1/2 Way at 20 Weeks!

20 weeks means we are half way to my birthday! It’s hard to believe how quickly time has passed. At this point, I probably measure around 6 1/2 inches from head to bottom, but about 10 inches from head to heel. Going forward, measurements will be from my head to my heels since my legs are stretched out better now than they ever have been. You may wonder what fruit is approximately 10 inches long? A banana! That is this week’s comparison.

During the last ultrasound mom and dad got to see how active I am. Now, mom gets to feel it. She is noticing some of my movements now but I am most active around lunchtime and in the evenings. She must like when she can feel it because she usually pats or rubs her belly after I do it (probably hoping I will keep going). Hopefully soon dad will be able to feel it from the outside.

I should have a crib, dresser, and changing table when I come, which is a good thing because I was beginning to worry I would have to sleep in a dresser drawer. Mom and dad ordered a set on Sunday but it is backordered a few weeks. It should be nursery-ready by mid-July! Looks like mom and dad will have to pick bedding and colors for the room. It’s time for them to start painting!

Say Cheese at 19 Weeks

What a week! I started being able to hear a bit last week but this week I can hear voices - especially my mom's. What I have found out, though, is that she sings - a lot... especially when she is in her car. Let's just hope I don't get my singing abilities from her. She also talks to me quite a bit along with dad, so I am starting to learn his voice, too.

Mom and dad got to see me this week through an ultrasound. I don't think they had realized how big I had gotten until now. They saw my arms, legs, feet, fists, head, heart, bladder, kidneys, eyes, chin, and all other important body parts in place. While mom can't feel any real movements yet, it was very clear that day I am a kicker and mover. The doctor called me "uncooperative" because I moved around a lot and made it very hard to take pictures. I get it honestly - I come from two parents that both can't seem to sit still for more than 5 minutes. They also told mom and dad it was a good thing they didn't want to know if I was a boy or girl because it would have been near impossible to tell that day. The secret is still safe!

Websites would have you believe I am supposed to be 8 1/2 oz by this week and the size of an heirloom tomato (still considered a fruit!), but I according to the ultrasound, I am closer to 13. Mom said something about hoping it wasn't an indication of my size at birth. My heart rate that day was also 147, which is close to where it was at the last doctor's appointment.

Mom also had to go to her doctor this week for another check-up even with the ultrasound only days before. Everything checked out with the doctor, as well, who also mentioned the fact that I like to move around. I guess I made it hard for her to follow my heartbeat. Once she found it, though, she measured it at 140. The doctor did caution mom to watch her weight gain. Though it's not too much over what is recommended, she should be careful going forward. Evidently, her new found love for ice cream may have to subside - a disappointment for me, as well.

I can tell mom and dad are growing more and more excited every day - I can make out frequent giggling and laughing noises and I know dad touches mom's stomach every chance he can. I can only imagine what they will be like when I am actually born!

Week 18 - Gulp!

Week 18 is another week of exciting progress for me! I’ve not only grown in length – around 5 and ½ inches now – but I’m also up to almost 7 ounces! And, now that I have a little more room in here, I am able to flex my arms and legs more (though mom hasn’t yet been able to feel it no matter how hard I try). It seems my fruit comparisons have moved to vegetable comparisons because this week, the websites will say I am the size of a bell pepper.

Nerve endings from my brain are beginning to hook up to my ears, which means I am beginning to be able to hear things slightly. At this point, it sounds a lot like my mom’s heart beat and the occasional stomach rumble. I am excited for the time when I am able to hear her voice along with dads and all of yours. It won’t be long after that mom will be subjecting me to all the mellow, acoustic folk music she so dearly loves (and dad could live without).

The other thing I can do this week is swallow! I can’t wait to put that skill to good use when I get out of here.


Mom is still feeling well and is almost officially in all maternity clothes. Tee-shirts still do the trick but most of her work clothes fit a little more than snug. She was surprised on Mother’s Day this week when she was showered with attention from dad (who bought her a heartbeat monitor), Grandma and Grandpa McMillen (who bought her maternity clothes), Grandma and Grandpa Helmrich (who gave her a rose bush), and Aunt Amanda and Uncle Jonathan (who bought me a handmade bib!). She also received calls and notes from people wishing her a Happy Mother’s Day. I think it surprised her a bit to be considered a mom but I’m pretty sure she relished every minute of it.

Next week is another doctor’s appointment so I will be certain to update you on progress. They will get my heartbeat again so the guessing games can start all over!

Elastic and Cotton – 17 Weeks

This week, my soft cartilage is turning to bone! Milk (or those calcium supplements my mom is taking) does a body good afterall. My umbilical cord is now growing thicker, making it an even stronger lifeline for me. I am also developing fat stores which should provide warmth and energy after I leave this cozy abode.

Mom and dad have started looking at baby furniture and bedding (okay, they started weeks and weeks ago) but have not yet been successful. It’s too bad I don’t have a say in this and have to rely on them to make a good decision about the sheets I will be staring at day in and day out. Mom has these ideas about how my nursery will look but has yet to find the perfect pieces.

I’m also working on making a little more room for myself in here. People who know my mom can tell now that she is pregnant. People who don’t know her say they can’t. Her closet can tell, though, and reminds her of it every time she goes to put on a pair of pants. Her maternity wardrobe is increasing and she is finding more and more comfort in elastic and cotton. She jokes about it, but deep down she is excited to have a pregnant belly. It’s a good thing, because I plan on doing a lot more growing soon!