My "beach-ball tummy" is staying true to form. When I stand up straight, I can't see my toes. I was able to paint my toenails one last time by myself this week. From this point on, I will rely on my sweet mom to paint my nails. :) Bending over is becoming quite difficult, which makes getting dressed in the morning an interesting part of my day. Soon I'm sure I'll have to sit on the side of the bed to put on pants or shorts.
Some co-workers see my tummy, inquire about my due date, and ask if I'm going to make it all the way to August. I politely say, "Well, I've already talked to the baby about that, and he knows that he's supposed to stay in there until the end of August." Inside my head, I'm thinking "Of course I'm going to make it to August! My tummy only measures 17 inches from top to bottom of the curve. Michael and I have a lot more growing to do!
Although I am so so so excited to be 15 weeks away from meeting Little Michael face to face, and although I would LOVE to cuddle him now, I repeat this saying to myself each day:
(Photo credit: wordpress.com)
This is a neat thought:
(Photo credit: nefhealthystart.org)
And finally, this picture (it's not me), shows what thoughts should be when it comes to awaiting Little Michael's arrival:
(Photo credit: pinterest.com)
My mom works in the NICU (neo-natal intensive care unit) at a hospital nearby. She has seen the teeny-tiny "25 weekers" be admitted to the NICU. She and I both agree that we do not want Little Michael to have to go to the NICU. We want him to be a healthy, full-term baby boy. So much development is still left to be done in Michael's little body.
This week was a big week in development. High-lights include:
-Michael's hands are now fully developed. He might be spending his awake times testing out the feelings in his hands by touching areas around the womb. Sometimes I really believe that he's wiggling his fingers right on the edge of the womb and causing me to have a tickle in my tummy! :)
-Michael's brain and nerve endings are developed enough that he is able to feel the sensation of touch. It's fun and comforting to think that he can feel us when we press our hands where his little body is resting in the womb.
-His arms and legs have almost grown to the size they'll be at birth.
-His nose, which has been plugged until this points, clears and he is able to practice "breathing" through his nostrils. Of course this means he's 'inhaling' amniotic fluid, but it's the skill of the breathing motions that counts. :)
-The structures in Little Baby P.'s spine consist of 150 joints, 33 rings, and 1,000 ligaments. Crazy, right! How cool is that?!? :)
- His capillaries (or the teeny tiniest blood vessels) are forming now. This will give his skin a pink glow.
-The blood vessels in his lungs develop this week. These will be important in a few short months when he gives his lungs a work-out while crying. Although a baby's cries can be stressful, I will be sure to remember the saying my mom told me: "Crying is breathing and breathing is good."
-Little Michael weighs about a pound and a half, and is about 13 inches long, which is the size of one of those plastic recorder instruments from elementary school:
(Photo credit: musicroom.fr)
Sweet music to my ears!
My Craves:
-Sprite (I don't give in to this craving much, although we were able to buy some Sprite on sale at the store!)
-Juice (I don't give in to this one a lot either... in fact, it's hardly ever)
-Milk
-No Bake Cheesecake (I'm proud to say that I haven't given into this one at all, but the craving is still there)
-Salad with tomatoes and cucumbers (I don't get a lot of opportunity to eat salad, but I love it when I get to indulge!)
Aaron and I have redone our Dave Ramsey budget forms and I am super excited about saving extra money to help with baby expenses!
Thank-you for your continued prayers as we get closer to meeting Little Michael! Remember, we all want Michael to be a healthy baby, and:
(Photo credit: trademarkia.com)
Love, Reba
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