Week 31 - little baby coconut

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3 1/3 pounds (about the size of a coconut) and is heading into a growth spurt.



He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. 

He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

The baby is moving a lot but so far s/he has not kept me awake, although I have never been one to have trouble sleeping. There are a few times during the day when the baby is very active - usually between 4-6 p.m. and then after 9 p.m. Now the baby has started to be active in spurts throughout the day. It has been fun watching the show in my belly.

We had our appointment with the fourth midwife on Thursday and all is on track. The baby is situated with his/her head down and his/her back on my left side and feet on the right. We got to squeeze to feel the head, the back and the feet. It was really amazing! The baby's heartbeat was strong and my blood pressure was good. My glucose screening came back normal too. We are both doing very well!

Week 30

         Your baby is the size of a Large Cabbage

Your baby now measures approximately 15.7 inches (39.9 cm) long from head to heel. At this point your baby weighs about 3 pounds (1.4 kg). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will shrink as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. 

Your baby is very conscious of its environment. Its becoming more sensitive to light and can distinguish between sunlight and artificial light. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.) Its eyes can also move in its sockets and your baby is more attuned to sound, taste and smell. His or her lungs are working at near optimal levels.

At this point, you will also be able to tell if your baby has the hiccups by the rhythmic twitching in the uterus.

Week 29

Your baby is the size of a Butternut Squash

Your baby measures about 15.2 inches (38.6 cm) long from head to heel. At this point your baby weighs roughly 2.5 pounds (1.1 kg).

Your baby’s sensory organs are well developed and he or she is beginning to regulate his or her own temperature. The bone marrow is now completely in charge of producing red blood cells.

Your baby’s lungs are also developed enough to breathe air, and it is urinating about half a liter of urine into the amniotic fluid daily.

Your baby has become more active and may give you strong kicks and punches. He or she should be moving at least 10 times an hour. If your baby moves any less, let your doctor know.

Week 28

Your baby is the size of an Iceberg Lettuce 

Your baby now measures about 14.8 inches (37.6 cm) long from head to heel. At this point your baby weighs roughly 2.2 pounds (997.9g).

Your baby’s brain is now developing its folds and grooves (called gyri and sulci, respectively), and he or she continues to add layers of fat to its body. Your baby’s muscle tone is also improving. This means increased movement, which might wake you up at night.

If your baby is a male, his testes will likely begin descending this week.

Your healthcare provider might tell you if your baby is head down (where the head is closest to your vagina, the proper birth position), feet first or bottom first, also known as the breech position. If your baby is in the breech position, you might need a cesarean section, or C-section, to deliver. However, your baby still has a few weeks to move into its final birth position.

Week 27 - we're in the home stretch

Congratulations! This week officially marks the beginning of the third trimester.

Your baby is the size of a Cauliflower

Your baby measures about 14.4 inches (36.6 cm) long from head to heel. At this point, your baby weighs roughly 2 pounds (907 grams).

Your baby resembles what it will look like at birth, except thinner and smaller. His or her hearing should be mature enough now to recognize both your voice as well as your partner’s.

Your baby’s retinas are developing more fully. Development in the brain will concentrate on the forebrain which deals with visual and auditory information. Your baby should be able to detect changes in light. If you shine a flashlight on your belly, your baby may move to or away from the light.

Daddy has been working hard

Work has been crazy for Herlie lately. Lots of long days and nights as evidenced by his collection of Wawa coffee cups... and that's only when he runs out of homemade coffee. Poor Daddy!

Week 26

Your baby is the size of an Eggplant                         

Your baby measures around 14 inches (35.6 cm) long from head to heel. At this point your baby weighs a little less than 2 pounds (907.2 grams).

Your baby’s eyes have completely formed and will open soon and he or she will begin to blink. Your baby will be able to distinguish between light and dark from inside your uterus.

Your baby’s oil and sweat glands are also functional. He or she can still respond to noise and has grown accustomed to the sounds of your heartbeat, digestion, and other bodily functions, as well as your voice. Your baby can even move in rhythm to music.

Your baby will also continue to gain body fat and develop its blood vessels. His or her veins are still visible through the skin right now, but the skin is quickly becoming opaque.

