Baby #3: 16 Weeks

[youtube=http://youtu.be/jRONkb0M6cw]

If you don't want to watch the video:

How far along: 16 weeks

How big is baby? The size of an avocado

Weight: 123 pounds. (-15)

Sleep: Wacky dreams. I wake up frequently from a weird dream and go back to sleep and it continues. Emi is starting to sleep relatively consistently until 6:30.

Clothes: I'm wearing clothes now that I haven't worn since before Lincoln since I've lost so much weight. My hips are still wider though so I need some button help.

Food/Cravings: Still really no appetite.

Symptoms: I know when I'm hungry because I get a headache, I get CRABBY, my stomach starts gnawing. Heartburn. Still very short-tempered. I feel like all I do is yell.

Gender: Well, we are pretty confident it's a girl, but we will confirm again at our anatomy scan. We have been struggling with names. Lincoln and Emilyn were easy, but this little girl is so far nameless. I never thought I'd have TWO girls and boys names are just easier. We spent some time this afternoon looking through names and we definitely have different tastes. Lincoln wants to go with ChiaMia. Even if/when we figure it out I don't think we're telling.

I was really so certain at first that we were having a boy that there were a few weeks in the beginning where I really struggled with anxiety, feeling like "OMG, what did we do? Were we so careless?" We definitely did consider not finding out the sex of the baby, partially because the surprise is amazing, but also to protect me from the anxiety - although I had a lot during Emi's pregnancy as well. I've realized that even though we have been told it's a girl, my anxiety is about the same. I think everyone experiences some anxieties about having a baby with any kind of challenges, boy or girl, and now that I know so many women with girls who also have severe autism, I've realized it is what it's going to be, either way, boy or girl. And that was what I had to accept before we decided to have another baby, even though there is still some anxiety. For me it seems to surface mostly because I feel like I should be doing everything I can to be healthy for her and I wonder if I drink a Dr. Pepper, or eat Oreos, or make another box of Mac & Cheese this week am I doing something preventable that is hurting her?

Movement: occasional bubbles that are inconsistent. So not totally sure, but pretty sure.

Belly: after I eat it's there, probably more due to lack of abdominal tone than anything. Otherwise I've lost so much weight that I'm just skinnier than I've been in years.

Looking forward to: Energy. LIBIDO (seriously, not kidding). Less stress from school and Joe's work schedule. Not being sick anymore.

Best moment of the week: having a nice day together as a family in the 82 degree sunny weather. We went out to lunch.

Best moment of Valentine's Days' past: We got to hear Lincoln's heart beat for the first time on Valentine's in 2011.