i am 16, going on 17...

I am now 16, almost 17, weeks into my pregnancy. I have started to feel the baby move...little taps from the inside. Yesterday I had my hand on my stomach during a meeting with the other 4th grade teachers and my principal and, for the first time, I felt the baby kick my hand. I tried to hide my smile, while also pretending to listen. Who knows what my principal was saying to us at that point...I sure don't. While on my way to work yesterday, I had asked the baby to move some for me during the day. I can already tell that he or she is going to be such a good little listener and always do what his or her Mama says.

Here is what is going on this week with the baby, according to babycenter.com. (I didn't feel like going through and changing all the "she's"...I still don't really have an intuition either way about whether it is a boy or a girl...it is usually a girl in my dreams.....anyway, I digress...)

"At 4 1/2 inches long (head to bottom) and 3 1/2 ounces, your baby is about the size of an avocado. In the next three weeks, she'll go through a tremendous growth spurt, though, doubling her weight and adding inches to her length. Her lower limbs are much more developed now. Her head is more erect than it has been, and her eyes have moved toward the front of her head. Your baby's ears are close to their final position, too. Some of her more advanced body systems are working, including her circulatory system and urinary tract. Her heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, circulating her total blood volume through her body many times. (By the end of your pregnancy, this will increase to about 190 quarts.) The patterning of her scalp has begun, though her hair isn't recognizable yet. Although closed, her eyes are moving (slowly), and she's even started growing toenails."

Amazing.

Also, some belly pics of the last couple of weeks...

15 Weeks

16 Weeks

I am headed to Texas this weekend for my Fall Break. I couldn't be more excited. Pics of my weekend when I return...