You should also have been able to hear your baby’s heartbeat at visits to your doctor (we have been able to hear the heartbeat each visit and my acupuncturist says the baby has a strong heartbeat based on our pulses). Your partner may even be able to hear the baby’s heartbeat by putting his or her head on your belly (he can feel and hear the heartbeat). Don’t worry if you hear a skipped beat. This is called an arrhythmia; it occurs often as the heart is developing.

Week 25 - I believe I am about 6 months along now or so

Sometimes I get confused converting between weeks and months but I think I am officially entering the final trimester this week. I feel lots more movement and even some kicks. If I have on a tighter fitting shirt you can actually see my belly move.

Your baby is the size of a Zucchini

Your baby measures about 13.6 inches (34.6 cm) long from head to heel. At this point, your baby weighs around 1 and 1/2 pounds (680.4 grams).

Your baby’s spine is beginning to form its structures as the blood vessels of the lungs start developing. Some small blood vessels are starting to form beneath your baby’s skin. As these blood vessels begin to fill with blood, the baby’s skin will take on a pink appearance.

Your baby also has fully formed fingerprints, its bones continue to harden and its nostrils are starting to open. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

July is the time for a nice ear of corn...

Week 24
I have mixed feelings about this baby size comparison to fruits and veggies since we seem to be going round then long then round, back to long again. This week however, they say the baby is about the size of an ear of corn, an image I can definitely relate to in the month of July.



Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at about 1 1/3 pounds. Since he's almost a foot long (about the size of an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Week 23...exclusive photos of pomegranate-sized baby revealed

Your baby is the size of a Pomegranate                                             

Your baby measures around 11.4 inches (28.9 cm) long from head to heel and weighs almost 1 pound (453.6 grams). Actually, today they estimated our baby to weigh 1 pound 5 oz.

Your baby continues to accumulate fat and drink in amniotic fluid (we think we saw baby "chewing" amniotic fluid during the ultrasound today). His or her sense of taste is maturing, along with other senses such as touch and hearing. The baby’s lanugo (hair that covers its body) is growing darker and its fingernails are also almost fully formed.

Over the next few weeks, your baby will gain significant weight and will almost double in size. The ears are also starting to develop as the three main bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) are hardening. This means the baby can listen to sounds but the brain is still developing rapidly.

Your baby’s important organs are also developing quickly. The pancreas, which helps produce insulin, is maturing, and your baby now has sweat glands. Today we got to view all 4 chambers of the baby's heart, and our tech said his/her heart was "beautiful". She measured it beating approximately 145 beats per minute.

Your baby will also be moving around a lot during this time, so the kicks and punches you felt before will continue. We watched the baby at the end of our ultrasound showing off and playing with his/her toes above his/her head. At this point, you might even be able to feel the movements from outside your belly! I started feeling movement and kicks a couple of weeks ago... 

Exclusive paparazzi photos of Baby Velez

Top picture - baby's right foot
Bottom - baby's hand and fingers

We're selling all we can to raise money to afford more paparazzi photos...stay tuned!!

Feeling lots of little kicks in week 22

      Your baby is the size of a Papaya

Your baby measures about 10.9 inches (27.8 cm) long from head to heel. At this point, your baby weighs about 12.25 ounces (347.3 grams).

Your baby is developing the senses it will use in the outside world. Taste buds have started to form on the tongue. The baby's brain and the nerve endings are also developed enough so that the baby has a sense of touch. Your baby may begin testing its sense of touch by touching its face or sucking its thumb.

Your baby’s reproductive system is developing. In boys, the testes have begun to drop from the abdomen, while in girls, the uterus and ovaries are in place and the vagina has developed.

You may notice your baby kicking and turning as well. His or her heartbeat can also be heard with a stethoscope. 

Week 21 - Baby Velez is the new orange since s/he's the size of a carrot

Your baby is the size of a Carrot                                    

From this week on, your baby will likely be measured from head to heel instead of crown to rump. Your baby should measure around 10.5 inches (26.7 cm) long from head to heel. At this point, your baby weighs around 10.5 ounces (297.7 grams).

Your baby’s digestive system has developed enough to start absorbing water and small amounts of sugar from the amniotic fluid that it swallows. Most of the baby’s nourishment, however, still comes through the placenta.

