He is now almost a foot long (a bit over 11 inches now) and weighs a pound-about the weight of a large mango.
One of the strangest looking fruits, ever.
Matt has taken care of newborns in the NICU that haven't developed nipples yet, and this week, James's nipples are forming. It is amazing to think that babies James's age are surviving out of the womb. One of the biggest development features this week is that his sense of sound has greatly improved. Baby can now hear most of the louder noises that we hear, and the more noises he is exposed to in-utero, the less he'll respond when he hears those noises after birth (i.e. a vacuum, a dog barking, a car honking, etc.....although I don't plan on sitting in my car and honking my horn just for the fun of it). When Matt and I went to Gordon Biersch Sunday night (we had a coupon and a $10 credit, woohoo!), there was a football game going on and the restaurant/bar was buzzing. James was very active the entire time we were there, probably because of the din. (See, Matt? There's your favorite boggle word, featured on our blog. You're welcome.) I also notice James moving more when I'm singing, dancing, or there is music playing. Matt likes playing classical music for him, but he doesn't respond to that much. Maybe because it's so relaxing?
The other night I felt James moving in my lower abdomen and my upper abdomen. I think he was stretched out upside down. It was awesome to feel both his hands and feet at the same time. His kicks to my ribs and hips and intestines are less awesome but still neat. Sometimes, with a very strong kick, you can see my stomach move. I can't get over the fact that there's a little human growing inside of me! It's a miracle. :)
James is starting to develop fat to fill out his skin, but he's still pretty scrawny. (It's ok, baby, I still love you.) His pancreas is developing and has started to produce insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. Other organs, especially his lungs, are continuing to develop. All of his facial features are in place, and his eyes are developed. What color will they be? I hope he has his daddy's piercing blue/green eyes.
I am continuing to have Braxton Hicks, but the doctor is not worried about that at all (and neither am I). Yesterday they were quite painful, so I rested for a while, drank a lot of water, and they improved. If these contractions are false labor and sometimes are so debilitating I can't walk, I just can't wait for true labor. Oh, boy! Luckily, usually the contractions are just intense or annoying, not painful. My back pain is still there, but sciatica has been a tad bit better than it was in the early weeks. The stretching exercises, switching sleeping sides during the night, and not staying in one position for an extended period of time helps. Luckily I have not had any swelling (well, one day a few weeks ago I had some minor swelling, but none since then). I hope it's flip flop weather if I do start to swell more later on. Headaches are usually a daily thing, but they're not migraines. Taking one tylenol (yes, moms, that is safe to take!) usually curbs them.
Sirius has had experience with two different babies in the past couple of weeks, and he is so well behaved. We babysat our upstair neighbor's 9-month-old baby girl for a little bit yesterday, and Sirius was so confused when she started crawling. He initially thought she was playing a game with him. He also thought her fabric baby toys were his dog toys. It was a good experience to see what we need to baby proof in our apartment. Anyway, any worry I had about Sirius with our baby is completely gone. Of course, I'll still closely monitor his behavior, but he is the type of dog where a kid can touch his paws, pull is tail, stick a finger up his nose, etc. and just sit there and be ok with it. I think the fact that the family that fostered him (for a couple of months before we adopted him) had kids helped his behavior.
Anyway, this is turning into an essay. Here's what James looks like now!
He normally lies very low, but has been moving up more as his home grows. Which is wonderful news for my bladder.
I went to a consignment shop (well, two) with my friend Gima that specialize in baby and kid's items. I got two sleepers, four onesies, a pair of pants, socks, and little mittens for under $5. I can't wait to take our moms there. So many great deals. :)
My favorite is the bottom right onesie with a bowtie and suspenders. So nerdy and awesome. It's size 0-3, so he'll probably wear it once or twice, but it's so adorable!
Also, here is a picture of me from Sunday night (date night, hence the makeup and looking decent).
I really think I'm one of the pregnant women whose normal non-pregnancy size looks a lot smaller when I'm pregnant. Some weight loss from morning sickness hasn't hurt, but obviously that isn't the best way (or time) to be losing weight. I like this picture, despite the tacky cell-phone-and-bathroom-mirror method.
At my appointment on Friday (the 10th), I had gained three pounds (YAY!), my blood pressure was perfect, James's heart rate was a wonderful 151, and we are both healthy. Next OB appointment is February 7, after my ultrasound February 4. Around 28 weeks I'll start going in weekly (ish) for ultrasounds and monitoring. I love that we have wonderful medical care, but don't love the drive to the hospital, or the parking garage, or walking six years to get to the OB area (yes. six years. no exaggeration there. ok, maybe a little...).
I'm going to let your eyes take a break from this novel. I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday! Much love to everyone.
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