22 weeks and counting

And counting, and counting. I'm sooo wishing the time away until January and I can stop worrying about Shrimp coming early! I was always afraid of a pre-term birth but after last week, it's become even more of a worry even though I'm at no higher of a risk this week than I was last week. I guess it just kind of brought it all home how even though I'm past when most pregnancies fail, there still is the risk that Shrimp will come early! :( So I'm counting and waiting and praying that Shrimp stays PUT.

Although I have noticed personality traits already. Like Shrimp is appearing to be independent in nature already. I am feeling pretty regular kicks and squirms. And sometimes after getting a few in a row in, I'll put my hand down to feel them and Shrimp immediately stops. It's like Shrimp realizes I'm searching for the comfort of knowing he/she is ok and refuses to give that to me, lol! Andrew felt a few strong kicks the other day, but no matter how hard we've tried or how long he puts his hand on my belly, Shrimp will not perform for daddy either. Andrew's even taken to lightly shaking the belly to wake Shrimp up, lol. Not that it's done him any good, but it is rather cute.

I've still been taking it easy. Doc never did tell me an "end" time for the taking it easy so figured I'll err on the side of caution and do so until my appointment on Friday and I can ask. We had a labor day get together with some friends yesterday but we held it here at our house and Andrew and my mom cooked and Andrew cleaned, lol. So I still sat on my butt. Andrew did all the grocery shopping over the weekend that needed to be done. And he cleaned the house for me on Sunday! What a guy.

So Shrimp at 22 weeks is now:

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's eve ndeveloping tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas - essential for the production of some important hormones - is developing steadily.


I am almost over the UTI as well. Most of the symptoms have cleared up, but for a lingering exhaustion that I can only attribute to my body fighting off the UTI in combination with the strain already on my body from just being pregnant. I only have two more trips and then I should be home. I just pray I have no more drama on either of the other two trips!