Your baby’s bone marrow has also developed enough to contribute to blood cell formation. Your baby’s liver and spleen have been responsible for creating blood cells until now. The liver will stop producing blood cells a few weeks before birth, while the spleen stops producing blood cells around week 30.

Your baby is also developing visible eyebrows, eyelashes and hair on his or her scalp.

Hangin' out blowin' bubbles

We had our 20 week ultra-sound today and received this great pic of baby floating while blowing bubbles. Well, that's what it looks like but I think it's actually his/her arm and fingers. Everything looked good that we could see but baby was moving around so much that we couldn't get a look at all parts of the heart. Therefore we are going to be scheduled for a more comprehensive ultra-sound with a more detailed view of all baby parts. We may have more pictures after that.

If you read the Week 20 blog post from Thursday, the baby is estimated to be about 9 oz. and a few days later between 11-12 oz. However, today, when they estimated the size/weight of our baby s/he weighs approximately 15 oz. Nothing to worry about, we hope, but clearly s/he is growing well. Very exciting!

Halfway there - week 20

Your baby is the size of a Banana

Your baby now measures about 6 to 6.3 inches (15.2 to 15.9 cm) long from crown to rump, and weighs approximately 9 ounces (255.1 grams). Though your baby is still small, it has grown tremendously from that first dividing cell.

Under the vernix caseosa (the waxy, protective coating), your baby’s skin is thickening and starting to form two layers, the epidermis (outer layer) and the dermis (deeper layer). Your baby’s hair and nails are also continuing to grow.

Your baby’s movements should become stronger and stronger as the bones continue to harden. You should be able to feel fluttering or quickening quite regularly now. In fact, from the movements, you should be able to know if the baby is sleeping or awake. This has definitely started to happen more frequently this week!!

Nursery Ideas...

In case you are curious, here are some of the ideas we've been entertaining for the nursery. We have deep blue walls and we want to do something with a celestial theme - sun, clouds, moon, stars. Here are some pictures to give you a flavor.



           




I broke down and started a Pinterest account to keep all of the ideas in one place. If you are interested in seeing more, you can take a look here: http://www.pinterest.com/funkvelez/nursery-ideas/

Week 19 - Dream, dream dream baby finally gets to sleep

Your baby is the size of a Mango

Your baby measures about 5.5 to 6 inches (13.4 to 15.2 cm) long from crown to rump. At this point your baby weighs about 7 ounces (198.4 grams).

Your baby is covered in vernix caseosa, a thick, white, waxy substance that protects your baby’s fragile skin from becoming chapped or scratched.

Your baby’s permanent teeth buds are also forming behind the already formed milk teeth buds.

If your baby is a girl, her ovaries also contain primitive egg cells. Girls are born with all the eggs that they will have in their life. If the baby is a boy, the prostate will begin developing.

Your baby will also start developing more brown fat around the neck, chest and groin area. This will keep your baby warm when he or she is born.

Your baby also might start sleeping this week. Babies can find a “favorite” position. Usually, babies will have their chin tucked into the chest. Most babies can even dream when they reach the REM stage of sleep!

Week 18 - no longer anonymous baby has prints

Your baby is the size of a Bell Pepper 

Your baby measures 5 to 5.8 inches (12.7 to 14.6 cm) long from crown to rump. At this point, your baby weighs about 5.3 ounces (148.8 grams).

Your baby’s ears are approaching their final position. Your baby’s eyes are also beginning to face forward and the retinas may be able to detect light.

Your baby’s bones will continue to harden and the pads for his of her fingers and toes will form. They will gain the characteristic swirls and creases that form finger and toe prints.

The meconium (early fecal waste matter) will start to collect in the baby’s intestines. The baby’s heart is starting to build up muscle and pump about 25 to 30 quarts of blood a day.

Week 17

Your baby is the size of an Onion

Your baby measures about 4.5 to 5 inches (11.4 to 12.7 cm) long from crown to rump. At this point your baby weighs about 3.5 ounces (99.2 grams).

