18 Weeks: the Sweet Potato

First the really exciting news: we will hopefully know the sex of the Bean this week--I go in for my ultrasound on Wednesday, so I'll be sure to post the news, providing that the Bean cooperates. Now we're talking--a sweet potato! The Bean is approximately 5 1/2 inches long and weighs about 7 ounces. The Bean entertain his/herself by flexing his/her arms and legs throughout the day, which I know is true--though I haven't detected any movements myself, my doctor said she heard a lot of movement on the Doppler monitor while trying to listen to the Bean's heartbeat. She said I should start noticing movements in the next week or so. The Bean's skin is still kind of transparent and his/her blood vessels are noticeable through it. The Bean's ears have moved into the final position on his/her head and stand out from it. If the Bean is a girl, her uterus and Fallopian tubes are already formed and in place--that's kind of cool. We're very excited to see how everything turns out on Wednesday--I'm really impatient and just want it to get here, but I guess I'll have to handle the suspense for a couple more days.

The Boring Bean

This has been somewhat of a lackluster week (week 17) in terms of Bean development, but the next few weeks should be a little more exciting. The Bean now weighs a whopping five ounces, and is about five inches long (about the size of a large onion). Along with a developing skeletal structure and umbilical cord, The Bean is also starting to develop its hearing.

What The Bean has lacked in fetal development this week, he/she has made up for in making his/her mom's life miserable. I (The Bean's father) am somewhat upset with The Bean for the way he/she has been treating his/her mother, and have told The Bean (note: The Bean's hearing is developing) that he/she needs to behave. I don't think The Bean is listening.

Here's a picture of Tiffany at 17 weeks:

Week 16

Well, we've seen the typical progress as far as growth goes in the last week. We're at 4 1/2 inches and 3 1/2 ounces, roughly the size of an avocado--I'm thinking a large Hass avocado. However, I have been informed that in the next 3 weeks or so, the Bean's weight will double and there will be substantial growth, lengthwise. I'm anxious to start measuring the Bean in pounds versus ounces, but it looks like I will still have a while to wait. I'm not saying I want to start packing on the pounds or anything (though I suppose that is inevitable), I'll just be excited once we pass the 1 pound mark. The Bean's legs are more developed and toenails are forming. Though hair has not started to grow, the Bean's scalp pattern has started to form. The Bean's head is more erect and his/her eyes have moved closer to the front of the head. The Bean's heart is pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day. From what I've read, I could start feeling the baby move as early as now, but it's likely it will still be 2-3 weeks before I really can really feel anything.

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!