19 weeks

Sara about 29 weeks, me 19

This week, or shall I say weekend, was definitely a busy one. Friday night was Amy and Eric's rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. I got ready at work and headed straight to the rehearsal at Oak Grove Baptist, which was conveniently only a minute from the school I work at. The rehearsal and dinner were wonderful. Saturday I got up bright and early to get my hair done, then I met up with the other bridesmaids at the salon where Amy was getting ready. Brittany and I went to the church first, and ended up setting off an alarm because no one was there to let us in. Whoops! No harm, no foul. The wedding was BEAUTIFUL, and if you live in Richmond, you know that Saturday was the epitome of good weather. It was 75 and sunny all day. Everyone seemed to have a great time at the reception. It was amazing to be apart of their special day. Sunday was Sara's baby shower. As you can see by the picture above, she is about 10 weeks ahead of me in her pregnancy. It is amazing how much the body can change in such a short time. She looks absolutely wonderful and she received a ton of great gifts, which also helped me think of some essentials for our registry. Overall, the weekend was a ton of fun, but so exhausting for me. I have never been one to stay up late and maintain a busy schedule, so this was exceptionally difficult for me now that I'm pregnant. I crashed Sunday and Monday night, and now am feeling somewhat human again. Of course, it was completely worth it and I would do it again in a heartbeat!

19 weeks seems absolutely crazy to me. Only one more week until I am officially half way through the pregnancy. One of my apps today said that I will start to grow more quickly now, so the bump should really be making a strong debut soon. As far as symptoms go, the only new thing I have noticed is a change in my appetite. I am starting to understand why pregnant women eat all the time. I have been hungry for just about anything! I need to watch it though because I don't want to bombard my baby with junk food. More fruits and veggies definitely need to be added to my daily diet. Another thing I have noticed this week is my inability to move like I used to. Getting up from the couch from a laying position, or getting out of bed, is becoming more challenging. I can only imagine how comical I will look by the end of my pregnancy. I am starting to notice movement more frequently now. Today at work little Hooper was very busy. It is such a cool feeling so I can't wait for Brad to feel those kicks and punches from the outside! I have placed his hand on my stomach a few times just for fun, but he loses patience quickly and I don't think the movement is strong enough for him to feel yet anyway. Other than the complete exhaustion from this weekend, baby and I have been doing GREAT! Now, on to the survey...

How far along? 19 weeks, holy crap

Total weight gain? Ok so I weighed on Mom's scale on Sunday and I was up 3lbs from my last appointment. That brings the grand total to +7lbs

How big is the baby? 6 inches and about 10 ounces

Maternity clothes? Mostly. Still wearing some non-maternity shirts while I can but they aren't really long enough. I have given up on the belly band. It just isn't comfortable.

Stretch marks? Not yet...

Sleep? Oh yes, and lots of it.

Best moment of the week? Seeing my beautiful best friend get married.

Movement? Yes! One of the ladies I work with was talking to me about it today and she described it as a muscle twitch. I thought that described it perfectly.

Cravings? Nothing special, just food in general. Yikes.

Gender? Holy moly we find out a WEEK from tomorrow. Brad and I are so freakin excited to know. Everyone keeps saying girl because of how I am "carrying," but my friend Sara, pictured above, completely breaks the "if your carrying low you're having a boy" stereotype, because she definitely is having a girl. Most people think girl, but I have felt boy from the beginning. I have also had 2 dreams that the ultrasound said boy. 8 more days and we will know for sure!!!

Labor signs? Noooooo

Belly button in or out? In still.

What am I looking forward to? My appointment and ultrasound next Wednesday at 2:30pm. I am going to be a nervous wreck in that waiting room! Because my appointment falls on a Wednesday next week, I will just post when I get back from the doctor (after I make all of the necessary phone calls to family and friends of course). Stay tuned!