10 weeks: Baby Kumquat

First of all, sorry I'm late w/ the update for 10 weeks. Thursday (the 10 week mark) I came home after working, getting my hair trimmed, and doing some pet care for an out of town friend and crashed, clothes and all, in our bed. I got up only to brush my teeth, take my prenatal vitamin, and change into PJ's. Friday after working we packed up the car, dog included, and headed towards Memphis to visit Brad's family. I am writing this now at a "pet-friendly" hotel in Nashville where we will soon depart for the last leg of the trip to Memphis. As I mentioned, they are pet-friendly...their human-friendliness leaves a little to be desired. But I digress.....

Though baby is barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, our baby has now completed the most critical portion of it's development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

Baby Kumquat is swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including it's kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout my pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside my womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.
In other developments: our baby's limbs can bend now. Baby Kumquat's hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over the heart, and feet may be long enough to meet in front of the body. The outline of Baby Kumquat's spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from the spinal cord. Our baby's forehead temporarily bulges with it's developing brain and sits very high on baby's head, which measures half the length of its body. From crown to rump, Baby Kumquat is about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, our baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

As previously mentioned in my last post, we got to hear the heart beat for the first time at our first regular OB appt. I say it sounded like a tiny drum.......Brad says it sounded like road noise when you are on driving on concrete w/ lots of cracks in it. What can I say, he has a way w/ words. LOL! :)

Before I got pregnant, my uterus was the size of a small pear. By this week, it's as big as a grapefruit. Though I'm not ready for maternity clothes, I am finding that my regular clothes aren't fitting quite right especially my scrubs @ work. I can still wear them (and will be able to for a long while because scrubs are very forgiving) but they have to come up over my belly button to feel comfortable. From what I've read, the thickening in my midsection is most likely due to slight weight gain (2-3 lbs) and bloating at this point. In these transitional weeks between regular and maternity clothes, I will be seeking out my elastic waist band bottoms as often as possible! As previously mentioned, I am still TIRED.....which the OB said will go away in about 20 years or so...I think he's being optimistic! And despite the initially thought to be miraculous qualities of the ginger root pill, I am still hugging the toilet though not daily. I have learned to keep small snacks w/ me at all times. My daily ritual at work is a little box of raisins @ 11 am...if I don't eat them then I am so hungry at lunch that I get sick. Lesson learned! :) With all the fruit I am eating, I wouldn't be surprised if the baby actually does come out looking like one them.... pumpkin?? Mmmm...pumpkin...LOL!

There is a big push in all my pregnancy books to be active during this time. I honestly haven't felt like going to the gym except my first couple of weeks, and I wasn't allowed to then (because of IVF)! The most activity I've been getting is walking the dog (but it is a mile around the lake), using very light hand weights w/ my patients at work, and doing some yoga to stretch sore body parts from all the napping! Ha! I won't give up taking the stairs at work until I physically can't do it and I have to park about a half mile from the hospital everyday at work so I'm counting that too...pathetic I know. :) Hopefully I will get a little more pep in my step soon. Rumors are than the second trimester is the period of pregnancy that you feel the best in and have the most energy. That's less than 2 weeks away so I've got my fingers crossed that I get a burst soon!

In your heart, keep one still secret spot where dreams
may go and be sheltered so they may thrive and grow.
-- Louise Driscoll.