I've got it......  PICKLES!!!  All of a sudden, I can't get enough of them.  I ate almost an entire jar on Sunday and have now started on a second.  Mmmmm..

Off to get more pickles!  (Hey, at least I'm not eating them with ice cream!)

Is this getting monotonous to anyone else?  :)

Here's what babycenter said this week:  Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

The baby is getting so big!!  It's exciting to think about... but it also explains why I've been feeling him move more lately.  Still not a lot, but I've felt the fluttering about once a day for the last 3-4 days now.  It feels like bubbles, or even like someone is rubbing their finger along the inside of my stomach.

We bought paint on Monday so Brandon's hoping to get started on that this weekend.. at least the priming!  I also picked out a crib I like, so I'm going to start saving for that.  AND I already know which bedding set I want for either sex, so as soon as we know, we can go get it!  haha

I think Brandon is getting more and more excited, too.  He rubs my ever protruding belly all the time... and he tells me I'm cute, so that's a bonus!  :)

My sciatica is still horrible!  I can hardly walk today.  I think I'll make a chiropractic appointment.  Kaiser doesn't cover it, so I guess that's another cost I'll have to suck up.

I'm hungry ALL THE TIME!!!!  It's insane... I can't quite get used to the idea that it's ok to eat so much - but then again, maybe it isn't.  I'm pretty sure I've gained even more weight this week... should be interesting at the next appt to see where I'm at.  I called Dr. Healy's office today (that's who delivered Kenna) to see if I could get my weight chart from that pregnancy so I can compare and try not to gain that much, but it's been too long and it's in storage.

Also, we changed the ultrasound from the 11th to the 12th ... so 2 weeks from yesterday.. yay!!!  I'll also take another picture that day so everyone can see my belly.

Here's my baby this week: http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-16-weeks

And this is what Baby Center said this week:  Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too.  Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length .

I'm so excited to feel the baby move some more in a few weeks.  Hopefully within the next 2-4 weeks it will be pretty active in there  :)  I'm so anxious for more milestones to happen.. right now I just kind of feel "inbetween".  Overall this is going by pretty fast though... I was just thinking today that in another month I'll already be 1/2 way there!!

I've really struggled this week with feeling fat.  I've only gained about 4 lbs, which is good at this point of my pregnancy.  I can still wear my pants - I just can't do them up, thank goodness for Bella Bands!!  :)  It's my shirts that I feel self concious in.  I lost 40 lbs pre-pregnancy and therefore am in smaller clothes.  Well, I feel like those are hugging my bulging belly too tight, yet the bigger shirts still feel too big, and I feel slothfull and gross when I wear those.  So I'm kind of just in limbo right now.  I hope this passes soon.

I'm still having a lot of headaches.  And this week I've woken up with a neckache every morning.  That's no fun.  Tylenol is my friend.  I'm starting to wonder if these head/neckaches may be allergies.  So, I think tonight I'll try some claritin and see if that helps.

I went yesterday for the blood work for genetic testing.  There are 2 tests, but we're only doing the one that's covered by insurance.  It will test for Downs Syndrome and maybe some other things, I can't remember... (I cant' remember A LOT these days!!)  I got to hear the heartbeat again so that was good.  I never ceases to amaze me that there's a little life going on in there!  Wow.

20 more days until we'll find out what it is!!!

Wow... 15 weeks already!!  175 days to go....

I'm still on cloud 9 from feeling the baby for the first time yesterday.  As excited as I am for the baby to get a bit bigger so that others can feel it kick, I'm really cherishing the fact that I'm the only one who can feel the movements right now.  I feel like I'm already bonding!

Here's what Baby Center had to say this week: Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). 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.

I totally want to try the flashlight thing and see if I can feel the baby move.  I doubt it.  I'm thinking yesterday was a one-time thing for a few more weeks.  Only time will tell  :)

Symptoms......   I'm slowly getting energy back.  I actually cleaned the house last Saturday and lived to tell about it!  I still get headaches often, and my back has really been hurting lately.  And about 3-4 days ago my sciatic nerve pain really kicked in.  From what I hear this will go away once my uterus moves more North, but right now it's getting bigger and is still pretty low, so it's resting on that nerve.  It sucks.  I'm really hoping that when the baby gets bigger this pain won't come back.  I've been limping around for days, it's no fun!

Kenna loves to rub my growing belly - and point out to everyone else, "Look, my mom is showing!!"  Awwww, cute, right?  Yeah - unless it's YOUR belly she's pointing at  :)

I've really been thinking this week about trying a natural/water birth in the hospital.  I'm still researching and will ask more questions when we tour the hospital in a few months, but I'd really like to try it, I think.  My intent is to start exercising and toning to be in better shape for delivery.  Even if I don't do it natural, that can only help, right?