15 weeks

Hi everyone, we hit 15 weeks today and I am feeling so much better than a couple weeks ago. Actually, my nausea stopped around the 2nd week of our vacation. I still have fatigue, but it has lessened a great deal. My appetite has been the same, still no real cravings. I still haven't gained one pound, but that may have something to do with all the awful food in the Azores :)

My only uncomfortable issue now is Round Ligament Pain. It gives me sharp side aches and pains across my tummy and is due to my uterus expanding. It happens every time I am active, which has been making teaching Zumba a bit uncomfortable. I may have to lower the amount of classes I teach a week, I'll have to ask my Dr her opinion.

As Miles mentioned in his post, we are able to find the baby's heartbeat on our doppler now, which is awesome! It gives me an extra sense of relief. In about 3 weeks or so, we will have our big gender ultrasound! So start placing your bets now :)

Here is a pic of my belly so far...

How your baby's growing:

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")

I missed my bed!

Hey Everyone! Baby had a fantastic trip to the Azores. Baby saw lots of waterfalls, flowers, doplhins, bunny rabbits, sheep and cows. Baby went on lots of hikes and walks to keep momma healthy. Baby was sick and tired of the food, which consisted of overcooked, unseasoned meat with dry rice and french fries. Baby also flew in a plane for the first time and decided we all needed more leg room.

We had our Dr's check up today to make sure that little baby is doing just fine. We heard a strong heartbeat at 148 bpm assuring us that our little bean is healthy and thriving.

Some of you may be reading this blog for the first time, Welcome! At 14 weeks 4 days we are well into the second trimester and more into the "safe zone" and are feeling really positive about our little bean joining us in December. Our official due date is 12/20. We also found the baby's heartbeat with our ebay purchased HiBebe Doppler which was quite exciting :)

Elody's blood test results came back well within the normal range from our NT Scan! Our next appt in about 4 weeks will let us know if the bean is a boy or a girl.

Week 14

How your baby's growing:

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

Week 13

How your baby's growing:

Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

This is the last week of your first trimester, and your risk of miscarriage is now much lower than earlier in pregnancy. Next week marks the beginning of your second trimester, a time of relative comfort for many women who see early pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness and fatigue subside. More good news: Many couples also notice a distinct libido lift around this time. Birth is still months away, but your breasts may have already started making colostrum, the nutrient-rich fluid that feeds your baby for the first few days after birth, before your milk starts to flow

Week 12

Well, today we are 11 weeks 6 days, so I am one day early posting this but we had a big appointment this morning and we wanted to share the news.

We went in for our NT scan, which is testing for genetic abnormalities in the first trimester (down syndrome, T18, etc). Our ultrasound tech was a totally creepy, nerdy, weird guy which was a bit obnoxious, but I think we handled it well :) The machine at the hospital was a lot nicer than the one at our OB's office, it was really incredible to see the baby dancing around on the screen. We could clearly see the baby's profile and perfect little nose. Baby had long, thin arms and legs and was moving around like crazy at the beginning. Then I guess it got a little tired and settled in for a nap. The tech kept jabbing my belly to make the baby move, but he/she was being stubborn and wouldn't comply :)

The measurements taken were perfectly normal! I also did a blood test that is 90-95% accurate if there are any genetic abnormalities, and we will get those results back when we return from our trip. So far everything looks great and baby is doing awesome!

We were able to hear the baby's heart beat for the first time as well. It lowered from 175 bmp 2 weeks ago to the current 157 bmp. I was assured that this was all normal. I also found out I have an anterior placenta, which just means the placenta is between the baby and my belly. This just means it will be harder to find the heart beat on a home doppler, and it cushions the baby's movement, so I won't be able to feel the baby moving around as much.

All in all, it was a great morning and now we are starting to get ready for out trip :) I will be posting the fruit analogies and what's going on for weeks 13 and 14 early since we won't have internet access on our trip.

How your baby's growing:

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 and weighs half an ounce.

11 Weeks 6 Days

Week 11

Not too much to update. Still feeling pretty good, just super tired all the time. I wish I had a bit more energy, but I have to admit that it feels awesome to be able to fall asleep so quickly at night :) Miles and I are counting down the days until we leave to the Azores!

Next Saturday we will have our NT scan at 11 weeks 6 days.

How your baby's growing:

Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.

She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.

Can't wait to shop for baby!

On a separate, less formal note, I can't wait to get this official Subaru World Rally Team outfit for baby! How cute!


Once baby is dressed to the nines in this ensemble, he/she will be tucked safely into this Recaro baby seat and love every minute of riding in the WRX! :)

We're Preggos!

Hello Everyone! Well, several of you know that Miles and I have been trying to create a mini us since November. Sadly, we experienced an early miscarriage in March. Although we had not been actively trying after that, we had a lovely surprise on the evening of April 10th!





Needless to say, we were shocked and ecstatic!

I will try to do a quick synopsis of the past 10 weeks and I promise to keep the blog updated as much as possible!

