15 week update

We had an amazing time on Vancouver Island. It was a much needed break for the both of us & I think the fetus appreciated the fresh, ocean air! The remote area we stayed in was perfect as we were craving peace & quiet (pickles, too, but I didn't get any!).

Our last Doppler check of the baby was Friday & she/he is higher in my abdomen now & the heart beat was very loud. Very exciting! I've really noticed the space it is occupying in my lower abdomen now as it is uncomfortable to bend over to put on shoes, pick up stuff off the floor, etc. Soon, Charles will have to tie my shoes for me (besides many other things!) & I will be sad... it's hard when I've been so independent for so long. But, I will get use to it I'm sure.

Your nearly four-inch long gymnast is happily mobile inside your womb, and if you're really lucky, you’ll notice a point when your sneezing, coughing or laughing results in a little kick here or a poke there. Although the poking and kicking isn't very charming during sleeping hours, it’s a good sign as it means your baby is actually reacting to outside events! Their little elbows and knees are bending more freely this week and their little legs are finally growing longer than their arms and getting them all pumped up for prenatal Richard Simmons. Many of their major organ systems are increasing in capacity—particularly that amazing tiny heart and complex circulation system, which is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood per day, and will increase to a very impressive 200 quarts per day by the end of the pregnancy. As far as hair goes, we’ve got some new scalp patterns beginning to develop on the head, although actual head hair is not yet present.

You may not know it when it happens, but your tiny tenant frequently gets the hiccups, which babies master before breathing. Babies don't make any sound because their trachea is filled with fluid rather than air. Although you've probably gained between 5 and 10 pounds / 2.2 - 4.5 kilograms, the fetus weighs in at around only 2.5 ounces / 70 grams. It measures nearly 4 inches / 11 centimetres long, crown to rump. Legs are growing longer than the arms now, fingernails are fully formed and all the joints and limbs can move. If the idea of having a baby seems so remote, nothing makes it feel more real than feeling your baby move for the first time. Most moms-to-be discern movement (called quickening) between 16 and 20 weeks. If you've been pregnant before, you'll feel things earlier rather than later. What you may first think is a rumbling stomach may be your baby doing some back flips.

It's been a hard transition back to work & I can only count down the days until my maternity leave. I am thankful for my 8 hour days but I am exhausted when I get home. Some days I don't get to sit or have a drink/snack until my lunch hour (even that is up to 2 hours late sometimes) & I know that's not good. Unfortunately, that's my line of work. I will see how things go for now but if I feel it's too much I will ask for another position doing awful admin/crap work. But last day tomorrow then I'm off for 5 days when Charles & I will travel to Kelowna to visit Mom & Gus (and hopefully the sun!) for a few days.