Our baby now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (get this the length of an English hothouse cucumber), from head to heel. The nerve pathways in his/her ears are developing, which means his/her response to sounds is growing more consistent. His/Her lungs are developing now, too, as s/he continues to take small breaths of amniotic fluid — good practice for when s/he's born and takes that first breath of air. If we're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days. This could make it harder not to find out what we are having at our next Ultrasound (no pun intended).
How my life is changing:
Still feeling really good just more tired and standing for long periods is tough. Nothing really aches when I stand I just get kind of tired all over. But when I sit for long periods of time my booty starts to ache. Kind of strange, but I guess this is probably just the beginning of lots more aches and pains to come. Little Peanut is moving around like crazy now and I am suppose to start counting kicks throughout the day. They want to make sure Peanut is kicking at least 10 times within a 2 hour period. Let me tell you this is not a problem at all. This little acrobat can do 10 kicks, 15 somersaults and 8 cartwheels all within 30 minutes or less. It isn't constant, but there are certainly times throughout the day that Peanut is ready for action.
I am also getting more and more people I know and do not know guessing what sex Peanut is. Everyone is so fascinated with pregnant woman, they want to touch me and size me up to see if they can guess the sex. It is fun sometimes, but also annoying at other times. The latest is they want to check out my butt to see if it has gotten any bigger to help them determine. Come on it is hard enough having my whole front side enlarged now they want to check and see if my bottom is expanding too? Good grief leave the poor pregnant lady alone already. J
2008-04-21
Our Peanut at Week 25
How our baby is growing:
Head to heels, our baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His /she weight — a pound and a half — close to the weight of a rutabaga, but s/he's beginning to exchange his/her long, lean look for some baby fat. As s/he does, peanut's wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and s/he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. His/her hair is probably recognizable now (in color and texture), although both may change after s/he's born.
How my life is changing:
Well the biggest change is my doctor told me that I should probably not be running any longer. My joints have become very stiff after running and my doctor felt that I could injury myself. So I guess I'll have to ramp up the swimming and spinning.
The other exciting thing is my friend Kara helped me register at Babies R Us this weekend. It was a very informative afternoon and I am so grateful to Kara for taking the time to point out all the must haves for our little peanut. It was an overwhelming experience and I am sure if I was on my own it would have taken me all day. Big thanks to Aunt Kara!
2008-04-18
Our Peanut at Week 24
How our baby is growing:
Our peanut is growing steadily, gaining about a quarter of a pound since last week, when s/he was just over a pound. Since he/she's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), that makes a pretty lean figure, but his/her body is filling out proportionally and s/he'll soon put on more baby fat. Our baby's skin is thin, translucent, and wrinkled, his/her brain is growing rapidly, and his/her taste buds are developing. His/Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance **that helps the air sacs inflate easily. Peanut must be preoccupied with all this new development as I haven't felt a lot of movement this week? I have a doctor's appointment next week, so I will have to inquire. I miss the daily summersalts and bumps here and there.
How my life is changing:
Still really tired this week, but I think I am still recovering from the trip to Las Vegas. I am also noticing that I have really dry skin...I better do a better job on lubing up.
Supposedly the top of my uterus is now an inch or so above your belly button, which means it's about the size of a soccer ball (this explains the size of my belly). This is also probably why I tend to get full quicker these days. Other than this I am feeling and doing great.
2008-04-18
Our Peanut at Week 23
How our baby is growing:
Our baby is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango). His/her skin is red and wrinkled. Blood vessels in his/her lungs are developing to prepare him/her for breathing. S/he can swallow, but s/he normally won't pass his first stool (called meconium) until after birth. Loud noises heard often in utero — such as the Jason cheering on the Pads or the roar of a vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze peanut when s/he hears them outside the womb. I guess I should start vacuuming more often, so peanut won't wake up when I have to do this myself.
How my life is changing:
I learned this week that Vegas and pregnancy just don't mix. I spent the entire week in the city of sin for work. It was an exhausting week to say the least, but we made it through. The sad part is I have to go back two more times within the next month. I think after these two trips I might have to pull the pregnancy card and put an end to traveling. It isn't that bad really, but I am feeling more and more exhausted at the end of the day and traveling only makes it worse. Still having trouble sleeping, but it may just be everything that is going on with work right now.
