weeks 17, 18 and 19

19 weeks (today)

18 weeks 2 days

 17 weeks

well, the coolest thing started happening...i started feeling the baby move! At the end of 16 weeks i was pretty sure i was feeling him move, but i had to lay and really concentrate to feel him. some people describe it as a butterfly-like feeling in your stomach, mine kinda felt that way. i would say it was more like little bubbles. so, i had been feeling that for about a week, and finally at the end of the week i figured it must be the baby. i felt little kicks as well, but it's so hard to be sure it's the baby in the beginning! by about half-way through the 17th week, i was positive it was the baby!

the kicks are so fun to feel! sometimes if push on my stomach a little, he'll kick. also, laying on my stomach...almost every time i lay on my stomach, he starts kicking. i don't think he likes it, so i've pretty much stopped laying on my stomach (which is hard because that's my favorite way to sleep)! but even luke can feel the kicks already, and if you watch my stomach while it's happening you can see it moving. You can sometimes tell where the baby is too, just because my stomach will be slightly lopsided.

i also have chloasma, which is not very fun; they call it "the mask of pregnancy." chloasma is when dark patches appear on your skin, usually on your upper lip, cheeks, and forehead...and that's exactly where mine are. it's caused from the extra estrogen and will most likely fade shortly after the baby is born. but they also get darker in the sun...and we are currently living in Hawaii, so that's hard because i want to be in the sun!