Baby #2 - Week 20 - On Pins And Needles ...

(ABOVE: This is how excited Jaden is about tomorrow's Doctors Appt!!! Taken in Cedar Point where she was equally exicted to ride roller coasters!)

(ABOVE: Fetal Development at 20 weeks! HALF WAY THERE!)
(ABOVE: An amazing picture of a 20 week old fetus in the womb - how miraculous is that?)

Well it is Tuesday and that means Baby#2 Update ... OF COURSE I will be back tomorrow with the news of Baby#2's gender HOPEFULLY! Anybody who's out there reading this let me know what your gut feeling is regarding Baby#2's sex ... my gut says BOY! Jaden hopes for a GIRL! And Jason just wants 10 fingers and 10 toes! But in the mean time Jaden is so excited and keeps saying she would really like a sister but if she has a brother that is okay because she will be able to call him her Buddy! We have FINALLY come up with our baby name choices and once we know 'what' the baby is we will tell you 'who' the baby is ... I have to tell you all a quick story first - Last Monday Jaden and I had our dentist appointments - she went in before me but once I was called in I was about 2 rooms down from her - now I still can not figure out how my child can talk SO much at the dentist and still get her teeth cleaned! This is what transpired between her and her favorite dental hygeniest ...

Jaden: "Guess What! My mom has a baby in her belly."

Hygeniest: "REALLY! That is exciting - you'll be a big sister finally?"

Jaden: "Yeah - the hard part is that if the baby is a boy we have a problem!"

Hygeniest: "Uh-Oh ... you don't want a brother?"

Jaden: "No I like brothers but mommy, daddy and I all like different names ... Daddy likes Declan, Mommy likes Sam and I like Hayden ... but mommy says she will go crazy if we name the baby Hayden because it rhymes with Jaden! Geesh Louise! Thank goodness we all agree on a girls name - because Harley Dog is the tie breaker and she can't even speak!"

Now all this was heard loud and clear - and her teeth still got cleaned, she got a molar sealed and a flouride treatment - all while talking! That's my girl ... God Bless her future husband! But she is right - all 3 of us like different boy names but we all agree on a girls name - so stay tuned for tomorrow! Now how is Baby#2 doing?

How your baby's growing: Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He/She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — about the length of a banana (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his/her torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his/her head to his/her bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he/she's measured from head to toe.) He/She's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his/her digestive system. He/She's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his/her bowels, and you'll see it in his/her 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) and shellfish also contain 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 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.

As with the past 15 weeks everything is chugging along here with me ... obviously I am running out of clothing options and Jaden and I decided that Friday (since Jason has his Fantasy Football Draft) her and I are heading to the Mall of America. I will head to Old Navy for some fall maternity clothes, Jaden needs a new pair of dress shoes for school and she also wants to buy her new blankets for her new bedroom. I am not sure if I mentioned it or not but construction on the 2 new bedrooms begins October 6th - and since the builders are doing everything (except moving furniture) Jaden wants to pick out her new bed clothes so when it comes time to pick her wall colors we'll be ready. I of course am ANXIOUSLY awaiting tomorrows results to start my nursery planning - my girlfriend Jolene is insisting on a baby shower but I am still a little unsure about one - I had one for Jaden - you are only supposed to have one right? Or has that etiquette changed? Well, she is insisting I have a shower - especially since the only BABY thing I own is a crib - which was a convertible crib that Jaden used so now it is her headboard, so I guess 'technically' I don't even have a crib! But on ahappier note - our dumpster arrives Friday so we get to purge - purge- purge ... I can't wait! See you all tomorrow - I PROMISE!

Love ~ The Clark Family ~ Rebekah, Jason, Jaden & Baby#2 too!