14 weeks

How your baby's growing:

This weeks big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him - a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3-1/2 inches - about the size of a lemon - and he weights 1-1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week - a sign that it's doing it's job right - and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

Well, today is the day. My first belly pic! Not sure if I should look so big yet, but who knows? It is my first pregnancy and I have no expectations or frame of reference.

I'm starting to feel better each day. Sickness and exhaustion are keeping their distance. Sleeping comfortably seems to be a recent challange. I'm a belly sleeper, which is starting to be a problem. I am forced to lay on my side (more the right side than the suggested - and healthier - left side as all the books say) so my sleep in not so sound. I hope I can get used to it, otherwise, it's going be rough. I hear once you get to your third trimester, sleeping is almost painful. So maybe I'm just en-route to what's expected?

Mom and Dad Weston spoiled us with a new stroller/carseat last weekend! We are so thrilled! It is navy and light blue - but the pattern is very pretty. It looks like it would go well with a boy or girl. (Although, I think it may be a boy. I just have that feeling. We'll see....) I will post pictures of the stroller combo once we have it put together. And seeing as we have some time before the baby's arrival, we're (well, Mike's) in no rush to assemble it. Therefore, there will be no rush to take pictures.

I'm getting more and more excited as it becomes more and more real. I'll be honest, it's hard at this stage. There's not much "showing" or much that I can feel of the baby. So sometimes you question the reality of it all and if everything is ok with baby. I keep praying that the Lord places ALL the right parts in the ALL the right places. I can't wait to meet our little sweet pea. I'm still saving up those kisses. I'm sure there won't be a baby with more kisses given to it in all the world...