15 Weeks Pregnant

Well, again I find myself getting this posted a bit late... I'm actually already 16 weeks... We're hoping to find out this week if we're having a boy or girl so I figured I'd wait for this weeks post.  So here's 15 Weeks:

How my baby's growing:  My growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple).  The baby is busy' moving amniotic fluid through the nose and upper respiratory track, which helps the primitive air sacs in their lungs begin to develop.  The baby's legs are growing longer than the arms now, and it can move all of the joints and limbs.  Although the eyelids are still fused shut, they can sense light.  If you were to shine a flashlight at my tummy, for instance, the baby is likely to move away from the beam.  There's not much for my baby to taste at this point, but taste buds are forming.  At 15 weeks it is possibly to find out whether we're having a boy or girl, however nailing down the baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and the baby's position.  However, we're not schedule for another appointment until I'll be 16 1/2 weeks - hoping to find out then!

How my life's changing:  On average it's healthy and normal to have gained about 5 pounds by now (I've only gained 3 but with the extra baggage I started with that's good for me).  Mornings usually start with a bit of a stuffy nose which can be chalked up to the combined effect of hormonal changes and increased blood flow to my mucous membranes.  This condition is so common, there's even a name for it: "rhinitis of pregnancy."  Usually by mid-morning things have cleared up and I'm good to go.

I have been very blessed this week by both my father-in-law and a member of our church with a gift to buy maternity clothes.  I don't think I've ever had so much fun shopping for clothes. Maternity clothes actually make you look better and feel good about yourself.  One of the stores we went to was called "Motherhood" and in the dressing room there was a strap on belly equivalent to 3 months pregnancy so you can see what you'll look like and if clothes will continue to fit in 3 more months.  It was rather funny to show Micah and see his response. And that would only have been about 7 months along, just add two more months to that.