How your baby’s growing: Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She’s also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom, and about 10 inches from head to heel. (For the first 20 weeks, we use measurements taken from the top of the baby’s head to her bottom — known as the “crown to rump” measurement. After that, we use measurements from head to toe. This is because a baby’s legs are curled up against her torso during the first half of pregnancy and are very hard to measure.)

A greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats her entire body to protect her skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. (This slick coating also eases the journey down the birth canal.)

Your baby is swallowing more, which is good practice for her digestive system. She’s also producing meconium, a black, sticky substance that’s the result of cell loss, digestive secretion, and swallowed amniotic fluid. This meconium will accumulate in her bowels, and you’ll see it in her first messy diaper (although a few babies pass it in utero or during delivery).

How your life’s changing:

You’ve made it to the halfway mark — Congratulations! The top of your uterus is at the level of your belly button now, and you’ve likely gained about 10 pounds. Expect to gain an average of about another pound each week from now on. (If you started your pregnancy underweight, you may need to gain a bit more; if you were overweight, perhaps a bit less.) Make sure you’re getting enough iron, a mineral that’s used primarily to make hemoglobin (the part of your red blood cells that carries oxygen). During pregnancy, your body needs more iron for your developing baby and the placenta, and to keep up with your expanding blood volume. Iron-rich foods include lean red meat, poultry, fish, lentils and other legumes, spinach, and iron-fortified cereals.

Surprising Facts: Getting a good night’s rest

It may become more difficult to sleep through the night as your pregnancy continues, thanks to some obvious and not-so-obvious changes taking place in your body. You may be surprised to find that:• You start snoring for the first time in your life, thanks to hormones that cause your nasal passages to swell and partially block your airways. What to do: Sleep on your side and elevate your head slightly.

• Heartburn and indigestion can make it extra uncomfortable to lie down in bed. What to do: Try sleeping semi-upright in a comfy recliner or propped up with pillows on the sofa.

• Your legs cramp so painfully that you’re jarred out of a deep sleep. This happens because your leg muscles are protesting against the extra weight they’re carrying around. What to do: Ease the cramp by straightening your leg, heel first, and gently flexing your toes back toward your shins.

• You toss and turn all night trying to find a comfortable sleeping position. What to do: Try sleeping with a pillow between your legs or using a contoured maternity body pillow.

• You become hot and sweaty in the middle of the night. It’s common for pregnant women to run a little warm thanks to shifts in your metabolism, hormones, and weight. What to do: Keep your bedroom cool and strip down to the bare essentials — which may include a maternity bra and a maternity belt to help support your growing breasts and belly, and perhaps some socks if only your feet are chilly. Keep slippers and a snuggly bathrobe handy for those nighttime trips to the bathroom.

• Getting out of bed is harder than ever! What to do: Roll over onto your left side and “tip” yourself up, feet first. When your legs touch the floor, use your arms to push yourself into a sitting position on the bed. Then stand up

We have our ultrasound tomorrow! I am so excited…and as I dragged myself out of bed this morning I said to Alex “one more sleep”! It is so exciting!

This weekend was full of Christmas parties in which I got to show off my growing belly! It is so exciting now that people are recognizing that I am pregnant and just coming up to me and saying “oh when are you due”.

The baby the last few days has formed a liking for lying with its back up towards my head and its feet down toward my bladder. It is such a weird feeling to be kicked or knudged in the bladder. I am feeling kicking quite a bit now and it is definitely not fluttering anymore!

Well I am sure for the next weigh in at my Doctor’s on Wednesday that I will have gained weight…finally!! Between the Christmas parties and eating and the actual growing of my belly I am sure that I have put on a few pounds! WHich will be great because as I mentioned earlier because I hadn’t gained any weight I was starting to get worried!

Last night was a big night for me, I felt the baby kicking for the first time!  It’s really exciting because I haven’t been able to have a physical connection with the baby like Tracy has.  I felt 2 kicks and then the baby seemed to settle down for the night, but I’m looking forward to more activity from the babe.
Just a few more days until the ultrasound, where we’ll have a picture of the baby and we’ll be quick to post it.