Life lately - 19 weeks pregnant

I hit the 19-week mark of my pregnancy yesterday. Many pregnancy resources describe the baby as now being the size of a mango.

As I mentioned previously, I do not intend to turn this blog into a baby blog. I certainly understand not everyone wants to read about it. Today, however, please humor me as I wanted to share a few details on my experience so far.

How have you been feeling?
Over the last month or two, I've been feeling really good. Many times I feel so normal that I forget I'm pregnant! I do get tired more easily, though. I've been sleeping longer hours and taking more naps than usual. I have occasionally experienced increased shortness of breath during physical activity - most notably when I am climbing stairs.

Did you have any morning sickness?
No nausea or vomiting, thankfully. However, between Weeks 6-9 I had major loss of appetite, which is extremely atypical for me. I also had a heightened sense of smell, upper body soreness, and got a little lightheaded if I had to stand up too quickly or for too long. I was happy when all of these symptoms started dissipating around Week 10.

Are you showing yet?
I would say no, or at least not to the untrained eye. My pants are feeling tighter but I can still fit into all of my clothes. So far my total weight gain has been about 7 pounds. I've consistently been at the low end of the recommended weekly weight gain ranges (note that this has NOT been for lack of eating, especially after Week 10).

Are you still running/working out? Do you plan to run throughout your pregnancy?
I'm trying to stay as active as possible, and have been working out in some capacity at least 4-5 days a week. I've been walking, lifting (lighter weights than before), stationary biking, and doing yoga, Zumba, and barre classes.

Running has become a no-go. It feels like too much for my body right now. One exception was a few weeks ago when the weather was VERY unseasonably warm. The nearly summer-like temperatures motivated me to break a then-5-week running drought. I ran 3 extremely slow miles (i.e. at a pace between 90-120 seconds per mile slower than my pre-pregnancy pace). It was truly all I could handle. I haven't tried again ever since. I am doubtful about trying again until after I deliver.

Kudos to all of you who continue running during your pregnancies. It really is no joke.

Do you have any food cravings? Do you miss anything?
I've gone through phases of craving watermelon, cream cheese, chips and hummus, lemon, and pizza (although, pizza is nothing unusual). There was a time period during which I couldn't get enough bread or pasta - yet that has surprisingly waned. I'd like to believe my body is naturally regulating my carb intake since I'm not running these days. But who am I kidding - my historic dietary patterns strongly suggest otherwise. ;-P

I really miss eating sushi. Every time I walk by my favorite neighborhood sushi restaurant, I feel wistful. I've had to be careful about the cold deli meats whenever my office brings sandwiches in for lunch. Recently, I've had several instances where I unhappily avoided poached eggs.

Are you feeling any movement?
Yes!!! I feel lots of little flutters and twinges. They are most noticeable when I'm sitting at my desk or on the couch, or when I'm lying in bed at night. When I put my hand on my belly, I've caught some little kicks against my palm. Adam has managed to catch a few of them, too. It's exciting! And since my belly hasn't grown much, the movements are also very reassuring that things are happening in there. =)

What are you looking forward to right now?
Adam and I are heading out soon for a babymoon! Plus, I am anxiously awaiting my next ultrasound in a couple of weeks. I can't wait to see how much progress has occurred since our last "look-in" around Week 13!