Baby on my Bladder (18 weeks)

Dear Elliot,
I kept meaning to write my 18-week update, and now I'm pretty much 19 weeks, but oh well. It's crazy how fast the weeks go by, even when you are unemployed and sitting around at home all day long! :)

So we hit 18 weeks last Friday. When/if we decide to induce labor is still sort of up in the air, but I'm thinking it will happen between 37-38 weeks (assuming everything with your development is good to go at that point, of course!), so we're halfway there, baby! Can you believe it? Part of me feels like March is forever away, but I'm hoping this month and the next will fly by, with the holidays and all of that, and it will be baby time before we know it.

We also reached another milestone during week 18: movement! I mean, I've been feeling little nudges and flutters for a few weeks now, but this week it turned into full-fledged kicks. You are still hanging out really low in there, so most of those kicks are right on my bladder. Not the most comfortable feeling in the world when you already have to pee like crazy all the time, but I'll gladly take it! Every little movement brings the hugest smile to my face. You've even started responding when we poke and prode my belly. Every night Dad pushes around, trying to get you to move, and last night, for the first time, you kicked back. Then he poked at you once more, and you kicked back again! How amazing.

My appetite continues to grow bigger and bigger. I seriously just want to eat all day long. I can never eat that much at one time, because I swear my intestines have moved up into my lungs, but it is so great to be able to enjoy eating again. You must be a big eater too, because even though I eat and eat and eat, I don't think I've gained much weight. As of my last appointment three weeks ago, I was up less than five pounds total. I haven't weighed myself lately, but I'm guessing I've packed on another three to five since then. I have a feeling I'm going to put most of the weight on in the second half of this pregnancy!

So it's probably pretty obvious from my posts lately that I've been on quite the crafting spree. A couple days ago I decided to teach myself how to crochet (how people learned how to do anything before Youtube I have no idea!), and I've been working on a little baby blanket for you. It's not the greatest blanket in the world, but I love working on it. Sitting on the couch, sipping mint tea, crocheting a blanket for my little boy. I never thought I'd see the day where this is my idea of a perfect Tuesday evening, but it totally is.

I wanted it to look kinda like the Charlie Brown sweater :)

My 20-week level II ultrasound is scheduled for Tuesday, with a follow-up appointment with my regular OB the next day. The nerves are already hitting me big-time. I am doing better with the anxiety overall, but the ultrasounds are still really, really scary. Hoping and praying it will be nothing but good news!

Alright, little E. I love you so much and get more and more excited to meet you every day. Keep growing, thriving, and kicking (though do feel free to kick me somewhere other than my poor bladder every  now and then!)

XOXO,

Mom

PS. Congrats to Jus and Kat for winning the rosette necklace! Can you send me your mailing address? Kristin.cook23@gmail.com. Thanks! :)