Update: 20 (and three-quarters) weeks

20-week belly. I'm trying to look blissful 

and daydreamy.

This week's update is late partially because of my latest pregnancy induced ailment. It seems that I'll be periodically subject to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome flair ups. Fortunately, a brace seems to take care of the problem so, I don't have to suffer. It and so many other discomforts have been a first to me this time around. I'm admittedly frustrated because of no energy and a number of other assorted things that pregnant women are supposed to feel according to all the best pregnancy books and articles. Not much slowed me down last time. I don't like being slow.

Some people start to develop the linea negra somewhere around this point. However, in order for that to happen I would have to have pigment in my skin. I do have a couple of freckles on my left wrist that seem to be darker than usual. Don't be confused by the picture. I "warmified" it to make it look like I am tan. What!? Tan is a relative term. I cropped my legs out. I'm wearing capri pants. So you have nothing to compare my arms to. Believe me, they are tan in this picture.



Milestones

• This week, I'm officially at the halfway mark. I am also halfway through my second trimester. Being only halfway there must be exciting, right? Yeah.
• The baby is about 10 inches long from head to heel (about the length of a banana) and weighs about 11 oz.. For the next 20 weeks the baby will double it's length. But it's weight will increase 10 times.  
• I am feeling movement every day (some days more than others) and even starting to notice patterns developing. 
• Real hair (not lanugo) and the heat producing brown fat are starting to form. I wonder if this baby will have hair. I also wonder if brown fat is the same thing as that dark fat that I scrape off of catfish. I had never heard of brown fat prior to this week. The something new has been learned. 
• Our ultrasound is tomorrow morning! Hopefully gender neutral terms will no longer be necessary.