WEEK 18

ok so technically as of today I'm a full 19 weeks, but I wanted to post the cool developments of week 18! :) I did some fun things while 18 weeks pregnant and I am sooo glad I did! I went on a medieval camping trip (Lonely Mountain-SCA event) last weekend and it was a blast!!!! I bellydanced at least a few hours each night and the baby LOVED it! She would "dance" with me, when I did a maya hip roll to the left, she'd roll right.. when I did it to the right, she'd roll left... over and over, like a game! Also found out if I did belly drops, she'd kick on the second one, in time with me, every time! hee hee.. everyone was joking that she's gonna come out wearing a jingly belt and shimmying lol. I also started my new job last week. I love it! I'm now working at Encantado Resort in NM. A VERY high end resort that truly captures the essense of fine customer service, which is what I love! My co-workers are fantastic and all are excited about the baby too. Then only draw back is that I'm on my feet 8 hours a day. Which is having some fun side effects...aka.. severe ankle swelling. I get home and I don't have ankles.. I have cankles. So swollen that it kind of looks like my ankles/feet are made out of that fake rubber stuff. But hey, if that's the only "bad" pregnancy thing I get, I'm set!!! Switching shoes today helped so we'll see how it goes.

Anyway, "she" continues to get really strong every day, you can often watch her kicking now, not just feel it. Still everytime she moves/kicks it amazes me. Everytime. To think that I have a whole other person inside me, who is building her likes,dislikes, personality... what a trip!!

ok, enough ramble.. on to the stuff you guys read this for: the updates:

*grown up enough to yawn when feeling tired of moving around
*6" long from head to butt!!! aahhh getting big!
*weighs about 1/2 a pound now! WOW! lol, ok so that's only 8oz.. but still...
*body is covered with lanugo—soft hairs and covered in vernix, a white, cheesy "cream" that protects her skin from the long bath in amniotic fluid

by now all the organs are of course doing most of their own work as they have been so that's not new.. She's just getting bigger and stronger! :)

post more later today with the CURRENT WEEK 19 UPDATES AND PICS!