I think you can tell it's a baby and not just fat for me now. Now I am at the fun part where people forget that it's not always polite to just stick their hands out and rub somebody's tummy. Besides that, I find they always need to rub where my lunch is, not where Peanut is. That makes me feel chunky.

Fun.

Movin on up...

It's been several weeks of gradual realization for me that the baby is moving, and I can actually feel it!!

I am finding that Peanut is much much busier when I am settled, be it at my desk at work, watching tv, or in bed for the night. I heard that all your motion in the day walking around, bending over, running for the bus...It's all rocking to the baby, and they fall asleep. But when you relax, well! Then it's party time!!

Actually...Last night when we went to bed, Joe felt the baby move for the first time. Peanut was REALLY busy last night, so I thought meh...give it a try. Well he had his hand on my tummy for all of a minute when Peanut did something unusually BIG (elbows? knees? feet?) Joe felt it, jumped, and claimed it was "scary". Wow...men can be odd. Today he said on the phone that he isn't actually scared and he would like to feel it again cuz it was "really neat". I must ask him to define scary...what's scary about the baby moving???

Halfway!!

I can't believe I am sitting here saying that I am at 20 weeks. Seems it was just yesterday I was nervously scanning in my HPT and asking the girls what the faint line meant.

But alas, here I am, and it is starting to really hit me like a freight train that I have to get my butt in gear and do up a nursery for my little critter. I doubt the cat bed is suitable! (Well, maybe if I get a good lint brush....Hehehe) It really is truly amazing how time flies, and so much fun to be able to celebrate a milestone every Friday.

It has all been so wonderful. Even the tired days, and the cranky days, and the 'wow, I feel fat' days. I am just so happy being pregnant. Joe said to me the other night that he has never seen me looking so wonderful and so unbelievably happy...He says I am all aglow. Everyone I know says that I should be pregnant forever because I look so pretty, which is nice to hear for sure, but kinda not at the same time because one day I will NOT be pregnant, and then what? I will be ugly? Frightening thought, but wonderful too, because the day I turn back into a pumpkin is the day I meet my little Ella.

Omg. I so can't wait to see her little face, touch her little hands, tickle her little feet...How will I ever make it through 20 more weeks!?

Tummy feels...

I have a feeling that there is an extremely large gas bubble or something in my tummy. If I press it, it's sort of tender. I guess that's Peanut's house, hehe. I feel all stretched out right now, even on the outside, but so far, no stretch marks!!

Well, I went for my u/s and it's a...

Well, it's 99.9% a girl!!! Now we know that she will be Ella Carolina. Nana will be overjoyed, and so will Joe's vavo! What a beautiful thing.

The ultrasound was amazing. We got to see all sorts of little bits...fingers, toes, a perfect spine, a nice round skull...and a tiny heart just a' fluttering away. Joe's eyes were misty...I was just in awe. The ultrasound lady showed us all she could and then said she was sorry, but she was done. She handed us our two pictures, and...well...they're scary. But it was nice of her anyhow, haha.

What is it? What is it???

Everyone has an opinion. It's a boy!! It's a girl!!! It's a boy!!! It's a girl!!!

They're driving me crazy. I don't have an opinion yet. One day I think Peanut is a girl, one day Peanut is a boy. I guess I would prefer a girl, but I would be delighted with a boy too. The Portuguese people all say I'm having a boy because I look so good. Apparently girls steal their mother's beauty, so if you look good, it HAS to be a boy. I think back to people I know...there is a certain person I can think of who had two boys and didn't look their best with either of them...so I'm thinking this theory may have some holes in it.

I have had a ring on a chain swung in front of my belly. This very accurate test(peh, whatever!) has clearly shown that Peanut is a boy.

I have had my hairline at the back of my neck checked. This ALSO very accurate test has determined that Peanut can be none other than a girl.

According to the Chinese Lunar Calendar, Peanut must be a boy.

According to my husband's very touching dream, Peanut is a girl. I tend to go with him. And I have had a few where the baby is a girl too....maybe?

We'll find out soon enough!

Where am I now?

Yes...definitely starting to show a bit. People would be more likely to notice that I'm preggo and not just fat at this stage, although I feel pretty fat. There is a certain amount of adjustment, I guess. Anyhow, when I lay down, I can feel my uterus ends just a bit below my belly button, which I believe is right where it's supposed to be. I can't recognize my boobs anymore. I have cleavage even without the pushup now, so that's pretty incredible in my books. Yesterday I went out and bought some bigger undies as well as a few bigger bras. I wore my favourite new bra today, and it had to go into the wash after being on for only a few hours. Apparently I am going to have problems with leaky boobs already. Hooray.

Tomorrow morning I am going to the doctor for a check in. I am hoping she will listen to the baby's heart again. I can't wait!! Oh...I will find out when my next u/s is then. And I definitely want to know what sex the baby is. People say "Don't you want to be surprised?" and I just tell them it will be a surprise whether I find out now or in 5 months from now, hehe.

We have bought lots of stuff for baby. Mostly little outfits, basically. No big ticket items yet, though we are starting our hunt for the elusive 'perfect stroller' already. That is the one part that Joe is very especially interested in, I think mainly because they have wheels. "Baby's first set of wheels" has GOT to be stylish or Daddy will not be happy, you know!