18 Weeks

Tuesday was 18 weeks for Mary Elizabeth! I do have to say, despite the very obvious belly, increased appetite and sore back and feet, it STILL feels so surreal!! I know, its really happening but I still just can't believe that I'm almost halfway to meeting my little girl. Last week, I was so busy preparing for camp at work and then the weekend flew by as I was busy from 3pm Friday to about 3pm Sunday. It made for a very long but incredible weekend. Saturday night, we had a country western night so I dressed up in my jeans and cowgirl boots, along with a short-sleeved plaid shirt I borrowed from Collette. The only problem was, the shirt wouldn't button over my big belly! So I did what every proud mamma would do...I put on an undershirt and rocked my pregnant belly. It became very obvious in my outfit that my expanding midsection was not due to Sunday morning donuts. All of a sudden, every other person I talked to said, "I didn't know you were pregnant! Congratulations!!" I'm not going to lie, it was a lot of fun! I'm not normally the type that enjoys being the center of attention but it didn't really feel like I was the center...it felt like Mary Elizabeth was the center. That kind of attention, apparently I love! It made me think back to all the pregnant women I gushed over when I was waiting for my turn, telling them how beautiful I thought they looked and asking if I could feel their bellies. It was weird to think back on that time, remembering how it felt to wonder if I would ever be the one with the big belly and "pregnant glow." And now here I am, planning a nursery and feeling little flutters of life from within.

This week has definitely been a fun week in pregnancy, despite feeling as if my back and feet were being pounded with sledge hammers. I have more energy so I've been cooking more lately, which makes me (as well as Parker and Collette) happy. I have felt her move in different ways than before. Tuesday I felt her move from the outside, which was pretty unbelievable. I even saw the movement as she kicked (or punched or elbowed) the side of my belly. That night as I was falling asleep, I felt a weird pressure at the very bottom of my abdomen. I reached down to feel with my hand and I could actually feel her little body with my hand! I poked a little, not believing the hard part of my normally doughy belly was actually a baby. And as quickly as she had appeared there, she swam away from where I was poking. It is so amazing to think that she's in there, moving and acting like a real baby. I read that she's about 6 inches from head to rump this week and weighs about 5 oz. I also read that over the next 2 weeks, she will double in weight!! Pretty crazy. As you can see from the pictures below, she's definitely popped out! Just 11 more days and we get to see her again, I can't wait!!



Don't mind the temporary "tattoo" on the belly...Collette insisted. :-)