15-weeks

How is it possible I’m 15 weeks along? I returned back to school today (we go  back 2 weeks earlier than the rest of the county to start our inservice) and it was fun to share the news with folks there. I had a few teachers comment that they can’t wait till I get fat… that seems to be one of the stranger (yet common) statements I get about being pregnant. Maybe I should take it as a compliment?

I’m not fat (yet) but I’m definitely showing… enough that I took my lunch break today to go shopping for maternity clothes (thanks, Rodgers family, for the Target giftcards for my birthday!). I scored a few dresses and am excited about them. Maternity clothes are certainly made for some girls more… ahem… blessed in some areas – so it was hard to find some that fit me as well as I hoped. I found some that will work for sure though.

I did some grocery shopping today after work. What can you cook with olives, parmesan cheese, sour cream, and popsicles? Yeah, not much. Let’s blame that on the random cravings of a hormonal and hungry pregnant lady.

So, how big is the little bug now?

Baby's now the size of a naval orange!
Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl!

I’m comforted that the baby is approaching “normal proportions” – hah! I can’t say enough about how weirded out I get about the strange baby stuff – big heads, eyes on the side of the head, intestines in the umbilical cord (what is up with that??!!), breathing amniotic fluid… it’s strange stuff, for sure.