week 25 & 26

sorry everyone, im getting a little behind on my baby updates, read tomorrow on why. oh the suspense!! lol.

week 25
baby can now hold its feet and curl hand into a fist. the components that form the spine - 33 rings, 150 joints, and 1000 ligaments - begin to form. blood vessels continue to develop in babys lungs and the nostrils begin to open. high inside the gums, babys permanent teeth are developing in buds. these adult teeth won't descend until the baby teeth - also called primary teeth - start to fall out around age 6. meanwhile, nevers around the mouth and lip area are showing more sensitivity now, preparing baby for the essential task of finding my nipple, lol, (still find it funny, sorry) once baby is born. that crucial lifeline, the umbilical cord, is thick and resilient now. a single vein and two arteries run through it, encased in a firm jellylike substance that prevents kinking and knotting, protecting the blood flow between placenta and baby.

(i remember when adam told me about what it felt like to cut brooke's umbilical cord, he wasn't grossed out, but the thing is so tough, you use these scissors with a locking handle, and the darn thing crunches... makes a crunching sound. kinda... well... gross. lol.)

week 26
baby is approx. 9-10 inches long, from crown to rump, and weighs about 2 pounds now.
babys lungs are still maturing and baby still has some growing to do. the spine is getting stronger and more supple to support the growing body (baby's, not mine... lol.) and a friend can hear the heartbeat just by putting an ear to my tummy... aww anyone want to listen? baby can inhale and exhale. babys eyes have completely formed. babys pulse quicken when sounds are heard; and may even move in rhythm in music. studies of unborn babies' brain activity shows that babies can now respond to touch. ('tis true, i pat my tummy once, baby kicks once, i pat twice, i usually get 2 kicks!!!)

im all caught up on baby timeline. im feeling better now, and the pregnancy is healthy otherwise. yes, im getting more and more rounder. i know i've grown over night when i bump my tummy on things all the next day, or try to slide by something and knock it. funny how you get used to your body being so wide, and then the next day, it's not so much noticeable, but it is...