20 weeks

We're halfway there! I cannot believe how quickly this pregnancy is going. I feel like just yesterday Trinity and I were smiling at that little plus sign that showed up to say we were pregnant!

According to Baby Center, Peanut is approximately 10.5 ounces and 10 inches from head to heal. He/she has doubled in size in the last three weeks, which means my belly probably has too! I can feel Peanut moving more regularly these days...usually after meals or when I press my stomach against something (such as the edge of my desk). I've tried putting Trinity's hand on my belly when I feel movement, but it seems as though Peanut knows what we're trying to do and abruptly stops!

To date, I've gained about 9 pounds. My center of gravity is definitely shifting as my belly grows out. So far my belly button is still inside, but I keep warning Trinity that it may soon become an outie. He's still not thrilled about that idea!

This morning we got to see Peanut! The sonogram was a lot of fun, and the sonographer was relieved when we told her we didn't want to find out the sex of the baby. Apparently she feels a lot of pressure when people want to find out!

She took a bunch of measurements to check the baby and then we got to spend some time looking at the baby from different angels. We saw Peanut's head, face, profile, arms, hand, feet, all four chambers of the heart pumping, umbilical cord, and bladder. It was amazing. I'm so sad this will be the last time we see Peanut until delivery.

Here is the only good picture I could get of one of the sonogram print-outs. Peantu's face is along the right side of the picture. You can see his/her right eye, nose, and lips very prominently.

We were amazed at all the things they can check on a baby at this point. They measure the head for symmetry, check the nose and lips for cleft palate, emsure both the stomach and bladder appear, check the kydney for enlargements, check for hernia at the umbilical cord, ensure all four chambers of the heart are working properly, check the placenta, and ensure the baby's overall size is average. Thankfully Peanut passed all the tests!

Registering

How is it that a pregnant woman cannot seem to stay awake past 10 but the second she finds out you are willing to go register for the baby she suddenly has stamina to walk around stores for over 4 hours with a scanner? I am actually asking this question because I don't understand it.

Friday night, Diana and I were sitting around and decided with all this time to kill and her being out of town most of the month it seemed like the perfect time to fit in registering. Note to any expectant fathers: Don't wear flip flops to this event. I say event because as you sit down at Babies R Us and get registered and they hand over that little gun you think, "Man, I love guns. I can't wait to make this baby *beep*." you do not understand what you are getting yourself into. Little did you know that would be the last happy moment you have for the day.

We started this process at 4:30 pm and at 6 we had made it halfway through the store. I was exhausted, my feet hurt, and I was cranky. No, I wasn't the one who was pregnant. Apparently pregnancy is really bad except for when you register for a boppy or a set of sage and mocha sheets. I love my baby but couldn't we just put it in a laundry basket with some blankets?

We left Babies R Us at 7:00 pm and you know what Diana said? "Let's go to Target!". WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!??!? Was she crazy? What else could we possibly need that they didn't have at BRU? Then she said a word that instantly made me agree. Well, two words actually. The first was "Toys". The second was "Food". I made an agreement to go to Target if we could eat first.

Target was relatively painless and only lasted about an hour. It had a few things BRU didn't offer in store so I can't say it was a waste of time but my flip flops now look like two sheets of paper with foot holds stuck to them because I walked so much. The Target gun was cooler too.

Your father to be,

Trinity

Dear Peanut

Well, I guess I inspired my father because he sent peanut this.

hey peanut,
you don't know me right now,but i'm your grandpa felix.i'm sending this to your dad
so maybe he can print a copy & hang it on
the fridge so every time your mom goes by
you can see me.welcome to the "FAMILY".
and don't let your mother forget june 20th.

in-a-gada-da-vida,
grandpa 'FE'


Now everyone knows where I get my writing skills from. I'm so proud?

Your father to be,

Trinity

Movement

For the past few weeks, I've been trying to be "in tune" with my body so that I could feel Peanut move. I'd read that I should be able to feel the baby anywhere from 16-20 weeks, so I kept expecting it to come any day. At night, I'd lay perfectly still on my side, close my eyes, and try to feel any weird sensations in my stomach area. Not. A. Thing.

At my last doctor's appointment, the nurse asked if I'd felt the sensation yet. Being a new mommy-to-be, I looked at her and said, "I don't know! What is it supposed to feel like?" She went on to explain it can feel like many things...butterflies, gas, hunger pains. I wanted to tell her that I feel one of the latter two all the time (sorry if that is TMI)!!!

Since that appointment, I've been trying extra hard to feel something. I know that is silly...it's not like I can will myself to feel little Peanut move around! But this weekend, I am 99.9% sure that I've identified the feeling of Peanut's movements. How exciting!!! For me, it feels more like a gurgling in my stomach than hunger pains or gas, but I can see how I might have thought it was one of those things earlier this month.

I definitely don't feel Peanut regularly, which based on my limited research doesn't sound like a problem this early in my second trimester. But since identifying the sensation, I have started noticing it more often. Like just a few minutes ago, hence the decision to post about it!

This, along with when I first started showing, has been one of the most exciting moments for me so far. I can't wait for Trinity to be able to feel Peanut move on the outside of my belly, although my organs might disagree!