Pregnancy Journal

I always love the 4th of July... I love fireworks!  This weekend, we're having a BBQ at our house with Chris' family.  We're so excited to see everyone!  I wish I had a cute baby bump to show off, but I guess I have to be patient :(  This week, our little bean is 11 weeks old.  I still don't feel pregnant, but I know I will in a few more weeks when I start to feel baby's movement in my big ol belly! 

How your baby's growing:

Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a plum, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.  She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.

What a fantastic day!  I had my 10 week ultrasound this afternoon, and we learned that our Baby Bean is full of boundless energy... just like Daddy!  Looks like I'm going to be in big trouble!  We expected to see leg kicks and small body movements, but looked more like he/she was throwing a big ol party in there!  It was amusing and so exciting to witness... it felt like we were crashing baby's private party!  Our little one's heartbeat was 168 bpm, and it was music to my ears!  All I have been able to think about is that little heartbeat, and the new life that we are growing together, from our love.  Its absolutely amazing to think about...

But wait!  There's more good news: Chris was selected from promotion to Tech Sergeant!!  Its a pretty remarkable achievement considering less than 1% of his careerfield was selected, and he has only been in for just over 7 years.  The average for promotion selection is 12 years!  I'm so proud... what a smart guy!  Could this year possibly get any better?!  We are so thankful, and just enjoying every aspect of our lives right now.  We feel so blessed.

My due date was moved up again, from Jan 22nd to the 20th.  Today, our little miracle is 10 weeks 3 days, and is developing as follows:  

How your baby's growing:  Your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.  He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver — are in place and starting to function.  If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long, and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce.

Next week, I'll be heading home for a family reunion.  I'm soo excited to see my family, but I'm also a little nervous.  Maybe its all the hormones running through my body, but I started to panic a little about seeing so many people... some who I haven't seen in almost 10 years, since before I left for the Air Force. Yikes!  I've also been feeling really sad about the fact that so many of my family members don't keep in close touch.  And now, I'm going to have my first child, and I want him/her to have a close-knit family...  I don't want my baby to grow up not knowing or feeling close to these people that mean so much to me.  I guess being a military family has its drawbacks, this being one of them...

I may not be able to update my journal again until after my trip home... I can only imagine how much our Baby Bean will grow in those three weeks!  This week, our little miracle is 7 weeks old.

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

The big news this week: Hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs — although they look more like paddles at this point than the tiny, pudgy extremities you're daydreaming about holding and tickling. Technically, your baby is still considered an embryo and has something of a small tail, which is an extension of her tailbone. The tail will disappear within a few weeks, but that's the only thing getting smaller. Your baby has doubled in size since last week and now measures half an inch long, about the size of a blueberry. 

If you could see inside your womb, you'd spot eyelid folds partially covering her peepers, which already have some color, as well as the tip of her nose and tiny veins beneath parchment-thin skin. Both hemispheres of your baby's brain are growing, and her liver is churning out red blood cells until her bone marrow forms and takes over this role. She also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. A loop in your baby's growing intestines is bulging into her umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from her tiny body.