Baby C: 17 & 18 Weeks

I continue to struggle with this baby bump documentation adventure, and I have heard from many of you that it is just unacceptable. Duly noted, so here I am with an update for you. :)

In an attempt to catch up, I am combining weeks 17 and 18, and I should probably confess that the photos were taken a couple of days apart, with crap lighting, zero thought toward composition and no real sense of consistency at all. This will be clearly evident in a moment, but I feel better now that I've proactively admitted to it. I think these photo sessions may need to be moved to weekends in order to achieve higher quality photos and a better, more consistent cadence. Stay tuned.

In the interim though, enjoy a little evidence that things are getting "bumpier" by the day over here.

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At 17 weeks, our wee one was the approximate size of an onion and was hard at work mastering reflexes! He/she was apparently a sucking and blinking machine, and might have even had a bout or two of hiccups. The babe also began to form fat beneath the skin (ew) which helps to prepare for the temperature transition on the (still) long journey from inside to outside.

As for me, I continued to feel pretty good overall, and apart from the episode of fatigue here and there, went about normal activities at work and at home. I began digging around online (mostly Pinterest) to peek at furniture and tiny clothes and imagine all the possibilities and fun that lie ahead. I continued to be excited times infinity and as always, tried to keep the neuroses to a minimum and just be present, grateful and happy from moment to moment. It was a good week.

17 weeks looked like this:

At 18 weeks, Baby C is the size of a sweet potato (aw, sweet!) and is experiencing hardening bones and can allegedly begin to hear sound. This is very exciting and I have plans of talking and singing his or her ear off and am already beginning to ponder what books I should read aloud. It is never too early to start those good habits, right? And Husband is ready to fire up the headphones with the stylings of Eminem and other musical favorites. We may hold off on the hip-hop just for now and introduce a gentler tune to start things off. Time will tell.

Apart from the occasional ache or pull here, and sudden onset of Need Sleep Now from time to time, I am feeling terrific and was thrilled to hear that awesome heartbeat at my doctor's appointment this week. I appear to be measuring well and on track and am counting the days (and let's be honest, sometimes the minutes) to our next appointment, which is the big 20 week ultrasound with a full anatomy evaluation, and --- fingers crossed --- the big reveal that will tell us if this wee one is a He or a She. I continue to take everything in from an awestruck, surreal state where I constantly cycle through gratitude, joy, obscene excitement and neurotic fear and apprehension. Mostly though, I am just so damn happy and grateful to be here at all, and I can't wait for each new day and milestone in front of us. We also did our first "drive by" at a Baby Store and looked at cribs and rocked in gliders, imagining many hours of both coloring our future. It was such fun.

18 Weeks looks like this (I should caveat that this is by FAR the most snug item of clothing I have dared to wear so far, and it does exaggerate the bump. I'll likely return to less form fitting things straight ahead. Also, pardon the slightly blurry self photo, but Husband wasn't yet home from work, and I could not put off pajamas a moment longer. As you were!):

Hang tight and grow well, Baby C! I can't wait to see what next week brings.

Comments

[Lee Ann Brock]

Oh my Gosh !!! You are so so cute. I think is sucks that I can't witness this daily . Ok bring on face time and skype. I mean it.

[Robin Estep]

Adorable you are! Love the little bump!! Thanks for sharing and can't wait to hear whether Baby C is a boy or girl!