16 Weeks

Week 16, or the beginning of my 4th month, brings me toenails! It probably doesn’t seem as exciting or glamorous as previous weeks, but it’s growth nonetheless. Inside my body this week, my heart is pumping about 25 quarts or blood a day (grown-ups pump about 2,000 gallons a day so I have some work to do). I’m also still pretty small, weighing around 3 ½ oz with a length at 4 ½ inches (head to rear-end). This trimester should bring a great deal of growth, though.

Mom and dad went to the doctor this week for a 4-week check-up. Like the other appointment, they weighed her, took her blood pressure, and listened to my heartbeat. Though the doctor kept us waiting in the waiting room almost a full hour, mom and dad were no longer upset when they were able to hear my heart. This was dad’s first time to hear it! My heart was beating at 142, which the doctor said was “perfect”. It makes the gender guessing game my mom and dad are playing harder, though, since my first measured heartbeat was 160 (supposedly, anything 160 or over is a girl; under 160 is a boy). I guess that it will just have to remain my little secret until I am born!

15 Weeks - Seeing the light!

So here I am at 15 weeks, and the size of an apple. Really, it's about 4 inches from head to bottom. My legs are finally longer than my arms, which is great because I was starting to think I might come out looking like a gorilla. With that, too, all my joints are bending and moving. This will make kicking much easier for me!

My taste buds are forming this week, though unfortunately there isn't much for me to taste in here. If I am anything like my dad, these taste buds will be programmed to want only Coke and Snickers bars. If I am more like my mom, though, they will prefer cold, crispy salads and plain grilled chicken. Either way, it will probably be a while before I get a chance to taste any of those things.

Mom and dad took me to Charleston this week to enjoy warm weather and sunshine. Though my eyelids are still fused shut, I can now sense light which was in abundance the entire week. I also experienced my mom's love for dancing at a wedding reception the end of this week. I'm fairly certain the "Cha-Cha Slide" contributed to a great deal of me flipping around and consequential dizziness on Friday night.

As you can tell from this week's photo, mom and dad didn't have the same backdrop available but I think they would chose a beach setting over a bedroom wall any day.

Life Hands you a Lemon at Week 14!

The second trimester is a lot of work so far! I’m growing pretty quickly and
am up to about 3 and ½ inches now. My fruit comparison this week? A lemon (but think of me as much sweeter). This week I am also working on facial expressions: frowning, grimacing, squinting. I can also finally grasp things, though there aren’t a lot of choices around me to grasp. I'm considering this thumb-sucking idea. My arms have grown to a length that is much more proportionate to the rest of my body, though my legs still have a while to catch up. I’m still moving them around as much as I can but it will be a while before mom can feel it.

Mom and dad are crafting a name for me but are being very secretive about the names they have chosen. I know they are already committed to a girl’s name but I think they are still unsure about a name for me if I am a boy. Considering they will not be finding out if I am one or the other, they better have one of each planned! Not only will my gender be a surprise for everyone, but my name will be a surprise to all of you, too!

Mom is traveling this week for work and returns just in time to leave for a week-long trip vacation the Carolinas. She and dad are in a wedding on Friday the 24th but will be spending the week there with the bride and groom-to-be and a number of good friends. It may make it difficult for me to access a computer to update for week 15 (what can I say? I will be basking on a beach… sorta) but I will be sure to update for week 15 as soon as I am able.

13 Means Fingerprints

Alert the police - I can now be fingerprinted! That's really my biggest development this week, aside from the fact that my body is finally starting to catch up with my big head! All-in-all, I am about 3 inches long now - which apparently means I need more space to spread out.

Mom's collection of maternity clothes is well on its way thanks to my Grandma Helmrich, Great Aunt Bev, and Grandma McMillen. It wont be long before she is wearing them, since she has started finding comfort in partially unzipping most of her regular clothing. Dad is encouraging her to do some shopping but I think she is hesitant to admit she may need to move up a size.

This week is the end of my first trimester and I plan to do some major work over the second. I'll be back next week to let you know what I am doing in week 14!

Poking and Proding at 12 Weeks

Mom read somewhere that if she poked or prodded at me now, I would squirm. This is great and all, except that SHE CAN’T FEEL IT yet. She knows this, but insists on still trying. I hope she lays off for a few more weeks. I think by 16-18 weeks I might be big enough that she will be able to tell, but until then it’s just annoying!

This week is a good week because I am finally starting to look more like a human. I was beginning to worry. Ears are where they belong, eyes are finally at the front of my head and I am now about 2 inches long (from head to bottom). The fruit comparison this week is a lime.

Synapses in my brain are forming quickly now and nerve cells are multiplying. What’s best, though, is that this week I have reflexes! Soon enough, eye muscles will be clenching and I will be able to finally make sucking movements with my mouth. Bring on the pacifier!

Mom’s pants don’t exactly fit comfortably anymore, unless they come with an elastic waist. She’s not ready for maternity clothes yet but may have to give in and buy a few items that are the next size up at least. She says it’s awkward because she doesn’t exactly look pregnant yet – maybe just a little “overweight”. She talks about a muffin top, but I don’t think she means the edible kind.

Both mom and dad have decided against testing for chromosomal abnormalities. They both know they will love me no matter what and are already certain I am going to be the most beautiful baby this world has ever seen.