Week 18 belly

Oh what a difference a day makes.

It's amazing how much this little sweet potato can change how my body functions so drastically!  Monday afternoon and evening I was experience what I thought were cramps.  I spent a relatively sleepless night and then around 4 am, my tummy made the biggest rumble, and everything went back to normal.  No more cramping.  Just to be sure, I checked with the doctor... he said it was all normal and was just stretching.
When I got home, I took the 17 week belly shot.  I kid you not, on Monday, I looked like the picture at 16 weeks.  On Tuesday... well, I'll let the picture speak for its self.
SpaghettiO has also turned into Ninja Baby.  As I am sitting here, I am getting some definite kicking action.  It's crazy that in a few short days the movements have gone to barely discernable little flutters to no chance it's gonna be ignored kicks!  SpaghettiO, who is also apparently a night owl, also decided to wake me up last night to tell me he wanted to play.
Elie is getting impatient to be able to feel the movement, too.  Last night he swore he could feel it, but sadly, it just turned out to be the pulse in his fingers.  I had a good chuckle about it.

Week 18

Baby's now the size of a sweet potato!
Baby's become amazingly mobile (compared to you, at least), passing the hours yawning, hiccupping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking, and swallowing. And baby is finally big enough that you'll soon be able to feel her movements.
Something you can't see on the ultrasound, but you'll know is in working order, is your baby's nervous system, which is maturing rapidly at this time.  Nerves, now covered with a substance called myelin (which speeds messages from nerve cell to nerve cell), are forming more complex connections. And those in the brain are further specializing into the ones that serve the senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing. Talking about hearing, your baby's is growing more acute, making your little one more conscious of sounds that come from inside your body (which means you could both be listening to each other hiccup  — a skill that your baby has by now).

Week 17 belly

Week 17

Baby's now the size of an onion!
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.
The heart is now regulated by the brain (no more random beats) to beat 140 to 150 times per minute — about twice as fast as yours! What else is up? S/he’s practicing the survival skills s/he’ll need at birth — like sucking and swallowing.

Week 16 belly

The Tortise and the Hare

I don't know how the time manages.  It seems like it is crawling by but the next thing I know, I look and another week, or two, has flown by.  So here we are approaching week 17 and I feel like it has crawled by, but looking back, I can't help but think, where the heck has the time gone?

Let's see, what is worthy of an update?  I had my monthly OB appointment.  Unfortunately, it was a little earlier than initially expected so Elie couldn't make it, which he was bummed about, since we get an exclusive look at the little one at each appointment.  Everything looks great and the doc was happy about Spaghetti-O's growth and my tummy expansion.

I can also feel SpaghettiO moving around some now.  It's not consistant, but it is getting a little stronger and more recognizable.  And no one can get him to move around like his daddy.  All Elie has to do is put his hand on the bump and  the little one starts doing flips.

We have started familiarizing the SpaghettiO with various oeuvres of classical music.  So far, he seems to like Saint Saens and Wagner the best.

The energy burst that I had for the last few weeks seems to have disappeared which is a total bummer, I guess that is just part of being mom the energy generator.

Your baby's the size of an avocado!

Now, s/he's about 4.6 inches long and weighs about 3.5 ounces, and s/he's big enough that your doctor may be able to hear her heartbeat.

The bones that are now in place in his ears means he can probably hear your voice as you talk to your partner and pals and sing in the car. While he’s getting used to your voice, the tiny muscles in his body, especially the ones in his back, are gaining strength, so he can straighten out a little more. And thanks to his developing facial muscles, your baby is capable of making a few expressive frowns and squints, even at this early stage. (Don’t worry, those frowns have nothing to do with the sound of your voice!) And his eyes are finally working, making small side-to-side movements and perceiving light (although the eyelids are still sealed). Peekaboo!

Week 15 Belly

Week 15

your baby's the size of a naval orange!

The average fetus at 15 weeks weighs 2.5 ounces and measures 4 inches -- and his proportions are becoming even more normal, since his legs now outmeasure his arms.

Week 14 Belly