20 Weeks (September 7 - 13)

Yup, we're having another boy. I guess I was really destined to be a mother of all boys then. It wasn't so easy to accept this fact and yeah, to be honest I was a bit disappointed. I think I did better this time though than with Aiden before. I am still in shock to think that I'll be raising all boys. However, I do feel blessed and honored.

Right now, I'm actually pretty excited. I was looking at the monitor while they did the ultrasound and saw his face quite a few times. I thought he looked so adorable already. I can't wait to meet him! Before we even knew we're having a boy, I was already pretty excited thinking about the many photo shoots I'll be doing with him, lol! Poor kid, he doesn't know what he's getting into, lol!

Baby's doing great and to me, that's what's really important. When I was telling my mom that I was praying for a girl, she told me I shouldn't ask like that 'coz Heavenly Father might give me a girl but with some kind of problem. Hubby is very proud to have another boy and has told me that we'll decide in the next couple of years if we really wanna have a girl and see what options we'll have. He's suggesting to adopt so we know for sure it's really a girl but I'm still not getting into that idea. Right now, I think this will be it but if something happens along the way that isn't part of what we planned, then I guess it's Heavenly Father's. (Credits: cardboard by Catrine, bow by Natalie Braxton and staple by Kate Hadfield)

How my baby's growing:

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom, and about 10 inches from head to heel. (For the first 20 weeks, we use measurements taken from the top of the baby's head to her bottom — known as the "crown to rump" measurement. After that, we use measurements from head to toe. This is because a baby's legs are curled up against her torso during the first half of pregnancy and are very hard to measure.)

A greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats his entire body to protect his skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. (This slick coating also eases the journey down the birth canal.)

Your baby is swallowing more, which is good practice for her digestive system. He'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 his bowels, and you'll see it in his first messy diaper (although a few babies pass it in utero or during delivery).

19 Weeks (August 31 - September 6)

This week, nothing's really new. Well, the gum bleeding is slowing down and my belly is getting bigger to me at least. Baby's getting more active as well. I felt pretty good actually. I think the only thing bothering me is when it was about time to do the ultrasound. I thought I have prepared myself for it but apparently not that well. Everything is fine which is great. I'm going to redo a lot of things around here so I'm not going to write too much for now. I'll be sure to come back to do an update though. So, stay tuned!

How my baby's growing:

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces, and he measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the length of a small zucchini. His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine, and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. This is a crucial time for sensory development: Your baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. If your baby is a girl, she has an astonishing 6 million eggs in her ovaries. They'll dwindle to fewer than two million by the time she's born.

18 Weeks (August 24 - 30)

I thought the sick days of my pregnancy are over but this week, it seemed like I'm just beginning to be pregnant. There were days I woke up nauseated and even in the afternoon or at night. it seemed like I have been picky with my foods again but lately anything sweet with peanuts sounds good to me. No matter how much I love the food, if I eat too much, I end up getting sick. So, I'm watching the amount of food I'm putting in my mouth lately. I'm having runny nose and sneezing mostly after I just got up from bed. I don't know why but it's really bothering me.

Another thing also is the gum bleeding. It scares me because even if I don't really brush my teeth that hard, my gum bleeds heavily like it has a big cut. It's actually in the list the doctor gave me last time, so I shouldn't panic but it's really freaking me out to be spitting very red blood almost every night during and after brushing my teeth. At least that's when it happens. With Aiden before, I have the nose bleeding and it was just as freaky. I'd wake up in the middle of the night thinking I got runny nose but it was actually blood. It got more frequent as I went into the 3rd trimester so I can only imagine that this gum bleeding is going to get worse pretty soon. Definitely not something I look forward to. I don't know if there's a cure either but 2years ago, the doctor wasn't concerned at all. She just told me it was part of the pregnancy.

My next appointment will be on Wednesday so I should ask the doctor about my concerns then. I'll have my ultrasound the same day as well and if all goes well (if the baby will cooperate that is) then, I should be back to let you know if we're having a girl or another boy this time.

How my baby's growing:

Head to bottom, your baby is approximately 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a large sweet potato) and she weighs almost 7 ounces. She's busy flexing her arms and legs — movements that you'll likely start noticing more and more. Her blood vessels are visible through her thin skin and her ears are now in position and stand out from her head. Myelin (a protective covering) is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and Fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If your baby is a boy, his genitals are noticeable, though he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

17 Weeks (August 17 - 23)

17 weeks had passed and now I'm definitely feeling pregnant and looking pregnant as well. I took these photos 2 days ago for a blogging ad assignment regarding the blouse I'm wearing. Ok, so after three pregnancies (not counting the 2 miscarriages), I finally became a model, lol!

