Our gentle journey earthside.

Weeks 10 - 16

2005-10-22T12:18:27Z

We've decided on Jeordie's second middle name. Lăutari. The Lăutari were the original Romanian Gypsies. They used to travel in bands and sing and dance and play music for people on their travels. This is a mixture of Jimmy and myself.. He is the musician, and I'm the dancer ♥.</i>

Week 10.

Baby is now a foetus! lol. What an achievement. Not a wee little embryo anymore. Growing big and making mama proud!

...When she isn't feeling like she's dying. lol. I've lost heaps of weight. When does the vomiting bit end? Can we move onto overwhelming tiredness instead? Please?!

Excuse me, I have to go puke.

Ew. I'm gradually crossing things off my 'List of Foods that Baby Seems to Hate'. This seems to include everything but Barbeque Shapes and Coca Cola. Oh dear. I'm growing a junkfood kid. Better nip that in the bud, quick smart.

"WEEK 10! The baby now enters it's fetal period. The average size is approximately 27-35 mm crown to rump length (CRL), or 1.06-1.38 inches. S/he weighs in at 4 grams, or 4 paper clips. Tiny toes have formed. The eyes are largely open, but the eyelids are beginning to fuse, and will stay that way until 25-27 weeks. External genitalia is beginning to differentiate. External ears are completely formed, as well as the upper lip. The biggest accomplishment this week is the disappearance of the tail!"

Week 11.

Still puking strong. Even in my sleep (Collective 'EWWWW!'). I'm getting over studying the toilet bowl verrrry quickly. I filled half a normal sized bucket yesterday morning before I'd even managed to get out of bed. It's all just foam and bile and water. That's disgusting. C'mon baby, give mama a break! lol. We're pretty much settled into the apartment now. It's taking a bit to get used to, but I'm not overly liking it already. It's too dark. Not enough light gets into the windows so it's freezing cold. Like, I'm talking cold enough to have the heater blasting all day and 10 minutes after I turn it off to go to bed, I'm breathing steam. Brrr!

"WEEK 11! If you have seen pictures of babies at this stage you will notice that the head is about 1/2 of the body size. This will change as the baby grows. The iris will begin to develop this week and finger nails appear! Your baby weighs about 7 grams."

Week 12.

I felt flutters this week!!

"WEEK 12! While your baby's brain is not the same size it will be at birth, it does have the same structure. Bile is being secreted by this time. S/he weighs about 14 grams and is approximately 3.54 inches in total length.

Your baby has its reflexes and also practice movements in the digestive tract. All of this in preparation for extrauterine life.

If your practitioner uses a doppler, you may be able to hear your baby's heart beat at this office visit. It will sound very fast. Some say that they hear clicking or the sounds of horse hooves. Either way it is a joyous sound to hear! Your risk of miscarriage is greatly reduced once you hear this sound.

Week 13

Second trimester already! Jeez. It's going fast, but so slow. I can't wait to hold this little one in my arms.

"WEEK 13! There are a lot of things going on this week! All twenty teeth have formed and are waiting (Teething is yet to come!). Your baby approximately weighs in at 1 ounce (28.3 grams). Consider that the placenta weighs about an ounce now as well.

Your baby's intestines are migrating from the umbilical cord into his or her abdomen. The villi are also forming in the intestines, these help in peristaltic movements and digestion. The pancreas of your little one is even secreting insulin!"

Week 14!

Very, very soon, my newish size 8 jeans aren't going to fit anymore. T_T. This makes me sad (and giggly) because I love them so. Every time I wear them they get a little bit tighter, and it's that fun kind of 'ahh' when I get to take them off. lol.

I keep getting teased about being 'one of those women that's going to have a basketball tummy and stick legs'. I can handle that, I suppose. Luckily it's central or I'd be like 'help! I've fallen and I can't get up!'.

I'm still puking. lol.

"WEEK 14! The baby is now about 12.5 cms or 4.92 inches. Your baby is now producing urine and actually urinating into the amniotic fluid. It also can practice "breathing" the amniotic fluid in and out of its lungs.

