14 Weeks!

What's up with Babyopolis?

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active. (From here.)

What's up with Stephopolis?

The dreaded morning sickness is back. UGH. Apparently, Babyopolis did not get the memo about nausea diminishing in the second trimester! It's not bad (I don't have hyperemesis or anything), but it's enough to disrupt my morning routine.  I'm feeling some uterine 'growing pains' as everything is shifting out of my pelvis and round ligament pains have started. But, overall, week 14 is shaping up fine.

Bullet points!

• How far? I'm 14 weeks 5 days pregnant
• Cravings: Frozen raspberries, cheddar popcorn
• Aversions: Still pork.
• Gender Thoughts: Nothing this week.  
• Workouts: A few walks and a hatha yoga class
• Number of times we've used the doppler: Twice. And found the heartbeat both times :)

We heard the heartbeat!

So because of the scare we experienced when the midwife couldn't find the baby's heartbeat at the last appointment, Adam and I went ahead and rented a fetal doppler from this place (located in Surrey, BC).

It was gorgeous outside, so we made a day of it and spent some time walking the pier in White Rock and eating a lovely lunch on a patio.

After we got home, we pulled out the doppler and gave it a try.  After digging around for a few minutes, and after finding my heartbeat several times, we found the baby's heartbeat!

It was much faster than my heartbeat and sounded absolutely amazing - very strong and clear :) We also heard the "wind through the trees" noise of the blood flowing through the placenta.

We don't plan on over using the doppler (even though we have the rental until July), but it's nice to have the option to listen to the baby for peace of mind!

We don't plan on ov

13 Week Photo

Officially official! (13 week update)

We broke the news to Facebook, which makes things seem much more official :)

And, because I'm at 13 weeks (the last week of my first trimester!), I thought I would start posting weekly updates on me and little Babyopolis for all interested parties.  And, seeing as I'm 14 weeks on Saturday, expect another weekly update & some belly photos shortly :)


What's up with Babyopolis?

Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce. (From here.)

What's up with Stephopolis?

I'm feeling pretty good.  I had a stressful midwife appointment a few days ago (long story short, we couldn't hear the heartbeat, sent in for an ultrasound, baby is fine - just stubbornly avoiding the doppler!), I feel like I need to zen out and work on relaxing for the rest of this week. 

I hope to accomplish this through some pre-natal yoga, a long walk and some quality time in the bathtub.

I feel like my wee bump is getting a bit bigger now and sleeping on my stomach is almost out of the question.  I'm still sick in the mornings (Babyopolis is NOT a morning person!), but I feel fine for the rest of the day.  At about 9:00, I'm definitely ready for bed.

Babyopolis is my Muse

I've kept this on the down low, but now that everything is official, I thought I would spill the beans about some other exciting news - I'm going to be published :) I wrote an article about how it's impossible to control all of the variables that pregnancy throws at me and how I'm working on living in the moment and letting go of my worry.  Well, I submitted it to a pregnancy/parenting website and they want it! As soon as I have a publish date, I'll post the link for everyone to read.

Bullet points!

• How far? I'm 13 weeks 5 days pregnant
• Cravings: I want to eat salt. All day. All the time.  And sour keys. 
• Aversions: Pork. Blech
• Gender Thoughts: I've been thinking "she", but it goes back and forth