Fressy Can Hear!

New development with baby this week: he/she can start to hear! So now I have to watch what I say :) Also, I've been experiencing round ligament pain, which is basically stretching of my ligaments surrounding the uterus. I notice it most if we're walking, which we did a lot of during the Race for the Cure this weekend. But the exercise was probably needed... Anyway, Fressy is about the size of an avocado this week!

"Watch what you say... tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. And, if you're interested, an ultrasound might be able to determine gender."

Apples or Oranges

Wow - that apple looks huge! Also, according to the bump, the baby could also be the size of a naval orange! I'm really, really, really looking forward to when I can finally feel the baby moving. (I've heard it can happen as early as 16 weeks up to 22 weeks. I'm hoping I'm on the early end.)

How your baby's growing: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.")

New Blog Title

So, Fred has been bugging me for awhile now to change the title. I guess he thought it was too depressing, since we have been blessed with a healthy pregnancy so far. So, he suggested this title. It stems from an article we read probably about 2 years ago about a New Zeeland couple who were fighting to have their kid named "4Real". Seriously. And then New Zeeland said that they couldn't. I'm glad someone was looking out for that kid. Except then they decided to legally name their child "Superman." D'oh!

Here is the article!

14-Week Appointment Update

Everything sounds good! Baby's heartbeat was measuring in the 150's. AND we scheduled our anatomy scan! We're getting a level 2 ultrasound for heart reasons, but that isn't going to be until 22 1/2 weeks! So, our Dr. was so sweet and is having us do one at 18 weeks, which is just FOUR weeks from now! Hooray!

From the Bump: "Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth."

I'm just so happy that this is all going so well. It's been a rough year and a half.

Concentration

I am so bad at concentrating lately! I can't seem to focus on anything in particular. I'm blaming the hormones.

So, I was kind of hoping that I would be feeling better by now, but I'm really not. It is always worst right around 4 pm, but today I've been feeling it all day, pretty much. Last night on the way home we had to stop for food because I was feeling like I needed to eat to make the yucky tummy feeling go away. It only helped a little bit.

I'm getting excited for next week and our Dr.'s appointment! After that, Fred will tell his work and I will finish telling my work. I plan on telling my immediate team tomorrow at our meeting. I'll probably do a reassuring heartbeat check with my trusty doppler tonight, though. That thing is fantastic.

Peachy-keen, jelly bean

Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords... savor this, their non-functional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with a head now only one third the size of the body. Intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy. (Much more convenient.)

Fressy is peach-sized this week! This is so amazing to me, since I can hear his/her heartbeat on the little doppler and it sounds so strong! Fred had a dream last night that Fressy was born, but I kept the gender a secret from everyone. Fred looked at the baby and knew it was a girl! But it was because of her long hair :) He also said that she had a pointy butt-chin, which is actually totally possible.

We're only about 7 weeks away from finding out if Fressy is a Fressica or a Fressico. :) Can't wait!

Heartbeat :)

The doppler finally arrived last night! It didn't make it to my doorstep until 7:00 pm and I was very anxiously awaiting its arrival.

Immediately, I went (with Fred in tow) to try it out! It probably took about 15 minutes, but we found it! There really was no way it could have been anything else. And it made us very happy!

Fred also conceded that my peace of mind was worth more than five bucks.

Twelve Weeks!!!!!!!!

This is such a milestone for us and we're so excited! Baby is the size of either a lime (if you listen to BabyCenter or a plum (according to The Bump). I personally like the plum better.

"As you move into the second trimester, baby shifts into the growth and maturation stage. After weeks in the critical development stage, almost all of baby's systems are fully formed."

I'm also still waiting on my doppler, which is expected to arrive tomorrow. I was secretly hoping for earlier, but oh well.

Another question - when to tell? I think that I'll probably start telling next week and Fred said that he's probably going to start telling after our 14-week appointment on the 27th. It will be so fun for it not to be a secret anymore!

Caved in

I've told Fred about it already, so it's not a surprise - I bought a doppler. After looking into how much they would be to rent and how much they are used, I decided that the cost was almost as much or as much as a new one. So I bought one on Wednesday! It's on its way, so I hope it gets here sooner than it's estimated arrival date of Tuesday.

If you're wondering, it's the Hi-Bebe Bt-200.

I am very excited for the peace of mind it's going to give me! Fred was mad that I spent the money, but I think he'll get over it once he gets to hear the little one. I asked him how much peace of mind was worth to him and he told me, "Five bucks." Whatever.

Oh yeah

And Fressy's as big as a lime now!

Your fetus currently enjoys a 1:1 ratio between body and head, and has skin so transparent that blood vessels show right through. But, fingers and toes are no longer webbed, and hair follicles, tooth buds and nail beds are forming -- setting up a significantly more attractive future.