Anyway, my belly is still itching like crazy. Sometimes, I'd use hubby's hair brush to scratch it. It usually goes away after that. I have noticed I don't have any cravings anymore. I mean now, I can eat almost anything again like I used to before I got pregnant. I did notice that I love to eat more sweets than ever. I'm scared to get gestational diabetes so I'm trying to eat fruits or cereal to replace candies (love the peanut M&M's lately), ice cream and cakes. I swear I don't wanna get big as much as I did with Aiden. I'm not hungry all the time with this pregnancy and I'm really happy about that. I try to eat as balanced as possible and I hope I can stick with it till the end so I don't gain too much weight.

Three days ago, I started to feel the baby move already. It's not that strong but I definitely feel something in there. Feels like a tickle and I normally feel it in the afternoon. The doctor said it's normally between 16-22 weeks when you'd feel the baby move so I guess it's about time I should feel it. It's such an amazing feeling. As a matter of fact, while I'm typing this, I can feel the baby moving, hehe! This week, I noticed that I've been cheerful most of the time. I'm actually surprised that I was calm while talking to my family about a certain problem they're having right now. I feel different 'coz normally, I don't handle things like that pretty well. Also, I haven't been taking naps as much as I used to anymore, which makes it easier to sleep at night.

How my baby's growing:

Your baby weighs about 5 ounces now, and he's around 5 inches long — about the size of a large onion. He can move his joints, and his skeleton — until now rubbery cartilage — is starting to harden to bone. His sense of hearing is also developing. The umbilical cord, his lifeline to the placenta, is growing stronger and thicker.

16 Weeks (August 10 - 16)

I think nausea is officially gone this week but if I eat something that does not agree with my stomach, I still get sick. My craving for that oatmeal drink I invented a week ago has gone down. I had it probably 3 times this week and that's about it. It might have something to do with the new oatmeal brand that hubby bought me. I ran out of the old one and this new one takes more than 60 seconds to cook which makes it hotter for me to drink. Anyway, my belly is still itching like crazy. I think I'm finally beginning to show now. Yesterday, I had to change like 10 times just to go out grocery shopping because my regular blouses are getting short but I'm still too little to wear my maternity clothes. Fortunately, I got a few blouses that are loose on the belly. I guess I'll be wearing those for a while. When I read these pregnancy magazines, they always advice you not to spend much money on maternity clothes 'coz you'll only be wearing them for a few months but I don't care, lol! Yeah, I always waste money on maternity clothes each time I get pregnant, haha! On my previous pregnancy, I bought 2 maternity bathing suits and wear them for like 2-3x and that's it. Geez, I can't even wear them this time. Total waste but no regrets.

I love being pregnant. People (at least here in America) treat you special when you're pregnant, lol! Let me give you an example. Every time I go to a public bathroom and I'm in a line, everybody lets me in first or when I go in line to buy food at the mall or at a fast food, they let me get in front too. Also, I get spoiled a lot. When I say "I'd like to eat this/that" or "this/that sounds good right now"; I get it! Wouldn't you just love to be pregnant? LOL!

I'm still thinking about names. I don't have a lot of favorite A names for boys so it's going to be tough if it's another boy. Hmmm, not a thing for a girl's name either. You see, I already got the perfect A name for a girl but then, I already know of 2 Filipinas (1 in the Philippines, 1 in the US) who used that same name for their baby girls. So, now I'm lost. It's hard when your choices are limited but hubby wants to follow his family tradition. Maybe if it's a girl I can make a bargain and ask him if we can use M instead of A.

How's my baby growing:

At 4 1/2 inches long (head to bottom) and 3 1/2 ounces, your baby is about the size of an avocado. In the next three weeks, she'll go through a tremendous growth spurt, though, doubling her weight and adding inches to her length. Her lower limbs are much more developed now. Her head is more erect than it has been, and her eyes have moved toward the front of her head. Your baby's ears are close to their final position, too. Some of her more advanced body systems are working, including her circulatory system and urinary tract. Her heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, circulating her total blood volume through her body many times. (By the end of your pregnancy, this will increase to about 190 quarts.) The patterning of her scalp has begun, though her hair isn't recognizable yet. Although closed, her eyes are moving (slowly), and she's even started growing toenails.