17 weeks

How your baby's growing:
Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord - her lifeline to the placenta - is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

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Ok. I FEEL GREAT! I never would have imagined feeling so good (after feeling so, so bad). I feel good about myself (more so than when I was pre-preggo, which is odd to me). And you have to understand as I attempt to be honest, as a woman, you don't always feel the best about your looks and your body. There tends to be more days when you feel "ugly" than when you feel "attractive". And being pregnant, I have to say again I FEEL GREAT. And I mean in a Lion King-Circle-of-Life sorta way. In all aspects. Looks, Body Image, Soul, Heart, Health, Energy, etc... And as I already said, that is odd to me. Because my body is growing in my mid-section, which usually calls for drastic measures, like immediately running to the gym and taking on an emergency diet of hummus, green leaves and diet water.

I am also back in love with...food!

Yaye! Sweet, delicious, nutritious, (not-so-nutritious), satisfying FOOD! Hot food, cold food, veggies, meat, breads, fruits, dairy...the whole entire pyramid, people! I'm thrilled to be back!

I don't really have too many aversions anymore. Although, coffee is something I still stay away from. And it has nothing to do with the caffeine. I don't desire it. It's not repulsive anymore, I'm just not interested. I can do iced-coffee, but still not a SOUL DEEP desire, like it was pre-preggo. I prefer to drink water, cranberry juice, or orange juice. I do frequent a coca-cola now and again. But not too often. And because it's a novelty, it tastes SO amazingly good. I still have a crazy mad sweet tooth. I bought some fruit roll-ups the other day. And berries do a great job of satisfying my sweet craving, too. Another thing I'm liking a lot are pickles...but that's no different than before. Just ask the family, I've always been known to break out a jar and down 5 pickles. They are still so good...

I feel baby more and more each day. I hear people talk about how much they love it, but for right now, it's downright weird. Freaky, almost. I am comforted, knowing the baby is alive and well, but it's also strange. Not sure if I'm at the "TOTALLY ENJOYING" stage yet. But I still have a ways to go.

I also have been having these terrible dreams of Michael leaving or not caring about me. I dream about it once a week, on average. I've dreamt him leaving me for another woman. It was horrible. My most recent dream is about Mike and I going to Sunday School class together. And because I teach 1st and 2nd grade S.S., I don't get to go with him anymore. It was a treat for me and I was excited I'd get to be with him. We walked in a crowded room with another couple. There were only 3 open seats. Mike proceeded to ignore my presence and didn't care that I didn't have a place to sit. I ended up leaving the room and Mike didn't look up to see me go or act sad that I wouldn't be able to go to class with him. So, I ended up in the bathroom crying. Isn't that terrible?? Praise the Lord that it was only a dream!

I told Mike that I've been having these kinds of dreams, and I think I almost made him cry (he didn't) but he was devastated that I would dream something so horrible about him. I'm glad that my sweetheart of a husband acts nothing like the man in my preggo-dreams. He really has been MORE than WONDERFUL to me since we found out we were having a baby. So I didn't understand why I was dreaming such un-kind things about my most-kind husband.

I was a little bit into analyzing dreams when I was in college. I know what you're thinking. No, I am not some cosmic-spiritual person. Yes, I do believe in a sovereign God. Let me make myself clear: I don't believe it's "God" sending me revelation. I don't believe they are "signs" from some other cosmic force. I just believe that the things that go on in your life that day, week, or month, get re-played out in your brain while you sleep. And at times, reveal a part of yourself or your emotions that you weren't aware of. That's all. So, relax. I'm not crazy.

Anyway. I decided to dig a little on the Internet (stop thinking that! I'm NOT crazy). This is what I found:

Dreams During Pregnancy

Many women report that their dream life shifts into high gear during pregnancy. Interestingly, during the second and third trimesters, you spend less sleep time in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the cycle in which most dreams occur. Why, then, all those frequent and vivid dream memories?

It's probably at least in part because you may be interrupting a dream-filled cycle when you wake up to pee, cope with heartburn, leg cramps, restless legs, or a backache, or to shift to a more comfortable position. Waking up during REM sleep makes you more likely to remember you dreams.

It may also be in part that dreams seem so vivid during pregnancy because for most women pregnancy is a time of such heightened emotions - from joy to apprehension and everything in between - but no one really knows for sure.

Here's a look at some common themes and what they may mean:

Your mate is straying. (the one I've been having)

If you dream that your partner hooks up with an ex-girlfriend or a total stranger, it can signal insecurity about holding his love and attention throughout a time of great change. Right now, you're dependent on the goodwill and support of those around you, especially your partner. Fearing his loss is a common emotional reaction to being pregnant.