A different view

I'm getting a little tired of the fruit pictures, so I thought I'd try something a little different. I'm still feeling about the same, pretty sick during the day and a little more nauseous in the evening. and still super tired. We have our 2nd appointment at the end of the month, and then I'm hoping that I start feeling a little more energetic.

I do like limes

The most dramatic development this week: Reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over two inches long and weighs half an ounce.

Well... we made it -through the first trimester anyways. I haven't noticed any more energy (I know... it's a little early for my expectations) but I don't think I'm quite as sick to my stomach anymore -even in the evenings. 6 more months to go!

Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh

Last week Melanie and I went to our first doctors appointment and things are looking "normal". We talked about all the family history, diet, what to expect, etc...and we heard the heartbeat! At first our doctor was cautious telling us that we may not hear it yet, but then there it was all healthy and sweet.

The due date was made official as November 28, 2008. Which, though unlikely, is still very exciting (and easy for me to remember). Maybe our baby can have the same birthday as me and uncle Dustin. Wouldn't that be wild? There's a 20% chance...it could happen...

It's kind of a surreal idea to think about conceiving and giving birth to another human being. It's also interesting to think this much about someone who isn't born yet. Is it like when you hear someone's voice a lot and create an image in your mind and then when you meet them in person it's someone different? I like to think that it's someone who I'm already very close to and I'm just seeing them again after a long time (relatively).

We will see you soon enough!

I've never even had a kumquat

Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body.

A bunch of grapes

Well... I'm pretty sure there's just one grape in there. I read a couple of pages in one of the pregnancy books we have lying around and my hormone level should peak this month. Which could account for the way I've been feeling (worse), but the good news is, this should be as bad as it gets.

Pretty much everyone knows that we're pregnant... I'm sure we've missed a few people, but we're not NOT telling people at this point.

None of my pants fit me anymore. It's not so much that I can't do them up... it's just that any amount of pressure on my stomach hurts -so I've resorted to wrapping a hair band around the button and giving myself an extra inch or two. Luckily I wear long shirts to cover it up. I went into a store yesterday to buy a new pair... but I left because I just didn't have the energy to try anything on. Pretty lazy, huh?

Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct.