Week 21 :)

I have to say these weeks are going pretty darn fast!

What week 21 has meant for me:

• Unfortunately, persistent nausea/dry-heaving/etc. in the morning.  Gross. :(
• I can feel baby Grace moving more and more - I'm noticing sometimes it's a distinct "ping" or kick, sometimes it's a feeling like I'm on a roller coaster ride, and sometimes it feels like she curls up in a ball and there is just a weird lump in my tum.  :)
• Got to see the quilt Vicki and Danielle are making for Grace - wow, it is turning out CUTE!!! :)
• Got to work on baby registries - even visited Babies 'R Us - that store is FUN but GINORMOUS!!! :)  
• Blake has been a STAR - between getting everything out of the nursery-formerly-known-as-guestroom, to working on our water-damaged wall to prep for paint, to helping me pick a paint color, to rubbing my feet, to taking allergy pills so we could watch the Superbowl at my grandparents' house - he is really stepping up and making things easier.  Hooray for Blake! :)
• My cubicle was reconfigured and my boss and co-workers graciously helped me move everything out and back in - it is so much more organized and functional - I'm feeling very lucky! :)
• Did I mention BANANAS ROCK - my foot does so much better when I eat one a day! :)
• I've started to LOVE listening to classical music on the way home.  That and talk radio.  Weird, but it's pretty relaxing and lovely! :)
• My Dad gave us another cute toy - it's called "Twinkle, twinkle, little Violet" - a sweet little stuffed animal puppy who has a moon pillow and little blanket - the moon lights up when you activate it and the toy plays nature sounds, lullabies, little rhymes to help learn to count, etc.  Cool. :)

As you can see, the ":)"s are more plentiful than the ":(" - hooray!

In terms of baby development, from http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-21-weeks_1110.bc?read_more=1&scid=mbtw_preg21:1025&pe=2UvuHCR&st=MjAxMTAyMDc=:

"Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

See what your baby looks like this week."

The website also says I should be feeling pretty good - which is certainly true... sometimes!!!  If only the nausea in the morning would go away... it also talked a lot about sex (!)  Well that's just a bit too personal to include here, don't you think?!! ;)

On http://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy/week/article/21st-week-pregnancy-pg3#bm6 - I thought the "For Your Partner" was helpful this week so am including it.  Hopefully nothing will go wrong, but it's good to be aware of what to do if so!

"When Something Goes Wrong

Lugging an extra 10 to 20 pounds or more can be terribly exhausting for some pregnant women. Combine that weight with the rigors of day-to-day life, and your spouse's body is now working harder than it ever has before to simply walk from the car to the front door, up and down stairs at the office, or around the grocery aisles. The truth is, pregnancy affects every woman differently, and it is hard—if not impossible—to determine how it is going to affect your partner. If your spouse begins to feel ill at this point in her pregnancy, experiences complications, or is ordered onto partial or complete bed rest, it becomes your job to do everything in your power to help her. 

When the unplanned occurs during pregnancy, it is stressful for both you and your spouse. In order to help her, you'll need to be as flexible and creative as possible. She may need to have more food or water with her wherever she goes (equipping her with a Camelbak or other low-weight, ergonomic water carrier can be key). She may need to remain lying down as much as possible (try rearranging areas in your home so she is never far from anything she needs). You can help by setting up a little snack and water tray by the bed or couch. Get her good books to read, videos to watch, or music to listen to. 

Remember, taking care of your partner gives her a better chance of carrying to full-term and delivering a healthy baby for you both. 

But to take care of yourself, you'll also need to think creatively. You can't afford to be overwhelmed by stress but like many expecting dads, the added stress and worry affects you, too, and you don't want to burden your partner more than she already is. Yet it is extremely important that you find some way to manage your increased stress. Try talking to friends and family, seek out the advice of fathers who have already been through this. Check out resources on the Web to help you feel more connected, less isolated, less alone. 

When things get tough, it is even more important that you two find special time together, time where you can push aside the stress and anxiety and remember that it was the love you two have for each other that brought you here today, that your love for each other, your ability to communicate, to share, to love will be what helps you both get through all of this together."

OK I'm totally zonked so that is it for now - on to week 22 starting tomorrow!  Hopefully I'll get the momentum to have Blake take another belly pic - we're a little behind there!!!

Have a super day! :)