Bump Bound - Week 12

(Originally written 09/19/12)

Baby is the size of a LIME!

Whoa, I need a tan!

12 week development - Courtesy of babycenter.com  

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.  Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce. 

You guys.  Its official.  I can no longer button my pants.  I’m sure its mainly still gas and a few extra LB’s but my pants are definitely not buttoning.  Its just such a weird feeling to be able to button your pants one week and then the next, nadda.  I couldn’t even button them if I wanted to.  My shirts are also getting tight.  The button down blouses I wear for work are popping open at my chest.  So I can’t wear those anymore.  Then my non-button cotton dress shirts are getting too tight around the chest and belly also.  I actually got stuck in one of my shirts this morning.  Really.  I was STUCK!  I got it on, but couldn’t breathe so I knew that wouldn’t do.  When I tried to take it off I found myself spinning in a circle in my closet with my shirt up around my head.  It took a good minute to get it off.  Sigh.  

We told a few friends and some more family this week!  It was so great to see people’s reactions. I even got flowers at work from one of my closest friends!  It was very special!

I experienced some pretty intense cramping this week.   Like, to the point where I almost doubled-over in agony.  I’ve never experienced pain like this.  It was in my abdomen, creeped into my side and into my lower back.  It didn’t feel like typical female cramping or bloating cramping, but it also didn’t feel like something was wrong so it didn’t worry me too much.  Do you want to know what it was from? TMI Alert!!!  Apparently it was because I needed to poop!  Even though I had already gone twice that day!  I’ve always been a very “regular” person.  The two days prior to that, I didn’t go at all.  I’ve never gone more than a day without “going” so my stomach was pissed! After two more poops that day which would make a total of FOUR times, I was feeling great! LOL.  I’m screwed when it comes to the pain of child birth.

Our first official, official doctor’s appointment was this week.  I finally got to meet my new doctor.  He was alright.  I mean, he was fine, but I can’t help but compare him to my last doctor.  She was amazing and I’m so sad that she’s no longer my doctor.  I’ll have to get over that I guess.  We got to hear the heartbeat again and got another ultrasound!  The sound of the baby’s heart is seriously the best sound in the world.  We both get teary-eyed every time!  It was also crazy to see how much bigger the baby is this week compared to the ultrasound last week.  Its amazing how fast they grow from week to week. 

This one kind of looks like a crab

We may have a bit of a drama queen/king on our hands

I also had to give blood at this appointment.  Although, it wasn’t your typical blood-giving experience.  She took the blood from my finger and I had to produce enough of it to fill in 6 big circles on a sheet of paper.  It was like paint-by-numbers, but with blood.  So weird!  And, my fingers weren’t cooperating.  She had to stick me THREE times!  Ouch.  One of my fingers didn’t appreciate it and now I have a bruise to show for it.  Who gets bruises on their fingers? I guess there’s a first time for everything. 

Ouch!