Ok, now it's real.

18 weeks 3 days

Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon.



How far along? 18th week
Total weight gain/loss: +4lb in the last 2 weeks. What can I say, the baby was hungry for all that yummy food we had at the beach last week!!! +12lb total.
Stretch marks? I am in love with my alba body butter now. The scent is much more pleasant than the cocoa butter that makes me smell like a tanorexic in Boca.
Sleep: My love, the Snoogle, has allowed me to figure out how to semi-sleep on my stomach. I am a happy mama now.
Best moment this week: Vacation with the fam at the beach was delightful. There were so many laughs, and times I had 4 tissues just to dry up the tears from laughing so hard. I got to eat my beloved apple/cranberry stuffing (why do I make this only once a year?!?!) and we even got some girl time with the Twilight movies. New Moon was so good and my sister has me hooked like a 15 year-old teen by getting me to read the last 2 books. Hey, I figured I needed something to do on the car ride to Boston! I put in some pics at the bottom of some of our pics from the beach.
Movement: The movement is making it all so real now. The kicking/punching/flipping like a high diver is pretty much on the hour now and it's just so fun to feel. Troy is like a 3 year-old waiting for Santa to come and can't wait to feel it from the outside.
Gender: My face and hips are confirming my thoughts on a girl :) It's so crazy to think we could actually find out tomorrow if we wanted to, but Troy keeps reminding me of how awesome it will be the day our baby is born to get to hear "It's a ...!" in the thrill of the moment.
Labor Signs: The labor of moving, selling a business, and getting our house ready for renters. Troy has been a gem with the physical stuff though. Any man who encourages me to nap while he packs up my house gets a daily neck rub.
Food Cravings: All cravings were satisfied with Franks Red Hot fried turkey, twice-baked garlic potatoes, green bean casserole, apple/sausage/cranberry stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin cheesecake, cherry pie, peanut butter pie, and milk :)
What I miss: Fitting into my normal pants and even some of my cute pajama bottoms. My wardrobe is so limited now. But the fact that leggings are in is glorious.
What I am looking forward to: ULTRASOUND IS TOMORROW!!!!! I can't wait to see the baby on the screen again. Don't worry, we'll post pics before we leave town.
Weekly Wisdom: Don't stand on your feet for too long. Your lower back will scream at you.
Milestones: I hit a new low milestone. I forgot a belt at the beach, so I asked Troy to borrow his to at least hold my pants up since the elastic no longer has hips to hold onto. I went to put the belt on, and it was too tight on the last hole. My heart sunk. I'm glad he's a skinny guy, but it still made me feel horrible. Again, blaming the baby for liking Thanksgiving so damn much.
Baby Brain Moment of the Week: Lulu saved me in Cranium this week when I thought the "Take a Bite Out of Crime" dog was Ruff McGruff.
Weekly Belly Pic: A lovely after Thanksgiving shot. And as I went to go take the shot 10 min ago, I scornfully discovered that my camera is broken :( It won't open at all. Guess I know what I need for Christmas.










My HUGE batch of stuffing that I made. Seriously, the best.