This week marks my twentieth week, the halfway point in my pregnancy. You can see my tummy has definitely grown from a few weeks ago if you scroll down a couple of posts. When I went to take this picture, I shocked myself a bit. I didn't realize I was looking this big! It varies day to day, depending on what shirt I'm wearing. I had sweater over top of this that hid my belly, but when I took it off to take the photo, there it was- the bump in all its glory.
I've begun to feel the baby kick, which has been a wonderful thing to experience. It is still much too light to allow Brian to feel it, but I feel those teeny feet every now and again. It is so light that I have to be quiet and still in order to feel it. We had our second sonogram last week, and we got to see much more of the baby, but our technician was nice enough to completely avoid a, um, certain area. We want to be surprised, and honestly, it wasn't even tempting to find out. Call us old-fashioned, but we are looking forward to that wonderful moment, just like a Christmas present, waiting to be unwrapped.
I still get lightheaded, more than I would like, but it's all a part of it for me. The other day it happened while I was out finishing my Christmas shopping, getting one last thing for Brian's stocking. I was in a tiny card store, and there came that all-too-familiar feeling. I knew I needed to sit down, but didn't want to take up space on the floor or make a scene. I went to tell the cashier, and she was nice enough to get me a stool and a cold bottle of water. I will remember her kindness for a long time!
Sleeping is getting more awkward. At twenty weeks, one isn't supposed to sleep on the back, and there have been a couple of times I have woken to find myself in that position- oops! It's hard to roll over with this bump; I always fear I'm going to crush baby. All in all, it's getting rather odd to have this extra bit of weight, and I'm not even close to the third trimester.
Eating is another thing altogether. There is the list of things I miss: oh, latte, we will meet again, I promise you. My sister was kind enough to pick up some vegan mayonnaise for me, which does not contain raw egg like regular mayonnaise, so that has been a treat after avoiding it since becoming pregnant. I miss deli meat (due to possible bacteria), tuna (due to mercury), and while I don't normally make it a point to eat raw eggs, I am missing that tiny lick of cake batter or cookie dough when I'm baking. I am also avoiding some types of ham, sausage, pepperoni, bacon, etc. If they contain sodium nitrate/nitrite, they can cause a brain tumor in the baby. And that's not a well-known fact! I stumbled upon that one by accident! I read labels more than ever before, and poor Brian- he misses pepperoni on my homemade pizza.
There is also the list of things I can't wait to enjoy once baby comes. I just might be tempted to make my mom bring me a delicious Jersey Mike's sub from home when she comes here to help me after the birth. I'm getting hungry already.
In the new year, we have much to do, and first on the list is painting the baby's room. I'm sure the second half of my pregnancy will fly by, and soon enough, this little one will be in our arms!
