12 Weeks

This week your baby weighs about ½ an ounce and is about 3 inches long. If you could see your baby, you’d see quite an active little one – twisting, turning and kicking. The baby is completely engulfed in amniotic fluid at this point. This fluid is about 1.5 ounces in volume.

The growth of the baby’s head slows down considerably by the end of this week. The brain has the same structure it will have at birth, although it will be quite larger. Hair is beginning to grow on the baby’s head now and teeth are forming as well as taste buds and vocal cords.

The intestines are beginning to contract as if they were digesting food and are moving from the umbilical cord into the body cavity. A large portion of the amniotic fluid will be the baby’s urine from this point on as the kidneys begin to excrete urine.

I have been feeling for my uterus most days and have found it interesting to note that some days it is quite firm and easy to locate, whereas other days it's much softer. On those days when it is quite firm usually it protrudes slightly more toward one side of my abdomen or the other. I am thinking this is due to the baby's position and activity in the womb! Which is quite an interesting and exciting thought.

My belly is rounding out in front in a pregnant-looking way. I still have no problem fitting my clothes, because my pants generally have a comfortably low rise. I don't have any nausea but I am still tired. That might be impacted by the cold I'm working through, and the fact that I don't consistently sleep well.

Eva delights in seeing my belly, which is so cute. "Ooo! Mommy, it's growing!!" Micah is happy to talk to the baby and to kiss my belly. Eva told me today that she misses the baby- meaning that she is looking forward to having the baby here.