Half Way There ! ( 5 months & counting!)

I've made it to the halfway mark — Hurray! The top of my uterus is at the level of my belly button now, and I've gained about 9 pounds.I even noticed that I've been doing the "Preggy Walk" nowadays, unconsciously touching & massaging my belly every 30 seconds! hahaha... & gosh! sleeping really is getting harder! Being five months pregnant is not unlike undergoing massive structural renovation from the inside out. I feel like a building under construction: I've seen the plans, but I don't have any say in how it's all going to go. All I can do is stand by, let the work unfold, and try not to let it freak me out too much.

This feeling manifests in so many ways. My navel resembles the swollen-shut eye of a prizefighter. My belly feels itchy and stretched to the bursting point most especially after a meal, and I can imagine a tiny fist popping through at any moment...Diantha's been so active nowadays especially when I am lying down, resting...She's unstoppable now and so is my growing belly ! There was a time not too long ago when I could hide the fact that I'm pregnant. Those days, along with what was left of my waist, are gone. What a joy to be able to hold my burgeoning belly out freely and proudly. This, of course, is great on several fronts. First, knowing that my baby is healthy and growing makes me all dumb and happy.On other fronts, though, this starting-to-show thing isn't so great.It's hard enough to get used to looking like you're stashing a watermelon under your pants & shirt. But I feel pretty good and pretty cute at the same time...hihihi.

I still haven't signed up for a childbirth education class, not in the mood yet and besides, hubby & I are also planning to have a C-Section delivery...so I am still thinking about joining a childbirth class...but what do you know, we might sign up as well one of these days...At 37 weeks, I'll be considered full-term, and I am so excited to reach that stage!

Baby's Developments :

Diantha now weighs about 10 1/2 ounces . She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom, and about 10 inches from head to heel.A greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats her entire body to protect her skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. (This slick coating also eases the journey down the birth canal.)

Our princess is swallowing more, which is good practice for her digestive system. She's also producing meconium, a black, sticky substance that's the result of cell loss, digestive secretion, and swallowed amniotic fluid. This meconium will accumulate in her bowels, and I'll see it in her first messy diaper (although a few babies pass it in utero or during delivery).