18

This week you're the size of a mango, and at 1/2 a pound and six inches long, I've been able to feel you moving so much! Other people have too! It's been really exciting little baby. I had an appointment this morning to check on you, you are doing great. You didn't like the doppler today though, you were kicking it and moving around so much that it took three times as long to get your heart rate. It made the Dr. happy though that you were moving around so much...I think she was impressed baby. This week one of our friends suggested a new nickname for you,, because he didn't think it was very cool that we just call you "it" or "the baby". So your new nickname is "Gomez" Ham. I'm not sure if you approve, but we all think it's pretty funny. I'm convinced you're a boy, and even sometimes accidentally refer to you as "he". I guess we'll just have to see. I'm so happy and thankful that you're doing well, especially after that little bump we had last week. I am so excited to see you next week!

Todays appointment went so well! Not only did I meet a sweet friend from church and got to guess her good news, not have to wait long, didn't get yelled at for gaining too much weight, and was able to pee for them, but I had a great visit with my dr. and felt like she spent hours with me! It made me so happy. My dr. was super happy that the baby has been doing well since the "mva", and she was so happy that the baby was moving around so much in there. I have been feeling the baby ALL DAY now, as opposed to just in the evenings and before bed. It cracks me up because I have no idea what it's doing in there. It seems like it would be boring to move around and not be able to have those movements do anything, i.e. not get you more than three inches from side to side, but hey, maybe that's exciting for a baby. I wonder if the baby wants out, or if it's trying to escape sometimes.... I know it probably sounds really cool out here :) Lauren likes to imagine that they're swimming around all day in there, puching off the walls and doing flips and fancy swim moves all day.

 I finally asked my dr. what the fundal meassurement was today. They always do it and I'm too shy to ask if they don't tell me. Today I was 22 cm, which is bigger than she expected it to be. Though they don't begin to expect it to match up with your gestation until 21 weeks, I'll be 19 weeks tomorrow, and she said that it was "pretty good size". I've gained 8 pounds to date and she gave me her "blessing" to eat more since she would have liked me to have gained more, which is really surprising for Kaiser. I told her that I've already grown out of a 30$ maternity skirt (stupid impulse/sales lady buy) I had bought (and no, not in the belly area) so I think I'm doing just fine. She didn't find that as funny as I did.