Checking in on the baby (fetus)

When I first found out I was actually really pregnant, the very first thing I did was scout around to learn about the baby's development. There was something both frightening and thrilling about it. It was frightening first because all of the sites emphasize how much delicate creation work goes on despite a lack of external evidence that I was pregnant. Indeed, by the time we were going to start to spread our secret more broadly (after the 12th week) the baby would have already made all of his or her vital organs, would have little toes and all. Truthfully, it was also a little frightening because while I was in a wash of warm lovey emotion directed towards the little rug-rat, in those first few weeks the embryo definitely looks more alien than human.

The next few weeks mark the final transition (in my opinion) from alien peanut to tiny baby. This upcoming week, for example, the baby will achieve such feats as "Ears shift to their normal place on the side of the head" and "Intestines move farther in to your child's body" (those intestines were previously just sort of free floating outside the abdomen).

Although I monitored these little week by week updates (with photos!) on the baby's development religiously those first few weeks, it had been a while since I checked in on the internal work the peanut was up to. So today I decided to check back in and see what he or she was up to. Terry was looking over my shoulder, and I think we were both a little surprised.

After week ten, the most critical period of development was past, and for this momentous graduation the peanut earns the title "fetus" from its previous "embryo" status. In the last two weeks the baby's placenta has also gotten itself all settled in and ready to fuel the rapid growth that will come soon. The baby's irises are developing and the eye color is already set.

This past week, in another "alien peanut becomes baby" move, the baby's previously webbed feet separated, and it now has perfect, tiny little fingers and toes. For something so tiny, it seems almost impossible, but last week the baby began to grow both hair and nails. Some of its little tiny organs and muscles began practicing for the big show, when they actually have to run that little body without help. The kidneys are starting to practice filtering. Muscles in the baby's little core begin practicing the contractions that will eventually help the peanut eat and digest.

As of right now (based on averages) the baby is a little more than 1.5 inches (4.1 cm) long and weighs a quarter ounce (7gm). What's pretty amazing though, is that the little peanut starts growing pretty fast. In the next week the average baby will grow to a whopping 2.13 inches (5.4cm) and nearly double its weight to 0.49 ounce (14gm).

Terry read the thing about having little feet and toes and immediately began walking his fingers all over my arms and back twittering "little feet all over! little feet!" and but when we got to the length he was sort of sweetly sobered by it. He held his hands apart by 2.13 inches. "wow" he said quietly "the baby is already that big. That's amazing." Then he cracks into a smile, "Way to grow that baby woman!"