19 weeks pregnant

19 weeks pregnant- almost half way there! Do I look smaller than last week? Perhaps I shouldn't have taken the picture right after a trip to Fugi steakhouse last week...

My body- I am a big fan of the second trimester. Things are pretty uneventful, other than my growing belly. I have slept well and ate well…Probably ate TOO well because I am always hungry, but I guess that is part of it. I am hungrier more often, but get full faster so at least I have that going for me. My weight gain is right on track with the recommendations, which I am very happy about. There have been 2 times where I think I felt a little tap-tap from the baby, but I am not 100% sure yet. We had a doctor’s appointment yesterday and heard that amazing heart beat once again. It truly is the best noise I have ever heard in my life and Jonathan agrees. 145 beautiful beats per minute. We heard movement again with the Doppler, but I couldn’t feel it. I can’t wait for the unmistakable first kick…and every kick thereafter. We have our ultrasound scheduled for March 12, which we are so excited about!

The baby Length: 6 inches
Size- About the size of a
Weight- 8.5 ounces

Interesting facts: In the nineteenth week of pregnancy the development of the baby becomes very specific. The kidneys of the baby start making urine. There also growth of hair on the scalp of the baby. The gums start developing the teeth of the baby. A remarkable development is in the brain of the baby where the parts that control the senses start specializing. If the baby is a girl then at this time her ovaries have more than 6 million eggs. While prior to this week the baby was measured from its crown to rump, now the baby is measured from his head to toe. The length of the baby is 7 ½ inches and his weight is around 7 ounces. The skeleton of the baby hardens and the muscles in his body become stronger. If one has already started feeling the baby then one realizes that the kicks and the punches of the baby have become much rigorous at this stage. The baby moves in the stomach trying to figure out the limits of the womb with both his arms and legs. The baby also sleeps a lot, around 20 hours in a day, but often gets up when the mother wants to lie down and take rest or go off to sleep. By the 19th week of pregnancy the baby becomes aware of the sounds that take place outside the uterus of the mother. One might feel the baby getting startled at some unexpected or loud noise that is made.
By pregnancy 19 weeks, your baby's brain is also forming pockets to specialize in smell, taste, hearing, vision, and even touch. If you are having a girl, she already has produced six million eggs in her ovaries, though this number will decrease by 4 million by the time your newborn baby is born.

To see a 3D picture of the baby’s progress: http://3dpregnancy.parentsconnect.com/calendar/19-weeks-pregnant.html

What we are doing now: Jonathan celebrated his 30th birthday this past Friday, so we celebrated at my moms. I spent most of this week indoors because of all the snow that has fallen. Jonathan went to work as usual, but was able to enjoy a few quiet days in retail.