18 Weeks and Vacation!

This week is kind of same old, same old.  Still getting sick almost every day, but it’s a short period of time and then I feel good again.  Still have this crick in my back that’s bothering me.  My doctor suggested a good massage.  I’m definitely going to need to make time for that.  I think I felt the baby move a couple times this week, but it’s still that maybe, maybe not stage.  No for sure movements.  I am officially out of my regular pants.  I can’t take it anymore.  Here’s what Alphamom has to say about week 18:

Your Baby:

• Is about the size of a baked potato — five-and-a-half inches long.
• Has actual cute little ears and working ear bones and can hear sounds through the amniotic fluid — similar to how things sound to you underwater.
• Is moving, moving, moving. The baby is still small enough that you may not feel every kick and punch yet, but the movements will start getting less “bubble-like” and more “holy crap, that was totally a foot” pretty soon, if they aren’t already.

You:

• May notice some dizziness from time to time, especially if you stand up too quickly or go too many hours without a good snack. Try to stay hydrated and remember to eat every few hours — good stuff like yogurt, nuts, fruits, veggies and cheese. Empty calories like chips and junk food will just make the dizziness worse, not better.
• Might be getting a little uncomfortable at night. The best sleeping position for pregnancy is on your side (when you lie on your back you compress the blood flow to your uterus), but as your pelvis changes and your abdomen gets heavier this can get awfully hard on your hips and legs. Try sleeping with a small pillow between your knees or lower thighs — I finally grabbed a small decorative pillow from our bed and found it made all the difference in the world without taking up too much room or making me feel too hot at night like regular pillows or those full-body maternity pillows did last time. (While very comfortable, trying to roll over with one of those big things was just a giant exercise in AWK-WARD.)
• Oh, and let’s discuss our bladders too. You might soon find yourself at that lovely stage when you just can’t seem to fully empty your bladder in a single bathroom run. I don’t know whether there’s just something baby-related blocking the exit or what, but I pee and then stand up and realize that I STILL have to pee. I remember hitting this point last time and using a trick Heather Armstrong described at Dooce — lean allllll the way forward while peeing, with your torso as parallel to the floor as you can manage. It really works, and now every time I pee I wonder how any woman ever managed to make it through pregnancy without the Internet.

This evening we’re heading out for Corolla, NC!!  I’m so excited.  I can’t wait to see my cousin Katie get married on Saturday and I can’t wait for a week of fun and relaxation on the beach!  I am definitely not bringing my computer or blogging while down there.  So, I’ll see you all again next Friday… with a big announcement!!!!!!!!!