12 Weeks

How Far Along: 12 weeks. I'm still trying to figure out if this marks the end of the first trimester. Any thoughts?

Size of Baby: He/she is the size of a plum! :)

Picture of Baby: None this week. My next ultrasound is scheduled for Monday, June 6th.

12 Weeks: The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Baby Johnson's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his/her toes will curl, his/her eye muscles will clench, and his/her mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if I prod my abdomen, Baby Johnson will squirm in response. His/Her intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his/her abdominal cavity about now, and his/her kidneys will begin excreting urine into his/her bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in Baby Johnson's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His/her face looks unquestionably human: His/Her eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his/her ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, Baby Johnson is just over 2 inches long and weighs half an ounce. (Information from BabyCenter's website).

Maternity Clothes: Need. To. Buy. STAT.

Weight Gain: Still down about five pounds. Baby bump is growing, though.

Belly Pic: Not right now.

Stretch Marks: None from this pregnancy...yet!

Sleep: Gotta have it! It's hit and miss, though. Some nights I sleep soundly, other nights I'm super restless. I'm getting up at least twice a night to pee, even after eliminating fluid intake after dinner.

Best Moment of the Week: Going to my parents' cabin with Aaron and Ella. Simply soaking in the beauty of life while enjoying being a family of three and looking forward to the blessing to come. God is good.

Movement: I can seriously think of a handful of times where I felt the tickle / flutter. I'm really convinced I'm actually feeling the baby move already. Makes this mama very happy!

Symptoms: My nausea is kinda getting better, but every time I think that, it slaps me in the face and tells me, "I'm not leaving yet!" I feel the need to throw up every morning, but don't eat anything (until I'm feeling better at work), so I spend a lot of my morning "dry heaving" into the kitchen sink. Gross, I know. And, my nausea comes back at night, with most nights ending with a big bang (throwing up episode). Gotta love it!

Food Cravings: Nothing stands out this week. I'm craving water / apple juice / lemonade. So, I guess you can say I've been thirsty this past week.

Gender: Can't wait to find out! :) We have names picked out for both genders.

What I Miss: I miss feeling comfortable laying on my stomach at night. I haven't slept on my stomach for weeks out of fear of messing things up (I know, ridiculous fear!), but now I can't lay on my stomach because it's uncomfortble.

What I'm Looking Forward to: The "energetic" trimester to begin.

Weekly Wisdom: Don't eat expired food. As I said above, we went to my parents' cabin. I ate panckes and unknowingly ate 4-year expired syrup and thought something tasted a little off. After Aaron pointed out it was very expired, I ran like the speed of light to the bathroom. Luckily, I made it.

Milestones: Am I in the second trimester? If so, that is a true milestone. :)

Emotions: Grateful.