Week 37

Week 35

Elouise doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5.6 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because its so snug in my belly, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks certainly is not slowing down. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight, the doctor says anywhere from 1/2 a pound to 1 pound a week, each week until she comes.

Week 32

By now, the baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in my uterus. I'm gaining about a pound a week (or at least thats all I am suppose to be gaining) and roughly half of that goes right to Elouise. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails and fingernails, which she has already gotten painted I am sure, and with any luck stating to get real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth. She is becoming extremely active and I think may already be planning her escape.Sleep is far and few between and heartburn is constant.While I have times I am ready for her to get out,Adam leaves Easter Sunday for Germany, so we at least got to keep her in until then!!!

Week 31

This week, the average baby measures over 16 inches long and weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She'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. .... maybe a little too active and healthy! Goodness!

Week 30

The baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage- again this is an average, Elouise probably weighs a little more.) A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in the uterus. 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.)

Week 26

The network of nerves in Elouise's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. She may now be able to hear both mine and Adams voice as we talk with each other. She's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of her lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when she's born and takes that first gulp of air. And she's continuing to put on baby fat. She now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel.We go back to the doctor on Thursday to have a 4D ultrasound and for my glucose test.... fun had by all!

Week 25

Head to heels, the baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture. Lets just hope this one has hair before she is a year old! Next week we go to have our 4D ultrasound - cant wait! I will post pics as soon as I can!

Week 23

If I were to turn on the radio and sway to the music, her sense of movement well developed by now, Elouise can feel me dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango),I can see her squirm underneath my clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that her increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as a dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

22 week belly

Week 22

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, she is starting to look like a miniature newborn. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Her eyes have formed, but her irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside the womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her body and the deep wrinkles on her skin, which she'll sport until she adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside her belly, her pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.Is that not so awesome!?!?!

We have a name!!!

Baby X will now be known as Elouise! Her full name will be Elouise Paton Hays. Elouise because Adams grandmothers name was Mary Louise and we wanted the baby to have a part of her name and Paton because that is my mom and Dave's last name. We decided on Hays because, well that was the easiest! Hope you love the name as much as we do! If you don't..... DONT TELL US!!! - we LOVE it!Have a great week!

Week 20

The baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now (according to the average,not sure exactly how much she weighs).She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)She's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for her digestive system.