16 Weeks

This week the baby weighs anywhere between 3 to 5 ounces and is 4 to 5 inches long! Muscles are getting stronger, especially the back muscles, as our little one straightens out even more. The baby's face is looking more and more adorable, complete with eyebrows and eyelashes and ears officially in the right place. Those pretty eyes are finally working too! The baby's eyes can make small side-to-side movements and can even perceive some light, though the eyelids remain sealed. With this fully functional face the baby can practice all sorts of facial expressions such as yawning, squinting and grimacing. The baby is also becoming more sensitive to touch and will even squirm if I poke my belly, which I have seen the baby do on ultrasound. The baby's skin is still translucent and wrinkly, but soon the baby will begin to develop some fat to help plump him or her up. The baby's heart now pumps up to 25 quarts of blood a day.

Last week I mentioned that I thought I felt little flutters or "quickening", but wasn't totally convinced yet, but this week I am convinced. Throughout the day I can feel our little baby fluttering around inside me. It's so quick that it is easy not to notice. If I am home I stop to see if I can feel it from the outside, which obviously I can't but a girl can be hopeful, right! It's such a strange but exciting feeling.

I had an odd thing happen last night, after 12 hours at work I was laying in bed waiting for Jake to come home. I had felt a flutter and just had my hand on my belly just in case the baby felt like kicking me and I was poking around a little and I could feel my uterus in a tight knot and my abdomen was rigid and much harder than usual. I thought it was really strange, but I had no one home to confirm the strange feeling with so after a few minutes my belly softened and the knot was gone. I could feel my abdomen tightening a few more times, but it wasn't painful and I doubt I would have even noticed if I hadn't been palpating my abdomen, like a good nurse (or a crazy one!). I realized I needed a bathroom break and after emptying a very full bladder it never happened again. So weird.

I talked to the NP about it this morning at our appointment and she reassured me that it was probably a combination of 12 hours of work and a full bladder that made my uterus unhappy enough to have some small contractions. Nothing to worry about, but she reminded me to take it easy and empty my bladder frequently (like I have a choice) and I plan on taking those orders very seriously :) This would probably make some people freak, but a lot of women contract throughout their pregnancy and I look at it as a good sign that the baby is getting lots of good practice for a smooth delivery, without a c-section :) The appointment mostly consisted of checking in with NP and talking about questions, concerns, etc. Everything seems to be in working order and the baby's heart rate is now running at about 140 bpm, which is great! The heart rate will continue to decrease in rate as the baby matures, but for now, the old wives tale would still be saying our little squirt is a girl. Only a few more weeks until we know for sure and I can hardly stand it!!