23 weeks

wee's bed arrived and departed from ellenwood georgia yesterday. there is not much to do in ellenwood georgia... i googled it. that is what i do between the hours of 2 & 6 a.m when wee decides i should be up. i would like to go back to sleep. wee is a sneaky baby.

anyway. that means the bed should be here soon and i (herschel) will have fun putting it together!

Twenty-three weeks

• Proportions of the body are now quite similar to a newborn although thinner since he hasn't begun to form body fat.
• Bones located in the middle ear harden.
• Your baby is able to hear. (Dads, did you know: low-frequency sounds mimicking a male voice penetrate the abdomen and uterine wall better than the higher frequencies of the female voice?)
• The eyes are formed, though the iris still lacks pigmentation.
• The pancreas, essential in the production of hormones, is developing steadily. She has begun producing insulin, important for the breakdown of sugars.
• If born now, your baby has a 15% chance of survival, his odds going up with each passing day. . woohoo!
  
• The average baby at this stage weighs 1.1 pound (501gm) and is 11.38 inches (28.9cm) long.

wee bed.

we ordered wee's bed! it has left sacramento and is hopefully heading eastward...
i am excited. i am tracking it.

almost a pound.

Week Twenty-Two(that's five and a half months friends.)

• Your baby weighs close to a pound at this point!
• When you talk, read, or sing, expect her to hear you. Studies have found that newborns will suck more vigorously when read to from a book they heard frequently in utero. (don't call my baby a thumbsucker)
• The eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment.
• Eyelids and eyebrows are fully formed.
• Fingernails have grown to the end of the fingers.
• Be prepared for all those "Why" questions coming! Your baby's brain has entered a stage of rapid growth, especially in what's called the germinal matrix. This structure deep in the middle of the brain serves as a kind of factory for brain cells and disappears shortly before birth. But the brain's amazing expansion program continues until around the five birth day.
• With some help from mom, baby's liver is starting to break down bilirubin, a substance produced by red blood cells.
• If your baby is male his testes begin their descent t o the scrotum.
• Primitive sperm have formed and he is producing testosterone.
• Length is 10.94 inches (27.8cm); weight is nearly 1 pound (430gm)

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here are some of the latest wee treasures:


from bubbie and zadie chambers.....talking puppies, books, music that herschel and i will have to get used to and..... a wee swing! good for fat pants days/weekends


from berry and marc:

for after-swimming, after-bath, after-championship prize fighting matches...

from team leggett: a spiderman bib b/c you know the wee must love spidey.(my weasely chicken-pox creature is now the official model for wee baby things.)

from lauren: our first diapers! plus the best rattle clacker in the south and other baby necessi-tays.

from a friend-of-a-friend:

leftovers from their umpteen million baby showers. thanks!



because sometimes we can't resist buying things...
mouser footie pajamas...

my favorite.

and herschel's favorite... the lion.

and, the smallest shirt known to mankind.... i had to buy because they are unnaturally small. here is a dvd for comparison (or dee vah dee as jansen would say)

and then i just had to put it on the weasel but i swear i don't sit at home dressing him up.

thanks everybody!

sassy little fetus.

tada! it's wee's first sippy cup. of course, right now, wee is only interested in drinking amniotic fluid -- which has no place in a sippy cup-- but one day that wee is going to want some juice or leche.

in other news:
*wee baby has been moving more and more. the movements are getting stronger and more frequent. today weebaby was loving of montreal in the car on the way home.

*herschel picked out the perfect rabbit for wee...

*i went to school a few days ago to meet lauren's little bird friend and i got to peek at wee with the ultrasound. i saw the best knees and shins i've ever seen and they were kicking like nobody's business.

doctor's visit update:
wee:
heartbeat: 143 bpm

me:
weight gain: +8 pounds since this whole thing started. i hate clothes.

Week Nineteen

• Your baby has the same awake and sleep patterns of a newborn. He has a favorite position for sleep and recognizable active and rest periods.
• Throughout baby's body, nerves are being coated with a fatty substance called myelin, which insulates the nerves so that impulses can flow smoothly.
• Scalp hair becomes apparent this week. It has sprouted and continues to grow.
• The milk teeth buds have already developed and over the next few days the buds for the permanent teeth will begin to form behind the milk teeth.
• If baby is female the uterus starts to develop. If you're having a girl, the vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes are in place.
• If it's a boy, the genitals are distinct and recognizable (but are distinctly different from the umbilical cord on ultrasound, herschel)
  
• Your baby is swallowing amniotic fluid and his or her kidneys are making urine.
• Your little one's size is around 6.02 inches (15.3cm) and 8.47 ounces (240gm)

Week Twenty

• You're half way there! happy april.
• The rapid growth stage is about over. While things have slowed down, this next stage is vital to survival.
• The baby's heart grows stronger. Find a quiet place, lay flat on your back. Locate your own heartbeat by finding your pulse. Next lay your hand on your belly. You may be able to distinguish the two heartbeats!
• His legs are reaching their relative size. With the increase muscle develop occurring as well, you will start feeling much more than tiny flutter kicks soon!
• Immunities are being transferred from you to your baby now. These immune cells will protect her from viruses you've already had for up to six months after birth!
• The nerve cells for taste, smell, hearing, seeing, and touch are now developing in specialized areas of the brain. Production slows down as existing nerve cells grow larger and make more complex connections.
• Your baby may startle in reaction to loud sounds. Amazingly, she can actually hear noises outside of the womb. Familiar voices, music, and sounds that baby becomes accustomed to during her development stages often are calming after birth.
• If your baby is a girl, her uterus is starting to develop. She has approximately six million eggs in her ovaries. About one million will remain at birth.
• Baby is about 6.46 inches (16.4cm) and weighs around 10.58 ounces (300g).
• 20 week fetus...reminds you of something?

Week Twenty-One

• White blood cells are under production. Leukocytes (or white blood cells) form our body's defense sytems. They help fight infections and diseases.
• Your little one's skin has changed from translucent to become more opaque.
• Your infant's tongue is fully formed. If you were able to peek you might catch your son or daughter practicing giving you a raspberry!
• If your baby is a girl, her womb and vagina are formed. Unlike males, females have a limited supply of eggs in their lifetime. At this point your daughter will have 6 million eggs. This amount decreases to approximately one million by birth.
• Baby swallows more this week. After your baby takes in amniotic fluid, his body absorbs the water in the liquid and moves the rest into the large bowel. This is good practice for his digestive system!
• Wake and sleep periods become more consistent. Some research suggests that baby sets her internal clock to match the outside world's even before birth! Your eating and sleeping habits as well levels of light and noise serve as her signals.
• Length is now measured crown to heel.
• Baby measures about 10.51 inches (26.7cm) and weighs nearly 12.7 ounces (360g).