20 Weeks

I had my 20 week scan this week. Apparently is is a high tech scan that lets the Dr. see how the baby's organs are developing and take measurements. I had to go to a different Dr. than my regular OB and instead of a picture, this time I received a DVD of the entire scan to take home.
It was fun to see the baby again. The best moment was when the technician scanned over the baby's face and it moved its mouth. So cute! Made it seem very real all of a sudden. But other times the scan made the baby's face look like those scary Halloween masks of a skull with the eyeballs still in the sockets. A total demon baby.
I made sure to tell the Dr. and everyone else I came into contact with that we were not finding out the sex of the baby. They still checked to see what it was, but I looked away and they paused the DVD so it didn't record that part.
No picture of the baby this time, but here I am at 20 weeks. The baby has moved up higher, closer to my belly button and I am beginning to lose my waist.

Musings

I am loving my local public pool. I usually go during the adult swim in the afternoon and I always have a whole lane to myself. I've been swimming for a half and hour and it is just perfect. My heartbeat goes up and I feel as though I have had a good work out, yet I'm not dead tired the next day.
In other news, my job situation has recently changed and that concerns me. I am going from a very lucky situation, ideal in fact, to an unemployed type of situation. It is just bad timing, but things will be ok. I am trying to be very good with money in preparation for the possibility of not making a salary for a year or so. I still got sucked into the Gap Maternity sale, however, and am now the proud owner of two pairs of maternity corduroys. I couldn't help myself. I walked by the Gap this weekend and saw the mannequins dressed for fall in just my type of clothes and colors, including corduroys and v-neck sweaters. I haven't seen clothes that were so my taste since the late nineties. I was momentarily overcome by sadness that I wouldn't be able to wear them this fall and winter. So when I got to Gap Maternity to by long sleeve t-shirts on sale, I swear!, and I saw the cords, I was done for and gave in and bought two pairs. Now I am done with maternity clothes until I am much, much bigger. I swear!
I was talking to my mother the other day and she said that in two of her labor experiences she didn't even feel the contractions at all, yet she was fully dilated and ready to go. Interesting. Maybe this will happen to me? She said it just felt like menstrual cramps and she didn't realize that it was time to give birth at at all. I'll have to tell my doula about that.
Speaking of doulas, I think we found one! She seems very down to earth and I think she will work with my personality type. I really like the idea of a doula now, which is funny because when I first heard of what one was, I had no interest whatsoever.

I'm Gross

I have the pregnancy symptom leukorrhea. It is not fun. It is gross, but manageable. I don't like how the books make it seem as if it might be just a little more than normal. It is way more than normal and caused me to go out and buy my first box of thong panty liners (yes I wear thongs, sometimes). Those things are genius.
Also, I have turned into a sweaty beast. In the most inappropriate places. It doesn't help that my thighs have gotten bigger. I am afraid to move even the slightest bit in warm weather when I am wearing pants, for fear that the sweat stain that looks like a pee stain between my legs is spreading and becoming big enough for others to notice.
Thank God it is almost fall. I am beginning to hate the warm weather.
I am trying to eat healthy to curb the growth of body parts other than baby related expansion and I have a new commitment to getting to the pool. I went yesterday. Today I went out for a turkey sandwich and ice cream. Oh well.

17 Week Picture

Everything went very well at our last Dr.'s visit. The baby has all his/her parts and they all seem to be in working order. There was the usual discussion of how far along I am. This time the scan showed that I am due even earlier than last time, and if I stay with my old delivery date, the baby is in the 95% for size. So the doctor compromised and moved my due date back 3 days. I'm glad that the baby is healthy, but nervous about the large size in terms of delivery!
The baby was very active during the ultrasound and I am getting more and more eager to feel him/her move. According to the books it is supposed to happen by the end of next week.

17 weeks

I think I'm at 17 weeks. I'm really not sure. I've lost track. Luckily I go to the Dr. tomorrow, so he can clear that up for me. I am also going to have to ask him about the weird, unpleasant dreams I've been having. No, not the fun sex ones that I've been told about, just borderline disturbing dreams that have nothing to do with the baby or anyone I know really. I looked this up and apparently I'm not falling into deep enough sleep so I am dreaming more and remembering more. It stinks. Also unpleasant is the weird thing that happened to the skin on my nipples. TMI, I'm sure, but it was gross. I sloughed it off with a washcloth and things seem to be back to normal now. I thought that the second trimester was going to be so great but, after a week of feeling better, I felt really crappy over the three-day weekend. And all this I've heard about the second trimester and a raging libido? I still have a whole bunch of time in the second trimester, so who knows what will happen, but I'm kind of sick of hearing how great the second trimester is. And is it true that I shouldn't be sleeping on my back?
Anyway, in non pregnancy news we went to see Radiohead at the Hollywood Bowl and it was the best show I've ever seen them perform. I'm very glad that I went, since I'd been kind of on the fence about it. Also during that show, B put his hand inside my sweatshirt pocket and said, "Oh, wow!" because over the past week or so, my stomach has really popped out. I'm very happy that I bought those maternity items.
Speaking of, those Bella Bands that I bought are the greatest things ever! Even if they don't continue to work throughout the pregnancy, making it possible for me to wear my prepregnancy clothes during this part of my pregnancy makes them totally worth it.
Here is my belly from this week. The first is how it looks normally and the second one is what it looks like when I suck everything in and the baby part just sticks out. Makes me laugh every time.