Week 15

Dear Sweet Pea,

I am now 14 weeks along and my belly is popping out! I haven't had anyone just outright ask if I'm pregnant, but I'm sure people are wondering by now! I am feeling so much better (no more nausea)! Some nights I seem to sleep lighter than usual, because I will often wake up when Daddy gets up for work, then it can take me an hour or two to fall back asleep. My energy is coming back and I'm not napping during the day anymore. My appetite is returning too, and I think I'm finally starting to gain some weight!

You are about 10cm long this week and weigh about 50g (about the size of a lemon). Your bones are starting to harden, and your hair is starting to grow. You are moving more and more all the time, and you might even be sucking your thumb by now!

And now for the latest belly picture...

Week 14

Dear Sweet Pea,

Today I'm 13 weeks along, and you've been developing for 11 weeks already! This week you will grow to be 8-9cm long and will weigh about 25g. You're being completely nourished by the placenta, and your intestines are making their way from the umbilical cord into your abdomen. Your facial features continue to develop, and your head is more in proportion to the rest of your body. You are covered in a protective layer of hair called lanugo, which will be shed before birth and replaced by your fine, light coloured baby hair. Your genitals are now distinct enough that they could be recognized on an ultrasound; unfortunately we have to wait over a month more for that appointment!

So far I'm feeling good in the "honeymoon trimester"; nausea is rare now and slowly but surely, I seem to be getting some energy back. This is good because I need to start exercising again! Because my job is so physical though, I often come home with a very sore back, and as I get bigger, this will probably get worse!
The other day I was poking around in my belly and I could very easily feel the top of my uterus. It feels very firm, sort of like a speed bump. This discovery means I will really start showing anytime now!

On a somewhat unrelated note, my sister (your Auntie Erin) got engaged last week! Marc is her wonderful fiance and they live in Australia, where Marc is from. They will likely get married there, so that means you will get to take a big trip very early on in your life. It will also be mine and Daddy's first time visiting her there, so we'll all get to experience it together. I am putting in my request now: please be good on the very long trip over there!

The Sweetest Sound Ever

Dear Sweet Pea,

Success! This afternoon we saw one of our midwives, Leah, again and she was able to find your heartbeat right away! We heard it two separate times but you kept moving out of the way! At one point we even heard you kick the doppler. Trying to play hide and seek, are you? Anyway your heartrate was a healthy and strong 160bpm. Daddy caught it all on video, which we will upload and share with family this evening. Each new milestone is making this pregnancy seem more and more real!

2nd Midwife Appointment

Dear Sweet Pea,

This morning Daddy and I went for our second midwife appointment, and we met Leah who is second in our team of three midwives. The appointment was pretty straightforward and uneventful really! Leah listened to my heart and lungs and took my blood pressure, and everything sounded fine :) We talked about how I had been feeling, and she briefly discussed the next ultrasound at 18-21 weeks. Since we're hoping to find out your gender, we will likely go a little towards the end of that timeframe in the hopes that your gender will be more obvious. So around the end of January is probably when we'll go.
We were also really looking forward to hearing your heartbeat on the doppler, but were given fair warning that it might still be a little early, as 12 weeks is usually the earliest it can be heard. Leah tried for about 10 minutes while Daddy patiently recorded a video, but you were stubborn and she couldn't find it! Leah said you did kick or punch the doppler wand at one point, but then you were gone. She offered to have us come back next week for a mini-appointment to try again, as oftentimes just a few days can make the difference between being able to hear it, and not. So please cooporate because Daddy is taking more time off work so he can come!

Week 13

Dear Sweet Pea,

Today I am 12 weeks along and officially in the second trimester! While I am still feeling tired, most of my other early pregnancy symptoms are subsiding. I'm not as nauseous and my appetite is slowly increasing which is great, because its time for me to start putting on some weight! I don't feel as bloated so I feel like the little belly that's developing is more baby than bloat!

This week you will grow to about the size of a peach; around 7cm long, and 14-20g. Your arms are now long enough that you can reach your thumb to your mouth, although the sucking reflex hasn't developed yet. You are getting all your nutritional and oxygen needs from the placenta now. All the major components of your body are now in place, its just a matter of maturation and growth.

Below is a current belly pic. I'm definitely starting to see the difference from two weeks prior.

Week 12

Dear Sweet Pea,

Today I am 11 weeks along, and the end of this week will mark the end of the 1st trimester already! Hard to believe its going by so quickly. You will be about 6cm long and 9-13g this week so you're continuing to grow a lot. Your fingers and toes are now separated, and you can open your mouth and swallow amniotic fluid. Your muscles are developed enough to produce involuntary movements. Just yesterday I felt that popping sensation again. Its so fast, but I definitely notice it!

I am still suffering from pretty low energy, although the nausea seems to be letting up. I feel like my appetite is starting to increase which is great. I have still not put on any weight, but I imagine it won't be long before I do!

Any day now I could really start showing, as the uterus is getting bigger and bigger all the time to make room for you.

One funny symptom I've been having most nights is a stuffy nose! Its worse when I'm laying down, and I find myself having to get up at night to blow my nose. I am also thirsty all the time, and now I rarely leave the house without a bottle of water!
Next Wednesday we will meet the second midwife in our team of three. Daddy and I are really looking forward to hearing your heartbeat at that appointment!

Week 11

Dear Sweet Pea,

Today I am 10 weeks along, and you are growing very rapidly! This week your length will reach around 5cm, and you will weigh about 8g. You have fingernails now, and your gender should be obvious, though its still too early to see on an ultrasound. Essential organs are formed and are beginning to function. Your head accounts for about half of your size! Most people think you are a girl, and I tend to agree, though of course we will be happy with a boy, too. As long as you're healthy, that's all that matters.

I am still feeling about the same as I have been in the few previous weeks. Some days I feel exhausted and really nauseous, and other days aren't so bad. A few days ago, I felt like I may have been feeling a few of your movements, but its still so earlier that it could have just been gas. It felt like a tiny bubble popping very low in my abdomen. I can't wait until I am sure of your movements!
I haven't been feeling so bloated lately, which is great. I am able to fit back into that pair of work pants that I had put away a few weeks ago!

We announced almost two weeks ago that we are expecting you, to the rest of the family and everyone is so happy and excited!

I also got some great news yesterday: your Auntie Erin is hoping to make a trip over from Australia in June! She is hoping to come over a few days before you are due, in the hopes that she will both see me very pregnant, and get to meet you when you decide to make your arrival. That means you can't be too late! I've always envisioned Erin being with me when I gave birth but wasn't about to ask her to make the long trip home, especially since I really have no control over your birthday! It would be so nice to have her there, and she would really love to meet you right away. If she can get the time off work, she will stay for two weeks or so.

I took another belly pic this morning, but it doesn't look too different from the previous one.

Week 10

Dear Sweet Pea,

By the end of this week, you will have doubled your length from last week, reaching about 4cm, and you will weigh about 5 grams.

You are no longer an embryo, but a fetus now, and you've passed the most critical time of danger of abnormalities to occur. Taste and tooth buds have appeared, and your fingers and toes are more distinguised. Your joints are becoming more obvious, and you're able to bend your knees and elbows now. Your brain is developing rapidly.

As for me, my uterus should be about the size of an orange but I am still not really showing much (still mostly bloat!). Like the last few weeks, I am tired most of the time and nauseous a lot, but luckily I haven't had any morning sickness. Most of the time I don't feel like eating much, and prefer to just snack throughout the day as opposed to eating larger meals. I find that my moods swing easily sometimes, and my energy is generally pretty low. Looking forward to getting some energy back in the first trimester!

First Ultrasound!

Dear Sweet Pea,

Tonight we got our first look at you at the first ultrasound! I was so relieved to hear that everything is perfect! We saw your little heart beating away at 169 beats per minute. We could make out your head, hands, and feet. We didn't see you move, but the technician said she saw you wiggle a bit at one point. You are 1.79cm long, and are measuring 8 weeks exactly, so just 2 days behind my estimate. We got a few pictures to show which is so exciting! Our next look at you will probably be around 4 or 5 months along. By then we should be able to find out if you're a pink or blue bundle. Your grandma on my side has been convinced all along that you are a girl, so she has a 50% chance of being right!

Week 9

Dear Sweet Pea,

Today I am 8 weeks along, and you are 6 weeks into your development. You are just under an inch long now, and growing by about 1mm everyday. All of your organs are in place now, and your muscles continue their development. Your fingers and toes are starting to become more defined. You are moving around all the time, but I still can't feel you yet. On Friday, Daddy and I will be going for my first ultrasound. It will be exciting to get our first peek at you, and we should be able to see your heart beating away, as well.

I am having less days now where I feel exhausted, but it still doesn't take much to tire me out. I'm definitely having quite a bit of nausea, and I never know what will be the next sight or smell to set it off. I have been quite bloated, especially in the late afternoon and evening. Yesterday I conceded that one pair of dress pants no longer fits me comfortably :( Luckily I have another pair that's a little looser! Some days I feel like I could eat a horse, and other days, food just isn't appealing to me at all.

Just for kicks, here is a belly picture taken this morning. I am not sucking my tummy in at all, but again this is partly bloat, and partly fat!