Inside Hotel W - Week 16 completed!

We're into our 17th week. Wahoo! Thought it would be fun to share what I've learned about Little B at 16 weeks of development from all the websites & books I've been reading:

- Right now Little B is about the size of a large avacado, about 4 1/2 inches in length from head to butt. Next week, he'll/she'll be about the size of a hand streched out. Yep in the next 3 weeks Little B will be on quite the growth spurt, doubling in weight and growing by inches in length

- Little B's ears are just about fully developed, so he/she will begin to be able to hear this week. I no longer need to worry about people thinking I'm talking to myself....I'm talking to baby--- that's right!

- Oh and here's another fun fact, Little B can now make facial expressions like frowning, blinking eyes, and squinting. How fun is that?!!?!

- Little B's heart is pumping about 6 gallons of blood a day. Nice work! Another milestone that happens once the baby has passed 16 weeks along is that their lungs start breathing the oxygenated amniotic fluid (kinda like practicing to breathe air in November).

All of this is quite impressive....and kinda amazing. I've seen many babies (and adore them) but never really thought about how they develop until we started experiencing it. I'm dying for someone to ask me "And what did you do today?"....so I can reply with a smart-alleck response like "helped Little B smile, squint, breathe, and pump 6 gallons of blood...and that was before I woke up." Ha! Kidding!

My next doctor's appointment is on Monday. Its not an ultrasound one, although I'm trying to find a creative way to get another "photo opp" on Monday (kidding). Would really like to see Little B, but I'll have to wait until 6/23 for that I think. I'm gonna save the "can we please do an ultrasound b/c I really need to see the baby card" for later on.

Some of you have been asking how I'm feeling, so I thought I'd send out an update. For the most part, I'm feeling better. Yes, I am still getting evening sickness, but I don't want to dwell on it. I've become quite good at recovering afterwards as if nothing happened :). I've also observed that whenever Little B goes through a growth spurt, I go through an equivilent "sleep spurt"-- its truly unbelievable how all of this works out. I do seem to be getting a little dizzy occasionally and will be discussing this with my doctor on Monday, but I am not alarmed. When I called my nurse practioner just to let her know about it, she suggested that I keep apple juice-boxes on me at all times. Its not too uncommon for blood sugar to drop, which is usually what causes dizziness. So that's what we're doing-- and really, the dizziness is minor (and I've got it under control, Mom, I promise, juice boxes in my purse and in my car :).

Oh, and I have a big smile on my face almost all the time. Little B makes me smile. Cheesey? Yes. Do I care that it sounds cheesey? Absolutely not. Its true!