21 weeks pregnant

Here is part of what the weekly update e-mailed to me says:

You may soon feel like your baby's practising martial arts as his initial fluttering movements turn into fully-fledged kicks and nudges. As your pregnancy progresses, you may be able to decipher a pattern to his activity. Some babies are restless in the evening, just as you're trying to fall asleep; others get busy during the daytime. Your baby may be trying out different facial expressions around now, although his eyelids still remain closed.

The fetus now weighs about three-quarters of a pound/ 360 grams and is approximately 10.5 inches/ 27 centimetres long from crown to heel. The eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed and the fingernails cover the fingertips.

There's a saying: 'Little pitchers have big ears'. Your baby can now hear your conversations. If you talk, read, or sing to your baby, expect her to hear you. Some studies have found that newborns will suck more vigorously when read to from a book they heard frequently in utero. If you want to try, pick a book now and read it out loud. Make sure you won't mind reading it over and over once the baby is here. It may be your baby's favourite bedtime story for a long time after birth

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I am back at home now after my week in hospital. Things seem to be going well. I am slightly panicked by the idea of spending months with this limited amount of activity. I am allowed from bed to couch, to the bathroom and to get food. My body feels very sore all over from lack of exercise. It is hard spending many many hours lying down each day. I think if I felt sick it would be easier, I feel fine so it makes it hard to remember that I am not supposed to jump up and do things whenever the urge strikes me. Also as the weather gets better I really want to spend time outside, in the barn etc. That isn't going to happen this year. I know that I need to be patient, and the kicks n my belly remind me why I am doing this. It is hard though. I get frustrated hearing the same (well meaning) comments over and over. "It is worth it", "Rest now, you won't be getting any when they arrive", "I wish I had time to lie around and do nothing", etc. People, I know it is worth it, if it wasn't I wouldn't be doing this. As to resting now, not sure how that is going to help me, you can't bank rest and getting even more out of shape now isn't going to help when I am hauling around 2 babies later, and to those who wish they were in my shoes... try it! Lying around all day is great for a day or 2, but after a short while it gets really old and starts to hurt!

Enough of my rant...

I hired a housekeeper and yesterday was her first day. She is amazing. It is lovely to have a few rooms of my house clean again. (My bathroom sparkles). She will be coming once a week from now on. I think this might be the ticket to keep me from going insane in the next few months. There are other areas in my house that she can't really get looking nice as they are too full of stuff. I have this urge to throw away half the things in my house right now. Perhaps it is a good thing I am not allowed to move stuff or my hubby would come home to an empty home and a smiling wife. I don't know if it is the hormonal nesting urges associated with pregnacy or just having to spend 24/7 in my house, but the clutter drives me nuts.

I am still terrified that I will go into labour. Reading stuff on the internet (I know googling things is the easiest way to freak yourself out...) about cerclage and incompetent cervix made me realise just how close I had come to losing these 2 little ones. I have read many many cerclage success stories lately and am really trying to be positive. Every twinge, cramp or strange sensation makes me scared that I am going into labour though. Some days I am super positive and others I just feel like I am going to go off the deep end with panic. Our first goal is 28 weeks. Only 7 weeks to go...