18 weeks pregnant!

A little about the baby this week according to babycenter.com:

Your pregnancy: 18 weeks

How your baby's growing:Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.See what your baby looks like this week.Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

How your life's changing:Hungry? An increase in appetite is pretty common about now. Make it count by choosing meals and snacks that are rich in nutrients instead of empty calories (chips, French fries, candy, and other sweets). Bigger, more comfortable clothes are a must now as your appetite and waistline grow.Your cardiovascular system is undergoing dramatic changes, and during this trimester your blood pressure will probably be lower than usual. Don't spring up too fast from a lying or sitting position or you might feel a little dizzy.From now on, when you do lie down, it's best to lie on your side — or at least partly tilted to one side. (When you lie flat on your back, your uterus can compress a major vein, leading to decreased blood return to your heart.) Try placing a pillow behind you or under your hip or upper leg for comfort.If you haven't already had a second-trimester ultrasound, you'll probably have one soon. This painless procedure helps your practitioner check how your baby's growing, screen for certain birth defects, check the placenta and umbilical cord, determine whether the due date you're working with is accurate, and see how many babies you're carrying. During the exam, you might see your baby moving around or sucking his thumb. Bring your partner along, and be sure to ask for a printout for your baby's first photo album!


I am actually starting to feel pregnant. Several people have commented that I seem to have "popped" in the last two weeks. I work in a large building and I may only see some of my coworkers every few weeks. One of our engineers (whose name I don't know, we just say hi to one another when we pass in the hallway) looked at me on Monday and said "Uh are you pregnant?" I was like..."umm..yes.." He asked "When did that happen? Last time I saw you, you didn't look pregnant!" LOL! It was cute, at least he didn't say I looked as if I gained weight!

I THINK I have felt the baby move. I am feeling "butterflies" in my stomach, but I haven't felt a definite kick yet. We find out the sex of the baby a week from tomorrow! What do you think the sex of the baby is? Leave in the comments below.

A few things that might help you:

• Several people have commented I am carrying low.
• The baby's heartbeat at my last appointment (10/31) was 143 beats per minute.
• I am craving fruit and pickles.
• I had morning sickness for most of the first trimester.
• The Chinese birth chart says I am having a girl.

I am so excited it's November. The holidays are right around the corner! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, we always have a huge dinner at my parent's house for my mom's side of the family. With Daniel coming from a divorced family we usually have at least three places to go every holiday. Luckily, his mom usually has Thanksgiving the weekend before the actual Thanksgiving and at his dad's we'll have shrimp and crab dip as appetizers before we go over to my parent's.

Then, after Thanksgiving I get look forward to going to New York for an all-girls trip with my family and some family friends on December 6th and 7th! We are going to go see the Rockettes. I love New York, especially during Christmas time! I am counting down the days until this trip.

Finally, we get to look forward to Christmas! I love everything about Christmas, the decorations, the food, shopping and finding that perfect gift for someone, the music... I even love the crowds at Christmas time in the malls. My husband absolutely hates Christmas! He blames it on coming from a divorced family and having to go back and forth between his mom and dad's families when he was younger. I am hoping once the baby gets here he will learn to enjoy Christmas again. We have already told our families on Christmas day next year we don't plan on leaving the house. We usually go five different places on Christmas day and it can get definitely get exhausting on us. I can only imagine how it will be for a baby.

I promise to get my first belly pic on here tonight and I still need to try to post the update from this weekend!!