Week 20

It is now week 20 and I am officially half way through my pregnancy!!!! I can’t believe it! It is so exciting to think that in 20 more weeks we will get to meet our baby! I had a dream last night it was a boy…I dreamt I was having a 4-D ultrasound and that we were not suppose to look to see what the baby’s sex was but the US tech slipped up and showed us! In my dream, I was SO mad! But really, who knows…last week I had a very vivid dream that it was a girl…so go figure.

This week our baby is suppose to weigh about 10 1/2 ounces (our baby measured bigger than normal last week so who knows how much baby Batia weighs this week). The baby is also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom, and about 10 inches from head to heel…about the length of a banana – WOW! (FYI…For the first 20 weeks, measurements are taken from the top of the baby's head to its bottom — known as the "crown to rump" measurement. After that, measurements are taken from head to toe. This is because a baby's legs are curled up against its torso during the first half of pregnancy and are very hard to measure.)

A greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats the baby’s entire body to protect the skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. The baby is swallowing more, which is good practice for its digestive system. It’s also producing meconium, a black, sticky substance that's the result of cell loss, digestive secretion, and swallowed amniotic fluid. This meconium will accumulate in its bowels, and we'll get to see it when the baby has its first poopy diaper…I can’t wait to let Mark change that one!

As you can see from the pictures my belly (and baby) have grown over the last week. I FINALLY had to break down and buy some maternity pants and tops. These are my first pregnancy purchases…I have been fortunate enough to have wonderful girlfriends that have loaned me their things and I have been able to get by until now. Mark and I made the trip to Old Navy and Target yesterday and I spent the afternoon trying on maternity clothes…what a chore! I was able to find some cute (and comfy) work pants and a couple of nice tops at Old Navy and I picked up a cute pair of white shorts at Target. I finally feel like I have options when it comes to clothes!

Mark and I have been holding off on purchasing a crib and changing table for a while now. As you know we are living in a VERY small condo and so space is an issue. We just figured that we would have to bite the bullet and go to IKEA to buy a tiny crib and an upright changing table. Well last night we were totally blessed by some friends! Mark’s co-worker Dave Munoz and his wife Carolina GAVE us their crib and changing table! We took the measurements of the furniture and lo and behold they are actually going to fit in our 1 bedroom condo!!! We are SO excited! They are beautiful pieces of furniture that have tons of storage built in…which is a plus when it comes to small spaces! God is so good and He does provide! I told Mark that we can now afford the really awesome car seat/stroller combo that I just have to HAVE!

As for me, I am still feeling great. I am definitely a little more out of breath than I use to be but that is ok. I have also found that bending over to pick things up off the floor is no longer an “easy” task…it is funny what you take for granted sometimes. I ran my last 5K for the season on Saturday morning. I took it easy and ran with the girls from the Girls on the Run program. They had so much fun running through Disney World and were so excited to receive a medal for completing the race…it almost made me cry to see the smiles on their faces when they crossed the finish line. Priceless! Well I plan on continuing to run but no more races for me until at least November/December 08. Now that it is getting hot here the pool is starting to look like my best option…I just need to take the plunge (literally)! I have also been feeling the baby move a lot more lately…especially during the last few days. It still feels like little flutters but I am getting better at recognizing it when it happens…I love it and can’t wait for Mark to be able to feel it too!