18 Weeks: Almost Half Way

Baby

I had an OB appointment a couple of days ago.  I always enjoy watching my measurements grow, and listening to my baby's incredible heart beat.  We've never found out the gender of any of our babies, and we won't with this one either.  However, we do enjoy trying to guess the gender based on fun old wives' tales.  So far, the whole family is guessing we are having a boy!  This is the first pregnancy with a unanimous vote.  One of my favorite wives' tales is the rate of the heart beat.  If the baby's heart beat is on the fast side, it's supposedly a girl.  If it's on the slow side, it's a boy.  In my last three pregnancies, the heart beats have been right down the middle, so this wives tale didn't help much.  Well, this pregnancy, we have a markedly slooow heart beat.  So it makes our family guess of a boy even more fun.  In addition, the Chinese calendar predicts a boy, too.  It will be quite funny if we end up having a girl!  We will rejoice in whomever this little person is....but it sure is fun to guess!

Mommy

I think it's safe to say that morning sickness is gone.  Over the last few weeks, I've had it sneak up on me, especially at night, but I think that was mainly due to needing a little snack.  Once I began feeling better, I was happy to not have to eat again after dinner.  But turns out, I still need a light snack around 8pm. 

My energy level has been on the low side.  I can still get through my day, but I just don't feel like doing much!  I pray things turn around...or it will be a long pregnancy! :) 

I'm beginning to feel movement, mainly in the evening when I have a chance to sit still.  I love this point in pregnancy, when you feel the reality of this little one growing stronger!

Here is my 18 week belly pic.  I've definitely grown...and not just in my belly.  This is the point where I begin to get a little puffy in the face, and my rings get a little tighter....or maybe it's that I've gained 15 lbs already! ; )  You can compare this to my last pic at 14 weeks, in the same outfit.  (I apologize for the poor quality.  Our flash is out and the lighting was bad.)

(18 weeks)

So what's new in your pregnancy?  How far along?  Any movement?  Even if you're not pregnant, when do you begin getting "puffy"?