How long does a Sweet Potato grow? 18 WEEKS!

Let's see if we can do this at 40 weeks!

Along: 18 weeks!

Size: Little Luda is the size of a Sweet Potato coming in at 5.6 in long and weighing 6.7 oz. Many of the baby's bones are starting to harden and among the first is the inner ear, which is why our Nugget might be able to hear sounds such as my heart beating or my tummy growling.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: My guess would be that I've gained a total of 5 pounds since the beginning of my pregnancy. They'd like me to gain 1 pound a week from here on out, so we'll see how that goes!

Maternity Clothes: I'm sure I'm going to have to get a wardrobe of maternity clothes eventually, but for now I'm still able to wear most of my normal clothes. My mom did buy me a maternity top while I was at home over the holiday. I'm thinking that if I slowly collect the wardrobe it will be fully stocked for when it's time to bust it out.

Gender: It's a SURPRISE!! I love playing the guessing game and despite my baby boy dreams, I'm still thinking that I have a little girl growing in my belly!

Movement: Still feeling the flutters here and there, waiting for the big time movement to start.

Sleep: I started putting a pillow on my side to try and keep me from rolling onto my belly and it seems to be helping. I was able to have a few nights with at least 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep, so I'm thankful for that!

Cravings: This week my favorites our BBQ chips, strawberries, cold milk (chocolate or white) and french fries. (We made a fast food run last night and it was glorious. I got a milkshake to dip my fries in, which is what I normally would do and I couldn't even get half way through the milk shake. It was too sweet and I just wanted the salty, fried goodness.)

Symptoms: I'm feeling more achy after long nights at work and exercise and I've started to get cramps in my legs during the night. The heartburn continues, but it's nothing a few tums can't handle and I've developed some round ligament pain. Other than that I really can't complain. I know that every symptom is just a sign of a healthy growing baby and I love it!

What I'm Thankful For: This may seem silly, but I'm thankful that I'm loving my new body. As my body grows and as the baby grows, I feel pretty. It might help that I have a sweet Hubby who also loves my growing bump.

Best Moment of the Week: We've decided on a baby boy and baby girl name...although we aren't going to share them! We've had a baby girl name picked out for a while, but the boy name has been much more difficult. Here's to hoping that I don't change my mind for the 100th time!