20 weeks (and 2 days) - !

20 weeks, halfway there, doing great. Last night I noticed for the first time that my belly is past my boobs! Looks like last week they were neck and neck, but now the belly is winning. What's also cracking me up about this week's photo is that I'm running out of wall background and my belly is starting to inch into the space of the doorway behind me.

I got up early this morning because after a 6am pee I couldn't fall back asleep: my back hurt. Boo! I think it's because I was moving a 6 foot fiberglass ladder in and out of my car yesterday... last time I did that it killed my back. I guess yoga can't solve all my problems. But it's fine, I'm awake, and I can always nap later.

I've been thinking in the last few days that it seems like the first half of pregnancy is all about being pregnant, the pregnant body, that experience of pregnancy symptoms and changes... then maybe the second half is about the baby, expecting the baby, planning for him, dreaming of what he'll be like and what it will be like to care for him. Maybe it's just because I'm having an easy second trimester and pregnancy is feeling (blessedly) uneventful for me right now. Maybe it's because I am still just reeling - in a good way - from the ultrasound.

Last night we went to my in-laws' and showed them the ultrasound DVD. They enjoyed it, although they didn't seem to think it was as amazingly miraculous and riveting as I do - imagine that! Ha. I even enjoy the parts where we get to see the bladder and kidneys... that's first time parenthood for you, I guess - my baby is the most fascinating thing in the history of the world. To me. Anyway Mom gave us some new baby clothes that she bought since we found out the sex - boy clothes are cute to me, because of course they are in my favorite colors. She gave us some very cute onesies, sleep sacks, and tiny cotton hats. My mom (who's far away) also got to watch the ultrasound that I posted online for my parents, and I got an email from her last night saying how much she enjoyed it, and that she too is stockpiling baby gifts - yay!

This reminds me I need to post my rant on gendered baby items and stereotyping, but that's for another day....

My mother-in-law said last night that I am getting a little bigger each time she sees me, "so that's good." I think I last saw her last weekend. My belly still feels bigger and more taut at the end of the day... by bedtime my belly button looks like it's giving up the fight, and so do my underwear! My belly pushes the front of my panties down because I am just carrying so low. I know the baby and uterus still are low at this point - the top of my ute is right at the top of my navel - but even for where they am it's just all hanging low and out. I have seen girls at 20 weeks who look more rounded from boobs down, but I'm definitely most round below the navel still. It's not good or bad, it's just how I'm carrying the little guy.

And I am feeling him move daily now. Usually a few times a day. Most often when I'm sitting down, especially in the car. Yesterday when I picked up Mr. Ibis from work, as soon as he started telling me about his day the baby gave me a good whack. I told Mr. I the baby liked his story - maybe he recognizes his voice already? I don't know if it's too soon for that, but it's a nice thought... and a nice way for Mr. I to interact with the kid, since he can't feel him kick from the outside yet. Baby also moves when I drink cold water, especially in the afternoon - he doesn't seem to get too excited about sweets though. It is really nice to feel him at various times of day, sometimes faint pokes, and sometimes harder kicks. I'm also starting to feel it in different locations instead of always on the lower left like it was at first.

Quick note including TMI: Few things are as panic-inducing during pregnancy as blood on toilet paper. And I had a little this morning and had a moment of sheer terror. Further investigation determined this seems to be related to a possible pregnancy-induced hemorrhoid and not related to anything about the cervix/uterus/baby. Major relief. I never thought I'd be so happy to meet a hemorrhoid.

It looks like Miles is gaining ground as the frontrunner name. Mr. I seems pretty happy with it, and he's been running it by people to see what they think, and getting all positive reactions. He's starting to use it to refer to the baby by name. I'm lagging a little behind because I'm just feeling a bit commitment-phobic, but I do like it. I think it sounds good with our last name, and it's versatile, and unusual but not pretentiously so. So it looks like Miles may be the name!

One more thing, again just for fun, a photo of me in what I'm really wearing today. Gray yoga pants, a brown tank, and a chartreuse lightweight cardigan. You can tell that the right clothes are so much more flattering on a pregnant body. This is the same tank I was wearing last weekend, in a different color. Tops that are more clingy like this show more belly definition so I don't look so puffy. You can also tell that I'm a big fan of cardigans. I have a lot of them and they transition well to maternity because I can just wear them open.