17 Weeks

Our baby is now nearly 5.5 inches long from head to bum and weighs about 5 ounces. It's skeleton is mostly rubbery cartilage that will harden later. The spinal cord is now being protected by myelin. The baby's heartbeat can be heard clearly with a doppler (like a microphone for my belly!), and it's the most reassuring sound in the world! Because of the growing baby, my uterus has expanded to the point where it may throw me off kilter a little bit - it's now clear that I'm pregnant by the baby bump!

The baby's movements are sporadic - some days I feel it a lot, and some days (like yesterday) I feel nothing. I'm not worried, I know it's common at this stage of the pregnancy. Rob's dying to feel our little one moving around! He's insisting that I'm hogging all the fun, but I know that the weeks will pass by quickly for him, and before he knows it, our baby will be pushing out to touch Rob's hands too.

It's officially Christmas season, despite the fact that most people like to wait until December 1st. I like to celebrate the season a little longer, and will probably be putting out my decorations and using my christmas dishes soon enough! And, with the Christmas season upon us, it's hard not to look down at my growing belly and consider what a blessing and joy it is to have this baby inside me, growing into a perfect little girl or boy.

More soon!