week 19 - Pregnant belly

My body:
* my pregnant belly is really showing. I grow rapidly - faster than a baby hamster. Scott went to Sydney for 3 days and when he came back he reckoned I was bigger than last time he saw me.
* Exercise - or just walk for half hour everyday really makes a difference to my posture. If I didn't do it, my back starts to ache and feels very uncomfortable.
* Strectching of the ligaments and little twitches in my tummy carrying on - suspicious that some of the movements were probably baby's but too insensitive to recognise :P.

My baby:
weighs approximately 7 ounces and is about 5.2 to 6 inches from crown to rump. The exterior layers of skin tissue are developing to form her one-of-a-kind fingerprints. The amniotic fluid that surrounds her allows for the free movement of the arms and legs and is also sometimes swallowed to practice digestion.
Her hearing is developing, and she'll be getting used to the sound of your voice. She will also feel your touch when you massage your abdomen. Little peanut now sleeps and wakes at regular intervals and has started to exercise her lungs and practice her breathing techniques.Tiny teeth are also forming in her gums.

She will begin to recognise my voice and may respond to loud noises or music by making jerky movements possibly showing that whatever she is hearing is too loud and frightening.

Sharon took me to see the wedding band viewing. They were playing in the little studio, and the music was blasting from the big speakers around us. I told Sharon my poor bubsie might be frightened and Sharon said it might be triggering her to kick for the first time. Couldn't feel anything :D - maybe she'll grow up to be a rockstar.

The hospital that we have chosen is called Masada - it is not our first priority but the other one was booked out for March delivery. Eeeks...Australia is really short of hospitals and maternity wards and as a consequence if you gave birth in a public hospital they might put you in a room with 5 other mothers (and their babies!). We drove through the hospital in the weekend and it look like a small nice private hospital, so quite happy with it.

So hot today I was like a dog with my tongue hanging from my mouth. Is it just because I am pregnant that it made me more exhausted, I don't really know. Good timing, Linda. By the time summer is here, I will be big and fat, and roasting!!!!
*It will still be a good reason to be roasting though!*

We are still living off the suitcase, except most of my outfits has been outgrown. Hopefully we get our airfreight boxes in a few days (although I doubt that there will be anything that still fits me!).
We spent the weekend looking for houses to rent again, and also looking for a car. We stll haven't had any luck yet - hopefully next weekend.
Mum & Dad and my sister's family are coming over the week after next and stay here for 4 days so the apartment is going to be (more than) a full house!