12 weeks holy crap

Well I don't know whether I'm more surprised that today is actually Memorial Day and the unofficial start of summer, or the fact that I'm actually 12 weeks today.


Some things that I thought were pretty cool about Spot at 12 weeks were:

* The fetus is now about 2.5 inches (6cm) length and weighs about 0.7 ounce
* The feet are almost half an inch (1cm) long.
* The fetus starts moving spontaneously.
* The face is beginning to look like a baby's face.
* The pancreas is functioning and producing insulin.
* Fingernails and toenails appear.
* The baby can suck his thumb, and get hiccups.

Alright, if poor Spot takes after their mom - the kid is doomed to have huge feet. Especially if Spot is a girl, I wish I could tell her to enjoy these early days of having half inch long feet, she'll miss them when she inherits my size 9 1/2. Actually I think my feet are threatening to skim the size 10 region anyday now. Hopefully Spot will be tall so that he or she doesn't look like Boozoo the clown (short height - big feet, you get the picture). I do think it's cool that Spot can do more "human like things" - I wonder if they do simultaneous thumb sucking hiccups? Now that would be something to catch on ultrasound!

Your baby now has a chin and a nose and a facial profile. Vocal chords are complete, and the baby can and does sometimes cry silently. The brain is fully formed, and the baby can also feel pain. The fetus may even suck his thumb. The eyelids now cover the eyes, and will remain shut until the seventh month to protect the delicate optical nerve fibers. The hair is on the head and the fingers and toes have developed soft nails. The kidneys are developed and begin to secrete urine. Your baby weighs between 0.5 and 0.7 ounce (14 to 20g), and crown-to-rump length is almost 2.5 inches (63mm). Your baby's size has almost doubled in the past 3 weeks.


It's crazy to think that just a little over a month ago Spot was literally just a spot on an ultrasound screen. Now that he or she can actually move, silently cry, feel pain (I like to think of feel happiness more so), and make urine - it's just mind boggling. My next OB appointment and glimpse of the little one will be in two days on Wednesday. I'll inevitably get another cervix check as well since it comes with the deal. I think together the transvaginal ultrasound and cervix check are meal #3 on the extra value meal board, or is it #4, right below the double cheeseburger? I'll have to pay more attention next time, hehe. What I'm hoping for most is that my OB will give me the OK to return to work for a day later in the week. I feel like I've been off forever. In actuality, I've been able to pick up a day here and there. But last week when my spotting became much heavier and much redder, I was told "no way girl, not for now at least." It's only been a weeks since then, but over the last two months, I've only had two weeks that I actually worked my measily part time schedule that I had already been reduced to my by high risk doctor. I don't know why I'm in such a rush to work, perhaps because it allows me to feel more "normal," like things are going smoothly?


All in all, I had a great holiday weekend so far. On Friday night we attended a private opening dinner for a new restaurant nearby. Our friend was in from out of state, and he was one of the people responsible for getting things off the ground and running for the new place, so he invited us along. The food was great, atmosphere was very fun, and they have live music on the weekends. Most importantly, it was just great to get a chance to see our friend since he lives out of state. He's one of my husband's oldest friends and hopefully he will be returning permanently to MI in the near future. Saturday night we went out with another couple we haven't seen in quite awhile. We hit up one of our favorite restaurants to watch sporting events at and have dinner (the picture is my friend L and I that night). It was a big night for basketball with the Pistons in the Eastern Coast Finals, and hockey with the Red Wings playing for the Stanly Cup. I'm actually more of a basketball fan, so I was bummed that the Pistons lost, but at least the Wings crushed the other team 4-0. I celebrated by devouring a chocolate cookie sundae with my husband for dessert. It was a large soft gooey cookie topped with ice cream, hot fudge and whip cream. Holy crap, carbohydrate coma!

I hope everyone is having a great Memorial Day weekend. If you get a chance, stop by KCMarie and wish her luck, she's in the middle of a very important two week wait and I'm sure could use a kind word or two. Irish Girl just got the famous "big box" that all you IVFers are too familiar with and all the daunting feelings that go along with the lovely needles and all - so go wish her some good thoughts for the weeks ahead also, if you would be so kind.