13 weeks: The Peach

We are moving up into some much bigger fruit now! Amazing that something as small as an orange seed just a few weeks ago is now the size of a peach!! Baby is almost 3 inches long. The head is 1/3 the size of the body (used to be half the size!) This week: forming vocal cords and teeth. Has tiny fingerprints. And the intestines are moving from the umbilical cord to the tummy.
I announced my pregnancy to my students this week via e-mail and everyone is very excited. I said I would be planning to teach up until the birth (end of March) and take maternity leave from the end of March to the end of June/July. When school starts (late August) I will most likely teach from 2-6pm Monday-Friday (fitting 40 private students) when Alex can be home typing from morning inspections. I may have students go every other week (fitting 80 private students) so that I don't have to drop anyone. Of course, this is all way down the line. But I like to try to be organized!

Cravings

Cravings so far have consisted of peanut butter by the spoonful, watermelon, pineapple, and cheese.
I have signed up for a Centering class that meets once a month (more towards the end of the pregnancy) where I can meet other women due in March. Our first meeting is Sept 24th. And now that I am in my second trimester (going on week 13) I have officially announced my pregnancy to my students. I will announce on facebook at week 20. (well, maybe before! It's hard to keep it in!)

12 Weeks: The Plum

 You can see 5 little fingers resting on the head

 Beautiful profile shot!

A little foot sticks up!

I couldn't wait until tomorrow's Doppler heart beat appointment and needed to see my baby via ultrasound, so I went with my mother in law Cathy to the free clinic The Pregnancy Center in Kona on Monday. It was such a fun experience and Cathy was floating the rest of the day after seeing her grandchild on screen. The baby was so active!! Unlike last ultrasound (where the grumpy Dr. barely let me see anything and the screen was turned the opposite direction from me), this ultrasound was projected onto the wall in front of me so I could see everything.
This week: Baby is moving the hands and feet. As seen in the ultrasound! We have a hyperactive baby! The baby is also responding to sensations in and around me and may even flinch. The eyes have moved to the front of the head and the ears are in place. The thyroid gland, pancreas, and gallbladder begin to work this week. The baby can smile, frown, squint, fold the lips, and wrinkle its forehead. The placenta is taking over and the baby receives nutrients and oxygen from me.

Tomorrow Alex and I will go in for our almost 13 week appointment and hear the heartbeat! I'm so excited!

11 week Belly

Gender Prediction

Gendermaker: a urine test that can detect testosterone or lack thereof. Although it's not 100% accurate. But unless our baby isn't producing enough testosterone for detection, according to Gendermaker we are having a girl! 7 or 8 more weeks until we find out for sure. I won't buy pink just yet!

11 week fetus update: The baby has a 1:1 head to body ratio going on this week. The head is equal to the size of the body! Full of brains! I can't feel it, but baby is moving fluidly and gracefully in there. The skin is see through and blood vessels can be seen pumping blood through the body. The hands will soon open and close into fists. Hiccups may be happening now that the diaphragm is forming. The placenta begins to function. Structurally and internally the baby has all the ingredients for a perfect baby.

Cravings this week: Pineapple and peanut butter cookies!

Week 11: The Lime

A few nights ago, Alex and I took the dogs on a walk and we started talking about baby names. We thought it would be so fun to have two little girls one day and name them
Mary Catherine and Mona Lisa. But when we mentioned these names to our parents, they thumbed them down big time. So on the walk, I told Alex that I would love to name a baby girl Elouise, with combines both the names of my beloved Grandma Ellie and my Uncle Lou. Alex wanted Lola, which I said should be a nickname for Elouise. So it works out perfectly. She would be a fifth generation Isobel as well! As for a boy name, I really liked Brennan, but Alex knew a snobby Brennan in high school. I want an Irish name for a son, and we both agreed on Sullivan. But Alex isn't 100% sure about the nickname Sully. Luckily, we have some time before a final name has to be picked. But it sure is fun thinking of names!