16 weeks: The avocado

Although I don't think that fruit size pertains to the Hawaiian Avocados, which are a good 6 pounds and the size of my head!

Yesterday I'm pretty sure I felt the baby move for the first time! They say it's a sensation like bubbles or flutters. A few days ago I thought maybe it was just digestion. But yesterday it was a very different sensation than digestion! More like a flutter of bubbly activity!

New development for baby: The opposable thumb is now working and can grab hold of things. Bone growth is spiking, yet many of the bones are not yet connected to one another. The umbilical cord is now firmly attached to the baby's abdomen. The baby is able to move its eyes, even with the lids fused together. The baby is as long as a pencil. Its heart is now pumping approx 25 quarts of blood every day. And the baby can now hear outside noises (like 50 hours of piano playing a week perhaps?)

15 Weeks: The Pear

Somehow I missed last week. Week 13 was the Kiwi. Week 14 was the Peach. And week 15 is the Pear. Latest craving: Grape juice! Still can't get enough cheese and fruit. My stomach officially popped and now everybody can tell I'm pregnant. This week's fetal changes: ossification (bone hardening) begins. The baby is blinking, swallowing, yawning, and batting eyelashes that are now present. The baby may even be smiling! 

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!