The Bean: 15 Weeks

This is The Bean's amazing father writing today. We were disappointed to see that we were given no food frame of reference for The Bean's size this week. However, we do know that The Bean is approximately four inches long and weighs about 2 1/2 ounces. The Bean's legs are now longer than his/her arms and are fully functional. In his/her spare time The Bean enjoys inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid; this, we are told, helps The Bean devlop air sacs in his/her lungs. Interestingly, The Bean can now sense light (the eyelids are still fused together), and according to Baby Center , if we shine a flashlight on Tiff's stomach The Bean will move away. I should have fun with that.

On another note, Tiffany has formally announced her intent to find out The Bean's sex before birth despite my vote otherwise. Hey, with her being the one carrying The Bean, I think she has more say in this than I do. That's all for this week, tune in next week for more Bean news.

Week 14

It's kind of refreshing to once again return to the produce stage of fetal development--the jumbo shrimp just never set well with me. The Bean has progressed to the size of a lemon (approximately 3 1/2 inches)--think about that next time you are at the grocery store. He/she now proudly boasts a neck, upon which it can balance his/her large head (see previous ultrasound--it's huge!). Lucky for the Bean, though, his/her body is now growing faster than said gigantic head. By the end of the week his/her arms will be in proportion to the rest of his/her body, though the legs still have some growing to do. There is more going on this week internally, such as a functioning liver and spleen. The Bean's hands and feet are now more flexible and active and he/she can even grasp, which means that he/she may be able to suck his/her thumb! Another fun part of this week's developments is that, due to brain impulses, he/she is making facial gestures such as squinting, frowning and grimacing. Adam has developed the habit of thumping my stomach, like you would thump a melon, every time he says Hello to the Bean. I told him that now that the baby can make facial expressions, he's probably getting a dirty look every time he does it. I have been feeling much better lately--I haven't thrown up in at least a week and a half if not two weeks! Of course, as soon as the nausea dissipated, I started getting headaches every day, but those are under control now, as well. I'm sure some other ailment is just waiting to come along. :)

The Jumping Bean

I had my second ultrasound yesterday with my new doctor, and the Bean was moving around like crazy. I can't feel anything yet, but it was still fun to see that he/she is very active. I've included a reference picture that is pretty much a mirror of the Bean's position.

Week 12-13

I’ve combined entries for the last two weeks because we were travelling across the country for the first one. The Bean has gone from the size of a fig to a lime to a jumbo shrimp (the latter comparison I find a little creepy). Here are the latest developments:
-the baby's face is starting to look more human; the eyes have moved closer together so they aren't on the side of his/her head anymore and his/her ears are close to their final position
-his/her intestines are forming rapidly and are protruding into the umbilical cord
-the Bean has fingerprints!!
-the Bean’s kidneys and urinary tract are functional and he/she can pee (granted he/she is peeing inside of me, but luckily it is contained)
-my uterus is higher in my abdomen and I should be starting to show—too bad that happened like 5 weeks ago!