16 Weeks!!

16 Weeks!

“Hi kiddo, that’s the world you hear because your ears work!” Cue the cool tunes because your baby can hear them now. It’s also about 4 ½  inches long and about the size of a grenade (avocados are lame). There’s a lot of movement going on but seriously don’t worry about it if you can’t feel it yet. Some women don’t feel anything until they hit around 20 weeks so don’t freak yourself out – you’ll have a foot under your rib and a fist on your bladder before you know it. I found it felt like a little percolation at first like a little buzzing in one spot, but other sites compare it to butterfly wings fluttering, a “quickening”, gas bubbles or popcorn popping. Personally, I found I wasn’t really sure if I felt it the first few times because it’s so subtle." -Pregnant Chicken

Size/Info: The babe is about 4.5" - 5" long, weights 3.5 -5 oz and is roughly the size of an avocodo (I guess a full size one this week?), dill pickle, or an action figure. Facial muscles are developing and the babe can make a few expressive frowns and squints. She can also perceive light although the eyelids are still sealed. Her ears are now working which means she can hear us. Time to start singing (the best I can) and reading to her!

What is new this week?  We had an appointment with Maternal Fetal Medicine on Wednesday and got to see our little girl. She is a lot bigger since the last time we saw her at 12 weeks. The Ultrasound Tech, Nancy, is really good at her job - she is kind and excited with you and has great bedside manor. She took some measurements that are usually taken at the 20 weeks anatomy scan but she said if she can see it now, she'll measure it. She showed us a yawn, her swallowing amniotic fluid, the pulsing umbilical cord, the 4 chambers of her heart and so much more! She also measured my cervix to make sure the babe is staying where she needs to be. The top of my uterus is right at my bellybutton and her head is right below my belly button. Currently she is breach but has plenty of time to move about. Below is a video of the blood flow from placenta through umbilical cord and back out. The first little bit is a 3-D marshmallow baby pic and then you can see the blood flow in color. So freaking cool. You can tell I am excited as my voice has gone up an octave.

This past weekend we went to a family reunion in Breckenridge with Jason's family. His immediate family (parents, siblings, their spouses and their children - including us) is 15 people. Plus his father has 4 brothers (who were all there) and their spouses and their children plus other extended family... It was a big crew - I think around 40 people. Somehow we didn't get a picture of the whole gang. Bummer. We did get a pic of the immediate family though while we were out on a hike.



Symptoms: The acid reflux has gotten so bad I am now more consistent with taking my one a day acid reducer. I am getting some consistent back pain while at work and while sitting on the couch. Guess I need to be more active! My belly might be starting to get in the way - like when I bend over. I know it will get much worse but I am just starting to notice it. I am still feeling maybe baby movement - but nothing that is definite. Also I am having shooting pain in my boobs and there are times when my nipples feel like they are on fire. So crazy.

Food aversions: Same -tomato sauce and shrimp.

Food cravings: I still want all the desserts but I am finally pulling in the reins on that one. I still have sweets just not at EVERY.SINGLE.OPPORTUNITY.

Fitness: Walking and hiking. I have a cold (I guess that is bound to happen when you get 40 people together for the weekend) so I haven't been swimming this week. 

Bump: I am making it official. It is now a bump. I have had two professionals in the last week confirm where my uterus and baby are sitting. And there is definitely no sucking this thing in even though there is a layer of fluff over top - although I can still hide it with the right clothes.

Medications:

7:30am: 10mg prednisone, 40mg Lovonox injection in the belly

9am: 1 Prenatal and 2 DHA.

7:30pm: 40mg Lovonox injection in the belly

Baby Preparations: Not much this week. I did get two more bags of maternity clothing from 2 of my awesome sister-in-laws. Thank goodness for hand-me-downs! I hope to start going through some of the things we have been gifted so I can organize. I am ready to start nesting. Here is a pic of some animal prints I am hoping to get for the nursery. They are so sweet.