Due Date? July 10th (I'm hoping baby comes a little earlier though...if he's born on the 4th, he'll get fireworks every year! Plus we have a family reunion at the end of the month that I'd love to be able to go to...)
Boy or girl? Boy!! Somehow we knew all along that there was a little boy in there. Even before I got pregnant, my mom would always tell me that our first baby would be a boy, and honestly none of us could even imagine him being a girl (although I would love one next!). To be frank, I feel a little scared at the prospect of having a boy, because I feel like I know what to expect from girls and how to handle them, and little boys are completely uncharted territory...but I'm up for the challenge!
Sickness? I've been really blessed in that department. For the first trimester and a half or so, I would get really nauseous to the point of incapacitation if I waited even 10 extra minutes to eat. But I never once threw up! This baby has been kind to me. The nausea is pretty much gone, but now I suffer from headaches practically every night without fail. It could be much worse though, so I'm counting my blessings!
Cravings? Lately, it's pretty much anything sweet. Donuts are especially appealing to me...the good news is, I'm usually feeling too tired or lazy to venture out and try to fulfill my cravings for sweets, so hopefully that means I won't get too fat! James has been the absolute best...the other day I desperately wanted juice at like 11pm and was whining about how we didn't have any. He spent 30 minutes in the kitchen and then came out with this amazing, fresh squeezed orange-banana concoction he had created. So yummy. I'm a lucky girl! If this boy turns out to be anything like his daddy, he'll be a breeze to raise.
Movement? I started feeling this little guy wiggling around at 16 weeks, so I'm lucky to get to enjoy his movements a few weeks longer than most. It took a while for James to be able to feel any good kicks (I think this guy has stage fright or something), but he felt some huge ones the other day. This baby is getting strong! Yesterday I was studying with my textbook resting on my belly, and he kicked me so hard that the entire book moved...it was amazing. Baby also loves to dance on my bladder, which is honestly the weirdest feeling in the world. But I love feeling him move (even when he's kicking my ribs)!
Names? This decision will be the death of me. Everyone wants to know what we'll be naming him, and I honestly don't know...we have a couple candidates, but I'm extremely picky about this, and we definitely haven't been able to make a decision quite yet. You'll all just have to wait until he comes out! Let's hope we've chosen something by then....
This week, baby boy is about a foot long and 1.1 pounds (or the weight of a large mango). He can hear everything now, and I'm not afraid to admit that I talk and sing to him sometimes. I even read him a book a little while ago! :) At our ultrasound last month, he refused to show his face, so that will have to be a surprise, but I love this awesome 3D image we got of him! I know it's a little freaky how you can see all his bones, but look at those sweet little toes! Technology is amazing these days.
I'm just so ready to meet this little boy! I'm aching to snuggle him and nuzzle his fuzzy little head. I already love him more than I ever thought possible, and I have these amazing dreams about him sometimes (when I'm not having the absolute craziest and most random dreams ever...thank you, pregnancy). James is so ready to be a dad, and I know he's going to be amazing at it and will be the best ally and support through all the hard times. I'll be the first to admit that pregnancy is not easy...I take up much more space than I'm used to, my back hurts all the time, I'm achey and hormonal, and I'm only gonna get bigger (I try not to even think too much about the whole childbirth part....). But this is the most amazing thing I have ever done (and will ever do). A miracle is happening inside of me, and I have the privilege of being this sweet little angel's mama. It's so worth all the hardship and changes to my body. All I've ever wanted to be is a mom. I know that in this day and age, that's not normal. The world teaches us that women are supposed to want to have powerful, successful careers first and foremost, and maybe have a couple of babies later on. Well, not me! I'm all for female ambition, and more power to all the women who can balance careers and families and everything else, but I know that the happiest moments of my life will come from raising my children. I also believe that my home is where I can do the most good and have the most influence. I believe that motherhood is the most powerful and successful (not to mention trying and refining) career that there is, and I can't wait to get started. So here's to hoping the next 17 weeks fly by!
