20 weeks and counting! (and counting and counting)

I'm a little shocked at how long its been since I posted anything new! I guess it doesn't help that I was without internet for almost 2 months, but none the less its been a fabulous 10 1/2 weeks since I posted last!
To get up to date, I'm an 20 weeks and 3 days pregnant today, over half way!
I'm finding now that I'm half way I am starting to count the days down more, which in return makes the weeks seem to go by slower! But hopefully the next 20 weeks will go by as fast as the 1st 20 did! (not likely!)

So since I blogged last I had a few Dr's appointments and an ultrasound!  But to go in order, my 15 week Dr's appointment went pretty well, my uterus was measuring where it should be BUT my doctor tried to find a heartbeat with the Doppler and found nothing, on top of that I had only gained 2 pounds the entire pregnancy. So needless to say I was a little nervous after that and prayed a TON that our baby was indeed alive and just hiding from the doppler.
   A month went past and at my 19-20 weeks appointment I was super nervous about hearing the heartbeat and had almost everyone I know praying I would hear it sure enough the second my Dr put the little wand to my belly I heard it!
The most beautiful sound I have heard in my life to date!  I cried the entire way home in awe of the fact that there was a little person inside of me and God really was watching over us and protecting it.
  This was the first moment I felt like maybe my baby would live to see my face and maybe I could stop worrying every minute if it was alive or not. Plus the scale showed I had gained 6 more pounds putting me at gaining 8 in total which was still on the low end but on the low end of normal!

Two days later it was time for my half way ultrasound!  I was more excited then worlds could describe to see my baby's tiny features and to find out the gender! I again cried the entire session just staring at the screen then to Justin and back again trying to soak in what I was seeing and feeling as a mother and as a wife watching her husband studying the tiny life on the screen that we had made together.
And as we had hoped and prayed for we found out who that tiny baby inside of me was! The bonding that happened the second I found out was amazing, just knowing who it was and calling it by name, being able to imagine the way s/he would look someday. AMAZING!
We decided however to keep it a secret, just to add a little fun to the baby's birth and to not show all the cards at one time.. We wanted to make the coming of the baby as special and exciting as we could!

Our sweet little thumb sucker, we could have watched our baby for hours!

As for me, my morning sickness finally fully went away (or so it seems) at around 17 weeks, it eased off at 12 but was still there making its presence known for a while after.  My back has never stopped hurting since week 4, although some days its worse then others. I had a brad new experience when heartburn came into the picture at around 18 weeks, I had never had it my entire life so I was actually excited when it came feeling more "pregnant" then ever!
Some of the more exciting symptoms, I felt my baby move for the 1st time at 16 weeks 6 days! To me it felt like someone swishing their arms underwater making bubbles inside of me. It didn't feel like this "butterfly" sensation so I guess it goes to show that it is true, every pregnancy is different!  At around 18 weeks the movements became more of what felt like a tiny punch or kick in the lowest part of my stomach, which is happening nearly every evening since!

I think its safe to say I'm showing now! I feel huge and sleep is getting harder to come by especially to get find a comfortable position!  My favorite new thing however is when people who hadn't previously known I was pregnant stop me on the street or in stores to ask me if I am!  I must be looking as big as I feel for a change!

This was a little more "news lettery" then I had wanted but so much has changed and God has blessed us in so many ways these past 5 months that I wanted to fit it all in! Hopefully I wont go so long in between blogs next time, but who knows maybe by the time I get around to it again I will only be weeks away from having our baby! ( but hopefully not!)

me at 10 weeks! Which was the last time I blogged.    

Me today at 20 weeks 3 days!