December 31, 2008

Our baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear our voices now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

December 24, 2008

Around this time, our baby becomes more sensitive to the outside world and shows her presence through powerful kicks and prods. The bones through which sound is passed to the inner ear have hardened and the parts of the brain that receives and processes nerve signals from the ears are developing. This means that our baby can hear now. Our baby will get used to familiar sounds, such as my heart beating, familiar voices, blood rushing through the umbilical cord and other daily routine sounds. Our baby will become startled if he hears a loud sound.

Head to rump, our baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

December 21, 2008

Party Animal


I've been feeling baby Hergie move for a couple of weeks now, just off and on. Last night I ate a couple of my mom's Secret Kiss Cookies (these are my all time favorite cookies---it's a good thing she only makes them at Christmas), and baby must have loved them too. It was a party in my uterus for about 30 minutes! I had to laugh. Just little flutters, but it was funny all the same.

December 16, 2008

17 WEEKS!!!
I just realized that I have heartburn right now. It's awful. Can barely stand upright. I thought it was hunger pains in a place that wasn't my stomach!



We had a doctor's appointment on Friday and got to hear the heartbeat. I cried. It was my last appointment with Dr. Craig....I cried again. Then she did another ultrasound and we were able to see Baby Hergie's feet kick and hands move....I cried some more. Yes, I am a bit of a cryer. It's not even the hormones. I'm naturally like that. Then Nick left to go back to Norfolk. Any guesses at what I did? Come on, you know...





Anyway, I thought I'd post a couple of the ultrasound pictures instead of finding 17 week pictures online.
















Can you see the legs in the top one???

Baby Hergie has legs!! Whew.

Our baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Our 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.

December 9, 2008

At this point of my pregnancy, our baby is approximately 4.3 to 4.6 inches long and weighs 2.8 ounces. At this time, our baby is holding her head erect. Because her muscles are developing, she can make some faces now. Our baby is able to squint, frown and open its mouth. There is enough calcium in the bones that they will show up on an x-ray. Our baby's fingernails are well formed now and the legs are longer than the arms.

In the next few weeks, our baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as our baby continues to develop.

Our next doctor appointment is this Friday. We should be able to hear the heartbeat!!! Nick will be driving back from Norfolk for the appointment, but then will have to return :(

December 2, 2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRAMPA JIM!!!

December 1, 2008

Baby's skin is very thin, and blood vessels can be seen underneath. The skin is covered with a fine, fuzzy hair called lanugo, which will not fall out until your baby nears full-term. The heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood per day. This week marks a period of rapid growth.

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")