Week 24

From my weekly email...

Hi all! Eli is in his 24th week! It has been such an exciting journey. I visit the doctor every other week...if not every week!! He is healthy and well, and my cervix is holding up perfectly!! I am so thankful!! This week I saw the Nurse Practitioner, since Dr. Morris was out of town. She did a new test to check for preterm labor called Fetal Fibronectin (more info at http://www.babycenter.com/0_preterm-labor-test-fetal-fibronectin_1511.bc). It was negative for any signs of preterm labor, which means we can rest easy for another couple of weeks knowing that labor is not expected!! I will go back in every two weeks for this test until I pass 34 weeks or so (I'm guessing). On Thursday, I went in for my biweekly cervix scan and everything looked great. The gal even did an additional scan of the baby...because she had a student with her. It was so encouraging to see him again!! :) Everything is looking great! I will continue keeping you all posted!!

Love, ash

How your baby's growing:
Your baby's growing steadily, gaining about a quarter of a pound since last week, when she was just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), that makes a pretty lean figure, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon put on more baby fat. Your baby's skin is thin, translucent, and wrinkled, her brain is growing rapidly, and her taste buds are developing. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance **that helps the air sacs inflate easily.

Week 23

I can breathe a sigh of relief this week because Eli is a viable baby...Now, don't get me wrong, we have not passed the point of certain viability, but the beginning of viability is today!! In the last week or two I have been feeling more peaceful and calm. God has been so faithful....Every doctor visit has brought good news of a long cervix and healthy baby...Which, of course, makes me feel more at ease. Eli is growing at the normal rate...they expect him to be a normal sized baby...We'll see...With a dad the size of Matt I'm in for a treat!! I am feeling great!! My lower back has been hurting the last few days, but I'm just taking it easy and taking Tylenol as needed. Overall, I can't complain! He is wiggling and moving some...but mostly sleeping!! :) I'm so excited!

My Weekly Email

It has been an uneventful week...Thank GOD!! My baby boy is active and happy. He responds to the sound of our voices...especially when we sing! He loves Sunday because he hears singing and goes CRAZY!! Thank you for your prayers! God is so faithful and will continue to be! We are enjoying peace and trying to be patient!
Love you all!! ash

How your baby's growing:
Your baby is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango). His skin is red and wrinkled. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing. He can swallow, but he normally won't pass his first stool (called meconium) until after birth. Loud noises heard often in utero — such as your dog barking or the roar of a vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze your baby when he hears them outside the womb.

Week 22

It has been a great week. Dr. Longo (the specialist) says my cervix is still closed and long, which is GREAT news, because we are approaching viability, which is such a huge relief. Week 23 is the beginning of viability, according the Dr. Longo, and certain viability starts at week 28. It is all not that far away!! We have started registering, although some of the bigger items that are registered are subject to change...So, mom and dad and whoever, don't buy yet!! I will be solidifying our furniture, etc. in the next couple of days. We are registered at Babies R Us (www.babiesrus.com) and Target (www.target.com). That is a lot of fun!! Eli has been busy moving around. Our ultrasound showed him to be 1 lb, which is the 45th percentile (whatever that means)...I guess he is average sized. His organs and all looked great! No appearant deformities! YEAY! He is a growing, busy boy! He just wiggles and moves...There must be a lot going on in there!! He had the hiccups on Thurs when they did our scan! It was so cute to see his little belly jump!! Everything seems to be text book for now! We are so excited! We'll keep you posted in the weeks to come! Hopefully things will stay uneventful!! :)

Your pregnancy: 22 weeks

Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound. Her skin will continue to appear wrinkled until she gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her head and body is now visible. Her lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath her gum line. Her eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. Eyelids and eyebrows are in place, and her pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily.

Week 21

It is with great joy that I announce that we have officially entered our 21st week of pregnancy!! YEAY! and to top it all off, my body is doing just what it should! My cervix is holding, even with pressure...It is almost like I don't have an incompetent cervix at all. Thank God!! We still have a few weeks to viability (starts at week 24), but with everything going the way it is...it looks like we will go far beyond our original expectations and have a full term birth!! (Ok. I may be getting a little ahead of myself, but I can dream, can't I?) Dr. Morris is very encouraging and says that he will be so excited when I can reach 28 weeks (certain viability). Then we can have baby showers and start painting the nursery!!

Your pregnancy: 21 weeks

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. His eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. And you can certainly feel him move. He's oblivious to your schedule, though, so don't be surprised if he starts working out just when you're settling down for the night. If you're having a girl, her vagina is formed now, though it will continue to develop until birth.