Fifteen Weeks

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Week Fifteen! Firmly in the second trimester! And wouldn't you know it, I think I've got the beginnings of a real baby bump. Not just my normal chub or my first tri bloat, but a firm, round belly. I actually wore maternity pants to work yesterday (boy were they comfy) despite having some room to grow (not only in the tummy, but the rear too). Because I am big girl to begin with I still think it will be several weeks before I am at the stage where I look obviously pregnant to a complete stranger. It's interesting, because having been plus sized for the past 20+ years, I have always been self-conscious about my tummy. I am lucky that I carry my weight evenly distributed and am hour-glass shape, meaning my boobs and hips are always larger than my waist. So it's weird to me that by belly is protruding past my bust line (no small feat for these DDD's!) I am just so glad that I have a real reason that it's sticking out (besides having too much dessert).

Mr. Divasaur and I get to see the Little Being on Thursday afternoon. I'll have an u/s and blood drawn for the Triple Screen Test. Then I will have to talk some sense into myself until I receive the results. It's odd, but I have been blissfully ignorant about all the "could-be's" for several weeks now and I kind of like it.

Last weekend I picked up a copy of Baby Bargains and started researching our options on baby gear. Boy is that overwhelming or what? So many choices and options and opinions. We're going to start with the big three -- crib, car seat and stroller -- and take it from there. I also need to start educating myself about cloth diapering, since we plan to CD at least when we're home. Since the Little Being will be in daycare at least two days/week, I know we'll probably have to use disposable diapers for those days and with the traveling I have in our baby's first year, we'll probably use disposable for those trips too. I don't know for certain yet, I've gotta do my research. Thankfully my best friend has a soon-to-be one year old (my godson) who she CD'd primarily and DD'd when they traveled (the little guy has been to three foreign countries and all across the US in his first year of life!) so I plan to pick her brain too.

I've also contacted about a dozen doulas in our area to see if they're available next February. Sadly, about half have replied that they are not available. Boo! I really would like to have a doula assist me with laboring at home so I don't feel the need to rush right to the hospital before I am really entering active labor. I hope that I find someone who can be there for us.

And finally, with school back in session, Mr. Divasaur and I plan to attend three open houses for local private schools that we're interested in exploring for our Little Being. They all have pre-school programs and even take babies as young as 6 weeks. I will be returning to work at 12 weeks and the Little One will be home with daddy three days a week but he has school full time twice a week so we need daycare for those two days. We're hoping one of these preschool programs will be great for that and a place our baby can grow and eventually attend kindergarten and elementary school.

Whew! It's a busy job preparing for baby's arrival! Baby is working hard too...growing bigger and bigger each day. According to BabyCenter, here's what's up this week:

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Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces. She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")