20 weeks--halfway there!

Do I have to do this? Yes, yes I do.



Technically the halfway point is probably next week since pregnancies tend to go longer than 40 weeks, but it's all an estimate anyway :p

Here's what's going on at 20 weeks: Your baby's skin begins to thicken this week and will develop four layers. Your baby's sebaceous glands secrete a waxy substance called vernix caseosa. Your baby will be born with this wax and it will look like paste. The vernix caseosa is crucial because it protects the fetus' fragile skin from the continuous immersion in amniotic fluid. Lanugo hairs secure the vernix caseosa in place and it is thick around the eyebrows. Scalp hair and toenails are beginning to form at this point. Hair can also be seen on the upper lip and eyebrows.

And here's a glimpse of what's going on with me. My belly size seems to vary dramatically depending on how I'm breathing, my posture, and time of day, but regardless, something's definitely growing in there:

I'm definitely feeling the bulk now :p

The information session for the birthing centre went really well. I got a good feel of the place, and scheduled my first appointment with my midwife for this coming Monday! Each appointment lasts around 45 minutes (as opposed to 5 minutes at the OB), so they're really good about giving thorough and personalized care.

There's not too much else going on. Ian's taking the morning off on Tuesday to come to the ultrasound appointment with me, so expect an announcement soon :)
I've also been reading aloud to Baby to get him or her accustomed to my voice. We don't have any baby books yet, so I've just been reading from Tom Robbins novels because that's what I happen to be reading. If Baby emerges with a keen ear for strangely apt metaphors, a healthy suspicion of authority, and plenty of quirks, you can blame my subversive reading habits :p