Week 23 Updates!

Your baby is now about 8.4 inches from crown to rump (21cm) and weighs about 1.2 pounds (530g).

Your baby's face and body now look more like a full-term baby. He now looks close to how he will look at birth.

The eyes, though they are still closed, are now close together on the front of the face and the ears are in their final position. Eyelashes are fairly well-developed and hair is growing on your baby's head.

Your baby's movements are becoming more restricted now as he fills up the uterus more. Cartwheels and somersaults inside the amniotic sac are no longer possible, but he can still hold the umbilical cord and touch and feel around himself. Though your baby is already living in tight quarters in the amniotic sac, he will soon have even less room to move around.

His vital organs are now quite mature. However, since the lungs are not yet fully formed, your baby would have breathing problems if born prematurely at this stage.

Your baby is becoming increasingly conscious of the world outside and may feel startled when you are startled.

Your baby may alternate between having very active and very calm periods.

Your baby may have facial expressions such as frowning, squinting and pursing of the lips.

Christian's Bedding!

Here's some quick shots of the bedding we picked out last weekend! Nathan actually picked it out--I thought he did pretty well!!

Week 22 updates!!

Your baby now weighs almost 1 lb (450g) and measures about 8 inches (20cm) from crown to rump.

He is becoming plumper as his fat is being laid down at a high rate, but his skin is still wrinkled and reddish. The wrinkled and loose appearance of his skin is due to the faster production of his skin than the fat that fills it out. The reddish appearance of his skin is due to the deposition of pigment as his skin loses its translucent appearance.

Your baby can kick and punch vigorously by now, but he may also be gently feeling the umbilical cord and rubbing his hands and face against the inside membrane of the amniotic sac that holds him.

He is still swallowing amniotic fluid (which provides an important nutritional supplement to the nutrition he gets from you via the placenta). The swallowing of the amniotic fluid may cause your baby to get the hiccups and you may even be able to feel this as his body jumps inside yours.

The lanugo hair on your baby's body may turn darker at this time.

The coolest update from this week: I SAW my belly move when Christian kicked me on Saturday morning!! :)

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And the coolest update for the week---Nathan got to feel Christian kick for the first time last night!!!

Week 21 Updates!!!

Your baby measures about 7.6 inches (19cm) from crown to rump and weighs about 12.25 ounces (350g).

Eyebrows have developed.

His digestive system now functions in a rudimentary manner. Your baby can suck and swallow and may even suck his thumb.

Your baby's senses are developing, especially his sense of touch. He can feel his face and stroke his arms and legs.

And the coolest update for the week----Nathan got to feel Christian kick for the first time last night!!

IT'S A BOY!!!!

Our 20 week ultrasound went great! We got to see our little one squirming around all over the place. It took a bit of prodding, but he finally revealed himself.... our little boy, Christian Daniel!

He's beautiful and VERY active!! He'll be here sometime around Christmas! (He must know I'm talking about him. He's kicking me right now! haha)

We can't wait to meet this little guy!!!

20 week baby stats! :)

Well, with 1 more day until the BIG ultrasound, here are the stats for this little one at 20 weeks!!

Your baby weighs about 10.5 ounces (300g) and measures about 7.2 inches (18cm) from crown to rump. He still moves about freely in amniotic fluid.

Your baby may respond to external sounds, such as the music you are listening to or your voice.
Your baby has developed some red blood cells already. The white blood cells that your baby needs to fight infections are being manufactured.

He is developing taste buds on his tongue.

His digestive system is sufficiently advanced to absorb water and sugar from the amniotic fluid that he swallows and pass it to his large bowel.

Your baby has lanugo hair on his forehead and upper lip and his eyebrows are thickening.

Vernix (the waxy substance that covers and protects your baby's skin) accumulates on your baby's eyebrows.

Your baby's eyes are still sealed shut.

Your baby continues to grow and develop and his kicking is getting stronger now.

4 days to go!

Only 4 days until we find out whether this baby is a boy or a girl! I am so excited that I can hardly contain myself! :) I even made a paper chain to hang in my cubicle at work to help count down the days. I also started a poll outside my cubicle to see who would guess "boy" and who would guess "girl". So far, the boy guesses are edging out the girl guesses!! we'll soon see who's right!

The other big countdown we're waiting on is finding out the results from Nathan's Air Force Board. He's supposed to receive a call from his recruiter on the 10th, so we are anxiously awaiting the results!!! There are lots of changes happening next week... please pray for us that we will be faithful to be patient in our waiting and that we will be accepting of the results for the Board--whatever the outcome!

In the meantime, have a great day, and we will update soon!!