I will be 20 weeks/5 months/OFFICIALLY HALF WAY on Friday, but I decided to go ahead and give an update today instead of waiting 2 more days- what difference will two days make, right??

I am super excited about my dr. visit today for a couple of reasons. 1- I’m just excited to see the baby and make sure she is doing ok. 2-They will measure her, weigh her, etc to check her development- always exciting to find out how she is growing/developing since I have NO idea what is going on in there. 3-The specialist said that 90% of placenta previa/low lying placenta cases correct themselves by week 20. If it has not corrected by week 20, it probably is not going to. So, this ultrasound will give me a lot of information about the baby and perhaps a prediction for the remaining 20ish weeks of this pregnancy! Cross your fingers for no more bed rest.

Baby has lots of new tricks like gulping down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had via amniotic fluid. Meaning, this baby is going to LOVE sweets, cereal, pickles, pasta, potatoes, junk food, etc. I cant say that I crave anything healthy, so the poor thing will be just be disappointed when she doesnt get chips every day. :)
In the last four weeks the baby has grown quite a bit and her weight is almost four times more. Now she is the size of a cantaloupe!

Here's a little info on the mayhem this baby is bringing to my body: For the remainder of your pregnancy, the growing uterus puts pressure on your lungs, stomach and kidneys. This will make you feel short of breath, the need to urinate more frequently and can cause indigestion. The added pressure on your abdomen can also cause your bellybutton to protrude and cause an `outy` instead of an `inny`. Many pregnant women begin to notice stretch marks around this time as well. Your abdominal muscles are being stretched and pushed apart as your baby grows inside of you. Is anyone else frightened by this?????

I'm sure you noticed, but I posted a 5 month belly shot picture to the right. Quite a difference! Here is a comparison of 5 month v. 4 month just for fun.

A couple of weeks ago Larry said-you really should put on a different shirt for the next picture. It looks like that is the only shirt you have.

Maybe I should clarify- I thought that it would be fun to wear the same shirt in each picture so we could really see how the belly changed month to month. Sometimes different tops make your belly look larger/smaller. I hoped/thought that was obvious to all when you continuously saw the same shirt month after month, but maybe not. Just for the record- yes, it is intentional that I am wearing the same shirt in each picture. :)