16 weeks!

16 weeks and 3 days.

A few days ago I happily entered the fifth month of pregnancy! 

Not a whole lot to report this week, except that I'm showing slightly more with each entry.  It's funny because my stomach starts reasonably small in the mornings, and is huge by dinnertime!  Apparently a lot of this is bloat and other various internal happenings, so I wonder how much of it is actually baby. 

I'm getting more and more impatient about finding out the gender.  The first two or three months, I didn't really think much about it.  I guess with all the awful worrying, I just wanted any baby who would live.  I still worry [some days are much worse than others], but I'm finally starting to focus on other things.  After all,
"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"
- Matthew 6:27

I've contacted my birthing center about natural childbirth classes and am looking forward to starting those at some point.  The particular one that my midwife recommended to me was the Bradley classes.  She attended those for her own pregnancies, and they come with her personal recommendation.  Here's a lengthy yet helpful summary of what the Bradley classes teach: 

The Bradley Method teaches natural childbirth and views birth as a natural process.  This method encourages mothers to trust their bodies using natural breathing, relaxation, nutrition, exercise, and education.  Class attendants learn a simple method of increasing self-awareness, learning how to deal with the stress of labor by tuning in to her body.  The Bradley Method is also known as “Husband-Coached Childbirth” and classes teach husbands how to be good coaches for their partners.  Classes are usually 10-12 weeks in length and cover:  nutrition, exercise, active participation by the husband as coach, stages of labor, relaxation, breastfeeding, unexpected situations, and preparing for your new family.

And I see I'm long overdue to include the link to our phenomenal birthing center and all the wonderful people who work there:

http://carolinabirth.org/

On another note, I'm wondering if I might be carrying a boy. 
Can't shake the feeling.. but I don't pretend to know a thing.  We'll see for sure in a month or so.

The size and length of our baby this week?

An avocado!