Week 20 - Let the game begun

My body:
* We are half way done! Wow! Although from now on tummy will only get bigger and even bigger every day. At these stage (second and third trimester), all the important organs have been developed and baby is mainly growing in size. Which explains a lot why I grew so fast within these past 4 weeks. I started to look pregnant - which I love - except when I feel like I haven't got anything to wear (anymore).
* Heartburn, indigestion, flatulence and bloating come and go as they are pleased. I got hiccups easily after big meal. The growing baby is causing my internal organs to press against my lungs but I have not felt out or short of breath yet.
* Can't get too far from the loo. I need to go approximately every half hour - baby must be pushing my bladder. No matter how much I drink I still have to keep going.
* Backaches - my main complaint nowadays. Apparently the backache is caused by the usually stable joints of the pelvis begin to loosen up to allow easier pasage for the baby at delivery. This, along with the the oversized abdomen, throws the body off balance and to compensate, we tend to bring our shoulders back and arch our neck. It deeply curves lower back, strains back muscles and causes pain.


My baby:
is now about 5.6 to 6.4 inches crown to rump (about 10 inches head to heel) and weighs approximately 9 ounces. He/she is now practicing breathing and swallowing on a regular basis.
His skin is becoming more complex at the end of pregnancy week 20, forming different layers. The epidermis, or surface of his skin now has four layers that contain ridges for fingertips. The layers that form in his palms and feet will provide him with his own unique fingerprint later in life.

About a boy - or a girl?
Tuesday morning we went to get our second ultrasound. This is normally done around the twentieth week and are used to determine the size and position of the fetus, checking anatomy and thorougly examination on the baby. They can uncover any structural abnormalities of bones and organs that are visible by this time.

The most beautiful amazing creature is living in my tummy. It kept moving its hands and feet, but stubbornly not moving its position to make it easier for the sonographer to see the internal organs. All the time its back was against my tummy so the spines was on the way. (Stubborness took after its mummy, possibly).Took awhile to check every organs, but my little one is fine and healthy.

The sonograph asked if we wanted to find out the sex of the baby and we said, "Yes definitely" and the second she said that, I knew what we are going to have.

It is the most amazing experience - even though it was a fifty fifty chance, but when we found out, it's undescribable feeling rushing through my heart (and brain). It was like playing Russian roulette, you know it'd be either red or black but you still wouldn't know which one you'd place the bet on.
It is not a secret but some people prefers not to know our baby's sex - Janelle refused to know while some other (won't name names) probably think the sonographer might as well was wrong, because their guess was wrong.

Now we know the sex of baby, it just became more real. So many things that needed to be think about from now on, the name of the baby to start with. We started throwing names to each other, just to cringe to the other's ideas. Long way to go before we really have to name the baby but I don't think this will be an easy objective to achieve between Scott and I.

Friday 20th October, 2pm.
The second wow of the week: I think bubsie just kicked me!!! Very soft movement in my tummy, it felt more like he had a tiny hiccups in my tummy or maybe a very soft pinch more than anything.
Am sure there will be more coming from now on!

First appointment with the Obstetrician this afternoon. Went very fast (and cost a lot too!). He is not particularly nice or nasty, just very efficient and straight to the point. At least we know he's good, he delivered one of the GP's children (who referred us to him), so we really couldn't get better reference.