Week 19...three more to go before we find out the sex!

Baby is the size of a mango this week...6.0 in, 8.5 oz!

Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.)

We find out if we are having a boy or a girl on Dec. 10! I'll be 22 weeks. We would have had the opportunity to find out sooner, but our midwife is turning 50 and is traveling to Africa to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Who am I to argue with that opportunity?!?

At any rate, we are very anxious to know what this little mango is going to be. We are kicking around names and seeing if anything feels right. I am looking forward to the holiday season and am already feeling very festive!

We are having family pictures (with the dogs) taken Dec. 5. Belly shots too! I'll be sure to post some here.

Our 17 week onion makes me cry! Happy tears...

Onion baby! 5.1 in., 5.9 oz.

Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints.

I'm finally starting to feel the baby move more regularly, which is magical and brings tears to my eyes, which is fitting since baby is the size of an onion this week! We get to find out the baby's sex the week of Thanksgiving and the suspense is killing me. I can't wait to know if we'll have a daughter or a son. (My vote is girl, but I'd be more than happy with either!)

We've been taking belly shots each week, but I'm not ready to post them online quite yet. We are having professional photos taken the first week of December by my friend/co-workers daughter. We are having "family" pictures with the dogs and then getting some belly shots, so I'll be sure to post those.

We've been busy, but we are 16 weeks along!

We spent a weekend in Reno with Jim's family and Megan and Dan! It went by really quickly, but we had a great time. We've both been busy with work and haven't had time to post anything.

We are trying to be patient, but are dying to know if it's a boy or a girl. We won't get to find out until 20 weeks, which is the week of Thanksgiving. Can't wait!

I've been feeling really good. I'm starting to feel the baby move...I think. It sort of feels like little bubbles or a goldfish swimming around. It's really random right now, but I can't wait until it's constant.


Week 15 baby was the size of an orange...4 in., 2.5 oz.
Continuing the march towards normal proportions, baby's legs now out measure the arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably still can't feel the movements.





Week 16 baby is the size of an avacado...4.6 in., 3.5 oz

Watch what you say... tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. And, if you're interested, an ultrasound might be able to determine gender.

When life hands you lemons...you must be 14 weeks pregnant!

Average size: 3.4 in, 1.5 oz

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.

Oh, our hairy little lemon baby!

This has been a good week! I am starting to notice that my "baby belly" (as I like to call it) is getting harder and sticking out more. The question of the week is "Do you think you are showing yet?" Answer: Yes and no. I can feel a difference and someone who didn't know me would think I was pregnant, but that's because I can't suck in the chubby belly that I already had! However, my baby belly is quickly catching up with my upper belly and will soon be the adorable round pregnancy belly that I'm craving. We are taking pictures to document each week, but I won't be posting them online for now!

Speaking of cravings, I've been dying to eat Thanksgiving food, so I went on a grocery lunch today and bought everything we need to make a true feast tomorrow. I opted for turkey breasts instead of the whole bird, but everything else is accounted for...right down to the pumpkin pie!

I've noticed two things so far that must come with pregnancy. #1, people offer a lot of unsolicited advice. I don't mind it at all, but it is amusing when I get conflicting advice in the same day. #2, people try and give you their old baby stuff. Again, don't mind at all, but we are looking forward to picking out our own furniture and decorating the nursery ourselves. All in all, these just go to show how generous and excited people are!

Yay!

Hello second trimester!

Jim and I spent the last 10 days soaking up the sun in Kauai, so I wasn't able to post. I've combined the week 12 and 13 posts. So very happy to move into the second trimester! Best birthday present ever.

Week 13
Average size: 2.9 in, .81 oz

Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords... savor this, their non-functional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with a head now only one third the size of the body. Intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy. (Much more convenient.)

Week 12
Average size: 2.1 in, .49 oz

As you move into the second trimester, baby shifts into the growth and maturation stage. After weeks in the critical development stage, almost all of baby's systems are fully formed.

You put the lime in the coconut...baby is 11 weeks old!

Baby is 1.6 in, .25 oz...roughly the size of a lime and getting bigger by the minute!

Your fetus currently enjoys a 1:1 ratio between body and head, and has skin so transparent that blood vessels show right through. But, fingers and toes are no longer webbed, and hair follicles, tooth buds and nail beds are forming—setting up a significantly more attractive future.

We are getting ready to leave for Hawaii this Friday and can't wait to take Locker on his/her first family vacation...yay!

Baby is ten weeks old!

Average size of a ten week old baby: 1.2 in, .14 oz

With bones and cartilage starting to form and vital organs beginning to function, baby is making major progress. Body length will almost double in the next three weeks, and arm joints are now working. (Soon, legs will too.)

I met with our midwife on Tuesday and really like her. She gave me a tiny silver pin that looks like two baby feet...the actual size of baby's feet at ten weeks old. I'll see her monthly, then every two weeks and then weekly before the big arrival. How exciting!

Baby Locker looks like a baby now!

Our baby is nine weeks old and beautiful! Since we don't know what we're having yet, we needed a nickname. We are big UW fans and the quarterback's last name is Locker...so, that's the baby's nickname for now.

Anyway, we had our nine week ultrasound yesterday and it was magical! As you can see, the baby's head is on the top left side and its little arm buds are on the right side. Locker's heart rate was 181, which is great and the crown to rump length is 26mm. We got to see the baby move and it was so amazing!

Nine weeks and counting!

Our little green olive is nine-weeks-old and .9 inches, .07 ounces

Your little embryo has now officially graduated to fetus-hood. Adding to the excitement, a Doppler ultra sound device might be able to pick up the beating heart. With basic physical structures in place and increasingly distinct facial features, baby is kind of starting to look like... well... a baby!

We have our nine week ultra sound tomorrow...hopefully my bladder will stay out of the way! After this we officially graduate from the fertility doctor and move on to the midwife. My 10 week appointment to meet our midwife is next Tuesday.

On Saturday, the baby went to the first of many University of Washington Husky games. Although our Dawgs lost, baby had an exciting time and is looking forward to a season of fun (and yelling).

The little raspberry!

Our baby is eight weeks old and the size of a raspberry!

Your baby is growing like mad, putting on about a millimeter every day and continuing to straighten out in the trunk. Though you can't feel it yet, baby is moving those little arms, legs and (now only slightly) webbed fingers and toes like crazy.

I've been feeling pretty queasy, but have only thrown up once. It's getting harder to keep it from my coworkers, because I'm constantly going to the bathroom, drinking ginger ale and sucking on sour candies...but I wouldn't trade it for anything. We are so excited to be parents!