Week 21
Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.
Week 22
At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.
Week 23
This week your baby has reached a nice milestone: he is a foot long. A complete human being who weighs over a pound, happily does somersaults and plays in his safe, warm, cozy nest.
The sex organs are developing quickly now. If you have a son his little penis can be seen easily now. If you are having a daughter then there are millions of egg cells stored in her ovaries. Not all of these will stay -- after her birth she has about three hundred thousand left. Your baby can also ‘breathe.' He inhales amniotic fluid that flows through his lungs and this is a beautiful exercise for 'real' breathing. The alveoli expand a bit and contract a bit the same way they will do with oxygen after the birth.
Week 24
Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.
Twenty One | Twenty Two | Twenty Three| Twenty Four
Week Twenty One
June 12, 2008
I have the distinct feeling that not long from now, I am going to be looking through these pages nostalgically and my daughter or son is going to be watching over my shoulder, embarrassed.
The first-person view of a pregnant belly.
6-18-08
Nesting? It's not just for the birds. It's real and it's dangerous. Would I ever have guessed that I'd be interested in reading about the different types of baby tubs or that I would be so enthralled with pricing out diapers?...and it's only month five! Honey, hold on to the credit card!
Week Twenty Two
June 20, 2008
Change is constant. One day you work for a company and later that afternoon, the company's been sold and then you don't. I was laid off from my ideal working situation yesterday, which is unfortunate, but it was an ideal job...and ideal situations are either too good to be true or don't last. So this didn't last, but it was great while it did! My team was the best team to work with and they were so flexible letting me work at home full-time when we moved.
So that means I won't be working any more. But I will hopefully ramp up my freelance business which will be great for when the baby is born.
I hope that my former co-workers and other employees in my company are OK. It's quite a shock to all-of-a-sudden be unemployed. Life does go on though...or should I say 'grows' on.
6-26-08
Andrew's been out of town for work for a few days. I miss him much, but it's a little different now when he's gone. I don't feel so completely alone anymore. There's my little Roo kicking me every now and then, or pushing against my belly, reminding me that he's around now, and we're together.
Week Twenty Three
June 27, 2008
It dawned on me the other night that I am a human life support system right now. The only reason this baby survives is because I support him and bring him life by providing a safe place while his little body matures...while his lungs grow and mature, while his digestive system grows, etc etc. If it wasn't for me, this little one wouldn't survive outside the womb if he left it now.
It is an overwhelmingly honorable task and a very emotional realization. I have a hard time picturing myself ever letting this baby leave my arms.
Andrew took this when we went for a walk in the park a few evenings ago. I hope it doesn't seem too blithe next to this week's entry, but the juxtaposition illustrates the emotional contradictions that pregnancy can present.
Week Twenty Four
July 4, 2008
Happy Independence Day! I got into the spirit of the day and the neighborhood of a thousand children, and volunteered to hand out medals to the kids who rode in our neighborhood bike parade. Funny how your idea of socializing changes when you have kids (or are pregnant). It's not about us anymore, it's about the baby and kids.
Andrew and I read from the 35,000+ baby names book last night and tried to whiddle it down to several hundred. Actually, we did agree on a few of both boy and girl names. While lots of fun thinking about the name, picking one is tough. It will be with this new person forever and will create an impression of them immediately. Pressure!
Also had my last birthday this past week as lady without a baby. I still can't believe it sometimes. This time next year we'll have a 9 month old. Me? Us? Will we be all wild-eyed and sleep deprived or will we be in the swing of it all, unphased? What will he/she look like? So many unknowns, but most of all just trying to appreciate the moment we are in right now.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| 