17 and 18 Weeks... a growing baby GIRL!

Of all the weeks to miss a post, I missed last week! It was also a bad week to miss the weekly picture since my belly is swelling by the day!

Below, the girls at 18 weeks.Week 16 and 17 have both been good weeks as far as how I have been feeling. I've made it to the gym a few times and it feels nice to be back in that routine. Work has been very busy (which is one of the reasons I'm behind) and so it's been a routine of wake-up, work, cook dinner, work more, sleep, repeat. In the midst of work I'm also trying to make time for our baby to-do-list which seems to be growing by the day.

Below, baby's profile and her 'skeletor' face.

Our sonogram in week 17 revealed that baby is very healthy, has a complete four chamber heart, two kidneys receiving adequate blood flow and normal sized brain, head, torso and femur. She moved non-stop the entire sonogram keeping her feet crossed right where we needed to see and so she is either very modest or ridiculously active - the sonogram technician said that we had a "a little ninja baby!" They estimated that she weighs about 9 oz. I think it's safe for me to speak for both of us when I say that we couldn't be happier, we're so excited, and we're so ready for her to be here with us... it's also safe to say that those things would all be just as true if it were a boy. The peace of mind that comes with knowing our growing baby is healthy as far as the doctors can tell, is worth it's weight in gold.

Last but not least.... Week 17 we had an onion and this week, week 18, we have a sweet potato! At this point baby's organs are all there and just working on maturing. She can swallow, yawn, roll, hiccup, punch and kick. I wait quietly, sitting nice and still hoping to feel some of this activity, but so far nothing! I'm entering the 'zone' where these movements are supposed to feel more distinct so it really could be any day now. What to Expect When You're Expecting says she should be around 5 oz. this week, http://www.thebump.com/ says she should be around 6.7 oz. and the sonogram last week showed she was actually around 9oz... of all the ways I hope our daughter is above average, I wasn't hoping that #1 is her birth weight! haha

Thanks to all of you who prayed for a positive sonogram, healthy baby, and healthy mommy. We continue to feel overwhelmed by the love and support of our friends and family as we creep along towards our due date!

- Natasha