The placenta, which nourishes the fetus with nutrients and oxygen and removes waste, is growing to accommodate your baby. It now contains thousands of blood vessels that bring nutrients and oxygen from your body to your baby's developing body.

Your baby starts to form fat under its skin this week. This fat is important in generating heat and maintaining a steady metabolism. At birth, 2 to 6 percent of your baby’s weight will be fat. This will help your baby maintain a steady body temperature outside the womb.

The baby’s movements are becoming stronger and more frequent. Loud noises outside the uterus may also startle the baby.

Ooh La La.... baby visits Paris

Pictured are Kelli and I in the stands on court number 17 at Roland Garros during the French Open. For years Kelli has wanted to catch up to me in attending the tennis majors super tournaments and boy was the timing perfect for this year. Not sure when we'll do the Australian Open but with the baby soon joining our brood, it will be some time before we haul a child to a trip or an event this grand. So by our count, the baby will only be 1 major tournament behind mommy and daddy after the US Open this year.

Week 16 - Smiley face

Your baby is the size of an Avocado Your baby now measures about 4.3 to 4.7 inches (10.9 to 11.9 cm) long from crown to rump, and weighs 2.75 ounces (78 grams). Your baby is growing fast, and your weight is likely increasing as a result. Your baby’s muscles are now developing to the point that your baby can hold its head erect, in a straight line, and its facial muscles can display a variety of expressions. Your baby’s nails are well formed and he or she is emptying out its bladder every 40 to 45 minutes. Your baby is also covered in lanugo and his or her ears have moved from the neck to the head. Depending on the baby’s position, your doctor may be able to determine your baby’s sex on an ultrasound scan. For some parents, this is one of the most exciting moments of pregnancy.

Week 15 - Daddy loves apples

Your baby is the size of an Apple Your baby measures about 4 inches (10.2 cm) long from crown to rump. At this point, your baby weighs about 1.75 ounces (50 grams). The speed of your baby’s growth over the next few months is picking up. Your baby’s skin has developed but is so thin and translucent that you can see through to its blood vessels. The skeletal and muscular systems continue to develop as your baby slowly becomes more active. His or her bones harden and retain calcium. Some fine hairs, or lanugo, are also developing all over your baby’s face. This hair will eventually cover your entire baby and will be shed before birth. If you’ve been pregnant before, you may feel your baby start moving at this time. If this is your first pregnancy, it will probably be another few weeks before you feel any movement.

Week 14

Your baby is the size of a Nectarine...

Your baby measures about 3.5 to 4 inches (8.9 to 10.2 cm) long from crown to rump. At this point your baby weighs about 1-1.5 ounces (28.4 grams).

Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee and possibly suck his or her thumb. Thanks to brain impulses, your baby's facial muscles are getting a workout as tiny features form one expression after another. 

The baby has also started secreting hormones of its own from its matured thyroid gland. Its body systems are also starting to work on their own. The digestive system is practicing moving food through the intestines while the renal system is creating and eliminating urine.

Your baby also continues to practice breathing the amniotic fluid through its lungs. In addition, he or she has developed soft nails on its fingers and toes. Your baby’s blood is also starting to form in its bone marrow and blood vessels. Its hands continue to develop as well and are becoming more functional.

As the eyes and ears continue to move into place, the baby’s mouth has gone through major development. The sucking muscles are growing strong and the salivary glands are almost fully developed. The esophagus, windpipe and larynx should all be present by the end of this week.

Cravings...

Right now I find myself stopping each morning on my way to work to buy Wawa chocolate milk. Even though my stomach is still a little queasy and breakfast foods are questionable, right now we want chocolate milk. And watermelon! Hmmm...

What were some of the foods you Moms out there craved during your pregnancies?

                                  

Yeah Ushering in the Second Trimester

Your baby is the size of a Tangerine

Your baby measures approximately 2.5 to 3 inches (6.4 to 7.6 cm) long from crown to rump. At this point, your baby weighs between 0.5 and 0.8 ounces (14.2 and 21.3 grams). The placenta and your baby also weigh the same now. Your baby’s vital systems are all fully developed and your baby will now concentrate on growing as much as 1 inch per week.

