23 Weeks

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. 

Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

Our last doctor's appointment was pretty normal. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get an ultrasound in the office but the doctor did order one. We should be getting the call in the next week to schedule another ultrasound.  

The baby is growing perfectly. The heartbeat was very strong at 149 beats per minute. The doctor told me that everything is perfect and that my weight gain is textbook.

22 Weeks

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

This last week I haven't been feeling very good. Jeffrey came down with a cold and must have given it to me, so not that much has been going on. I did manage to have David take a picture of my belly, it is not a very good picture but I will post it. 

We have our doctors appointment tomorrow so hopefully everything will go well and maybe we will get an ultrasound.

As I was typing this post, the baby started moving a lot. I put Jeffrey's hand on my belly and he felt the baby kick twice for the first time. He was really excited!

21 Weeks

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now.

You're probably feeling pretty comfortable these days. You're not too big yet, and the usual discomforts associated with early pregnancy are, for the most part, gone. If you're feeling good, relax and enjoy it while you can — the third trimester may bring with it a new crop of complaints.

The baby definitely has a pattern of activity right now. During the day I don't really feel much but in the evening the baby becomes very active. Just three nights ago David and I were watching t.v. and I felt the baby kick so I told him to come see if he could feel it. Of course the baby would stop kicking when he tried to feel but eventually he felt a little, tiny kick! Just two nights ago, he felt the baby kick about 12 times!

20 Weeks

Congratulations! You've hit the halfway mark in your pregnancy!

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)

He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

The top of your uterus is about level with your belly button, and you've likely gained around 10 pounds. Expect to gain another pound or so each week from now on. 

The day before our ultrasound I definitely felt the baby move! It is so much fun feeling the flutters once again. I can't wait until David and Jeffrey get to feel the baby move. 
 
I can't believe that I am already halfway through my pregnancy. We are hoping that our new home will be ready soon and that we can move in well before the baby is born. 

One thing that I forgot to mention about our ultrasound is that the baby was measuring about 11 oz. Now we just need to find out if it is a boy or a girl.

Time to Vote!

Well, today we tried to find out if we are having a boy or a girl. We went in for our ultrasound this afternoon but unfortunately, the technician couldn't tell what the baby was. She tried so hard and had a great angle but she just couldn't tell. She said the baby was still a little too small and that in a few more weeks it will be more noticeable. At the end of the ultrasound she tried one last time but the baby was stubborn and decided to cross its legs!

Hopefully we will be able to find out in a couple more weeks (if the baby cooperates). So, cast your votes below.

Is our baby going to be a boy or a girl?

• Boy
• Girl

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Baby Bolin

Baby Crossing its Legs