This week baby girl is the size of...

33 weeks - it's SO hard to believe! And at this point she is growing so fast. She is about the size of a pineapple - so upwards of 19 inches and almost 5 pounds! And believe me - it shows. My cute little bump has turned into a full on pregnant belly. I'm still amazed almost every day when I look in the mirror. Even though she is taking up more room in her living quarters these days, she is still VERY active. I can actually watch her moving around and her kicks and punches are much stronger these days.

From what I've read, she is acting more and more like a baby now. Her eyes are closing when she is sleeping, and are open when she is awake. Her immune system is now developed and her bones are continuing to harden. Her hair is getting longer, and she has developed longer finger and toenails. I can't help but wonder what she is going to look like!

This week baby girl is the size of...

I have now passed 30 weeks. I can't believe it. On my countdown the number of weeks is single digits and its so surreal. It could be less than 10 weeks before I am holding our baby girl in my arms. It amazes me that I've come this far, but it also amazes me there is still so much time to go! I can't really imagine getting much bigger... my darling boyfriend already likes to tell me I'm as big as a house ;) And my first trimester morning sickness seems to have returned with a vengeance!

Enough about me though - baby girl is now about the size of a head of lettuce. She is 18 inches and about 3.2 lbs. Her brain is working overtime and and connections are developing between individual nerve cells and she can now perceive information from all five senses.

She is VERY active now, and in addition to dancing around in my belly, she spends time making faces, hiccuping, swallowing and even sucking her thumb. I already think she's perfect. On Saturday we are going for a 3-D ultrasound and will actually get to see her moving around in there...I can't wait!

This week baby girl is the size of...

It's hard to believe I am already half way through my 29th week - which means just a little over 10 weeks until baby girl's due date! The time is going by so fast, and week by week i am amazed by how quickly she is growing and developing. She is now about the size of a butternut squash - approximately 17 inches and just over 3lbs. And believe me - my stomach is keeping up with her rapid growth! You are all being very kind and telling me I look great, but I still feel like a house :) Oh, and apparently in the next 10 weeks she is going to triple in size!

Most of baby girls organs are fully formed and functioning well, although her lungs are still maturing. Her bone marrow has taken over production of the red blood cells and her brain is developing and grooves are forming to allow for an increased amount of brain tissue. I am completely in awe of this entire process. I know I've said it before, but every day I am amazed at this miracle and still have a hard time believing that there is a life growing inside me. Then she kicks (and usually hard) - and it all seems real again.

This week baby girl is the size of...

As I've mentioned yesterday, this week I somehow crept into the third trimester. It still amazes me that I am two thirds of the way through this journey. Our baby girl is growing rapidly and now weights 2.5lb's and measures about 16 inches (approximately the size of a head of cauliflower). She has started blinking and coughing, and may even have started dreaming. The nerves in her ears have completely formed and she is aware of sound and even the rhythm of music. Her lungs have almost reached the point of maturity and her breathing is becoming more regular and consistent. My midwife tells me she is head down which is a great sign. Hopefully she stays that way until she is ready to enter the word.

Oh and she is moving - a LOT! Sleeping is getting more difficult as I am more aware of her movements and as they become much stronger inside me. Ron can feel her more regularly, and every once and a while I can actually see my belly move when she kicks. I continue to be amazed by this miraculous experience each and every day and am trying not to take a single moment for granted.

This week, baby girl is the size of...

I am now 26 weeks pregnant - the final week of my second trimester! On Saturday, I'll be on the home stretch. Baby girl is now about 15 inches long - approximately the size of a cucumber, and weights just over 2lbs. That's double her weight from just 4 weeks ago. It's not hard to tell she is growing as my belly is rapidly expanding to keep up.

Baby girl's hearing is progressing as the network of nerves to her ears are maturing. Sounds are muffled but by now we should be able to recognize both Ron and my voice. As silly as it seems, we both spend time talking to her and sometimes singing to her, and in the next few days I plan to start reading to her.

Her taste buds are developed now and she can actually taste the different flavours of the foods I eat. That's even more motivation to eat well...although I have a feeling she is quickly going to grow fond of chocolate ice cream during this heat wave we are getting in Toronto.

I'm still amazed every day by this miracle developing inside me and I cannot believe that in less than 14 weeks I will get to meet her.

This week baby girl is the size of...

Apparently my uterus is now the size of a soccer ball, and inside that ball is my baby girl who is now about the size of an eggplant. She's 9 inches long and weighs about a pound and a half. Her capillaries are forming under the skin and are filling with blood, and the blood vessels have developed in her lungs. Her nostrils are also opening up and she is starting to take practice breaths - getting ready for her first big breath in less than 16 weeks. I am so amazed at how quickly she is growing and how soon she will be in our arms.

This week baby girl is the size of...

It's hard to believe 23 weeks have gone by, and this week our little girl weighs about a pound of a half and is 11.5 inches long, which in produce talk is apparently about the size of an ear of corn. As for me, I'm up about 5 pounds now and as you can see from the Cuba picture I posted, the belly is growing more and more every day!

Baby girl's face is almost fully formed now and she has even started blinking her eyes. Her hearing is improving and she is practicing her breathing more frequently, which can even lead to hiccups. She is moving around a LOT and I can feel kicks and pokes throughout the day. Ron was actually able to feel a kick for the first time this past Wednesday, when we were at the Tropicana show in Havana - how many people can say that! The music definitely had her moving.

This week baby girl is the size of...

I'm right at 22 weeks, and that means baby girl is now the size of a papaya! She should be about 8 inches and just over a pound, but apparently this is the point she really starts to get big...and I guess that means the point that I do too. For now, I'll enjoy my little girl, who quite fittingly is the size of a tropical fruit - hmmm,I wonder if they have papayas in Cuba?

This week baby girl is the size of...

a spaghetti squash! My friend Michelle suggested I do this, and I think it's a great idea! Each Monday I'll let you know just how big our little one is getting. I'm 21 weeks now, which means our baby girl weighs about 1 lb and is 8 inches long, about the size of a spaghetti squash.

Originally posted on April 26th

We opened the envelope and...

Originally posted April 18

The first kick

I felt the first kick today. Until now I have been quite certain of movement... little flutters from within my belly, but this afternoon my baby kicked. An unmistakable bump in my right side. It is SO good to know he or she is in there.

originally posted April 14th