I Have a Belly!

So, you can't see it very well, but it's definitely there! I officially have a belly now. I had been rubber-banding my pants together for a few weeks, but at the beginning of this week, I couldn't get the zipper up any more, so I decided it was time to retire the regular pants and move on to maternity pants.

I'm still feeling really good. I have not felt sick in a couple of weeks now, and I'm really not even tired. So far, this pregnancy is a breeze! Hopefully it will stay that way.

I have one week left in my first trimester. I'm looking forward to moving on to the second. Our next appointment will be March 8. That's 2 weeks away! We are anxiously awaiting our next visit to the midwife.

How our baby is growing this week: Your fig-sized baby is now fully formed — measuring 1 1/2 inches long and weighing in at a quarter of an ounce. His skin is still transparent, allowing many of his blood vessels to show through. Some of his bones are beginning to harden, and tiny toothbuds are starting to appear under his gums. His fingers and toes have separated, and he may soon be able to open and close his fists. He's already busy kicking and stretching, and his tiny movements are so fluid they look like water ballet. These movements will increase as his body grows and becomes more developed and functional. As his diaphragm develops, your tiny tenant may also start to get the hiccups. Because he's still so small, though, you won't feel any of his workouts or intrauterine gulps until sometime between weeks 16 and 20.

Finally Put Some Pictures On Here

Grannie's Day

Yesterday, Grannie (Magen's mom whom Isabel affectionately refers to as "Gi" - pronounced G-H-E-E) took the day off of work to be with Isabel and me. Our day started with a trip to Kiddie Kandids where we had Isabel's picture taken. It took Isabel a little while to stop clinging to me for dear life, but once she warmed up, we got some great shots! She is becoming such a big girl. Since Isabel was so brave at the picture place, Grannie treated her to some pretzel bites at The Pretzelmaker. We did a little shopping and then went over to On The Border for some lunch. It was very good, but Isabel did not eat anything due to her previously mentioned treat. By the time lunch was done, it was way past Isabel's nap time. We went home, put Isabel down for a nap, and watched a movie while she was sleeping. It was a perfect day!

And now about our other little bundle ....



This is how the baby is growing this week......Your baby is no longer an embryo! Though she's barely the size of a kumquat — just an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, she now has completed the most critical portion of her development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in her body rapidly grow and mature. Her vital organs — the liver, kidney, intestines, brain, and lungs — are now in place and starting to function (although they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy). Her liver continues to make blood cells, and the yolk sac, which previously supplied these cells, is no longer needed and begins to disappear.During the next three weeks, your baby's length will more than double to nearly 3 inches. Her head is proportionately smaller now than it was a few weeks ago, but it's still almost half the length of her entire body. Her forehead temporarily bulges with her developing brain and sits high on her head; it will later recede to give her a more human appearance. Each day, more minute details — including tiny fingernails, toenails, and peach-fuzz hair — start to appear on her body. Her fingers are now completely separated; her arms bend at the elbow and curve slightly; her hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over her heart; her legs are lengthening; and her feet may be long enough to meet in front of her body. She is busily swallowing amniotic fluid and kicking her legs.If you could take a peek at your baby this week, you'd be able to clearly see the outline of her spine through her parchment-thin skin. Spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from her spinal cord.

And Baby Makes 4

We finally had our first appointment! It went great! The highlight was the ultrasound!! The baby was moving the entire time. We could see the arms and legs moving back and forth. The midwife even commented on how active the baby is! It was hard to tell which was the head and which was the rear, but we could definitely see 4 limbs moving around in there. We were also able to see and hear the heartbeat. It was about 180 beats per minute. Very good!!! The baby measured 9 weeks and about 2 days. Based on those measurements, my due date is still September 13. I will go back in 3 weeks and have my blood work done and another ultrasound. Merrie (the midwife) says that by then we will be able to see a lot more detail ... maybe even the face!! Has it been 3 weeks yet???????

Disappointment

So, I was supposed to have my first prenatal appointment today, but the midwife got sick and had to cancel. I was totally bummed. I'd been looking forward to that for over a month. Well, I've rescheduled my appointment for Monday the 12th. Hopefully we'll be able to go to this appointment!

I don't have much to report due to the fact that I did not get to go to my appointment. I'll get on again on Monday to let you all know how it turned out. I should even have some pictures to show you! I did finally put on a pair of maternity jeans today. I couldn't stand the thought of another day in tight jeans. I've been blissfully comfortable all day long!! I do have to go to work tomorrow, so I'll have to rig my dress pants with a rubber band for expansion!

I think my morning sickness has gone away! I didn't have it bad at all, but there were several weeks where I just didn't feel good all the time. For about the last week, I've felt almost normal. I think I've definitely seen the worst of it. So, that's good ... for me. Also, I was supposed to post some family pictures on here, but I didn't do my homework and I didn't get any on the computer to post. I thought about it several times, but I never remembered when I should have. I'll aim for having them by Monday.

This is how the baby is developing this week ..... Your new resident is nearly an inch long — barely the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce, but he's poised for rapid weight gain now that his basic physical structure is in place. He's also starting to look more and more human. His embryonic "tail" is now completely gone and his body parts — including organs, muscles, and nerves — are kicking into gear.His eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. He has earlobes, and by week's end, the inner workings of his ears will be complete. His upper lip is fully formed, too, and his mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The tips of his fingers are slightly enlarged where his touch pads are developing. All major joints — his shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles — are working, enabling your baby to move his limbs. As for his heart, it has divided into four chambers now, and the valves have started to develop. External sex organs are there, but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks.

8 Weeks/2 Months/ Almost done with my first trimester!!

Hey, look at that! We have arms and legs this week!! Now it is really looking like a baby. I have nothing new to report this week. All has been well and relatively normal. Next week is a big week. We are having our first appointment on Thursday, Feb 8. We can't wait!!

I am trying to get some pictures onto our blog, but the sad truth is that I cannot find a family picture that is less than a year old. Obviously, I am not a scrapbooker, and picture taking is not my strong suite. I am going to work on that this week.

How the baby is growing this week: Your baby is now 5/8 of an inch long, about the size of a kidney bean. She's constantly moving and shifting, although you won't be able to feel these womb wiggles for several weeks yet. Her embryonic tail is disappearing, and her eyelids practically cover her eyes. Still slightly webbed, her fingers and toes are growing longer. Her arms have lengthened, too, and her hands are now flexed at the wrist and meet over her heart. Her knee joints have formed, and her feet may be long enough to meet in front of her body. With her trunk straightening out, her head is more erect. Breathing tubes extend from her throat to the branches of her developing lungs. The nerve cells in her brain are also branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. Though you may be daydreaming about your baby as one gender or another, the external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether you're having a boy or a girl.