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I've been feeling so much better these last couple of weeks. And my appetite is in full force! My tummy rumbles at me every two hours demanding to be fed. I've started packing snacks to help me get through the work days... on top of my regular meals! But I'm careful that my snacks are healthy... it's been really easy since the only foods I have been craving lately are fruits and veggies! I just can't believe how much our bean has grown... and I've been told to "get ready for a growth spurt" so there's more growing to come!!
In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.
13 Weeks 5 Days
My belly has officially "POPPED"! I woke up one day and there it was! Other people can now tell that I am pregnant and not just chubby!! We got to hear the heartbeat for the first time this week! It was simply amazing. The best sound I've ever heard. I'm starting to have more energy which is nice. But I have to be careful with standing too long or too much up and down movement. I get really light headed... which they say is because of all the extra blood now in my body! I'm so relieved to be through the first trimester! Now I can relax and enjoy my pregnancy!
Since I'm just about 14 Weeks in this picture I decided to share some info with everyone as to what exactly is going on inside that belly. It's pretty amazing how quickly our bean is growing!
This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.
In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.
