23 Weeks

Welcome to 23 weeks--just four more to go in the second trimester. I'm a bit late on my weekly baby growth post, but only because I had a fabulous July 4th vacation away from electronic devices, going camping in Shenandoah National Park with friends (more on that in a future post).

The big news on the baby front is that we mark the beginning a growth spurt in which the Short Stranger's size will double in the next four weeks. No more weekly growth increments of only 1 oz. for this little guy. As for me--now that the heat wave has passed, I'm feeling quite round, but pretty good.

Don't be fooled by the picture above. The baby has not shrunk! Rather than measure in length this week, babycenter.com is using its food metaphors for weight. So apparently, Mr. Stranger weighs about the same as a large delicious mango. Here's what they have to say:

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With his sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see him squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb.

Note: I have not seen Short Stranger squirm, but have felt him move when our noisy cat Fred meows. So apparently our babe will instantly be familiar with my voice, Mike's, and Fred's.

Music to My Ears

I, for one, am happy that the Black Eyed Peas will be making a less regular appearance in my daily life (see Mike's post below). I much prefer Huck Finn and Harry Potter to Boom Boom Pow. That song was getting stuck in my head at night when I was trying to sleep!

the big read...

so, we've decided to start reading to our future baby while he's still in the womb. Research clearly indicates that babies can hear sounds from inside the womb by 20 weeks or earlier, and they can begin to recognize their parents voices. What better way to connect (or "bond") with our 'babe' than by reading to it each night before we go to bed. We're starting with some classics, and we'll see if we get any kicks of approval.

Maybe by the time Short Stranger is born, reading these same books will have a calming effect -- some research does suggest that newborn babies can sometimes recognize an actual story read to it repeatedly while in the womb. I figured that reading a book would be more calming for all involved than listening repeatedly to Black Eyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow" (certainly to have a shorter shelf-life than MJ's greatest hits).

19 weeks!

Today is 19 weeks, and according to babycenter.com, the Short Stranger is about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Yum! Definitely larger than a pepper--and I know, because this week I've really started to feel the weight of my growing bump. This is also a big week for the Short Stranger in other ways as well, because on Tuesday, we go in to the doctor's office for pictures. And...we'll learn if the short stranger is a "he" or a "she!"

According to babycenter.com, this week:

Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

Looks like it's time to fix that "sailor's mouth" of mine. . . the Short Stranger can hear me!