there, so I'll get over it. At one point, while Mr. H was taking this picture I asked if I should "suck it in" ha! I have a little pooch, but mostly just looks like my fat is sticking out further than it already does. For the record, I tried to suck it in, and nothing happened. :-)

I'm down about 17 pounds this pregnancy. That's right, 17 pounds lost, not gained since December. And of those 17 pounds, I've lost 11 pounds since I had surgery March 5th. I think part of it is that the surgery took a lot out of me and I just didn't have much of an appetite, though I didn't ever have "morning sickness", so I can't blame that. And the other part is that I'm already overweight, therefore haven't gained anything. The last few weeks my weight has remained the same, nothing lost, nothing gained. I'm sure that will change as I get further along though.

At last weeks appointment I got my third P-17 shot. After the first one, I had a strange odor down there, and felt a little dizzy for a few days after the injection. I asked the doctor about it and she said they didn't seem like typical side effects. I was fully expecting to have it happen again after the last two injections and it didn't. The first injection wasn't painful but it was sore for several hours afterwards. The last two didn't hurt at all and I didn't feel anything afterwards either. Maybe it was just the initial onset of extra progesterone??? Either way, they are working. Hooray!

I haven't felt the baby kicking yet and I've been really looking forward to it. I have appointments and sonograms every two weeks, so I know it's okay and growing, but to feel movement would be an extra reassurance that he's still alive and well. My placenta is right up front though and acting as a barrier between the baby and my belly. It's kind of like a pillow of padding around my belly so the kicks are muffled. I've been laying on my back and on my side, poking and prodding him to wake up and move for momma, but so far nothing. The sonographer and the doctor both said it could take up until the 24 week mark to feel anything.

I had an anatomy scan at the perinatologists office this week. Baby was folded in half, with it's feet on it's head and was sleeping the entire time. It made it difficult for them to get the measurements they needed so they just did arm/length measurements as well as checked the brain and heart. All was on track for 20 weeks gestation and the baby is weighing approximately 12 ounces. We didn't see any genitalia this week, but we did see a little something at our appointment last week. IT'S A BOY!!!

I haven't shared any ultrasound pics yet because I wasn't sure if it would upset anyone to see them. But if you want to see him (or don't) please let me know in the comment section. We got a cute 3D picture of him the other day, with a tiny button nose. He's obviously still itty bitty, but cute nonetheless.

Hope you all have a Happy Mother's Day!