Amniotic fluid is an amazing substance. It completely regenerates itself every three hours. We do know that it is partially composed of urine from the baby, but where amniotic fluid in general is made we are not sure. Modern medicine still has some surprises left."

Week 15

I have a throat infection, and it burns when I vomit. MY GOD IT BURNS! I feel RAW. I threw up today more than I have in my whole life. I'm feeling sorry for myself, and can't go to bed because I have to go to work.

I'm SO over being sick.

"WEEK 15! Your baby may have developed the habit of sucking his or her thumb! The skin is very thin and you can see the blood vessels clearly underneath.

Your baby is about 70 grams. The scalp hair pattern is developing. And the heart is pumping about 25 quarts of blood a day. This will increase to about 300 at term."

Week 16

I spoke too soon. Is it just me or am I vomiting every 15 minutes?

..Definitely every 15 minutes. I haven't put on a scrap of weight yet, and I can still only keep down BBQ shapes. I've been to the doctor who gave me some B6, but it came with a bunch of warnings, so I've decided not to take it.

We had sex on Saturday afternoon and I've never been in so much pain in my entire life. It felt like my flesh was searing. I felt a bit guilty that I couldn't manage to go again, but I couldn't even move afterwards. I was in tears. Heh, there goes my youthful sex-life!

I've been feeling flutters since week 12, but this week I'm getting thumped! It's the most amazing feeling in the world, and I feel like I have this beautiful secret!

"WEEK 16! Your baby's nails are well formed, and some babies are even in need of having their nails trimmed at birth. The ears have also moved from the neck to the head.

Your baby is emptying his or her bladder every 40-45 minutes. The limb movements are becoming more coordinated. Your baby is about 3 ounces (85 grams) and 6.3 inches (16 cms). The gender may be detectable by ultrasound. "

Weeks 7-9

2005-10-22T11:30:21Z

" WEEK 7! The hand plates become present this week, and the baby is about 7-9 mm CRL by the end of the week. The genital tubercle is present, but you can't distinguish girls from boys by sight at this point. Nasal pits are forming.

Your baby will actually go through 3 sets of kidneys, very rapidly as they develop during this period. This week the second of such sets will form.

With a transvaginal ultrasound, one study shows that 100% of the ultrasounds will be show a fetal pole with heart motion."</i>

Oh someone please knock me out! I can't stop vomiting!

We did a second test from the doctors today because mum wanted to see for herself (lol, so typical) and those beautiful big bold lines showed up again straight away! So ner, woman!

" WEEK 8! Your baby will be about 8-11 mm CR by the end of the week. The baby's hind brain is clearly visible. This week the baby's gonads will become either testes or ovaries. And spontaneous movement begins! There are a lot of things that we do know about life before birth.

Bones and joints this week have many things going on. Elbows appear and the process of ossification (hardening of the bones) begins. Toe rays become present, almost ready for you to count!"

Still vomiting. Can't eat. Help me.

June 19th 2005

I'm now 9+2 weeks pregnant, and the morning sickness hasn't ceased yet. I'm hoping it will soon, I feel like death walking. (When I can stand long enough to walk, lol!)

We're moving into the apartment we found at the end of this week, which is a new adventure for us. I'm hoping everything goes well and we're settled fairly quickly.

I can feel my uterus start to harden and expand, and it's obvious now (to me) when I look at my lower-belly.

" WEEK 9! We have elbows! Your baby is now approximately 13-17 mm crown to rump length, or about 0.51 - 0.66 inches. S/he also weighs in at 1 gram! Toe rays are present as the toes begin to form. Gonads have become testes (for boys) or ovaries (for girls). Baby will move away if touched through the uterine wall, and can spontaneously move as well. Ossification (hardening) of the bones may begin."

Oohh he or she is getting so big! I think he's a boy. No, I know he's a boy! BOY! BOY! BOY!

Week 6

2005-10-22T11:19:34Z

May 29th 2005</b>

I am 6+2 weeks pregnant. Jimmy and I are the happiest I think we've ever been for a long time. It's gorgeous. All of our family and close friends know, and everyone was shocked, but happy and excited for us none-the-less.

