{TWENTY WEEKS!!}

Ohh Aubrey,

20 weeks down. 20 weeks to go. Can this be so? Are we really half way there? Am I really going to meet you in 4 and a half short months? I am SO THRILLED that we are at this milestone. Whenever someone asks how far along I am, I just LOVE saying "Half way done!" SO much better than still being in the "teens".

This week you are the size of a CANTALOUPE. That is...gigantic. Makes me wonder where the rest of my internal organs have gone to make room for you! You are beginning to grow permanent teeth behind your baby teeth. Another milestone: Your genitals have fully formed by this week. :)

Your daddy and I celebrated this week with some favorite things: Dinner, chocolate/white chocolate covered strawberries, and sparking cider in pretty glasses. We are so thrilled to celebrate ANYTHING to do with you!

You had your anatomy ultrasound this past week, and no worries, you are STILL a beautiful little girl. The doctor said all your measurements and weight are text-book perfect! We are so grateful you are developing normally.

We DID, however, have a scare this week. I switched doctors, and my first appt was just looking over my medical records, when my doctor noticed something strange. I have A-negative type blood. (Kind of rare, roughly 10% of Americans have RH-negative..) After you have a miscarriage, you are to get what's called a "Rhogam shot" to prevent RH-incompatibility in your future children, which I had about a week after I miscarried. No biggie right?

Well, he noticed that on my second blood/antibody screening (back in July), I showed a positive result to RH-positive antibodies, which basically means my body could ATTACK my baby's blood if they were to ever mix. (Way to go, Kaiser, for letting me know!) He said if I took another blood test, and it still showed positive antibodies, I would be a high risk pregnancy, and my baby would have to have blood transfusions and all this scary stuff! I would also be sent to a specialist, and possibly would have to have a C-section, pre-term labor, etc! So he ordered the test right away and it came back.....NEGATIVE! Everything is good, and he thinks the Rhogam shot just took a while to work last time. So we're okay, and I'm just a normal pregnancy lady again :) Phew.

Also good news: I found out I don't have gestational diabetes! Woohoo!

Now here's some stats for you, I copied the questions from another baby blog:

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Five whole pounds. My doctor said I'll probably gain less than 20 pounds total, because of my extremely high metabolism. He said it's no biggie, since the baby is growing perfectly. Yay!

How Big is the Baby: The size of a cantaloupe. Humongous, really!

Gender: Princess, angel, GIRL!

Maternity Clothes: Nope, the only thing I can't really fit in is pencil skirts, since they are tight on the waist. Jeans are still ok, but some I have to tie a rubberband around the button.

Best Moment of the Week: Finding out I'm NOT a high risk pregnancy, and I don't have gestational diabetes! Yay!

Stretch Marks: None, please please stay that way? haha.

Movement: Yes, I think she is going to be a little dancer like her mama. I LOVE feeling her move, and it feels nothing like I thought. I never felt the "flutters" or "bubbles", I straight up just started to feel someone moving and turning in me!

Sleep: Just fine all night long..usually in bed and asleep by 10!

What I miss: having an attractive waistline? haha. I don't know, maybe diet coke and cold turkey sandwiches. :(

What I am looking forward to: Meeting my darling Aubrey, my 3-d ultrasound, baby showers, etc!

Symptoms: None really anymore besides my growing belly, and lightheaded-ness.

Food Cravings: candy :)

Belly Button: Still an inny! But starting to surface..

Signs of Labor: Noo, thank goodness!!

{nineteen weeks}

Holy moly you are getting old. This week, a stranger finally recognized I was pregnant. I was excited for this day to come! I was at Steve's work selling gatorade and candy bars at the door, and a lady said "You are having a baby, aren't you?" I smiled really big and said, "So you can tell??" And she said "Definitely". Yay! That made my whole day :)

You have grown so much this week. You are now covered in vernix, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (gross!) that shields you from the amniotic fluid. Youa re very much in tune with your surroundings, too. You can taste the food I eat, touch the umbilical cord and membrane that surrounds you, and sense my emotions. I will do my best to think happy thoughts and continue doing prenatal pilates to keep us both calm and balanced!

I love you so much and can't wait to see how our lives change once you arrive.

All the love in the world,

Mama

{eighteen weeks}

Dear Aubrey,

I guess I'll start calling you your name. Believe it or not, your daddy came up with this lovely name. This was way back when we were dating, and he just said one day "I want to name our baby Aubrey when we have a girl". I loved it instantly, and every since then, (about 5-6 years ago), that's been your name! Your middle name will be Jane, which I picked myself. I love how it's old fashioned and elegant. You aren't named after anyone or anything, we could never find a family name that we both liked. Sorry guys! :/ But we love your name, and that's what counts. It's special and yours.

This week you are 18 weeks old. So close to the half way point. I plan on celebrating big time on your "hump day", at 20 weeks. I'm thinking white chocolate covered strawberries and sparkling cider, at a park or something, really late at night with your daddy. We like to do romantic things like we're still kids in high school. :)

You are quite mobile these days. NOT that I have felt you yet, but apparently you pass the hours by yawning, hiccupping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking, and swallowing. Your ears are now facing forward and are completely formed, so you can hear me. Your sense of smell, taste, sight and hearing all all developing.

Feel free to give me a little punch or kick this week okay? Don't be shy! If you are anything like your mama, you will be dancing around like crazy the moment you can walk. I can't wait to take you to your first mommy and me ballet class. I'm looking forward to so many experiences with you, although daddy thinks you are going to be a WNBA player. I think not!

Love,

Mom

**Thanks for everyone's feedback about breastfeeding by the way!**