18 weeks

how far along?  18 weeks

how are you measuring?  18 weeks

size of baby? about an 5 1/2 inches, the size of bell pepper, and 7 ounces

heartbeat? 155 bpm (at our 17 week appointment)
total weight gain/loss? +3.6 pounds Ahhh....I gained 2 pounds this weeks.  That can't be right.  I've really been watching what I'm eating, but I guess not good enough.  And when I say "I'm watching what I'm eating", I'm not dieting.  I just trying to only eat 150 extra calories like they say you are supposed to in your 2nd trimester.   I hope to gain no more than 25 pounds during this pregnancy, so I guess I better slow down. On a fun note, I really feel like a "popped out" this week, and it doesn't feel like fat, it feels like a hard pregnant belly.  So maybe that's where the 2 pounds came from.  That's what I'm going to tell myself atleast!!
maternity clothes? I am LOVING my Bella band this week.  It won't be to much longer until I bust out the maternity pants.  I can't stand anything tight around my waist.   
stretch marks? No
sleep? Still having to wake up 2-3 times a night to go to the bathroom.  I have also been waking up before my alarm goes off and I can't go back to sleep because I can't stop thinking about whether we are having a boy or a girl.  I got so many pink ideas and blue ideas running through my head, I just need to know which one it is.
best moment this week? We got another good report at the doctor and we bought a crib and a dresser for our sweet babe!!

movement? There have definitely been times when I have thought that I felt the baby move, but I'm just not quite sure.  My doctor told me that I should start feeling movement by 20 weeks. 

food cravings? Crackers/Wheat Thins and Alouette Savory Vegetable Spread has been my favorite snack/lunch lately.  I loved this snack before I was pregnant, so I wouldn't really call it a craving, but it tastes so yummy to me right now!

gender predictions? 10 days until we find out!! I can't wait!!! I don't really have any predictions, but I'm going to do a post this week seeing what you think I'm having!!

what i miss: I miss my clothes fitting.  I'm in that in between stage where my clothes aren't fitting, but maternity clothes are a little too big.  
what i'm looking forward to: I am so excited to find out the sex of our baby. I seriously can't stop thinking about it.  I don't know how people wait until the birth to find out.
how are you feeling? I've been having lots of "cramps" in my side this week.  I learned at the doctor that it is "round ligament pain" and is very normal.  The ligaments that surround my uterus are just stretching as my uterus grows.  Unfortunately, I get these pains when I go from sitting to standing, standing to sitting, when I roll around at night and when I sneeze.  I don't get them all the time, but it's been pretty frequent lately.