Week 14

Belly expansion is official. My pants no longer fit. Thankfully, this problem is easily solved with the help of a hair band and a sturdy zipper. No elastic waistbands yet, but my time is coming soon!

Peanut has all sorts of new tricks this week: he can squint, grimace, pee and even suck his thumb by now! He probably measures about 3 and a half inches--the size of a lemon--and weighs about an ounce and half. His hands and feet, about a half inch long each, are busy punching and kicking, but it will be a few weeks before we'll be able to feel his tiny movements.

My energy level continues to improve and life seems a lot less crazy now that I'm only needing one nap a day. That frees up time for nesting while Abby takes one of her naps! My clothes are all starting to fit a little tighter, a good sign that my body is doing what it's supposed to as my ribs expand to make room for my increased lung capacity and my waistline expands to accommodate this little person I'm growing.

We found out while helping out in the church nursery on Sunday that Abby isn't too bothered just yet by us holding other babies--unless they happen to be crying. She was fine with us playing with the other kids and letting her play on her own, until a fussy baby demanded my attention and our little girl suddenly became very very clingy, even trying to push the other little baby off of my lap! Please pray that as I spend time around other moms and their kids that Abby would have a smooth transition into being a big sister and that we would be able to find ways to spend quality time with both of our little miracles when the time comes.

Week 13

We're thrilled to report that our most recent ultrasound showed a well-developed Peanut and no evidence of any remaining blood clots in my uterus! Praise God for His healing touch and for watching over our little one!

Peanut is about three inches long this week (medium shrimp-sized) and is moving, rolling, kicking and swinging her arms like crazy in her little womb. She was quite active throughout our ultrasound and showed off by flipping over twice for us. (She also did this funny little thing with her hands that looked like she was shaking tiny maracas...but you kinda had to be there...) The lobes of her brain and chambers of her tiny beating heart were clearly visible and she definitly looks like a little baby now--just very very tiny! Fingerprints have formed on her little fingers and her body is starting to catch up to her very large head, which we could see still makes up for about a third of her body size.

In mommy news, I've definitly felt the second trimester kick in. The tiredness is beginning to wear off and I'm down to just one nap a day now, and the nausea is almost a thing of the past. My energy level is getting back up to where it should be and my little baby bump is beginning to make it difficult to fit into my cute new jeans.

Thank you all for your many prayers for Peanut and for the complete healing of my uterus. We were thrilled to find out those prayers have been answered! Continue to pray for a healthy baby and a patient mommy as we wait just a few more weeks to find out if Abby's new sibling will be a little brother or a little sister.

Week 12

Peanut's working out his reflexes this week and rumor has it that if I poke my belly, he'll squirm in response now. (Although his little movements are still to slight for me to feel.) He's about two inches long now--the size of a lime--and weighs just half an ounce, but is busy opening and closing his fingers, curling his toes, clenching his eye muscles and making sucking motions with his tiny mouth.

He's beginning to look more human now with his eyes and ears finally in their rightful places on his little head. Also this week, his brain synapses are furiously forming and his nerve cells are multiplying like crazy!

I'm continuing my two-nap-a-day trend and am well past feeling guilty about it. I don't feel like I'm doing much, but Justin keeps reminding me that my body is running a marathon, and I'm doing it while chasing a baby around for much of the day. So this mom-to-be takes her cues from little Abby and when she goes down for a nap, so do I! Some nausea medication--a welcome gift from my wonderful doctor--is doing wonders for improving my appetite and my disposition, and I'm happy to report that I'm gaining weight again.

Please continue to pray for complete healing of the blood clots in my uterus and healthy development for little Peanut. We'll get another update next week on how things are progressing and are trusting God for positive results!

Week 11

Peanut's little body is almost fully formed now, but with lots of growing left to do. She's probably about an inch and a half long (about the size of a fig) and is busy kicking and stretching, though her movements are too slight for me to feel yet. Her tiny fists are opening and closing, and many of her bones are beginning to harden. Her diaphragm is forming now, so those tiny baby hiccups that plagued her older sister could be starting soon!

Meanwhile, in mommy news, the fact that no two pregnancies are alike is making itself very evident in this second pregnancy. Two naps a day is standard now, and if I skip one I'm pretty much dead on my feet by the time dinner rolls around. Our most recent visit to the doctor showed that I've actually lost a little bit of weight, and the doctor accurately guessed that my fairly severe all-day-long sickness and nausea is to blame for my poor eating habits. She told me that first trimester weight loss doesn't concern her, but did advise this "skinny momma" to find something I like and eat lots of it until the morning sickness stage passes. So our fridge is now well stocked with fruit salad, pasta salad and peach flavored jell-o.

Please continue to pray for complete healing of the blood clots in my uterus and for continued healthy development for our little Peanut!

Week 10

Peanut hits his first major milestone this week, transitioning from the embryonic to the fetal stage. At just about an inch long (the size of a kumquat) and weighing less than a quarter of an ounce, his little body gearing up for some major growth now. His kidneys, intestines, brain and liver are starting to develop and function, and his yolk sac is disappearing.

The webbed hands and feet we saw last week are a thing of the past now, replaced by tiny fingers and toes, complete with itty bitty developing fingernails! He may be tiny now, but Peanut will more than double in size over the next couple of weeks!

The doctor is continuing to monitor the blood clots in my uterus. Reports from the most recent ultrasound show that one is half the size it was 10 days prior, while the other has doubled in size. That means more rest and taking it easy for me--a plan that Abby is having trouble getting on board with--and a follow-up ultrasound in a few weeks to see how things are progressing. The good news is that the clots do not interfere at all with Peanut's development!

Please continue to pray for complete healing for these two areas of concern, and for healthy development of our little one!