Our Growing Baby Girl During Week 19

Our baby girl is between five and six inches long and weighs about seven ounces—about the size of an apple. Her early ovaries contain follicles with forming eggs. Soon, half of the genetic material for our potential future grandchildren will be formed. Pictures of babies at this age show them touching the membrane of the amniotic sac, touching their own faces, reaching for the umbilical cord, pedaling their legs, and sucking their thumbs. Our baby may already have a preference for the left or right hand. In the brain, areas of the nerve cells that serve the senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing are becoming specialized and are forming more complex connections. Loud sounds as well as any feelings I may have of stress or alarm may be communicated to her. She responds to these stresses by becoming more active.

Modified from http://www.fitpregnancy.com/calendar/40251867.html

Today We Are 18 Weeks Pregnant

How Our Baby is growing:

Head to rump, our baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and she weighs almost 7 ounces. She's busy flexing her arms and legs — movements that I'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. Her blood vessels are visible through her thin skin, and her ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from her head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born. As we're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place.

Modified from http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-18-weeks_1107.bc?responsys_count=1&scid=mbtw_preg18:794&pe=2UxuZCY.

Today We Are 17 Weeks Pregnant

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

16-Week Ultrasound Pictures

Peanut's Profile

Peanut's "Beautiful" Spine
"It's a Girl!"

Peanut is...

a girl!

Babies, Babies Everywhere!

Now, you all know about Peanut's cousins Ava and Baby Boy Griffin.

You even know about Nina's sweet Caroline, who will be two years old in August (@ sweetcarolinegrace.blogspot.com).

But you have yet to meet Brieanna Lefebvre (born February 3, 2010) and Miles Koiter (born October 9, 2009 @ thekoiterfamily.shutterfly.com).

Speaking of Mr. Miles Koiter...he's going to be a big brother! I am so thrilled to share with you that Amanda & Jason are expecting Beautiful Baby #2 on February 20, 2011. You can follow their journey at anotherbunintheoven2010.blogspot.com.

Today We Are 16 Weeks Pregnant

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.

"Found a Peanut"

What do you do when a song is stuck in your head and you can't get it out?

Well, in the case of "Found a Peanut," which has gotten stuck in my head quite frequently since Little Littlefield was nicknamed "Peanut," I'm hopeful that a dedication to Peanut's Uncles Phil & Gabe will do the trick.

Why a dedication to Phil & Gabe? Flash back to New Year's Day 1999. Phil, Gabe, Prescott & I were stuck in traffic on a 10-hour car ride home from Las Vegas. We were all going crazy. Phil & Gabe decided to entertain themselves by singing, over and over (and over) again, the "Found a Peanut" song. We're not sure what was worse - the traffic or the singing - but once a song like this has been so crammed into your head, you can never get it out.

So, here's to you, Phil & Gabe:

Found a peanut, found a peanut, found a peanut last night. Last night I found a peanut, found a peanut last night.

Cracked it open, cracked it open, cracked it open last night. Last night I cracked it open, cracked it open last night.

It was rotten, it was rotten, it was rotten last night. Last night it was rotten, it was rotten last night.

Ate it anyway, ate it anyway, ate it anyway last night. Last night I ate it anyway, ate it anyway last night.

Shopping for Maternity Clothes

I wouldn't call shopping for maternity clothes "fun." In fact, I'd call it downright stressful. Who wants to spend money on clothes you can only wear for so long?

I started building my new "wardrobe" with four pairs pants from Motherhood Maternity. Then I "inherited" a wide variety of maternity clothes from one of Nina's friends. What a blessing!

Yet I still sought just a few more essentials. That's when I discovered Isabella Oliver Maternity. I visited the website several times and consulted with Lital before finally deciding to splurge. And Sam was generous enough to gift me the gorgeous dress on the left as an early 30th birthday present.

I can't say enough about how much I love IO. The fabric is so comfortable and the designs are elegant and timeless. And supposedly I'll be able to wear these pieces sans bump!

(And for those of you who are wondering, no, my bump isn't that big yet!)

Today We Are 15 Weeks Pregnant

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.")