20 Weeks - HALFWAY!

 Well, we've hit the halfway mark, woohoo!!

There has been significant bump growth this week, as I'm sure you can see. :) I'm not sure how much of it is baby and how much of it is the huge sushi lunch I ate yesterday. (Don't worry, all rolls were baby safe!) Whatever the cause may be, the bump is out there for all to see and I imagine it's now readily apparent that I'm pregnant and not just carrying extra holiday weight. (At least that's my hope!)

 

As exciting as this milestone is, I've been comparing it to making the turn at the Bix. (For those of you who don't know, the Bix is an annual 7-mile road race in Davenport, IA run by about 18,000 people. The course is brutally hilly, starting with Brady Street hill--a hill which is about 1/3 of a mile uphill at a 7-9% grade. Yikes.) Oh, did I mention that the race takes place the last weekend of July? Nothing like a nice run in 100 degree heat (and humidity!) It's pretty much torture, but we do it every year. And we love it.

So, back to my analogy, making the turn at mile 3.5 is wonderful and a great accomplishment--much like hitting the 20 week mark of this pregnancy--but you know the rest is no walk in the park, specifically, mile 5 (my nemesis) or what I'm assuming will be weeks 32 on (it just can't be  comfortable when you have a huge bump coming out of your midsection.) And I'm not even going to go into the whole labor thing, I imagine that will be like mile 5. On repeat. For 500 miles. Times 50000. And then some. 

So, much like during Bix, I am smiling away at the halfway point and excited to hit this milestone. However, I know there will be some grimacing and a few mutters of "Is it over yet?!" and "What did I sign myself up for!?" in my future. BUT, at the end, it is always, always, ALWAYS worth it. And I know this will be, too. Times 500 million. And then some. :)

A little Throwback Thursday to Bix Weekend 2013:

A few of my friends and I ready for a Saturday run. ;)

My running partner, Wendy. (Without her, I'd quit at mile 5.) We finished and were very happy to pose to commemorate that feat.

WE DID IT!! (Elle Woods voice)

Post-race party with Wendy and Maggie! Before we had to bundle up. (I guess we should've seen Polar Vortex coming?!)

Bix 2014 is two months after Louis V is due, hopefully I can partake in the torture fun...but I definitely won't be setting any (good) records.

And to conclude the weekly post, here is the latest round of Q&A:

How far along: 20 weeks! We're at the turn! :)
Baby is the size of a: Banana, yum! He's now over 10 oz and 6.5 " long (head to rump, about 10" when measured head to heel.) He now has working taste buds and is gulping down amniotic fluid daily like his daddy downs OJ (a lot!)

Weight gain: Maybe 10lbs? Yikes.

Maternity clothes: Still not yet. I'm holding out as long as possible (and probably stretching out my normal jeans while doing so, oops.) Long tanks and unbuttoned pants work well together. 

Stretch marks: Nope!

Belly button in or out: In.

Sleep: Sleep is going well for the most part. A few leg cramps (not sure if Louis V is to blame or the three cats sleeping on my legs at night) and a stuffy nose is all, not too much to complain about.

Best moment this week: My parents returned from Vegas, yay!! 

Worst moment this week: -50 degrees. 'Nuf said.

Miss anything: Still missing warm weather, it's really sad when a high of 9 degrees is a "warming trend" and wind chills above 0 are non-existent.

Movement: He's definitely upped his kicking game this week! He likes to kick me in bed in the morning and at night (his way of saying "good morning!" and "good night!" perhaps?) He also kicked me quite a bit Wednesday, maybe he didn't like all the work talk during a long day of meetings?? Probably not that though considering we were talking about trains and he is a Belby boy. :) I'm excited about the increase in movement and even more excited for the time to come when Ian can feel it, too!

Cravings: I cannot get enough of my mom's cornflake treats right now. Other than that, I'm just HUNGRY. A LOT. 

Queasy or sick: Nope, still feeling A-OK for the most part.
Baby items of the week: Baba brought home a few new and adorable outfits from Vegas. :) I seriously just adore the tiny clothes he will be wearing, I can't wait to dress him!

Looking forward to: Seeing my friend, Wendi, FINALLY! Coincidentally, I haven't seen her since Bix weekend!(I just now realized this should go in next week's post since she's coming to town next Friday, but I don't care. I'm excited about it now!)