Nineteen Weeks

I've reached week 19, which is almost to the halfway point. Happy dance and celebration all around. I had forgotten from my last pregnancy that once you start feeling the baby move, the kicks and bumps and nudges get stronger and stronger. I'll just be sitting here minding my own business, and BAM a strong kick to the stomach will just about send me soaring out of my chair. There's no way to describe the feeling to someone who hasn't experienced it before. It just honestly feels as though there is a person in your stomach that knocks every now and then. I like to think that it's a signal for "Hey, could I get some more food in here?"

When I saw the picture of what the baby might look like on the inside this week, I realized why I'm able to feel him/her all of a sudden. Is it me or did the poor thing go from looking completely comfy in there to a circus contortionist in the matter of one week? I mean, his calf is laying across his forehead. Just looking at this picture makes me a bit sore.

Also, the folks say that we've got ourselves an heirloom tomato this week. Again, it seems like a big jump from last week. I wonder what they are going to do towards the end of the pregnancy when they run out of fruits and vegetables to compare in size? I imagine the emails sounding something like, "Look, you've got a whole kid running around in your body. There is no fruit as big as the creature that is going to be pushing it's way out of your vagina pretty soon." I'd like to imagine that's what they will say anyway. I like straight talk when it comes to stuff like this.

And here is the email from the gurus for week 19. Pretty amazing stuff can take place in a woman's body. I'll have to take it out for a margarita after this pregnancy stuff is over to thank it for all it's work.

How Your Baby is Growing:
Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

L