12 Weeks!

(Image source: http://tinyurl.com/mua5ws )

By now, nearly all of your baby's organs, structures and systems are fully formed. The heart begins pumping several quarts of blood through your baby's body every day. Your baby has also begun to develop nerves and a spinal cord, allowing him to feel some types of pain. While your baby's brain is not the same size it will be at birth, it does have the same structure. Fingers and toes have separated and hair and nails continue to grow. Your baby is approximately 2.5 - 3.5 inches and weighs about 12 - 14 grams.

Also, the external genitals can now show definite signs of male and female gender. Before, where there was only reflex movement, your baby now moves spontaneously and at random, although his movements are still too slight to be felt. With the use of a Doppler, you may be able to hear your baby's heart beat at this office visit. It will sound very fast, similar to the sound of a running horse's hooves. Once you hear this sound, you can rest assured that your risk of miscarriage is greatly reduced. (Source: http://tinyurl.com/4ygshag )

How far along: 12 weeks

Total weight change: +3

Maternity clothes: I finally pulled the trigger and got some. I'm not in them constantly, but man are they comfy!

Stretch Marks: No

Movement: Not that I can feel

Sleep: Generally sleeping pretty well

Best Moment This Past Week: The best moment in the past week was, hands down, getting to see Baby Cactus Bud during an ultrasound. I think I exhaled for the first time in a loooong time when I saw the flicker of a heartbeat and the wiggling around. It really made it real to me that there might actually be a baby at the end of this journey.

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: The most difficult moment in the past week was, hands down, the days leading up to the ultrasound. For some reason I was pretty zen the day of and day before (kind of a 'what will be, will be..at least I'll finally know' attitude), but the days before that I was a mess. The day of I was really nervous from when I walked into the building until the ultrasound. My blood pressure was even about 15 points higher than usual (its usually super low), I actually commented on that to the nurse.

Belly Button In or Out: Definitely still in

Cravings/Aversions: Dairy. I'm a milk fiend! Trying to steer clear of ice cream (its my weakness and I've been told to keep the weight gain on the low side). Instead I'm downing milk, cheese & today even pudding like its going out of style.

Symptoms: Aside from some notable nausea today, I've not had morning sickness in the last week. The boobs have been pretty tender today. I'm wondering if they might be about to grow again. Am hoping they keep growing to a minimum as they were a D to start with. Fingers crossed on that one! I've been having round ligament pain a little more regularly. Best of all, I haven't spotted from the ultrasound and attempted pap last week. I have no idea how this is possible as a BM can bring on spotting with me sometimes and I saw the samplers she was using in there and they looked like something out of a horror movie. You know what though, I'll take it! Adding on some symptoms a few days after posting this. I've noticed a pretty major change in my symptoms as this week has gone on. The growth cramps in my ute are much more frequent (every 36ish hours instead of once a week). My boobs are tender as anything and I'm pushing the limits of what my current bra can take, ordered band extenders yesterday. I've also noticed I'm getting tired as anything in the afternoon, and I rarely had pregnancy coma before now. Pretty sure the bambino has reached the developmental transition into 2nd Tri :-D

What I'm Looking Forward To: The NT Scan on Thursday and telling family. I'm planning on sending out an Easter card to my parents with a note on it saying something to the effect of "It seemed fitting to celebrate a day that is about a miracle by telling you that another miracle is on its way" and then signing it with our names and Baby Lastname (expected mid-October). Will probably put a little arrow or something to the date to say Happy Birthday to my mom. Her 55th birthday is just a few days before our EDD. Planning on getting that card in the mail the day of the NT scan. Once they've called me so I know they know, we'll tell the rest of our immediate family via email (Mr CB has said he's OK with his two sets of parents finding out via email). We're telling most of our family and close friends via email because we live thousands of miles away from everyone. So hard to believe that we're less than a week away from spilling the beans!

Take care,