Week 19

Description (From Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy):
This week your baby's skin becomes coated with a slippery, white, fatty coating called vernix caseosa, or vernix for short. Vernix helps protect your baby's delicate skin, keeping it from becoming chapped or scratched. Under the vernix a fine, down-like hair called lanugo covers your baby's skin.
Your baby's kidneys are developed enough to make urine this week. Your baby's urine is excreted into your amniotic sac, the bag of waters inside your uterus that contains your baby and your amniotic fluid.
Your baby's hearing is now well developed. He or she is probably hearing lots of different sounds, maybe even your conversations. Mom's voice is by far the most prominent in any conversation. If you sing or talk to your baby, it's reasonable to think he or she might notice. It's less clear whether your baby is currently able to recognize particular sounds.
Your baby's brain is developing millions of motor neurons, nerves that help the muscles and brain communicate. As a result, your baby probably is now making conscious muscle movements, such as sucking a thumb or moving his or her head, as well involuntary movements. You may not be able to feel these movements yet. If you haven't, you will soon.

Comments:
Wow! There's a lot going on this week. I'm so excited that baby was able to hear this week. That means he or she got to meet his grandparents, aunt, uncle and nephews! Recently, he or she has probably heard a lot of Christmas carols being sung as well. :)

Total Weight Gain:
2.5 pounds!!! (according to the scale at my brother-in-law's) I'm excited because this is the first week for a positive weight gain!

Maternity Clothes:
I went to a consignment shop in Chapel Hill with my sister-in-law on Saturday and found a great pair of black corduroy pants. So much more comfortable than wearing the bella band...although that still works!

Stretch Marks:
Nope.

Sleep:
Missed my body pillow while we were away from home. So glad to have it back!

Food Cravings:
Cherry 7up...thank you to a wonderful brother-in-law who picked some up for me on Saturday :)
And, on a similar note, I got to have New York style pizza this past weekend!

Movement:
Still nothing yet...anxiously awaiting that first kick...

Gender:
? Only 1 week until our ultrasound!

Belly Button:
No new developments.

Best Moment of the Week:
Taking a nap with my nephew sleeping on my chest and wondering if baby could feel the love too...

What I Miss:
Holding my baby nephew...everyone keeps reminding me that it's only 5 more months until we have a baby of our own, but I still miss him!

Milestones:
Baby's first Christmas...sort of...