Monday, December 11, 2006

Weekly Update on the kid (10 weeks- 25% done with this whole pregnancy thing!)

How your baby's growing: Your baby is no longer an embryo! Though she's barely the size of a kumquat — just an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, she now has completed the most critical portion of her development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in her body rapidly grow and mature. Her vital organs — the liver, kidney, intestines, brain, and lungs — are now in place and starting to function (although they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy). Her liver continues to make blood cells, and the yolk sac, which previously supplied these cells, is no longer needed and begins to disappear. During the next three weeks, your baby's length will more than double to nearly 3 inches. Her head is proportionately smaller now than it was a few weeks ago, but it's still almost half the length of her entire body. Her forehead temporarily bulges with her developing brain and sits high on her head; it will later recede to give her a more human appearance.

Each day, more minute details — including tiny fingernails, toenails, and peach-fuzz hair — start to appear on her body. Her fingers are now completely separated; her arms bend at the elbow and curve slightly; her hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over her heart; her legs are lengthening; and her feet may be long enough to meet in front of her body. She is busily swallowing amniotic fluid and kicking her legs.If you could take a peek at your baby this week, you'd be able to clearly see the outline of her spine through her parchment-thin skin. Spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from her spinal cord.

12 comments:

me said...

Too clinical, how are you feeling, what have you been thinking doing for - with - about the baby? :)

Gtemp said...

lol wait a min, is it official that you are having a girl??

Viki said...

I still want to call it the grape, instead of the kumquat...

Karen said...

i agree, a kumquat is kinda dumb. further, GREG, NO, this does not mean we're having a girl. they change the gender reference every week!

LisaMarie said...

I gotta say, while I know that's it's a wonderful thing for your baby to be growing and also very exciting, some of the way that they word things is kinda gross and scarey. I don't want to know that my baby has a bulging forehead. Nor that she is swallowing amniotic fluid. GROSS!

LisaMarie said...
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Martha said...

I will be looking forward to your baby updates...these "clinical" ones and the ones of you noticing changes. And I think a little kumquat sounds so darling! How is your little kumquat today (that...sounds like one of those words that sounds dirty but isn't...)

Martha said...

Post thought: I also want to see a regular photo of your belly profile growing (my sister in law is doing this for us - "Marcie" on my blog list). I know you're not showing yet, but I'd love to see the progression b/c I won't be able to see you often enough. And I think you'll be darling when you're nice and pregnant round!!!!!

Sarah said...

I'm kinda with Lisa on the gross factor of the bulging forehead and swallowing amniotic fluid. And I also agree with Viki that we should still refer to it as a grape.

Gtemp said...

well don't play games with me here. i'm very eager and fragile right now to know whether I'm going to have a niece or a nephew and you all are just toying with me... How am I supposed to know who I need to prepare to spoil... or in your case, keep for my own since you apparently already gave me your kumquat!

Mamma Sarah said...

I'm still going to call it "Grape"... until you get to the "Peach" stage... lol.

Hooray for updates. I'll never forget when I emailed these updates to Karen and her comment was "that's gross" to some of the things it was saying. :-D

LisaMarie said...

HA! That's the best comment yet Sarah W! That is SO a Karen thing! She thinks something is gross when you send it to her, and yet she's fascinated enough to now post it on her blog. I LOVE IT! And you too Karen...not slamming you, just enjoying the irony....