Take a Hike!

I am 17 weeks pregnant today and still feeling good. I have been hiking a lot, and even getting Jan to give up some bike rides and join me on a few great hikes. Saturday we hiked Red Hill, a quick loop close to home, and Sunday we hiked up to Savage Lakes above Basalt - something like 6 miles roundtrip and most of that was above 10,000 feet in elevation. It was very windy + very cloudy = very chilly! But it's a nice hike to some alpine lakes, we packed a picnic lunch and made a day of it. Great views of the valley from up high!

We have our next ultrasound appointment in about two weeks. At that appointment we will be able to find out the sex of the baby, if we choose. In talking to our friends & coworkers, it's very obvious that people have strong opinions on this subject! Some people say there aren't many big surprises in life (I disagree with that, BTW) and that we should wait until the baby is born to find out. Or that the anticipation of finding out is what gets you through those final weeks. Other people say pregnancy and babies offer up enough surprises, and recommend finding out so that you can plan at least mentally on having a son or a daughter. And that knowing boy or girl lets you narrow down your name choices.

We want to know what you think! Please participate in our poll on the right - should we find out the sex of the baby? We'll post results next week.

And now, for the weekly baby update:

Baby's now the size of an onion!
Your baby weighs 5 ounces now, and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. His umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes now feature one-of-a-kind prints. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop. Your baby's eyes (which have fortunately finished their migration to the front of her head) are making small side-to-side movements and can even perceive some light, though the eyelids are still sealed. And here's some proof that your baby is truly one of a kind. Within the next week or so, the pads on his fingertips and toes will become adorned with completely individual swirls and creases (aka fingerprints).