Goodbye Week 18, Hello Week 19!

Week 18 started off a little crazy when I suddenly developed a mysterious rash! I woke up one morning soon after my return home from PEI. As I walked to the toilet, I glanced at myself in the mirror and saw spots all over my face. Now, I was still half asleep so I assumed I was imagining things, so I wet my face, dried it with a towel and peered closer into the mirror. The spots were still there! I think I went into shock... I ran back into the bedroom and woke Chris up, crying about my face. Even through his sleep filled eyes he could see the red little bumps that spread across my face and down my neck. They weren't itchy really, nor were they sore (that came later). They were just red and almost pimple like. Chris calmed me by assuring me that they would soon fade as the day went on, and that maybe I had them because I had fallen asleep with my head at the foot of the bed, resting my face on a woolen blanket. I hoped he was right and spent most of my morning trying to camouflage the spots with many layers and shades of concealer, foundation and powder. When we got home later that night, I washed my face with a gentle soap and noticed that my skin was beginning to hurt. I looked in the mirror again and saw that the spots had grown and begun clustering together, especially around my eyes. I felt like crying. I have had a bad rash in the past, and it was not an experience I wanted to relive again.

Chris took me the next day to the pharmacist, and then because I wanted a second opinion, the walk in clinic. No one knew what had caused this rash...perhaps is was an allergy, perhaps it was hormonal... I couldn't live with this diagnosis, so I went with my mother and snuck into my doctor's office. She looked at my skin and shrugged her shoulders. "It could be an allergic reaction to something...contact dermatitis. Or, it could be hormonal, though I would think it's more likely to be an allergic reaction." She told me that when you are pregnant, your skin tends to be over-dramatic and that if I wasn't pregnant, most likely I wouldn't even notice the irritation on my skin. Just what I need, my skin behaving like a diva! I had to go without makeup for a few days (which is very difficult for me) and happily saw my skin return to normal. I will be avoiding wool this winter though...just in case. ;)

During week 18, Muppet was the length of a large bell pepper. I am supposed to eat lots of bell peppers, especially red ones as they are great for providing vitamin c, which a pregnant body needs. Some major developments are that the baby's ears have finally moved into their final position (though they may stick out a little still), and that the baby's sexual organs are pretty much developed. If Muppet is a girl, the uterus and fallopian tubes are formed, and if Muppet is a boy, then his genitals are now noticeable and should show up on an ultrasound..if he's not shy.

This week is week 19 and Muppet is the size of a large heirloom tomato! Yum! I love tomatoes!! I really love tomatoes on my grilled cheese sandwiches...Mmmm... This week, Muppet's limbs are finally proportionate to it's body. It also has hair beginning to sprout from it's head! Since it's Chris' child, it'll probably be born with so much hair, it'll look like an ape child. That would explain my bad heartburn too... ;) At the moment, the baby is starting to get covered in a layer of vernix caseosa, a protective layer that keeps the baby from pruning up from living in amniotic fluid for so long. If the baby wasn't covered in it, it would look like it fallen asleep in a bathtub for 9 months. Just writing about pruning up makes my fingers feel all funny. Yech!

Baby Bump!
Seriously, my stomach is huge! It seemed to just grow overnight! It is now noticeable to everyone and I just love it! I could rub my tummy all day! :) I'm still feeling slight flutters, mostly on the left side still, but am now anxious to feel the more intense kicks and punches as I really want to share this experience with Chris.

Another thing I've noticed is how much my belly button is flattening out. It's a little creepy to be able to see the inside of it. At least I can see it's clean! ;)

My nails are growing like crazy, so I have to keep cutting them as I'm a fan of shorter nails, and I'm starting to get leg cramps and spider veins! Ew!

One thing Chris and I have been thinking about is how much the baby can hear at the moment. I watch so much Sci-Fi, especially Stargate and Doctor Who that we're concerned the baby will think that Jack O'Neill or The Doctor is the father... ;) Lucky baby! :)

I have a prenatal appointment tomorrow, and an ultrasound on Friday, so I'll post an update later this week!!

*I am wearing elf ears and a leaf crown in the picture on the left because of an event at work, but I thought the look went well with my recent Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre obsession. Our baby is going to be a huge geek!

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