fourteen weeks!

bump watch: trucking right along with a little more firmness in the belly (plus a whole lot of squishiness -- but i can't "suck it in" anymore, so some of it at least is baby! the belly band is in heavy rotation, and though the past few weeks have been somewhat chilly, it's finally starting to get into the 70s -- dress weather! 

little peanut: is three inches long and weighs in at 1.5 ounces. the roof of baby's mouth is forming, and the rest of the digestive tract is starting to gear up with meconium production in the intestines. as neural connections expand, baby's movements become more controlled and graceful instead of abrupt and jerky. the facial muscles are also developing, so baby can practice making facial expressions! 

image credit from  Baby Center

best moment: at my prenatal appointment this week (with one of my favourite midwives -- the one who delivered Greta!), it took a loooooong time to find the heartbeat, and she also thought that i felt bigger than 14 weeks. we did eventually hear a good heartbeat, which was reassuring, but she sent me for an ultrasound to double check on dates and rule out any problems (or surprises -- like twins!). so today we got to see Little Peanut for the first time! everything looks just fine and baby is measuring right at 14 weeks 3 days, but i do have an anterior placenta, which explains the trouble finding the heartbeat.

the second image is a view after baby rolled away from us. i am in awe of how perfectly developed the spine is already! the ultrasound technician was awesome and let Greta sit on her lap for a little while so she could see the screen better. i did have a crazy-pregnant-lady moment of mom guilt when i looked away from the ultrasound screen to talk to Greta ... it just feels weird to have to split my attention! guess i better get used to it. Little Peanut, you are every bit as loved as your older sister! 

symptoms: having officially entered the second trimester this week, i do notice a little improvement in the fatigue. and i haven't had any nausea at all for weeks. feeling pretty good at this point! and i may have felt the first few kicks today. each time it was just isolated and didn't happen again for hours, so i'm not sure, but it definitely felt like baby movement as opposed to digestion. with an anterior placenta, it's often harder to feel movement though, so maybe it's all in my head... 

cravings: the theme of this week has been that my eyes are bigger than my stomach. i'll spot something and have to have it, but then i'm not hungry enough to actually eat it. i did put an impressive dent in a bag of sour cream and cheddar chips though, and Aldi had Snickers ice cream bars on sale this week. who could resist? not i.

what i miss: still sushi. and an ice cold Yuengling draft. not together, but you know.

looking forward to: right now, i'm just savoring today. i am in awe of how perfectly developed Little Peanut is already, and so thankful that everything looked good on the ultrasound. seeing those little legs kick and that heartbeat flutter just makes everything feel so much more real. we are beyond grateful!