WEEK 17!!

Your baby is practicing sucking and swallowing as she gets ready for the real thing: a breast or bottle! As for Mom, you may be warding off some unwanted belly touching.

Now that you're starting to show, chances are that friends, coworkers, and even strangers may feel the urge to reach out and touch your belly. If you don't mind, that's fine. But if you do, speak up kindly but firmly. More new developments with your body: a greater sensitivity to allergens these days - totally normal. What's up with your baby? She's about the size of your palm, weighs about five ounces, and she's developing some body fat (join the club baby!). Her heart is now regulated by her brain (no more random beats) to beat 140 to 150 times per minute -- about twice as fast as yours!!

Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints.

WOW!! 17 weeks....it just seems insane! We went to the doctor this past Tuesday, and heard a LOUD and very strong heartbeat. :) It is always so much fun to get to hear the baby. Makes me want to go out and buy one of those devices that you strap to your belly so you can listen to them anytime you want to....I won't....but I really want to. :) ha! Well, nothing really new this week....below are my stats!

HOW FAR ALONG: 17 weeks tomorrow!

TOTAL WEIGHT GAIN/LOSS: As of Tuesday + 5lbs

MATERNITY CLOTHES: Well...I wore a pair of my regular pants that I've been able to wear the past few weeks this week, and by the time I got home I couldn't feel my legs because they were cutting off my circulation! I didn't even make it into the house with the pants on...well I mean I made it into the laundry room. :) I'll be going out this weekend to buy myself some new clothes.

STRETCH MARKS: Nothing new...thank goodness. :)

SLEEP: Well, I did sleep straight through the night twice this week! So, that was a huge accomplishment, but of course the second I said something to someone about it I was up like 8 times the next night. :(

BEST MOMENT LAST WEEK: Getting to hear my little baby's heartbeat again. It is just the most thrilling thing. I cannot wait until the 30th so we can find out if it's a boy or a girl!!

MOVEMENT: None so far...that I'm feeling anyway...anxiously awaiting the moment when I can feel all the squirming around. :)

FOOD CRAVINGS: Cheese Balls. It's Bizarre...I told hubby that I might die in the middle of Sam's if we didn't get the monstrous tub of Cheese Balls.

GENDER: March 30th!! 11:30am :) Although, I have decided to think boy, and hubby thinks girl...we shall see!

LABOR SIGNS: None thank goodness.

BELLY BUTTON IN OR OUT: In

WHAT I MISS: Sleeping through the night more often than I do...or at least if I wake up rolling right over and falling back to sleep. None of this peeing 80 million times throughout the night, or once I wake up not being able to fall back asleep.

WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: MARCH 30 @ 11:30AM!!! I absolutely cannot wait.

MILESTONES: Now I'm into maternity only pants....lord....