End of the first trimester- 14 Weeks!

Such an exciting time! At my appointment last Monday I got to hear the baby's heart beat- loud and clear at 156 beats/minute. Fortunately the first time we got to hear the heart beat we were both together at the first trimester screening test but this was an added bonus! It was absolutely amazing!

This week's big developments with the growth of the baby: the baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, grab and possibly suck its thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, the facial muscles are getting a workout as it's tiny features form one expression after another. The baby's kidneys are producing urine, which it releases into the amniotic fluid around it — a process it'll keep up until birth. Additionally, our baby is stretching out. From head to bottom, it measures 3 1/2-4 inches long— about the size of a lemon — and weighs 1 1/2 ounces. The body's growing faster than the head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, the arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. The baby's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over its body. Our baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing it's job right — and it's spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though I can't feel its tiny punches and kicks yet, the baby's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.