And just to update everyone else, we are in the process of moving! We got the keys to our new duplex on Friday morning, and I have done a couple of back and forth trips so far, but the main move will be happening this week and weekend. We absolutely love our new place and can't wait to get in and make it ours! I am on weight lifting restrictions of nothing more than 20 to 30 pounds, cuz I guess the placenta can actually detach and that ends well for baby, and/or you can pull muscles more easily. I have already broken that limit, but that was before I found out about it, so from here on out, I will leave all the lifting to other people and just carry pillows and stuff, ha! In case you don't know much about the new place, it is not that much bigger overall than our current one, but we have made some big upgrades/exchanges that make it completely worth it. We no longer are in an apartment complex, we are renting one side of a duplex that has our own garage and a huge, fenced in backyard for the dog and we have our own laundry room and storage space with tons of extra wall space to hang clothes and store boxes. The bedrooms are a tad bit smaller than our current place, but we have a second bathroom, a much larger kitchen and a deck outside big enough for a grill and some chairs. We are across the street from a park that has soccer goals and tennis courts and a baseball diamond. It is only a 2 minute drive from the in-laws, or a 15 minute walk door to door with the puppy. The only thing that would make it better would be if we owned it, but oh well, that home ownership will happen hopefully next year or the year after! We are very excited to get in there for good.
Enough about us, here is what is happening this week with little love, baby BellaReese (who knew something so silly could make your heart so warm already?):
Italicized words are my comments.
Your pregnancy: 19 weeksSee the big picture
How your baby's growing:
Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you. Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato, or a mango or a grapefruit for those of you who love fruit, or my favorite comparison, a subway sandwich!! Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now (unless she takes after her father and has extraordinarily long arms...it runs in his family...they all have wing spans [obviously it is an arm span, but I think wink span is more exciting] larger than their overall height...Brian is 5'11", but has a wing span of 6'2", I am 5'5" and have a wing span of 5'5"....odd). Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.See what your baby looks like this week.
How your life's changing:
Think you're big now? (yes, huge, thanks for pointing it out yet again, jk) You'll start growing even faster in the weeks to come. As a result, you may notice some achiness in your lower abdomen or even an occasional brief, stabbing pain on one or both sides — especially when you shift position or at the end of an active day. Most likely, this is round ligament pain. The ligaments that support your uterus are stretching to accommodate its increasing weight. You may be noticing some skin changes, too (yea, I feel like a pubescent teen again! Pimples and red dots everywhere!!). Are the palms of your hands red? Nothing to worry about — it's from the extra estrogen. You may also have patches of darkened skin caused by a temporary increase in pigment. When these darker patches appear on your upper lip, cheeks, and forehead, they're called chloasma, or the "mask of pregnancy." You may also notice some darkening of your nipples, freckles, scars, underarms, inner thighs, and vulva. That darkened line running from your belly button to your pubic bone is called the linea nigra, or "dark line."(got the dark line already....gross) These darkened spots will probably fade shortly after delivery. In the meantime, protect yourself from the sun, which intensifies the pigment changes. Cover up, wear a brimmed hat, and use sunscreen when you're outdoors. And if you're self-conscious about your "mask," a little concealing makeup can work wonders.
There's nothing like getting into bed at the end of a long, exhausting day — especially when you're expecting. Aching for a good night's sleep (literally, if your back's been acting up again), you throw back the covers and prepare to happily surrender to sleep. But if you're like many expecting moms, something may be keeping you awake tonight (besides what color to paint the nursery): leg cramps (they are god awful and in only my right leg!). These painful spasms that radiate up and down your calves (only my right one!), all too often keeping dreamland at bay, are very common during the second and third trimester. While these cramps can occur during the day, you'll notice them (oh, baby — will you notice them!) more at night. No one knows for sure what causes leg cramps in pregnancy — though there are plausible theories aplenty. It could be that your leg muscles are just fatigued from carrying around all the extra weight of pregnancy. Or that the vessels that carry blood to and from your legs are compressed by your growing uterus at 19 weeks pregnant. There's also speculation that it may be somehow related to diet, though this hunch hasn't been substantiated by studies.
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