20 weeks

HALFWAY THERE!

The Hogie Bun at 20 weeks

Total Weight Gain: 13 lbs & 12 oz.  Once I heard that number I thought, OH BOY! I better lay off the cheese and ice cream a bit, otherwise I will still be rolling out of the hospital after the baby is born!

I will say that I used to take more frequent walks when it was warmer, but now that it's colder it has gotten more difficult to get out.  Dan is pretty good at encouraging me to get out there and we go on long walks together, which I actually enjoy a lot.  Yesterday, we went for a 2.75 mi walk and took some hills, great way to get my heart rate up! Thanks Danielson!

Baby's Update: Heartbeat this past week was 157 bpm, weighs about 10 1/2 oz.

Movement: Yes, mostly feels like a small push, although lately, it has sort of felt like a tickle/flutter, one of the times it actually made me laugh a bit... sounds ridiculous but I felt the need to chuckle.

Discomfort: My lower back hasn't been as much of an issue these days.  However, after talking to the Dr. and explaining I have had some discomfort on my right upper leg when i walked or did certain movements, it sounds like the baby might be pressing on my sciatic nerve, which run down the spine and into the pelvis and upper leg area.

Apparently this is very common during the second and third trimesters, when the baby is larger and in a lower position in the abdomen.  I asked the Dr. how I should treat it and when she thought it would go away. Her response was well unless the baby moves, you can have that until you are in labor! OH GREAT! Then she recommended to either ice it or use a heating pad to ease up the pain.  Soooo.... there you have it! I feel I am a little wobbly from time to time just because of this lovely nerve being pinched!

Here is another kicker! Yesterday I experienced a lovely cramp on my left calf in the middle of the night.  Granted I have had many experiences from cramping muscles at night in previous years, but trying to "jump" out of bed when you are surrounded by pillows/blankets and a belly in between is much more difficult than you think.  Overall, I managed to put some pressure on the leg and stretch it out.  I was making some noise but Dan was sound asleep like it was all quiet... I think we all know who is the one that's going to be getting up in the middle of the night....

Skin Changes: pretty normal

Bellybutton: almost flat, but there is still some indentation :)

Looking Forward to: Finding out the gender of our little Irish Burrito.  Is it a BOY or GIRL??? ~ ONE MORE WEEK ~