Weekly Baby Update: Week 16

This week is week 16. Although most would say that 16 divided by 4 is 4 months, months are actually 4.2 weeks long, something my chemistry teacher in high school taught me (why don't teachers tell us this more often?). Anyway, this isn't the end of month 4, that's next week. How we're changing this week:

Baby is the size of an avocado. She's about 4 1/2 inches long and about 3 1/2 ounces. In this time, she's going to be growing much more quickly.

Baby's eyes are now actually moving behind her eyelids and as we talked about last week, she's responsive to light.

Baby is pumping about 25 quarts of  blood a day, a number that will only continue as she grows.

Baby has toenails and, crazy enough to believe, the pattern for hair is present even though there isn't hair there yet. She's also got eyelashes and eyebrows!

Not much going on symptom-wise. Some gas and definitely round ligament pain (essentially the ligaments supporting the uterus are stretching and thickening). I feel her fluttering almost every day though I'd love to start feeling those kicks. I'm so anxious to know she's there every single day.

The nursery is almost complete. Small details to finish. When it's done, that's when you'll get the post with the pictures from start to finish. It's a big change and I'm totally in love with it!

FFR

Weekly Baby Update: Week 15

Hooray, hoorah! Another week down. We are now entering week 15. We are 5 weeks from the wonderful halfway point. I am so excited! Baby is the size of an apple this week at about 4 1/2 inches long and 2 1/2 ounces.

I can tell you that she is moving around a lot lately! She's supposed to be and I can feel it just about every single day now. She gives me lots of flutters and sometimes I've got the goldfish moving around in there. Working Man always wants to know if it's a strange feeling. To me, it's not and it's probably because it's something I've been waiting for!

Baby's eyes are moving to the front of her face and her ears are properly positioned now. She can move her fingers and toes and she can suck her thumb. She's practicing breathing and swallowing. Although her eyes are fused shut, she can sense light. If we were to point a light at her, she's likely to move away. She has nothing to taste, but she has something to taste with. Her taste buds are forming! Mmmm, milk!

This week Baby and I have two appointments. One has nothing to do with her, I'm getting fitted for contacts. The other has everything to do with her. We're going to see the nutritionist. Whoohoo. I'm both looking forward to and not looking forward to this. I would not be surprised if they gave me a meal plan. In spite of all my efforts, my BG numbers are still all over the place. Especially in the morning. I haven't quite figured out how to get my number under 95 before breakfast. Ah well, always a learning curve.

I am happy to say that we're almost half way through the fourth month. It's crazy to think of because it doesn't feel like it's been that long.

FFR

Weekly Baby Update: Week 14

This week is the beginning of week 14. This week, we finally start our second trimester. This week...everyone waits for this week in their pregnancy.

Baby is the size of a lemon this week. She's getting longer and her neck is more distinct. Her legs and arms are lengthening to a more proportionate size. Her liver is producing bile, her kidneys are producing urine, and her spleen is helping make red blood cells.

She's may have hair on her head and eyebrows but she most likely has a layer of hair all over her body which she will shed before birth. Currently, it's there to keep her warm. Baby can squint and grimace and frown. It's all neural impulse right now, has nothing to do with baby's actual emotions.

Baby is kicking and punching and sucking her thumb. Although in a first pregnancy you don't usually feel baby move for several more weeks, it's possible to feel baby early. As a matter of fact, I was standing at work, getting ready to clock out when I felt a wave low in my gut. It honestly felt like she rolled over. It was one of the coolest feelings in the world. I can't wait to feel her move more!

This was from last night, technically 13 weeks, 6 days. I still haven't gained any weight. I'm bouncing around a bit but mostly losing.

182 days to go!

FFR

Baby's 1st Fourth of July

Working Man and I went to see fireworks last night. This was baby's first fireworks display. She didn't get to see it even though she was there. So I photographed it for her. I wanted to make sure she could enjoy it later.

Working Man. Boy is he handsome. And goofy.


Then there's me. No less goofy.

It was horribly hot yesterday. Fortunately, by the time 9:30 rolled around, it cooled down to a nice 85 with a wonderful breeze.

How was your Fourth?

FFR

13 Week Baby Appointment

Today Working Man and I had our first regular prenatal appointment. It was filled with the usual stuff. Blood pressure, weight, palpation. Our doctor went over blood results, urine results (and I got to pee in a cup again, that was lovely), and she listened for the heartbeat. Took her a minute to find our little girl and then we heard it. But it wasn't two seconds before it was gone again and she had to search around again. As our doctor said, "She's cruisin'."

Before she gets here, we got her some cruisin' socks.




Dad, Mom, baby girl's favorite cruising wear :)

I have an appointment tomorrow with some nurses, another appointment in four weeks (which I couldn't get with my regular doctor because she's so popular she was already full) and another appointment in another four weeks which I did get with my regular doctor. I figure if we schedule an extra two appointments ahead, we can get with our regular doctor.

I am sorry to say that I have horrible heartburn. Of this I am not glad. Although an old wive's tale says that if you have bad heartburn your baby has hair. Some limited research has shown this to be fairly true. Here's to baby hair.

FFR