Your baby is developing significantly. One thing that is apparent is the slowdown in the growth of your baby’s head as its body catches up. Your baby’s face is also starting to look more human — its eyes are beginning to move closer together while its ears are moving to their normal positions.

Internally, your baby’s intestines are migrating into its abdomen. The intestines are also beginning to form villi, which aid in absorption and digestion. The liver also begins to secrete bile; the pancreas starts to secrete insulin. Your baby is practicing swallowing as it continues to take in amniotic fluid and pass it out as urine.

While your baby may have a thumb in his or her mouth, practicing for nursing, its sucking muscles are not fully developed yet. All 20 teeth have also formed and are hidden under the gums. Your baby can also smile and its vocal cords are rapidly developing.

Final week of first trimester...

Your baby is the size of a Lime

Your baby is now approximately 2.5 to 2.8 inches (6.4 to 7 cm) long from crown to rump. At this point, your baby should weigh about 0.3 to 0.5 ounces (8.5 to 14.2 grams).

At week 12, your baby is fully formed. Though its brain and organs will continue to grow and develop, it has all the necessary pieces. However, it wouldn’t be able to survive outside of the womb yet. Your baby’s brain will continue to grow from this point on but will maintain its current shape. The pituitary gland, located at the base of your baby's brain, is also beginning to produce hormones this week.

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close. His or her mouth will make sucking movements. Toes will curl, and eye muscles will clench. Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously.

Your baby has also started developing nerves and a spinal cord which allows him or her to feel some types of pain. Fingers and toes have separated and hair and nails are starting to form.

Your baby’s vocal cords also form this week. In addition, the kidneys begin to function as the baby starts swallowing amniotic fluid and passing it out as urine. Your baby’s digestive tract is also strengthening.

Most importantly, your baby’s heart is beginning to pump several quarts of blood daily. This can be heard with the aid of a doppler (a special listening device). The heartbeat will be very fast, like the clicking of horse hooves.

The external genitalia have also developed and will begin showing signs of either the male or female sex. Though your health care provider may guess the gender, there is still a lot of uncertainty.

Home stretch of the first trimester - week 11

Your baby is now almost fully formed! At just over 1 1/2 inches long, he or she is about the size of a fig. Your baby's hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under the gums, and some of the bones are beginning to harden. He or she is already busy kicking and stretching, and these tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. Movements will become more frequent as your baby grows, but you won't feel the acrobatics for another few months. You also won't notice your baby's hiccupping, which may be happening now that his or her diaphragm is forming. http://www.babycenter.com/my-pregnancy-today-app

Hoping for a smooth transition...

Well, it is officially official, I have been released from IVF NJ and am ready to find my very own Ob/Gyn group. I had a practice picked out that was recommended to me by a few friends and work colleagues. I was happy to use this practice because they were supposed to have midwives on staff. However, yesterday I found out that the 1, and only 1, midwife on staff no longer participates in births. Hmmmff. Well there goes that well-intentioned plan. I did a search in my area of practices that had midwives on staff. The closest I came is a practice in the Princeton area. This practice, the Delaware Valley OB/GYN & Infertility Group, P.C. has as an ancillary practice a core group of midwives that are part of the Princeton Midwifery Care. Why a midwife? you might ask. Besides the fact that care and delivery by a midwife was recommended by my big sis, it is also important to me to try to honor my core beliefs and values as much as possible during my pregnancy and the delivery of our baby. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this approach,  "midwifery offers an alternative model for maternal care and childbirth.  Midwifery care is more woman and family centered, more natural and less interventive than traditional obstetrical care for those who prefer a more holistic approach to pregnancy care." I have my first appointment on Tuesday next week. I will let you know how it goes.

Need some room....

Some head room that is.  The noggin seems to be accounting for half the baby's size.  Holy uterus Kelli, here he/she comes.  It could mean we may have a brainiac in our midst (actually Kelli's midst) or someone who will do well in soccer.  Regardless, we'll love that baby's head no matter how small or big it is.  Yes, I do know this is typical for a baby at this stage but just seeing the size, it is just too hard not to comment.  Now to more important facts, the baby is on track with its size and heartbeat.  We also found out yesterday that we no longer will need to go back to the office.  So this likely will be the last picture that we'll see in a long while.  We will however continue to update this space.