Week 14, baby is 12 weeks old

Today was an exciting day at the doctor's office. I went in for my routine monthly checkup. So far, I've gained three extra pounds, about only 1 oz of that is actually the baby. My doctor, Christine, went to check on the baby's heartbeat using the doppler, but she couldn't hear anything. Turns out that my uterus is slightly tilted back (which is the main reason why I'm not really showing yet). She said that in a couple of weeks the uterus will start to tilt forward and then I can say goodbye to my old pants.

Side story: Christine said that about 40% of women's uteruses (uterii?) are tilted back and the old wives tale was that women who had tilted uteruses couldn't get pregnant. She said, "well, you showed them!"

So, since we couldn't hear anything on the doppler due to my tilted uterus, she did an ultrasound. I had an ultra sound done about 7 weeks ago and at that point, all we could see was a small white blob. This time, I got to see the baby's head and body pretty clearly. Most exciting was seeing the baby kick a bunch and then wave with its tiny little arms. It was so cool! I couldn't believe how active it was in there. The baby was laying on its head with its butt up in the air and its legs were so skinny (you could even see the foot!). Even though I couldn't feel any of those movements, it made me feel so good to see that I've got an active baby in there.

The next ultrasound will be around week 20 and then we can see the sex of the baby. Until then, I guess this little thing will continue kicking until it gets big enough for me to feel it. Any guesses on the sex? I don't know why, but my gut tells me that its a boy.

The picture on the bottom is a side preview. Not much of a bump, but if you squint you can see it. Basically, I don't look pregnant...I just feel fat because my pants are getting tight. The picture on the right is me looking down. It looks like I just ate a big meal. Frida is in the photo for scale.

Week 13, baby is 11 weeks old

This week marks the end of my first trimester! Yeah!

This week the baby is about 3.75 inches in length and about 1.25 ounces. It's about the size of a plum!

Development: This week the head becomes more proportional to the body and the baby finally begins to look like a normal human being, meaning that prior to week 13, the head was the largest part of the body. Now, the head will only be about 1/3 the size of its body. Unique finger prints are developing and the kidney and urinary tract is completely functional. This means that the baby can "poop" the amniotic fluid that it's been sucking in. The baby is also developing fine hairs around its body called 'lanugo,' which protects it from all the fluid. I like the word lanugo...I'll use it from now on to describe what Ryan has -- adult lanugo.

Cravings of the week: Anything tart, such as clementines, oranges, and sauces with vinegar, and anything salty and starchy like french fries and potato chips.

Comment of the week by Ryan: "Jia, you don't look different, but you definitely feel different...a little softer and pudgy-er."

Fear of the week: stretch marks. Apparently 90% of women experience them on their stomachs, boobs, and butt. You can try to minimize it with creams, but you will either get them of not. So far I've avoided them, but I have a feeling it won't be long before they appear.

Week 12, baby is 10 weeks old

This week, the baby measures about 2.5 inches from crown to rump, and weighs between 1/3 to 1/2 oz.

Development: The baby is fully formed from top to toe! Fingers and toes have separated, and hair and nails continue to grow. The genitals begin to take on their gender characteristics. The baby can move its arms, fingers, and toes. It can smile, frown, and suck its thumb.

Today was the first day that I could not button my "tight" jeans. I used the old hair tie trick to keep the button in place and used an old tight strapless shirt to cover my jean zippers. I am definitely ready to purchase the Bella Band, which apparently allows you to continue wearing your normal pants unzipped!