Week 7

(It's okay--it's looks like a blob to me too.
The longer blob on the bottom in the dark area is the baby.
The smaller blob on top is the yolk sac.)

There's lots happening in my belly this week! Paddle-like hands and feet are sprouting at the ends of Peanut's developing arms and legs, and Peanut has almost doubled in size since last week to be about a half an inch long now (about the size of a blueberry). Her eyes already have some color to them at this point, and the tip of her nose is beginning to protrude from her tiny little face. And already wrapped up in that tiny package are her appendix, pancreas, and beating heart. In fact, in our most recent ultrasound, we were able to easily make out the heart because of its rapid beating--158 beats a minute!

This pregnancy is already proving very different from the first, in more ways than one. I'm guessing they call it morning sickness because you notice it when you wake up, but my version is something akin to all-day-long sickness that just sort of hangs around making me feel queasy all the time.

We're also continuing to monitor the blod clots in my uterus (called subchorionic hemorrhages). It's a frustrating condition that doctors seem to know little about, other than that it happens in one percent of all pregnancies and is something that may or may not go away on its own. What we do know is that they are small areas of bleeding on the gestational sac (the "chorion") that are slightly larger this week than they were a week and a half ago. Our doctor tells us they are not a major concern at this point, just something that needs to be monitored. (Not worrying about a blood clot that is the size of my baby is easier said than done.) Meanwhile, I'm being commanded to continue to take it easy and rest.

Aside from that, Peanut seems to be developing well according to the most recent ultrasound and is still on track for a January 31 due date. Please continue to pray that the subchorionic hemorrhages would heal completely and Peanut would have a safe place to continue developing.