Sweet Koorn

Thank you all for participating in the gender poll last week. The results are in and it looks like the majority of you, like us, are eager to find out if it's going to be a little Primo or a little Prima. We'll keep you all posted if & when we decide to find out!

The big news this week is that I'm starting to feel the baby moving! So far I haven't felt any real kicks or punches, it's more like a distinct fluttery movement in my abdomen. When I feel it I can just imagine our tiny little baby swimming around in there! Jan can't wait for these movements to be strong enough for him to feel too - looks like he'll have to wait at least a month though as the baby is still too small for movements to be detected by anyone but me. Lucky me!

We're planning a much-needed staycation next week. We're not setting up the nursery just yet (for those of you who think I'm an overplanner - surprisingly - I'm not planning it yet) but we hope to clean things up in anticipation of making room for Primo later this winter. In addition we're both really looking forward to being out of the office, offline, and enjoying some vacation time right here in our own backyard!

And now for your weekly baby update:
At 18 weeks, your baby is about 5 to 5 1/2 inches long from top to tail and weighs a little more than five ounces, about the size of a lobster tail. While in earlier weeks, your baby may have been able to sense sound with her primitive ear structures, this week, the bones of the ear become fully formed along with the part of her brain that processes signals from his ears. There's still plenty of room in your uterus, so your fetus can be quite active with her new muscles. She may change positions frequently, cross her legs, recline, suck her thumb, and turn somersaults. Her retinas have become light sensitive, and your baby may be able to detect a glow if you shine bright lights at your belly (even though her eyelids are sealed).