18 weeks!!

i am now 18 weeks preggo with sweet baby J. only 11 more days until we find out if baby J is a Judah (jude) or a Jovie. we are getting more excited by the minute!! in some ways, 18 weeks feels like i've come a long way since June 12, the day i found out i was 4 weeks pregnant. but it also feels like i'm barely pregnant. i mean, i have a potential 22 more weeks to go!! uggghhh. but knowing me and my history, its more like 17 or 18 more weeks to go. we'll see what happens.

i'm starting to feel the first signs of wiggles and kicks. every now and then i'll feel a flutter or a little jab. nothing too strong yet. i must say, i LOVE it. i get so excited with every little movement & i can't wait till J grows a little more so i can really feel the punch this kid is packing! (please remind me of said statement when i'm complaining of bruising & aches when J is keeping me up at night with a roundhouse kick to my ribs!!)

we're getting more & more excited about you sweet little baby. we can't wait to meet you & for you and Jack to meet. what a blessing you already are to us! we're praying daily for your health and safe delivery. we love you SO much!!!!

this week little J is:

*Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces.

*He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead.

*His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit.

*A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born.

*If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.