Week #14

So that's my belly at 14 weeks.  I wasn't sure if it was noticeable yet, but 2 of my good friends commented on it last night, so I thought I'd start posting a picture every month or so.  This way ~I~ have a record of my growing belly and anyone with a dying need to watch my belly grow can do so.  I'm also hoping to photoshop a little, either with a side-by-side comparison, or something similar so then it's more obvious how much I've grown compared to the last picture.

This week my baby is 8.7 cm (crown to rump) and weighs around 43 g (1.5 oz)!!  I am always amazed at how quickly this thing is growing!  Originally only growing millimeters per week, this kid has gained a centimeter and doubled its weight in 7 days!  (Since I'm a nerd and love Excel, I created a graph on how quickly its growing.  View it here.)  With that size, that puts the kid about the size of my fist!  (And for whatever reason, Blogger won't let me upload that picture.  Technology failure trumps all.  Again.)

The ears are now in their proper position, but the eyes are still travelling.  And all I can picture are halibut with their goofy eyes.  A juvenile halibut has eyes on either side of its head, like a normal fish, but as it matures, its eyes move to the same side as the body flattens.

The baby's hands are still developing, with the baby starting to learn how to use them, and its mouth is in various stages of development.  The roof of the mouth is finished, and sucking muscles are developing.  The salivary glands will not only be completed this week, but they will also be functional!  Sucking, swallowing and breathing motions will also be present at the end of the week, now that the esophagus, larynx are present.

Fun fact: hemorrhoids often plague pregnant women and usually get worse later in the pregnancy.  Just one more symptom to make this a joyous time.  One cause of hemorrhoids is constipation, so eating properly, exercising and drinking tons of water will help keep a body regular and hemorrhoid-free.

How am I feeling?  This week I've been feeling really, really good.  Like, back-to-my-old-self good.  And I'm loving it.

Any weird food cravings?  I bought some strawberries the other day, and they're like the best thing ever right now.  And, unfortunately, it seems like my love of cheese has come to an end.  At least on its own.  I've already switched from medium to mild cheddar and it seems like even eating mild is too much.  If I eat it on something or in something it's ok, but just a slice of cheese?  Yuck.

Mood swings?  I had a bad bout of them last weekend, but for the most part I'm ok.  I still get teary over something sweet and I think I'm more likely to be offended than before, but (so far) I'm not a raging psychotic.

Any baby purchases?  Only for the nursery!

What about the nursery?  I bought the 9 cubicle shelving unit that I mentioned last week (and there's a picture on that post too) and even bought the 4 fabric drawers in brown and turquoise that is pictured.  We've narrowed down the colours that we want for the nursery, but still haven't completely decided yet.

And that's it for this week!