I have morning (all day) sickness. I've had it for well over a week now, and I really can't wait until this part is over and I can just enjoy being pregnant. I kept the test so I can put it in a memory box for the little one.

We're pretty busy at the moment trying to find a house to live in. We decided, kind of last minute, that we would actually enjoy living in the hills better than down in Endeavor Hills, where we were originally looking. We'd like to raise bubs with trees and lots of room to run around.

We've decided on Jeordie for baby's name. Boy or girl. No middle or last name as of yet, but it's still early days.

I have the slightest feeling that baby will be a little girl, even though for years I've seen a boy. We'll see as the pregnancy progresses.

I love you, baby. Grow strong.

"This week is another busy one for your baby. By the end of the week your baby will be 4-6 mm Crown to Rump (CR). The larynx starts to form as does the inner ear. The lining of the placenta begins developing but the placenta will not take over production of the hormones until about week 12.

The heart is bulging from the body and blood circulation is well established. Upper and lower limb buds will appear this week. And the primordia of the liver, pancreas, lungs, and stomach are evident.
Transvaginal ultrasound can pick up 86% of the fetal poles with heart motion, and 100% of the yolk sacs at this point."

The beginning.

2005-10-22T11:15:55Z

I transcribed the following from my written journal. xxx. </i>

May 19th 2005

I feel sick. I think I'm coming down with something, I've thrown up three times already today. It's gross.

May 20th 2005- 2pm

I still feel sick! It feels like motion sickness, I was up all night heaving my guts up. I might consider going to the doctors today, my sister had gastro a couple of weeks ago. I'm going to bed.

May 21st 2005- 3am

I just had the most vivid dream. It was at home and I was giving birth to a baby in water. I couldn't see anyone else around me, but I could feel the warmth and stretching as I pulled the little body up and into my arms. It was a baby boy and he nuzzled straight for my boob. I can't sleep! It felt so amazing. I can't shake this feeling that he's coming to me soon.

May 21st 2005- 9am

I realised something as soon as I woke up. My period was due 8 days ago. Why haven't I taken notice?! I have no idea why I'd forget something like that.

... I have a spare test in my cupboard. Will I?

... Can I handle another negative right now? We've decided to stop actively trying until later this year.

Should I?

Okay.. I'm gonna go test. Why not, I'm probably excited for no reason. It can't hurt.

Wait, do I need to pee? Kinda not really.

I need to get up and walk around for a while.

May 21st 2005- 9:15am

Okay. I need to pee. I have the test. I haven't used this one before, it looks kind of space aged. lol. Good luck, self.

May 21st 2005- 9:25am

Oh. My. God. I'M PREGNANT! I.. have no idea what to say. I'm shocked. And I'm excited. And I'm scared and excited and shocked!

I'm pregnant! I'm pregnant!

I'm so excited. Finally, the time has come for us. I wish Jimmy was here.. I'll go call him.

.. No answer. I sent him a text message instead, lol. I'm too excited to keep it to myself. Who else can I tell? Wait, I'll ring mum, she'll cry!

May 22nd 2005

Tonight I told dad. Well actually, to be completely honest, mum came up and she told dad while I sat there trying not to cry. I ended up crying, I was so scared. That's kind of horrible isn't it? I thought he'd be angry... Well, mum told me he'd be angry. But he wasn't. I think he's finally realised that I'm not a little girl anymore though, I guess that's hard for a parent.

I hope this isn't going to be another barrier between us. I love my dad.

I'm 5 and a bit weeks pregnant! Baby will be due around the 17th of January. That's such a long time from now!!!

"The heart will begin to beat this week! It's amazing how much is happening so quickly. A transvaginal ultrasound will show about 90% of the yolk sacs. It is now possible to differentiate between the head and the tail of the baby now. By the end of the week that folic acid will be paying off as the neural folds begin to fuse. Your baby is now an embryo! Average length is 1.5 - 2.5 mm. "