18 Weeks

So I'm back at school again, and of course on my first day there were major thunderstorms in Chicago.  So bad that the tornado sirens started going off right as I was about to walk out the door.  Then the hail started, giant balls of ice pounding our window.  Well, well maybe giant-pea sized balls of ice.  But still scary.  Henry ended up having to drive me to Evanston which was a good thing because the lightening was striking so close to the car I'm sure had I been driving I would have flipped out and then spun out.  This weekend Henry went to the Family Law Institute here in Chicago.  He learned a lot and it was definitely time well spent.  But now it's back to studying full time and trying to keep the cats from turning him into a permanent pillow.

• What's the Baby Doing?:  This week the bones are beginning to harden (ossification).  The bones in the legs and inner ear are the first to ossify.  Now that the bones in the ear are developed enough to function, and the nerve endings from the brain to the ear are connected, the baby can now hear!  S/he may even be startled by loud noises.  The baby can now also swallow and is swallowing a fair amount of amniotic fluid every day.
• Total Weight Gain:  Big week!  I gained 1.5 pounds this week, which means I've made up for the slow gain in the previous weeks.  I'm supposed to gain 1 pound per week from now until the end of the pregnancy so I am now back on track.

• Showing?:  Wow, it's hard for me to tell the difference from one day to the next, but by the pictures it looks like it's getting bigger.  Right??

• Symptoms:  Lots of pulling low down on my sides this week, and pressure on my lower stomach area.  I'm assuming round ligament pain.  Also the cats are mysteriously passing over Henry to come cuddle with me.  It really started to freak me out because usually they won't even stay in the room with me unless Henry is there too.  The one exception was when I was stuck in bed with the tumor.  But even then, they weren't super cuddly, just wanting to be near by.  But today both cats have climbed up and slept on my lap.  Gosh, maybe I'm dying...
• Sleep:  Slept through the night twice this week!  Which was great because the other nights, right after I get back to bed from nightly wake-up, Dante decides it would be a good time to curl up next to me and purr like a motorboat.  Try getting back to sleep with a 20 lb (yes 20) cat purring in your face.
• Movement: Still not a lot of movement this week.  Felt a little this evening, but nothing like we felt a couple weeks ago.
• Best Moment of the Week:  Another Key Lime pie best moment!  When I heard that Henry's group at the Family Law Institute were going to Joe's Stone Crab for dinner I was insanely jealous because not only do they have delicious crab but they have the best (barring Henry's homemade) Key Lime pie in the universe.  So when I go to pick up Henry after his dinner, he had a huge bag with him.  He had ordered a bunch of crab claws and a whole Key Lime pie to go just for me!  Best husband ever!!!
• What I Miss: Not missing much this week.  I have felt a desire for diet coke this week and did break down and have one.  The caffeine is not such a big deal, but I'd rather not be drinking all the fake sweeteners right now.
• What I'm Looking Forward To:  Well, it would be nice if it was November already.
• Milestones:  The baby can hear!  Time to break out the Mozart!

Okay, no big parting remarks today, Deadliest Catch is on and I've got a baby blanket to finish...