18 weeks

HAPPY LABOR DAY! Baby, daddy, and I spent a much-needed long weekend in Peoria, IL, partaking in pre-wedding festivities for our college friends, Allison & Doug! Tom and I were so excited to finally "introduce" Baby L to its Butler Aunties and Uncle! The bridal shower/bachelorette party day was a raging success (despite a vomiting relapse the morning of [sigh]), and the mini college reunion the day after was just what the doctor ordered. 

 

Baby Leschke is growing fast, already measuring around 5 ½ inches long and weighing in around 7 ounces. S/he is about the size of a bell pepper and is mastering the arts of hiccupping and yawning. S/he is growing ever-more unique, with his/her own set of fingerprints on his/her tiny fingers and toes! And while I can’t feel the movements consistently yet, Baby is twisting, rolling, punching, and kicking more than ever.

This is the first week I’ve really started to “feel pregnant.” My baby belly seems to have “popped,” and I’m looking more expectant and less like I just ate a few too many cookies. Consequently, my center of balance is slightly off, and I’m feeling a little clumsier on my feet. I also get faintly dizzy every time I stand up quickly and am having more trouble finding a relaxing position to sleep. Strangest of all, my pre-pregnancy pants are no longer comfortably accommodating Little L, so I’ve graduated to mostly belly bands and even a few demi panel pants. I thought the transition would be defeating, but so far the relief has outweighed the humiliation. Turns out liberation knows no shame.

The pregnancy also seems to be much more “real” to Tom now. Whether it be the increasingly visible evidence of Baby or the looming reality of being almost halfway to d-day, I’ve been getting lots more belly rubs, help around the house, and special treatment. I even woke up this morning to a beautiful fresh bouquet of flowers and warm donuts. While the extra attention is more than welcome, what warms my heart the most is the increased excitement in his voice when talking to people about our newest addition and his tendency to use inclusive terminology when referring to the pregnancy (“we’re pregnant,” “our doctor’s appointment,” “we are 18 weeks along now,” etc.). It reminds me that we are truly experiencing this together. Or, as Tom told me at the very beginning, “I’m in this with you 110%.” I’m one lucky girl.