... with a face like a par-boiled yam

Our baby is a sweet potato this week, which just forces a song from the movie A Mighty Wind into my head. It's about a sweet potato baby but has a line about it having a face like a par-boiled yam and now that's what I'm afraid my baby has. Also, sweet potatos come in about a gazillion sizes so I think it's an unfair vegetable to use.

Week 18: Sweet Potato
This week, you officially begin your fifth month of pregnancy. Your baby may have reached 15 cm from crown to rump by now, and he can both feel and hear. Admittedly at the moment, all he can hear is your heartbeat and the flow of your digestive system but soon he'll be able to detect noise outside the womb and identify your voice. You're just a week away from the half-way mark. Pregnancy care is much more relaxed than it used to be, so you're unlikely to see your midwife or doctor often unless you need extra attention. But don't chew over things alone if you're feeling anxious.Your baby is approximately 14.2 centimetres long from crown to rump and she weighs about 190 grams. Her chest moves up and down to mimic breathing but she's not taking in air, only amniotic fluid.

Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon.

Dude, can you believe we're almost halfway? Totally bizarro. And that poor child is just in there listening to my heart and digestive noises. BORING. Oh well, its problem, not mine.

So we found out last night that a great friend of ours is pregnant too and is due exactly one week after me!! I haven't called to harass her yet today but I am going to give her a major thunder-stealing lecture I do believe but I'm actually incredibly happy! She is one of Marcel's best friends from the New Guinea days (Eisele's if you're reading this, I hope I'm not ruining a surprise) so I'm hoping she'll be a good ally in helping to convince Marcel to look at furniture & supplies soon. I was just thinking of her 2 days ago because the name Willis came to my mind (please hold your "Whachoo talkin' 'bout" jokes) & I decided I liked it but then remembered that this friend has a dog named Willis so that won't work. I'm not trying to be shady by not naming her by the way but I realise not everyone may want their pregnancy trotted across a blog. I have no shame myself.

We're escaping to our hotel tonight because it's Christmas Eve! The holidays are officially upon us. My only plan is to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation on TV on Christmas night and we're going to our favourite Sydney restaurant Pancakes on the Rocks (it's a glorified Shoney's basically but those kind of restaurants don't exist here so it's become very cool & trendy & is open 24 hours a day & serves alcohol) to pig out. I may watch a couple episodes of True Blood, the vampire show from HBO that just happens to star one of our actors - he's the blond one with the abs that has all the sex (yes, he's Australia but I applaud his southern acting). Very good show from the one episode I've seen.

Okay, I'm rambling & that's my sign that it's time to go. When you eat your holiday sweet potatoes, think of my unborn child. Ugh, no don't.