20 DOWN, 19 TO GO!

I can't even begin to believe I'm in my 20th week of pregnancy and it's halfway over! In 19 weeks, I'll be getting induced and this little angel will be here.. I have a BAD case of baby fever and it's getting worse with every passing week. According to this web page I found on pregnancy.org, here are some new developments for week twenty..

• The babys heart is growing stronger. I should now be able to differentiate her heartbeat from mine if I lay still in a quiet place. (The other night I was watching TV flat on my back and could feel her fast heartbeat in my lower back! I guess she had turned on her stomach to get comfortable!)
• Her legs are reaching their relative size. I should start feeling more than fluttery movements. (Yesterday at her ultrasound she had the hiccups and I could feel each one! I can also feel her kicking and punching, poor Gerry, he is getting frustrated when he misses it)
• This one is so cool: Immunities are being transferred from me to the baby so that she will be protected from any virus I HAVE ALREADY HAD for the first 6 months of her life!
• The nerve cells for taste, smell, hearing, seeing, and touch are now developing in specialized areas of the brain. Production slows down as existing nerve cells grow larger and more complex.
• The baby may startle at loud noises as she can hear sounds outside of the womb. Calming noises she hears during pregnancy will be calming to her after birth.
• Her uterus is starting to develop and she has 6 MILLION eggs in her ovaries! Only 1 million will remain after birth.
  
• And according to the site, she should weigh around 10 ounces and measure somewhere around 7 inches from head to rump! Yet the ultrasound confirmed she weighed in around 12 ounces, only 4 ounces shy of a pound! my little overachiever..

We also got a few new pictures but since Gerard has my printer at the moment, I'll have to scan them later. The technician did a 3D ultrasound for a minute or two and I could kind of see whose features she got. We couldn't make out much of her face because she was hiding behind her hands, but when we did catch a glimpse, she looked more like a little alien.. one with big lips on a big head.. so I'm going to say she looks more like her daddy.. ;)

I have been playing some classical music for her, literally holding the headphones to my stomach.. Lately she kicks the most to Chopin and Bach (She also likes Jason Mraz- I'm Yours, and Kate Nash-Pumpkin Soup, check them out on my playlist); I want her to be as bright as possible.. which got me thinking about the aspirations Gerry and I have for her as she grows up.

1. She MUST play soccer (Gerard's wish, obviously)
   
2. She has to try ballet (Mine)
3. She must try lessons in music, preferably one from the orchestra
4. She can try any sport she wants (As long as it doesn't interfere with soccer season - Gerard)

Shamefully, that's really as far as we've gotten.. We're getting ahead of ourselves I know. Gerard just keeps looking forward to attending her games and I personally can't wait to see what sort of personality she develops. Gerard was a trouble maker, and I was a shy manipulator (a true girl) and I'm sure I deserve to have one JUST like me.. pray for me..

Five months down, only four more to go!!