Week 26

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

-From BabyCenter.com

Here's a picture of me with maternity clothes on...Not PJ's!

Week 25

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

- From BabyCenter.com

Not the most flattering pictures, but here I am at 6 months...

From the side

And the front...

Doctor's Appointment

Today I went for my monthly appointment. They checked my blood pressure, which was normal, and my weight...I've gained about 10 lbs since the beginning. My dr. also listened to the heartbeat and measured me. She is very happy with my progress and said everything looks really good! My next appointment is on Friday, 4/10/09 and I will have the glucose screening test to check for gestational diabetes. Hopefully everything will be OK. Next week I'll post another picture of my ever-growing belly.

Week 24

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.
- From BabyCenter.com

Brian, Winnie and I are doing well and getting more and more excited to meet our baby girl! I have been feeling the baby move for the last few weeks, but I wasn't quite sure it was the baby for about the first two. Last night before dinner she was actually kicking and Brian was able to feel when he put his hand on my belly. We think she was hungry or upset we were having tacos again! The crib, dresser and glider were delivered today and are waiting in the basement till we get the nursery set up. I think we (a.k.a. Brian and his Dad) will start that project early next month. I have my monthly doctor's appointment on Friday and will update with any new information.

Week 23

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

- From BabyCenter.com

Here I am at 5 and 1/2 months.

And from the front...

Week 22

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.
- From BabyCenter.com

Brian and I are doing great and getting more and more excited each day to meet the baby. My belly is growing and I can honestly see myself getting bigger and bigger every morning. This weekend I am finally going to buy maternity clothes. I'll post another picture next week, so stay tuned.

Week 21

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

- From BabyCenter.com

Here I am at 5 months!