Pregnancy: 20 Weeks

Today marks the half way point of pregnancy -- 20 weeks. It's crazy that we've made it so far. I feel like I was just telling Andrew about our happy news the other day. But I guess that was the beginning of February and the time has flown by. Actually it's more like the saying, "The days are long but the years are short." In this case replace 'years' with 'months.' Obviously we still have a long way to go, and through the middle of summer at that. I'll probably be miserable all summer. It's just hot. It's so hot. And I'm getting bigger. It's an all-over big too. You wouldn't look at me and be like, "Aww Kassie, you're all belly!" Not even close. But that's ok. Everything about my body and the little one inside me is growing, changing, stretching and getting bigger. And that's a good thing! Some days it's hard to accept, but then I remember that it's all for Hannah and that amazing gift I'll have in my arms in approximately 20 more weeks!

So how are things holding up at the halfway point? Let's do a recap.

How far along: 20 weeks = Halfway there!

Symptoms: I'm actually feeling pretty good for the most part. I did throw up a few times this morning, but that was the first time I've barfed in over a month probably. I credit that to having milk and orange juice for breakfast. In hindsight, that was probably a really bad idea. The two just don't mix well. Energy is pretty good, as long as I get enough sleep. I am starting to swell, particularly in my fingers, ankles and feet. It doesn't help that my diet has been too high in sodium and it's been humid as all get out. I'm trying drink plenty of water and limit salty foods to try to keep that under control. Oh, and can we say heart burn? It's not severe, but enough to be uncomfortable. She better have a lot of hair with all this burning!

Sleep: I am not nearly as good of a sleeper as I used to be. It takes longer to fall asleep. Then I wake up every 3ish hours to use the bathroom. Then before I get back in bed I chug water because I'm just so thirsty in the middle of the night. This creates a vicious cycle of waking, bathroom breaks, more water, waking, etc. No matter how early I go to bed I'm still tired when I wake up. I can't sleep on my stomach anymore. I can barely sleep halfway on it (laying on my side but semi-turned onto my stomach). I can't really sleep on my back either. It's getting uncomfortable and hurts my lower back. This leaves sleeping on my sides. I don't mind it normally, but trying to stay like that for 8+ hours is hard. I end up turning back and forth throughout the night over and over again. I dread when I'm bigger and turning becomes more difficult.

Clothes: Maternity clothes rock. My maternity jeans that I bought early on are on their way out. They have a demi-band that was super comfy, but now that my belly is getting prominent the band flips over and digs into me. I've got a pair of jeans ordered with the full belly cover that should be awesome. Skirts that have loose waists are great. I'm not a fan of the maxi skirts/dresses because they are too long for my short legs and make me really hot. Knee length is just right.

Cravings/Aversions: Chicken is still a no go for me. Fountain sodas are still a god send. I'm trying to clean up my diet (Hannah has taste buds now, so I guess feeding her only fast food and crap is a bad idea) but it's harder than I expected. I get food that sounds awesome, then when it's prepared it's just not as good. Or it makes me nauseous later (like my oj and cereal this morning). It's a work in progress.

Weight Gain: I'm getting fat! Just kidding, it's a little bit of baby too. Let's be honest. It's both. I'm not positive on the number, but I'm thinking about 15 pounds. Ouch.

Exercise Routine: I wish I could say I'm walking and doing yoga and running marathons, but alas, I'm not. I did something crazy to my knee and it's been giving me a lot of pain. I saw a doctor last week that told me no exercise for 2 weeks to see if it improves. Well it's not improving and my body is getting more stiff from lack of movement. Next appointment is next Thursday. Hopefully it will improve or he can fix it so I can get moving.

Movement: There is definite movement going on in there. It's not solid like kicks or punches, more of a rolling feeling low in my belly. I don't know if it's her flipping over, or if her kicks are light enough that it feels like a tickling, bubbly sensation. It still isn't constant or even consistent. If I'm really busy/active/moving around I don't feel anything, but then when I get home and sit down for the night I start feeling a lot. It's like she's wanting to keep the party going. Also after I eat or drink sometimes I'll get some rumbles. It seems to be more noticeable when I have a full bladder. I guess it pushes the uterus up and closer to my stomach. Not sure about that one. Actually as I'm typing this she is making herself known! Guess her ears are burning!

Random: I'm sad to say that I am becoming dumber as each day passes. I swear Hannah is stealing my intelligence. I better have a really smart kid, or my brain power better come back after she's born!! Andrew just laughs and shakes his head. Last night we were grocery shopping and I'd had my purse in the cart, then put it across my chest like a messenger bag. We were choosing veggies and I told him not to leave the shopping cart because my purse was in there. He just stared at me and I had no idea what was wrong. Turns out I was wearing my purse and I didn't even realize it. Simple math stumps me. Thank goodness for the calculator on my phone!! There are daily instances when words disappear out of my brain or I get lost mid-story. Pregnancy brain is a real thing.

Baby Size: Hannah Banana can be her name this week! At approx 10.5 ounces and 6.5 from head to rump, she's a medium sized banana. Starting next week she'll measure head to toe in length instead of head to tush. (The change is because she's starting to stretch those little legs out, making her longer and easier to measure). She's swallowing and tasting the amniotic fluid, which apparently is flavored by my diet. Better cut out the Krystals and McDonalds trips!

The halfway point is a big marker during pregnancy. Our next big milestone is 24 weeks, which is considered viability should I deliver early for any reason. Happy 20th week, Hannah!

I'll leave you with a picture of Hannah's big sister, Sidney.