bébé numéro deux | 19 weeks

progress & countdown: 19 weeks down & 147 days to go!

baby size: an heirloom tomato

food & drink: smoothies have been very tasty lately. i love fruit but downing a whole bowl of it is a bit intense these days. the growing ball of baby makes my stomach not so excited about filling it to the brim with food... so, smoothies! i have been tossing some blueberries and cherries into the blender with some coconut milk and flax milk and my protein plus some cacao and whatever superfoods i have in the pantry. yum. i have been snacking on nuts and veggies and hummus and kombucha and lunch seems to be all about the massive chopped salad with all the veggies i can find. officially obsessed with chopped salads these days. with lots of herbs and vinegar and oil and preferably some olives and feta. so, greek chopped salad. minus any tomatoes or cucumbers. now dinner, dinner has been tricky. i meal plan for the week but then have some crazy idea about tacos on a wednesday night. (p.s. i want mexican food like, every single day) so, i have been a bit more flexible with the planning. a nice mix of planned meals and a few nights that are more spontaneous. whether it is just a last minute trip to whole foods or a dinner out as a family, this approach seems to be working right now. structure plus spontaneity.

bump stuff: that itty bitty bump is growing! such fun. i can see a little ball of baby whenever i am on my back and after a nice meal, the bump pops out quite nicely (perfect timing for bump shots). and those movements are getting MUCH stronger. i'm sure that it is only a matter of days now before ben can feel them too. the flutters are definitely becoming distinct movements and punches and kicks. it still surprises me when i feel them and i can't wait for others (a few choice others...i am not talking to you, random creeper hippie dude in whole foods...) to get to feel the baby wiggle and dance and karate kick too!

highs: celebrating ben's birthday for a solid three days + seeing the bump really start to take shape + laughing at elinor's new phrase, "oooooh. my." complete with dramatic pause and all. hilarious stuff. + getting new iPhones to replace our relics and doing a major storage upgrade for new bump and baby pics!

lows: not really any lows to report and i will take it! 

new developments: baby's sensory development is exploding! his/her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. some research suggest that your baby may be able to hear mama's voice now so it looks like my morning reading time with elinor is doing some double-duty now! baby weighs roughly 8.5 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom. the arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of the body now. baby's kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on his/her scalp is sprouting. and the waxy vernix coating on baby's skin to protect it from pickling in the amniotic fluid is forming.

meaningful moments & hormones & feelings: overall, i am feeling really good. more energy and building excitement and happy times. i am getting ready for a baby growth spurt and feeling more and more pregnant which is so cool. trying to enjoy this bliss period before i become antsy and ready for baby to just get here already!

superficial stuff: my skin has been extra dry. a mix of outdoor time and wind and cold air and i'm sure, hormones. so, if you need me, i will be coating myself in all the lotion.

looking forward to: our ultrasound appointment today. tonight. mere hours from now. we get to peek at baby and make sure that everything looks healthy. your prayers are appreciated. i always get a tad nervous before ultrasounds...and for some reason, i am feeling the nerves more this time than last. AND, AND! we are also hoping that we will get to find out the gender. any guesses? crazy that we are almost half-way now. crazy that we might know boy or girl so so soon. i love being able to pray by name for him or her (oh yeah, gotta figure out the name thing...) and plan out a dreamy space for our little one to enjoy.