19 weeks

It's true what they say about the second trimester. I've been feeling great. Lots of energy, fewer side effects/symptoms, and I'm actually enjoying being pregnant. I feel her move every day and it's starting to make me think of the things we need to get done before she arrives. And things we need - all these little things like a thermometer, a nose sucker-thingy, baby washclothes and soap, baby sunscreen and diaper cream... it seems endless.

The midwife appointment on Wednesday morning shows that I'm doing great, and the U/S showed that she is doing great. My blood pressure is fantastic, 90/64 and I've gained about 10 lbs so far. She weighs almost a pound, by U/S estimates. It's crazy to think that in the first half of this gestation she has gotten to 1 lb, and in the second half she needs to gain 7 more! That means I'm going to get a lot bigger. My belly seems bigger than it is in pictures:


Sharon, Nick and Selah, friends from Seattle, will be visiting later this week. That means cleaning up the spare room for them. It also means that Selah needs a place to sleep, which means I get to assemble the crib. Yay! I'm a bit overly excited about that. It all seems more real now that we know she is a she, and now that I feel her moving, but a crib in the house. That's just crazy.

This week, #19, here is what is happening.
- She has the same awake and sleep patterns of a newborn. She has a favorite position for sleep and recognizable active and rest periods.
- Nerves are being coated with a fatty substance called myelin, which insulates the nerves so that impulses can flow smoothly.
- Scalp hair becomes apparent this week. It has sprouted and continues to grow.
- The milk teeth buds have already developed and over the next few days the buds for the permanent teeth will begin to form behind the milk teeth.
- The uterus starts to develop. The vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes are in place.
-She is swallowing amniotic fluid and his or her kidneys are making urine.
- size is around 6.02 inches (15.3cm).