17 weeks - 1 week until gender reveal!

Hello everyone!

17 Weeks!

Another week has gone by already. Here at 17 weeks, baby Bowen should be about 5 inches long! I thought I would look more pregnant by now, and less like I've just eaten Thanksgiving dinner. Sometimes James eyes me with suspicion and questions, "are you sure you're really pregnant...?" But at least next Tuesday he'll get to SEE the baby at our ultrasound appointment!

Even though I haven't grown much, I'm concerned about stretch marks. It runs on my mom's side of the family, and it's pretty much genetic whether you'll get them or not. I've never had one before, and I'm determined not to get any. Most evenings I use my lovely-scented Weleda Pregnancy Body Oil, which is mostly almond oil with vitamin E. We'll see how it works!

There are some exciting developments here at week 17! First of all, our baby can now HEAR! Baby can hear my voice resonate through my body. He/she can also sense touch when I rub my belly. I wish I could feel our baby's little acrobatic moves, because he/she is now changing positions, flipping around, and stretching and curling his/her little limbs.

James and I got a few new baby books today, can't wait to start reading these!

The Baby Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Trouble-Shooting Tips, and Advice on First-Year Maintenance - This book looks hilarious! Geared towards men, this book should have lots of practical advice.

Baby Signs: How to Talk with Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk, Third Edition - I'm very interested in learning about baby sign language. How awesome would it be to know what your baby wants before he/she begins crying in frustration?


How far along are you? 17 weeks today. 

How big is Baby?  If we were to hold our baby, he/she would fit snugly into the palm of a hand. He/she weighs 5 ounces, and measures 5 inches from head to rump!

Weight Gain? My weight this morning was 134.4, so my total weight gain is just under 3 lb.

Gender? This will be the last week of not knowing. This upcoming Tuesday at 3:30pm CST we will KNOW! (Well, hopefully... come on baby, show us your goods!)

Maternity Clothes? I bought a couple new t-shirts, because some of my tops are getting too snug on my chest... I didn't quite anticipate this problem! I have two pairs of Gap maternity jeans that I wear now and then, they are SO comfortable! My regular pants still fit, but continuing to get snug around the waist.

Sleep? Sleep has been good lately. I'm getting used to sleeping on my side, and apparently sleeping on your LEFT side may benefit your baby by increasing blood flow and nutrients.

Movement? I'm trying so hard to notice movement/flutters! But nothing yet...

Food Cravings? Still enjoying grapefruit juice every day, and all things sour! And curry. Last night we went out for Thai food (green curry was SO good), and tonight I made yellow curry with chicken.

Labor Signs? Nope. I just read about Braxton Hicks contractions, and I didn't realize they started at 6 weeks! Most women don't feel them until 20-something or 30-something weeks.

Belly Button in or out? Still in.

What I miss? I miss working. Since we move in less than a month, I'm going to start applying for jobs in Manhattan. Hopefully I can find something flexible, perhaps work-from-home, part-time, telecommuting, etc., that I might be able to keep even after our baby is born. Or maybe even start my own business?

Best moment of the week? My husband's Career Course Graduation Ball was a lot of fun! During dinner, we enjoyed an awesome slideshow of photos from the course. There were a few hilariously embarrassing photos of James, involving the very short shorts he wore to frisbee practice one day (that day his nickname became "Daisy"...).

What I am looking forward to? Valentine's Day is Thursday, and we have reservations for a special dinner! Friday night we're joining our friends and going to a dueling pianos comedy show. Also... we're counting down the days until the anatomy/gender ultrasound on Tuesday! Only one week!!!

Cheers,

Martha