16 weeks and counting.

16 weeks this week. Baby Cute is now the size of an avocado. Mmmmm, avocados.

Lots of exciting changes going on inside of me. I definitely started experiencing round ligament pain this week, and some crazy stomach muscle spasms on Tuesday night. I thought perhaps the round ligament pain was the baby moving, but nope. It's a random, dull ache in my groin (I didn't even think women had a groin... Men have groins, women have, you know, lady parts...). The muscle spasms are something that no one told me about pregnancy. Apparently your stomach muscles separate during pregnancy, and those spasms are just the beginning. So many things to learn about how amazing the human body is.... We did not cover this stuff in AP Biology.

I barfed this morning. A warning to myself and others--do not vigorously brush your tongue with the toothbrush after downing several glasses of water throughout the nighttime and morning hours. It is a recipe for disaster. To settle my stomach, I got literally the ONLY non-diet pop available in my entire building--A wild cherry pepsi. It was delicious, although I DEFINITELY got a caffeine buzz. I hope Baby Cute enjoyed it as much as I did.

I got to see my friend and fellow preggo Heather yesterday for the annual PRSSA banquet. We were representin' the IPR Alumni Association. It was very fun to share preggo stories, see the most adorable bedding she picked out for her Baby Boy and see our old professors. The students were significantly more clothed this year than last, and the program went quickly with far fewer "I love you guys" than last year. It was a nice time, and made me wistful about my college days. But only for a minute.

I miss my family, a lot. Good news is that my sister Melanie is interviewing at MSU next week. I will refrain from extolling the benefits of being a Spartan employee and just say I would be so thrilled if she lived close and I could see her more often. Great news is that Melanie and her hubby Rob are going to stay with Dave and I on Thursday night and possibly into the weekend. The best news is that my parents are purportedly coming for dinner on Thursday night. Hooray!

I am going to see one of my bestest buds Anne and her new house in Grand Rapids tomorrow. Otherwise, very few weekend plans. I work on Sunday and plan on doing the full-on switch of winter to spring clothes. With a little luck and a lot of motivation, I will also get a good box going to take to the plus size consignment store next week. I could use a little mad money.

My secretary is convinced I'm having a boy, so I am embracing the thought. Then I saw this adorable baby boy on the cover of the latest issue of Baby Talk. Oh my, yes. I would like a chubby baby boy in jeans with a very round head. That would be an acceptable form of boy.

Here is Baby Cute's status report:

Baby Center: At 4 1/2 inches long (head to bottom) and 3 1/2 ounces, your baby is about the size of an avocado. In the next three weeks, she'll go through a tremendous growth spurt, though, doubling her weight and adding inches to her length. Her lower limbs are much more developed now. Her head is more erect than it has been, and her eyes have moved toward the front of her head. Your baby's ears are close to their final position, too. Some of her more advanced body systems are working, including her circulatory system and urinary tract. Her heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, circulating her total blood volume through her body many times. (By the end of your pregnancy, this will increase to about 190 quarts.) The patterning of her scalp has begun, though her hair isn't recognizable yet. Although closed, her eyes are moving (slowly), and she's even started growing toenails.
Babygaga: Over the past three weeks your astounding growing baby has managed to stretch yet another 2 full inches (totaling about 4.5”) and weighs around 3.5 ounces. That’s pretty serious growth, and with it comes several physical developments! For starters, their head to body ratio is finally starting to even out a bit as the rest of the body is actually growing faster than the head at this point. Finally, your little light bulb is not so top-heavy. Their adorable little limbs have lengthened, almost reaching their normal proportions which they will have at birth. Their eyes are still closed but moving now and if you had an ultrasound, which many doctors recommend you have at about this time, you may even see your little one sucking on a thumb, not to mention the necessary signifier to let you know whether you’ve got a wee lad or lassie.