Week 18

Whoa Belly!

We went in for our 17 week check-up and got to see the baby again. He/she was moving constantly and we couldn't get over how big he/she had gotten! Unfortunately, the baby was sitting breech with his/her legs crossed and we couldn't see any goodies! We couldn't believe how much kicking and punching was going on inside my belly...and although I have felt movement, I couldn't feel any of what was going on on the screen. It's nuts!

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Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.