22 Weeks Pregnant

During the first trimester, the days and weeks felt so long--now, it feels like time has really sped up! Baby is now 8 inches long and weighs 1 pound. I'm glad we're beyond measuring in just ounces--it seems more substantial to use pounds (the metric system doesn't give me the same satisfaction...baby is still less than half of a kilogram). According to my various websites & books, baby now has hair, eyebrows and eyelashes but the hair doesn't have pigment yet. Freaky!

I'm looking and feeling more obviously pregnant these days. When I find something in my closet that doesn't fit anymore, I pack it away in my seasonal clothing storage--if it doesn't fit now, it won't fit any time between now and post-baby! I've completely embraced my maternity wardrobe and I love it. My waist has always been my problem area--when jeans fit me at the waist, they're too big on the legs/hips--so maternity jeans are the best fitting jeans I've ever owned. The maternity tights I bought at Target are the most comfortable pantyhose I've ever worn, and this week I bought a maternity swimsuit and a body pillow from Mothercare. I should be all set now, but I'll still keep an eye on the clearance maternity at H&M and New Look.

We're starting to think that the baby gets woken up by me laughing or singing. A week or so ago, Richard was able to feel the baby move for the first time, one night after dinner when we were watching "Take Me Out" (it's a dating show, and the host Paddy McGuinness cracks me up). The baby was going nuts and it was so great that Richard was finally able to feel it, too. The baby moved a lot last Sunday at church, too, so I think it must have been woken up by all of the singing (sitting quietly between hymns would give me a chance to notice the movement, of course, too). Now that baby can hear music, I've been playing Beatles songs while I work at home--gotta start 'em young!