17 Weeks!

Hey there little boy!  We are at 17 weeks now with you.  I can also say that I am four months along.  Four down, five to go!  Almost halfway there!  And you are going to be getting fat in the next few weeks...read on!

This week, you start to plump up a bit. The fat that's acquired, also called adipose tissue, helps produce and retain body heat (and your sweat glands begin to form). Fat tissue is also important for metabolism, since it's a great source of energy. This is a time of tremendous growth—you may measure up to anywhere from 5-6 inches and weigh around 5 ounces.  Just wait until a few weeks from now with all your new fat coming on - your weight is going to double in the next few weeks.

You also have been working on two basic reflexes for a few weeks: sucking and swallowing. By the time you are born, you will have nearly all the reflexes that I do, ones that will help you survive and learn about the world.

"They" also say that you can defnitely hear us talking to you now and even feel me touching my belly.  My favorite thing to do lately is to feel my belly before I get out of bed.  For some reason it is especially taut and obvious if I lay on my back in the morning...and I can feel my little bump with you in there. You are a mover and a shaker in the morning too.  Although I wish I felt all of this (I have only had one "maybe feel you move" moment - read below), I really know this because of the fetal doppler.  When you move, the doppler noise makes huge squeaks and thud noises - that tells me you are kicking around in there.  And your heart rate travels back and forth around my belly, the sound comes in and out like your arms and hands are moving in front of your chest or your flipping around so I am listening to your heart through your back.  You must be a morning person (which is interesting because your Mommy is not!), because you are wild in the morning.  Before I climb into bed at night (if I listen to you), you must already be sleeping because there are no thuds or squeaks on the doppler, just a steady heart rate (and you stay in one place - I don't have to chase you all over my belly!).

So, for the "maybe I felt you?" moment - it was first thing in the morning (surprise there!) and sometimes (like today!) I lay propped up in bed and do my reading and then get my laptop out and just check email and stuff.  Well, I think I was on my laptop and I felt a feeling that I have never felt before.

Tap. Tap, Tap. Tap.       Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap     Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

It was very light, but something I had never felt before (and there are lots of aches and pains happening around you lately with round ligament pain, pressure, etc.).  This was extremely light and just a rhythmic tapping on my right side of my belly - kind of right where you would be - but also a little more to the right than I would find you on the doppler.  It was almost like you were nudging me gently from the inside going, "Hey Mommy...I'm in here!".  I told your Daddy and was just taking in the moment and then it went away.  I had your Daddy grab the doppler for me so I could see if your heart beat would be right where I felt the tapping (and I wasn't sure I would since it was further to the side than you ever go).  And lo and behold...there was your heart beat, right where the tapping was.  So, I still don't know 100 % what to make of this...but I am going to chalk it up to be the first time I felt you!  I haven't felt you since - but with you gaining a lot of weight in the next few weeks and getting more energy from that, I should be feeling you soon enough!

You are definitely showing on the outside of my body now too - this past week you popped out on me a little more.  If I wear a form fitting tank top and shorts or pants, you'd be completely noticeable.  And I think I may just embrace this look, because, heck...I am pregnant!  And, I'm tired of looking puffy in the middle with flowy shirts.  I'm ready to look pregnant finally, so let's do this!  =)  Your Daddy likes to talk to you and give you kisses, so does your sister Megan...when she gives your Mommy a hug and kiss goodnight, she never leaves you out either!  You are already so loved, little man!

Oh, and your sister Kyndall got back a few days ago from the Christ in Youth conference she went to in Colorado.  She LOVED it!  She had such a good time, grew so much in her faith, and made some more great friends at church.  She is really coming into her own.  She already has had a mind of her own and likes to tell you about it (and I'm sure you'll know what I mean soon enough!), but now her beliefs are flowing into all of that and she stands firm in her faith.  More so than I ever did at her age.  Your Daddy and I almost marvel at times with her level of faith for a 15-year-old.  At the conference, she made the decision to get baptized in a couple weeks at our church.  That will be such a special event - we are going to have to push back our family trip to Colorado by a day or two in order for it to happen (which kind of messes with our plans a little) - but it will be so worth it.  A great problem to have for us! 

And, if you are wondering which diaper bag I chose for you, I chose the Petunia Pickle Bottom (blue/brown) bag.  It was obviously cheaper (and you'll find that out soon enough about your family too - we aren't rolling in money!), but I really liked the organization of it all - and it's super cute and it needed to match you!  =)

Alright baby love - I think I am signing off for the day - go on gaining weight and kicking away in there - I want to REALLY feel you this week!  I love you!