I'm Baaaaaack!

Hi guys! Sorry it has been so long since I've updated this thing. I've been a bit busy and everything is normal and great with the pregnancy so there isn't always much to report. Anyway, I'm back now, and have all kinds of things to share...

First of all, we had another appointment with Merrie, our midwife, and she has confirmed that we are in fact having a boy!!! She was still unable to get the perfect shot that she wanted due to the fact that the baby never stops moving, but we got several action shots that confirmed that he is a boy. I am feeling his movements now. I love it!!! Joel has even been able to feel a few from the outside, although, usually when Joel comes over to feel, the baby stops moving immediately. Little stinker! Merrie says everything looks perfect! The baby is growing perfectly and all is well with my stats too. Merrie said no one can move that much and have any sort of problem!! We are still working on a name. We have it narrowed down to two names and are just trying to decide which one is best! We'll let you know when we make a decision! Now that things will be slowing down a little for us, we'll be able to start working on the baby's room. We're so excited to paint and shop!!

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Sucking his thumb

We'll go back for another check up at the end of May. And now here are the baby-growth updates for the last couple of weeks....

22 WEEKS .... Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches and almost 1 pound. Her skin will continue to appear wrinkled until she gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her head and body is now visible. Her lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath her gum line. Her eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. Eyelids and eyebrows are in place, and her pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily.

21 WEEKS ..... Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long. His eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. And you can certainly feel him move. He's oblivious to your schedule, though, so don't be surprised if he starts working out just when you're settling down for the night. If you're having a girl, her vagina is formed now, though it will continue to develop until birth.

20 WEEKS .....Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom, and about 10 inches from head to heel. (For the first 20 weeks, we use measurements taken from the top of the baby's head to her bottom — known as the "crown to rump" measurement. After that, we use measurements from head to toe. This is because a baby's legs are curled up against her torso during the first half of pregnancy and are very hard to measure.)A greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats her entire body to protect her skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. (This slick coating also eases the journey down the birth canal.)Your baby is swallowing more, which is good practice for her digestive system. She's also producing meconium, a black, sticky substance that's the result of cell loss, digestive secretion, and swallowed amniotic fluid. This meconium will accumulate in her bowels, and you'll see it in her first messy diaper (although a few babies pass it in utero or during delivery).