20 weeks, 3 days: I remember this part

The part where I have started to feel the baby move ... but not regularly enough to be reassuring.  It's inconsistent enough still to drive me batty.  Oh well, hopefully soon she'll be driving me crazy with the all-night dance parties.

Z's new words this weekend, both remarkably clear: happy and apple.  And he seems to have a special little friend in his class at daycare, Evie ("Ebbie").

Word of the week

He says "Kirby," the name of our dear old dog, pronounced "Aa-bee."  My mama heart melts.

He says "baby" as "bebe," in a lovely French accent.  I talk about the baby in Mama's belly, but he gets very confused and looks at his own belly button.
He's also added book ("booo"), boat ("bow"), bird ("burrrr") and sometimes says that a horse says, "Neigh."
He's been using Mama and Dada interchangeably, Mama when whiny and needy especially.  But maybe he's starting to figure it out?
He adores Elmo ("Elmee"), who appears in his bath books and on his diapers.  Elmo is very helpful in convincing him to brush his teeth and take his medicine.  Elmo wants him to!
He can show you his tongue and fingers and your teeth.

He's sitting and reading quietly to himself after breakfast this morning, and he just asked himself for "more."

19 weeks: It's a girl!!!

The anatomy scan was today, and baby GIRL looks perfect.  We are over the moon.

She's measuring at almost exactly 19 weeks, so maybe a bit smaller than Zack, who was slightly ahead the entire pregnancy.  Even though I'm planning a repeat c-section, I don't think I'll mind delivering a baby slightly smaller than 8.5 pounds!  

All major organs and structures looked healthy.  We are so excited and relieved!  In fact, things looked so good, they don't want to see us again until early December, instead of in 4-6 weeks.  If she's on track then, we might only get that one peek at her before her arrival.  Speaking of her arrival, they're currently planning to let me go the full 39-40 weeks.  Aaack!  I was hoping to be halfway done today.  Perhaps she'll decide on her own to make her debut closer to 38 weeks.  If you're keeping track, I think the doc only mentioned my age twice today. 

And here's the mama, yesterday evening after teaching (hence the very tired), at 18 weeks, 6 days.  I'm guessing I'm still running about four weeks ahead of my belly size with Zack.  This looks much more like I did at 22-23 weeks last time, even though the baby is measuring a bit smaller! 

Pink or blue?

The big anatomy scan is Thursday, at exactly 19 weeks.  I'm trying hard not to think about the fact that they're really looking to see if anything is scary with the heart, lungs, brain, GI tract, etc.  It's going to be fun!  So is it a boy or a girl?  Let's take a look at some old wives' tales:

1. Carrying high or low?  If low, it's a boy.  This was true with Zack.  Too soon to tell with this one.
2. Beauty stealing?  Acne means a girl.  This was true with Zack -- my skin was flawless.  And it's a mess this time.  Prediction: girl
3. Heart rate?  Over 140, it's a girl.  I feel like Zack's was always higher than this, but I don't have any records.  This baby has definitely been in the 150s.  Prediction: girl
4. Cravings?  Sweets mean a girl.  With both pregnancies, my cravings have been for salt.  But with Zack, I actually had an aversion to sweets.  I am certainly more receptive to sweets this time.  Prediction: unclear
5. Chinese gender predictor.  Zack was predicted to be a girl.  Prediction: boy
6. Mayan gender predictor.  Zack was predicted to be a girl.  Prediction: girl
7. Is the hubster gaining weight?  If so, it's a girl.  He lost weight with Zack.  This time?  Prediction: girl
8. Morning sickness?  The more sick, the more likely to be a girl.  I had it pretty easy with Zack, and it was definitely worse this time.  Prediction: girl

So ... Zack was 5-2 boy (with one no result from the heart rate test).
This one ... 5-1 girl (with two no results).

Any guesses?

I'm starting to feel those fluttery movements -- so exciting!