20 weeks down, 20 to go!

Oh my, what is this? Two posts in one week! It's a miracle!!!!!

I had a great day today. We had our 20 week OB appointment this morning. It was really quick and painless! Even getting weighed didn't hurt a bit! So far, only 9 lbs! I am right on track, and have 20 lbs to gain (my personal goal, in line with expert recommendations). We got the results of the AFP test today... baby looks very healthy, with no deformities. Dr. M did a quick ultrasound (I love this man because he loves to show us our baby!) and the baby is doing great. Chris thought he saw "nothing" in the lower area, and said he thought we would have a beautiful baby instead of a handsome one. I told him not to look too much into it because everything has to be at the right angle to actually tell, and it was such a quick sweep over that area that he might not have seen what he thought he saw (or didn't see for that matter :P).

After our Dr.'s appointment, we headed for our anatomy scan at the hospital. The tech did all her measuring, and we got to watch while she looked at the spine, kidneys, heart, bladder, arms, hands, legs, feet, face, brain etc. She kept saying that baby has a beautiful spine, which is music to my ears! We got a really good shot of the feet (no pic though) and could count the toes and almost see the toenails! Everything looks amazing, and I am so excited that our baby is doing so well. It will be nice to hear from the Dr. on the official "results" of the scan, just to be sure that EVERYTHING is good! Mommy likes to worry sometimes!

I also found out today why I have been feeling like someone is tap dancing on my bladder! Our baby is in the breech position (head up) and his/her little feet are in the perfect position to dance on my bladder! It's amazing to see how different this pregnancy is from my first. Kayla was always in the transverse (sideways) or normal (head down) position throughout my pregnancy. I am not too worried about this one being breech right now. We have 20 weeks to get into position!

Later on, Chris and I went shopping for Kayla's birthday party. She is turning 4 on Saturday! I can't believe how fast time has gone by. My little girl is growing up so quickly, and it seems like it was not that long ago that I was feeling her kicks in my belly! She is so excited to be a big sister, and right now she wants a baby brother! It changes as frequently as her favorite color, but I am sure she will enjoy being a big sister no matter what.

Here is a pic from today of the new baby's arm and hand. There are clearly four little fingers showing us how old Kayla is going to be!

Here's pics of me at 15 weeks and 20 weeks!

I didn't think I was that big yet, but seeing the last pic makes me say "WOW!"

So, I wonder who has the time to update their blogs daily, or even weekly. It seems like life gets in the way, and a month goes by before I think about updating again!

So, where to start???? We have had a busy month with helping C's mom move, having family visit, work, school, the kid, and life in general. We got our engagement pictures done about 3 weeks ago, and we are just waiting for the final product so we can order some prints. It was a lot of fun having our pics taken. We did them at an old burnt down house, and we even had a strange dog join us! I am so anxious to see the pics because it was just fun taking them, and I think we got some good shots.

My daughter has had an ongoing rash for the past month. The Dr. thought it was an eczema outbreak, but it is becoming apparent that it is something else. She gets red splotches on her tummy and back, and gets little welts that look like bug bites. It comes and goes, so I am starting a journal to see if there is anything in common with the break outs. I feel helpless because I have no idea what is causing it, and I feel like I can't help her.

We had our 16 week appointment 4 weeks ago! This is the most recent ultrasound picture. The head is on the right side, with the spine running across the top, and the belly facing downward. I know it's hard to see, but hopefully you can make out a baby!

Baby C. is getting stronger by the day. I have been feeling flutters since about 16 weeks, and now I am feeling him/her everyday. Somedays it is a lot, and others it is only at the end of the day when I am relaxing.

Today, I felt a really strong punch/kick. It felt like the baby was trying to punch through my tummy, and it almost hurt, it was so strong! I couldn't believe it!

Thursday is our next Dr.'s appointment, and we have a big ultrasound that day as well. Everyone is convinced that I am going to give in and find out the sex, but I know C will keep me strong, and cover my eyes if he has too! I am excited to be surprised, though. I think that hearing "It's a boy" or "It's a girl" after the labor and delivery will make the day that much more special. It's like the reward for all the hard work!

We do get mixed reactions when we tell people we are waiting. Some people high five us, and say, "that's the way to do it" and others are in complete shock and say, "How are you able to do that?"It is a personal choice and for us, it seems to be pretty easy. Contrary to what most believe, I have very little desire to know if we are having a boy or girl at this point. I know it's cliche, but I just want to focus on having a healthy baby. We will love him/her no matter what!

Oh, yes! I just celebrated my 24th birthday this past Sunday. It was a quiet night. We had dinner with the family, then C took me to the movies. We watched "Date Night" and were the only 2 out of 8 people in the theater laughing! I guess you have to have kids to appreciate it! But we both thought it was a great movie, and are totally buying it when it comes out!

That just about covers my month! Let's see if I can get on the ball and update more frequently! HAHAHA!