This week's doctor appointment

I went to the doctor this past monday, and all was well! I am just now back to my pre-pregnancy weight (I lost a lot of weight due to morning sickness, which is almost completely gone now) and the doctor wants me to gain about two pounds a week until I see her again in April.... I am SO on that doctor's order! I could eat half of new york I've been so hungry lately!

The heartbeat was still in the 150's, which is a good sign that it's a girl! An old wives' tale, sure, but good enough for me. We'll be having another ultrasound at our next visit, April 1st, and will be finding the gender then. I know, April Fools' day! I tried to get it on the 31st of March instead, but they wouldn't do it. I'll just have to put all superstitions aside.

I also had blood tests to see if there is a possibility of any heart disorders or downs syndrome. If the tests come back with a high possibility, the doctor will recommend further testing like amniocentesis, but I will refuse. I just want to know the possibility so that I can prepare myself for what is needed to raise a special needs child.

I am now 17 weeks, and starting to feel the baby move, but really it just feels like someone is tickling me with a feather from the inside. It's still beyond me that there's a *person* in there, moving around, the size of a potato, and I can't feel it.... crazy. Everyone tells me that I'm too tiny to be 17 weeks already, but I've heard that once the belly "pops" it gets kind of miserable, so I'm enjoying my waddle-free pregnancy days while I can. Everything shows that the baby is healthy and growing, so I'm not worried.

We were snowed in for Daryl's birthday, which was kind of a bummer. I'm not sure that we could get our cars out of the driveway! Hopefully some of it can be cleared by tomorrow. We got well over a foot! Looking out the window now, everything seems very dark and a little eerie. I don't even see any headlights on Rt. 8, which is usually busy even at night. We're hoping this is the last winter blast.