Eighteen AND Nineteen Weeks!

Okay, okay. I missed a week of updating, but you'll have to cut me some slack - we were babymooning!

For much of Week 18 and a smidgen of Week 19, R and I were in Bay View, Michigan. We have so many wonderful memories of time spent there while we were dating, engaged, and honeymooning/newly-married, but we hadn't been in four years! It's such a long drive from where we live, and we had so many other places we wanted to see and experience while young and free that we just hadn't made it back. When we started thinking about a pre-baby getaway, we knew we wanted to go to Bay View - it's the perfect spot to enjoy time together. Here we are after watching a sunset!

Here are some highlights from the past few weeks, including several from our trip:

• Can You Feel It? Right around the time we flipped over from 17 to 18 weeks, R was able to feel the baby moving (kicking!) for the first time. It was so special to finally get to share that incredible magic with him. I'd previously tried to put his hand on my belly when I felt movement, but inevitably the little one would stop moving. R was (jokingly) convinced that the baby hated him, but clearly that's not the case! Since then, he's been able to share that feeling with me several times.
• Seeing Is Believing: Not long after R felt the baby move, I had the wildest experience: I sat and watched my abdomen while the baby was kicking and could actually see my skin poke out with every kick. It was so amazing to observe the baby with another sense, thereby making it all feel even more real. Now, truthfully, there was a vaguely alien feeling to the whole experience (can you think of any other instance where something inside of you can be seen visibly moving under your skin?!), but it's so amusing and special that I was glad to witness it. While in Bay View, R was able to see the kicks happening too. We just sat and laughed with every little jab - it gave new meaning to the notion of "navel-gazing."
• The BEST Present: Uncle S, Aunt A, and Cousin E sent the very first present for the baby: an adorable holiday onesie! They found it while out shopping and wanted to express their shared excitement at adding this little one to the family. We were so touched - what a thoughtful gesture! We just can't wait to snap some photos of the baby in his/her very first outfit! Here's a picture to whet your appetite:

• Show Me the Money: Believe it of not, we hadn't purchased a single item for the baby prior to our trip to Bay View. At first, we were just so anxious to find out whether or not this baby would "stick" that we didn't want to count our little chick until it was hatched. As time went on and we grew more cautiously optimistic, I think we were just busy thinking, researching and planning to actually pull the trigger and buy. While poking around a store in Petoskey, MI we made the leap and purchased... three Little Golden Books. Both R and I have strong memories of reading and a shared love of books, so we cannot wait to build an inspiring library for our baby. Those three books opened a floodgate, and we are now the proud owners of ten others (Caldecott Award winners, no less). It's a nice start to what we hope will be a cherished collection of favorite stories. (Along those lines, we created an entire separate registry dedicated to books!)
• Room to Breathe: I've finally made the leap to a 100% maternity wardrobe at work. I cannot express the relief I feel at no longer having painful "button" marks on my belly after squeezing myself into pre-baby work pants all day, or the uncomfortably "exposed" feeling of wearing my pants unbottoned/unzipped with a Bella Band holding them up. Also, why didn't I know how comfortable maternity clothes are?! It's like wearing yoga pants 24/7!! I might never go back to regular clothes, honestly. Also, I splurged on one pair of designer maternity jeans and I'm in heaven: I could wear them to bed. All of the items I've purchased are so flattering and comfortable - it just makes me feel prettier and happier, which is really saying something, as I slowly but surely inch toward the day when I lose sight of my toes. Incredible!
• Head to Toe's the Way to Go! This is Baby's last week being measured "crown to rump". Starting next week, the fruit size will jump dramatically, because medical professionals begin measuring babies from head to toe. It will be startling to hold up next week's fruit, so for enjoy the Week 18 (sweet potato!) and Week 19 (mango!) photos!

With that, how about the tracker?

Week: 18 & 19

Weight: +5 so far (officially as of Week 17)!

Baby is the Size of a(n): Sweet Potato (18) and Mango (19)

Symptoms: hungry, dizzy when I get up too quickly, round ligament pain when sneezing/coughing/shifting positions (and lately, walking), tailbone pain when sitting for awhile, very vivid dreams, and moodiness (noteworthy breakdown: cried when R's Aunt N sent photos of R & his cousin as babies/kids - so adorable I couldn't help but shed a few tears!)

Current Obsession: watermelon, pancakes, heirloom tomatoes, all the vegetables from our farm share, peanut butter, red meat, and lemonade

Current Aversion: eggs and anything greasy (this is pretty bearable now)

Thinking About: whether we're having a boy or girl (just over a week until D-Day!); designing a nursery; finishing up our registry; and dreaming up names (we have a strong contender for favorite right now!)

Pictures: 

(I couldn't find any bigger mangos!)