Week 14

Week Fourteen: November 15 - 21, 2008
Week 14 definitely marks the first big belly POP! Take a look for yourself, and I know you will agree :)

It is crazy how big of a difference there is from one day to the next! As a result of the "pop", this week also marks the first time that I wore my maternity pants. My regular pants are definitely starting to feel a bit snug in the waste! I can still wear them, but they are not very comfy! As soon as my belly band arrives I will be much happier!

Also this week Eric and I got to hear the heartbeat for the very fist time!!! We had our monthly checkup on Thursday morning. We met with the same doctor as last time, Dr. Volk, and we were once again not very impressed! He actually introduced himself to us again like we had never met! Then when he was reading our file and noticed his own handwriting in the chart he tried to play it off! He has good intentions, but he is definitely not my favorite! He actually tried not to give us an ultrasound photo at our last appointment! It is our first child and our first ultrasound, but no we definitely don't want a photo...right! Other doctors give out at least a few pics, but he didn't even want to give us a copy! If it wasn't for Eric requesting, he wouldn't have given us anything! We are switching doctors next visit! Anyway enough venting... we actually had a great visit! We couldn't stop smiling after listening to the heartbeat! It was amazing! I can't wait to hear it again next visit! At our next appointment we actually get another ultrasound! YAY! We have been on cloud nine ever since then!

When Eric got home that night he had a little surprise for me and the baby! Check it out...

It is a woodchuck outfit! Eric and I always play the "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck" game... it is kind of an inside joke between us! I know we are a bit silly! Either way, the outfit makes us SMILE! It was perfect and very fitting for the occasion! I just can't wait to see Baby Bodkin in it!

On the cravings front, my current desires include strawberries, artichokes and hot chocolate! I have no idea what that means exactly, but I am definitely loving the produce! I just wish it was a bit easier to access around here! Oh well, I will definitely get my fill when I am home in CA next month!

Other than some strange cravings and the perma-smile on my face, nothing really to report. We are all doing well and enjoying every day of this adventure! Until next week... we love you guys!


Baby Development Notes:
Baby Bodkin can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck its thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, the facial muscles are getting a workout as the tiny features form one expression after another. The kidneys are producing urine, which is released into the amniotic fluid around the baby. Baby Bodkin can grasp, and you may even catch the baby sucking its thumb.

From head to bottom, Baby Bodkin measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and weighs 1 1/2 ounces. The body's growing faster than the head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, the arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of the body. (The legs still have some lengthening to do.) Baby Bodkin is starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over the body. The baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and the spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells.