15 Weeks

Yesterday, Tuesday, the pregnancy turned 15 weeks old. The baby is now about 4 inches long, crown to rump (so that approximate measurement does not include the baby's legs, as those are still curled up a bit). The baby is moving amniotic fluid through his/her nose and primative respiratory tract. As I have read, the baby's eyes are still fused shut, but does respond to light. In other senses, taste buds are forming, but the baby still can't actually taste anything. Some of what I have read says the baby can even hear, but I didn't read that in my usual places. Personally, I have now transistioned to predominately maternity clothes. I find those waistbands much more comfortable than my usual clothes. Some shirts I have, which are generally a bit larger, I can still wear, but I do now have a good stock of maternity shirts, too. I'm kinda starting to show. I think it might be another week, maybe two, before the baby portion of my belly (not the bloated part of my belly) becomes obvious. Sometimes, though, I just let things hang out and let people think I'm far more pregnant than I actually am. Generally, my energy is pretty much back, I'm in a better mood, and am hungry pretty much all the time. I guess means the real weight gain can begin. Woohoo!

Just Found: Cool Image

This is a 3D ultrasound of a 14 week old baby:

2nd Trimester

Well, I'll be starting my second trimester this week - that's week 14. So yeah, its been a while since our last post, guess we've been slackers. Despite what some may think, I am not showing yet. That means you have pet my gassy, bloated intestines, not my baby. Sorry to disappoint. The time for showing may be soon, though. I predict that by then end of May I'll have a legitimate "baby bump". Why then? Read on. Really, though, this blog is about our baby, so let's move on with how this little person is developing. Since my last visit, when I was at about 11 weeks, the baby has developed reflexes, fingerprints, if the baby is a girl her ovaries are already hard at work, s/he has developed facial expressions, and can pee! In addition to lots of other stuff, like tiny soft hairs covering the baby's entire body, s/he has grown from about 1 1/2 inches long to almost 3 1/2 inches long and from about a quarter ounce to an ounce and a half. So that's progress. In the next two to three weeks, the baby will be doubling in length and weight, and his/her heart will pump nearly 25 quarts of blood through his/her little body. So this huge growth spurt between weeks 15 and 16 is what leads me to believe it will be the end of May that I really start to "show". My next OB visit is also at the end of May. We'll be doing some blood work to determine the probability that our baby has certain developmental disabilities (primarily they'll screen for spina bifida and down's syndrome, among others). If insurance allows, maybe we'll do another ultrasound, but the "big one" will bit mid-to-late June - at which point we can decide to learn if we are having a boy or a girl. Sorry no pictures to post right now, but I'm always on the lookout for something cool.