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. :)