Sixteen Weeks - Twenty Four To Go!

Hi everyone! Jan & I don't have a lot going on this week so I'm going to let the baby's growth do the talking for this post. I changed some settings on the blog so anyone should be able to post comments now - optional of course but have at it if you like! We'd love to hear from you. Keep in touch & have a great Labor Day weekend! XO

Week 16 of Pregnancy: Fetal Development This Week

Listen up: Tiny bones in your fetus's ears are in place this week, making it likely that the baby can hear your voice when you're speaking (or singing in the shower) at 16 weeks pregnant. In fact, studies have found that babies who are sung to while they're in the womb recognize the same tune when it's sung to them after they are born (so choose your baby Muzak with that in mind).

And baby's busily boning up in other ways. For one, the backbone (along with the back muscles) is stronger now — strong enough, in fact, to enable your baby to work on straightening his or her head and neck even more. Baby's crown-to-rump measurement is between four and five inches in length, and weight is hovering around three ounces.

This little one's a looker — with a face that has both eyebrows and eyelashes — but a skinny looker since there's no baby fat yet. And here's the skinny on baby skin: It's practically translucent now, so if you took a peek inside your uterus, you'd be able to see your baby's blood vessels under that thin skin.

How your baby's growing:
Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your 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, his head is more erect than it has been, 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. He's even started growing toenails. 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 your baby continues to develop.

Fun Second Trimester Fact:
Your baby will be 32 times heavier by the end of the second trimester than it was at the beginning. It will go from weighing in at a mere 1 ounce to tipping the scales at 2 pounds. If a newborn grew at the same rate, she'd weigh about 240 pounds by the time she was three months old!

15 Weeks - 176 Days To Go!

One week in to the second trimester and things are going really well! It seems everything I've read about the second trimester being the "honeymoon of pregnancy" - where you get your energy back and start feeling like your old self - is true. I've definitely had more energy and am not feeling as tired as I was in the first trimester. I feel very lucky to be feeling this good!

Jan & I hiked up Aspen Mountain this past weekend to meet some friends for Bluegrass Sundays. This hike takes you up more than 3,000 vertical feet in about 2 1/2 miles and there is not one flat step along the way - it's a real grunt! I felt pretty good about myself for doing it while pregnant (pats self on back), and Jan kept himself motivated knowing there would be lunch & cold beers at the top.

Those of you who know me well may know that I'm typically pretty doctor-phobic, and of course, pregnancy is no time for being doctor-phobic! So far I've had a handful of various appointments, have been poked, prodded, had blood drawn, and seen the baby via three ultrasounds. It's all worth it when we get to see the baby moving around! We got good news today that everything was normal with the first trimester screen blood work, one of many tests along the way. I've got more blood work to look forward to next week, and another ultrasound in week 19. We'll have more pictures of the growing baby after that ultrasound.

Wonder what Primo is up to this week?

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.

We can't wait to feel all of that movement - something to look forward to anywhere between weeks 16-20!

...and we're back!

Hello everyone!

Jan & I thought having a baby on the way was a great reason to resurrect the short-lived blog - and this time actually keep it up. It's an easy way to let everyone know what we're up to, how the pregnancy is going, and what the baby is up to.

As Jan said in his email last week, we've affectionately nicknamed the baby Primo, meaning first in Italian. It's a little more personal than saying "the baby" or "it" all the time. Primo may just turn out to be a Prima - time will tell!

At 14 weeks, Primo is now approximately the size of a lemon. Pretty impressive considering when I realized I was pregnant the baby was about the size of an appleseed! At 14 weeks:

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 starting my second trimester and still feeling pretty good - no morning sickness at all, mostly very tired. They call the second trimester, when you get your energy back and feel like yourself again, the honeymoon period of pregnancy. I'm waiting for things to be that good!

I added a few more images from the ultrasound we had on August 12. It is amazing just how much you can see at this point, when the baby is only about 7 cm long. Needless to say we can't wait for the next ultrasound!

Jan & I are very excited about Primo and so happy to have finally shared this big news with you!