So, it's week 18. ALMOST HALF WAY THERE! With only having felt movement a few times, it's still kind of surreal and I just haven't been quite convinced there's really a being growing inside me. That said, I'm convinced that something is going on. As my stomach muscles are starting to stretch (I'd forgotten what growing pains felt like!) and my balance is quickly leaving me, I'm realizing that this little bump is probably the real thing.
This week, the little bean is (in theory) about 5.5 inches long from head to rump and weighs in at approximately 7 ounces. Babycenter.com's visual of "what the baby looks like this week" is, in my best estimation, pretty darn accurate. By pressing on my lower abdomen, I can feel a difference - not like muscle, but a bumpy toughness. Chris worries that if I keep pressing on it, I'll squish the little one. (It's NO WHERE near the level of pressure the technician applied during our first ultrasound!) I think of it as more of a massage.
Since last week, the little one has supposedly put on 2 ounces... but for some reason, I'm feeling like my "mohawk stomach" is expanding at a more rapid pace than it should with only 2 ounces of gain. Even the change in my belly button is pretty substantial since last week.
I guess all of these changes are inevitable. And they're certainly nothing all the other pregnant ladies in this world haven't experienced, so I'm sure I'll make it. At this point though, it's kind of like making cake... we're dealing with the batter... and I'm ready for dessert :)
