18 Weeks Pregnant!!

4/30/11 - 5/6/11

I cannot believe I am already starting my 5th month!  I never thought the first 2 months would end, but the last 2 flew by!  Baby Lischeid is going to be here before we know it!  Plus - only another week until we find out whether we will be welcoming a little girl or boy! WOW!!

My baby's development at 18 weeks:

• Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

I am feeling:

• Cranky.  I've been much more agitated and irritable this week than any other part of my pregnancy so far.  I have no idea why - but I hope for my sake and the people around me that it goes away soon!  I'm sure the spikes and drops in my blood sugar due to Easter candy - specifically Sweet Tarts - has not helped.  In fact - that probably has played a big role and I didn't realize it until right now.  I guess I'm going to have to lay off the candy!  I am still having lots of aches and pains, extremely crazy (often bad) dreams, and less energy.  I am so extremely anxious for my ultrasound a week from Monday!  I even had dreams about it last night - 2 in fact - but only the first one was normal enough to find out the sex - and it was a boy! 

I am craving:

• Cottage cheese, pineapple, virgin daiquiris, cauliflower & veggie dip, egg & cheese English muffins, buffalo chicken strips, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Sweet Tarts.  I am also DYING for the Tropical Sno hut to open up!!  I went to see if it was open with my mom and grandma and almost cried when it wasn't.  I'm going to be spending a lot of money on gas when it does!! 

I look like: