Week 21

Well we move on to week 21 but the party has not stopped. Its a Girl is still a phrase to bring a smile to our faces when we have a bad day. Seems to lift moral instantly.

This week in "Growth of a Baby"...

Now that you are 21 weeks pregnant, your baby weighs about 13 ounces (360 grams). She is still able to move about inside the amniotic fluid, and will only quiet down towards the end of this trimester, where she will turn and settle into a head-down position.

Growth starts to slow down a bit now and the heart beat gets stronger. Baby's legs will also reach their relative proportion.

The amniotic fluid that has cushioned and supported your baby in the uterus now has another purpose; the intestines have developed enough so that small amounts of sugars can be absorbed from the amniotic fluid the baby swallows. This sugar is then passed through the digestive system to the large bowel. However, most of your baby's nourishment still comes from you via the placenta.

Up until now, baby's liver and spleen have been responsible for the production of blood cells - in fact, the fetal liver will produce blood cells until the time of birth. Now, the bone marrow spaces are developed enough so that they can also contribute to blood cell formation.

As you might guess I still weigh more than the baby. And as I type this I realize there is a strong chance I always will. That's depressing. Poor fat me :(

Charissa is experiencing some body discomforts now. Back and shoulder tightness. She is a solider through it all but now and then needs a back rub to help out. Over all she is doing great. And why: Because its a girl !

My Pretty Little Girl

You may be aware of sleep wake cycles in your little one. The weight is now up to 10 ounces (283 grams) and the baby measures about 25 cms total length, about 9.8 inches.

Thank heaven... thank heaven...
Thank heaven for little girls!

A Little Girl

We went to the doctor and saw our daughter. She waved to us again. She yawned. She showed us her spine, kidney, stomache, femur bone, and ear. She loves to show off. And I love starting each sentence with She.

Charissa is doing very good and is happy to know dresses and lace will continue to be a part of her life. Scooter is glad he does not have to share me in the rough housing department. That's still to be determined.

I hope to have some pictures up very soon for everyone.

IT'S A GIRL

Week 19

Excitement is growing looking forward to next week when we find out if its a boy or girl. This week we are both doing very well. As is our baby,

This is an impressive week for growth! The baby will increase in weight to 8 ounces (227 grams)! If you are having a girl, her ovaries now contain primitive egg cells. Lanugo appears all over the baby's body. This fine hair will remain until birth draws nearer. Sometimes you can still see some on the baby's face and ears after birth. Permanent teeth buds are forming behind the already formed milk teeth buds.

A few weeks ago we went to Belton to see my family. Click here to see slideshow

Also notice how snazzy I am making the blog. I made the font bigger for those older people who read it. (you're welcome Dad) On the upper right hand corner you can see an email link to us. On the bottom of every post feel free to leave a comment as well. We can communicate about the blog stuff that way. I hope to write up more postings and be fairly creative to keep things interesting for both of us. In the end its about Charissa and our baby. But, I can have fun along the way. ha ha.

Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes. I still feel like we are on the journey together and know we could not make it with out you. As Charissa says "It takes a village to raise a child"

Psalm 139:13

Psalm 139:13

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

Goin' on 18

We are getting more and more organized around the house. Nesting is not just for women. I am doing many projects and reorganizing the garage. Charissa is helping by doing the nursery, organizing the guest bed room and of course growing the baby. Speaking of baby.....

At 20.5 cms or 8.1 inches total length, your baby is growing rapidly. S/he weighs about 7 ounces (198 grams). The bones are continuing the ossification process. The pads of the fingers and toes are formed and the fingerprints are developing as well.

Here is a funny article on the web Charissa is thinking about: Babies and Football

Now a few weeks ago we had the opportunity to go to Galveston and celebrate Aaron's birthday. (Charissa's brother) His three little girls found out about the baby inside Charissa and were very excited. How excited? When we left, with the help of their mom, they thought of names for our baby. So with out further ado... here is the list from a 7,5,3 year old. A must read.

17 and Growing

Your baby is forming brown fat deposits under his or her skin, by the end of pregnancy this will account for 2-6% of their total body weight. This will help them maintain their body temperature when they are born. The baby weighs in at about 5 ounces (142 grams). This means that the baby now weighs more than the placenta. No new structures have formed. Loud noises outside may actually cause the baby to startle.

Its the last sentence I am not allow to prove. Charissa has rules about scaring her. I don't like the rule but I have to abide by it.

Though we won't have any doctors visits, or showers thrown, the weeks are still exciting just acknowledging the miracle in our house. We have been shown grace through God.