Week 4

How your baby's growing:

This week marks the beginning of the embryonic period. From now until 10 weeks, all of your baby's organs will begin to develop and some will even begin to function. As a result, this is the time when she'll be most vulnerable to anything that might interfere with her development.

Right now your baby is an embryo the size of a poppy seed, consisting of two layers: the epiblast and the hypoblast, from which all of her organs and body parts will develop.

The primitive placenta is also made up of two layers at this point. Its cells are tunneling into the lining of your uterus, creating spaces for your blood to flow so that the developed placenta will be able to provide nutrients and oxygen to your growing baby when it starts to function at the end of this week.

Also present now are the amniotic sac, which will house your baby; the amniotic fluid, which will cushion her as she grows; and the yolk sac, which produces your baby's red blood cells and helps deliver nutrients to her until the placenta has developed and is ready to take over this duty.

Week 5


Yes, I do wish it were flatter...lol!



We had our first UltraSound with the Dr at 5 weeks 4 days. We were able to see the sac, yolk and pole at this point.

How your baby's growing:

Deep in your uterus your embryo is growing at a furious pace. At this point, he's about the size of a sesame seed, and he looks more like a tiny tadpole than a human. He's now made up of three layers — the ectoderm, the mesoderm, and the endoderm — which will later form all of his organs and tissues.

The neural tube — from which your baby's brain, spinal cord, nerves, and backbone will sprout — is starting to develop in the top layer, called the ectoderm. This layer will also give rise to his skin, hair, nails, mammary and sweat glands, and tooth enamel.

His heart and circulatory system begin to form in the middle layer, or mesoderm. (This week, in fact, his tiny heart begins to divide into chambers and beat and pump blood.) The mesoderm will also form your baby's muscles, cartilage, bone, and subcutaneous (under skin) tissue.

The third layer, or endoderm, will house his lungs, intestines, and rudimentary urinary system, as well as his thyroid, liver, and pancreas. In the meantime, the primitive placenta and umbilical cord, which deliver nourishment and oxygen to your baby, are already on the job.

Week 6


How your baby's growing: This week's major developments: The nose, mouth, and ears that you'll spend so much time kissing in eight months are beginning to take shape. If you could see into your uterus, you'd find an oversize head and dark spots where your baby's eyes and nostrils are starting to form. His emerging ears are marked by small depressions on the sides of the head, and his arms and legs by protruding buds. His heart is beating about 100 to 160 times a minute — almost twice as fast as yours — and blood is beginning to course through his body. His intestines are developing, and the bud of tissue that will give rise to his lungs has appeared. His pituitary gland is forming, as are the rest of his brain, muscles, and bones. Right now, your baby is a quarter of an inch long, about the size of a lentil bean.

Week 7


Our second UltraSound was at 7 weeks 1 day. We saw a heartbeat!!! It was strong at 169 beats per minute.



How your baby's growing:The big news this week: Hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs — although they look more like paddles at this point than the tiny, pudgy extremities you're daydreaming about holding and tickling. Technically, your baby is still considered an embryo and has something of a small tail, which is an extension of her tailbone. The tail will disappear within a few weeks, but that's the only thing getting smaller. Your baby has doubled in size since last week and now measures half an inch long, about the size of a blueberry.

If you could see inside your womb, you'd spot eyelid folds partially covering her peepers, which already have some color, as well as the tip of her nose and tiny veins beneath parchment-thin skin. Both hemispheres of your baby's brain are growing, and her liver is churning out red blood cells until her bone marrow forms and takes over this role. She also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. A loop in your baby's growing intestines is bulging into her umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from her tiny body.

Week 8

How your baby's growing:

New this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your baby's hands and feet, his eyelids practically cover his eyes, breathing tubes extend from his throat to the branches of his developing lungs, and his "tail" is just about gone. In his brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. You may be daydreaming about your baby as one sex or the other, but the external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether you're having a boy or a girl. Either way, your baby — about the size of a kidney bean — is constantly moving and shifting, though you still can't feel it.

Week 9


Had an UltraSound at 9 weeks 4 days. Baby is looking great with heart rate of 175 beats per minute. We were able to see the little bean moving around a bit, and you can see a distinct head, arm and leg buds now! Our estimated due date is 12/20...best Christmas gift EVER!

How your baby's growing:

Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain.

Week 10


Starting to feel really thick now.

How your baby's growing:

Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

Well, that brings us up to speed now! I am waiting to get an appointment for our NT scan at the moment. Miles and I are leaving for the Azores on 6/9 for 2 weeks, so it needs to be done prior.

All in all I have been really lucky so far in this pregnancy. I haven't been feeling too much morning sickness. Mainly, I am always tired and at times I feel like I am car sick. I am starting to take notes of the changes in my body. I had to do a new bra shopping trip with my mom recently :)

I have been continuing with teaching Zumba three times a week, although I am not going at 100%. Work is going well, although I am usually exhausted by the time I get home. Miles has been very patient and loving which is all that I could ask for!

Welcome to our baby blog!

Hello everyone - thanks for visiting Elody and Miles Notes from the Belly blog! We will be adding updates regularly, pictures, news on the baby, etc. So check in often!