12 Weeks

Well one more week and the first trimester will be OVER!!! And I am very hopeful I will start feeling like a normal person again...fingers crossed! Last week was probably the hardest week for me so far. By mid week, I was completely beaten down by a cold. My body was drained of all energy and my appetite was nonexistent. The combination of the two left me feeling totally overwhelmed and caused me to have my first hormonal, emotional breakdown. Unfortunately, I realize that the hormonal breakdowns will NOT end with the first trimester :(

But it's the start of a new week and I'm trying to stay optimistic. To be completely honest, some days I wonder what exactly I was expecting from pregnancy. I dreamed about getting pregnant but it never crossed my mind what pregnancy was actually going to be like. This is definitely an experience one can't really understand until you are actually going through it. I suppose out of the changes that occur in life, this is probably the biggest. At times I can't help but doubt myself and the decision to start a family. I'm scared. And I know deep down that most people go through the same emotion but it doesn't change the fact that I am terrified of this great unknown........here I go, getting all emotional again ;)

I don't want to leave you all thinking I am falling apart at the seams. As I said before, I am trying to stay optimistic and I really feel like in the next few weeks I will start to feel like myself again (well the more hormonal version of myself). We have our second appointment with the midwives next Tuesday and there is a possibility we will have an ultrasound in conjunction with blood work for genetic testing. The thought of having a chance to see Baby V and his/her progress in the past 5 weeks brightens my day too. And here I am at 12 weeks...



The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.



Hope all is well family and friends,

Lindsey