Pregnancy: 20w (HALFWAY!!)

Awesome attorney-boss and I moved offices and Matt and I got started with prepping the nursery for paint yesterday, so I'm exhausted and sore. Fortunately, I hit a milestone this week... halfway, baby!!

What I love: That everything is going well! Kit's kicks are getting stronger by the day, so much so that it makes me jump on occasion! I'm even starting to feel them closer to my belly button, which is fun because my placenta is up there and anterior, so I wasn't expecting to feel anything around that area for a while. :)

I also love that a friend gave birth to a beautiful baby boy on 4 December! Congratulations, Lizzie!! <3

What I hate: Pregnancy pains! [Same] And my hormones, which cause me to just burst into tears and get angry easily.

What I miss: My body, already. [Same] And a glass of wine or something!

What I’m looking forward to the most: Painting!! Matt and I bought paint over the weekend, and we just got the nursery prepped for painting. We're doing a divided wall, light blue top and alabaster bottom split by a white chair rail. We're also getting the crib and dresser delivered on Friday, so we might actually have the room structure done by this weekend! I'll take pictures. :)

Worries: Right now, none, really! The weight thing is weighing on me (ha!) a bit, but otherwise, I'm pretty confident with all that's going on.

Symptoms: A bigger belly, lots of hip pain, pregnancy rhinitis, nosebleeds, some nausea on and off. I feel great otherwise! [Same]

Mood: Swinging, definitely. I've been so emotional this week, whether or not for good reason.

Sleep: Still getting worse. Hip pain, congestion, and now being sick are all throwing off my sleep schedule. The mood swings aren't helping, either, as they keep me wired.

Movement: Yes! Lots of it, too! [Same]

The belly (and the button!): Belly button still in! Totally weird, though, it’s definitely more shallow! And the belly is bigger! OMG, is it bigger. [Same]

Wedding rings on or off: On!

Weight gain: I’m up about 8lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight. I explained last week that my midwife had some concerns about not reaching the 10-12lb mark by 20 weeks, but anatomically speaking (for Kit, at least), everything looks to be okay! So I'm not stressing too much about it. We're going to re-evaluate at my next appointment (24 weeks) and see if anything else needs to be done.

Milestones: Hitting the halfway mark!! Only 20 more weeks to go! (I never thought I'd say this, but THANK GOD.)

How your 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 — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)

He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

How your life's changing:

Congratulations! You've hit the halfway mark in your pregnancy. The top of your uterus is about level with your belly button, and you've likely gained around 10 pounds. Expect to gain another pound or so each week from now on. (If you started your pregnancy underweight, you may need to gain a bit more; if you were overweight, perhaps a bit less.) Make sure you're getting enough iron, a mineral that's used primarily to make hemoglobin (the part of your red blood cells that carries oxygen).

During pregnancy, your body needs more iron to keep up with your expanding blood volume, as well as for your growing baby and the placenta. Red meat is one of the best sources of iron for pregnant women. Poultry (especially the dark meat) also contains iron. Some common non-meat sources of iron include legumes, soy-based products, spinach, prune juice, raisins, and iron-fortified cereals.

If you haven't already signed up for a childbirth education class, you may want to look into one, especially if you're a first-timer. A structured class will help prepare you and your partner for the rigors of labor and delivery. Most hospitals and birth centers offer classes, either as weekly meetings or as a single intensive, one-day session. Many communities have independent instructors as well. Ask your friends, family members, or caregiver for recommendations.

Take an extra pillow to bed tonight "I found it so much easier to sleep on my side when I hugged a pillow and wrapped my legs around it. In fact, two years after the birth of my child, it's still my favorite way to fall asleep." — Clara