10Weeks 4Days

I posted the two very interesting bits of information below because I am in between 10 weeks and 11weeks.  And baby is measuring a couple days ahead so I thought this would be a cool way to compare what's happening!

David and I just returned from a trip to Calgary.  He had business meetings and really wanted me to go.  Needing his company all to myself and seeing a chance to get some much needed Christmas shopping in, I was happy to be able to go with him.  

We thought this Christmas Season would be totally shared together, but we got news that he has to go to Fort MacMurray (aka Hell frozen over) on the 15th... He's hoping to be back on the 22nd for our big family Christmas Dinner before our kids go South for Christmas with their girlfriends' parents.  Sigh.  I really had wanted this time with him.  However, I have to find gratitude in this, and be thankful that he has such an excellent career and is well paid for his time away from us all.  

This is a stupidly busy time at the shop, so my Christmas preparations (that David was helping with SO much) will come to somewhat of a halt as a result of me being a) swamped at work and b) so tired I could lay down in the driveway and sleep!

I totally cheated today and went to Costco with David... and in a matter of an hour got all my Christmas "baking" done, all my Christmas "appetizers" made, and some great "easy" meals all ready as well.  haha!  Let's just say my freezer is full.  One of my passions is cooking, but I won't have the time or energy this season.  Jeez... I hardly have energy to cook for myself.. so buying a few convenient foods to throw from freezer to oven is just going to have to do.  It's better than not eating at all, right?  

The trip was good, although I have officially outgrown my regular jeans.  I was miserable in the evenings.  It's uncomfortable to do up my jeans in the morning, by the time evening rolls around, and I am bloated, miserable and looking five months' pregnant - I can't even bear the thought of that stupid zipper being done up.  I went into a maternity clothing store but didn't have enough energy to go through the process of trying stuff on.  *laugh*

I have such an amazing appreciation for the people in my life who are so excited and supportive of me and this pregnancy.  I became simply overwhelmed with gratitude for the family and friends who have been there for us when things were sad.. and then were so overjoyed and excited when we finally got such great news.  I've already had gifts given to us, many letters of congratulations, and even daily phone calls or FB messages asking about how I'm feeling or giving us baby name suggestions!  I know that thousands (millions) of women get pregnant all the time, but this baby was fought for and we endured so many losses time and again, that this pregnancy seems to be a bit more of a big deal for us, and I don't mind soaking up the positive energy!  

David is beyond amazing.  Not only is he helping with more than his share of the housework and shopping, insisting that I nap, rest, sleep, take my beloved hot baths... but he does all of this without my asking or even hinting.  He has been a true husband and partner through these first physically and emotionally draining few months and I was in tears of appreciation for him this evening.... in part realizing he will soon be gone and this will all be on my shoulders again.  

On another note, we are nearly to our second trimester!  I know that we've passed all the HUGE milestones and our chances of miscarriage have shrunk to about 4%, but there is something mentally reassuring about finishing the 12th week.... That magical date is December 20th, a measly nine days away.  

Oh, and we are finding the baby's heartbeat with very little trouble now!  At first I kept getting my own, but with practice and patience, and endless probing about my midsection I have become quite good at finding the undeniable, quick heartbeat of our little one.  Sometimes it only lasts for 5 seconds or so, because of the baby's activity.  So amazing....

Week Ten: Embryo is now a Fetus Nov 30 - Dec 6

You are 10 weeks pregnant. (eight weeks after conception) From this week until birth, the developing organism is called a fetus. The fetus is now the size of a small strawberry. The feet are 2mm long (one tenth of an inch). The neck is beginning to take shape. The body muscles are almost developed. Baby has begun movement. While still too small for you to feel, your little one is wriggling and shifting. The jaws are in place. The mouth cavity and the nose are joined. The ears and nose can now be seen clearly. Fingerprints are already evident in the skin. Nipples and hair follicles begin to form. The unborn baby is now called a fetus. Though the fetus is constantly moving, you will not be able to actually feel fetal movement for several more weeks. All of the organs, muscles, and nerves are in place and beginning to function. As the hands and feet develop fingers and toes, they have lost their paddle like look. The touch pads on the fingers form and already have fingerprints. During this week of pregnancy the crown to rump length of the fetus is 0.9 inch to 1.2 inches (22 to 30mm), weight 0.07 ounce (2gm). They are now on the way to forming their testicles or ovaries, getting ready for the next generation. Until the ninth week of fetus development, the fetal reproductive apparatus is the same one for the both sexes. The head is still large and curves into chest. Each week your uterus grows larger with the baby growing inside it. You may begin to see your waistline growing thicker by this time. A pelvic exam will detect that your uterus has grown from it's normal, size of your fist, to a little bigger than a grapefruit.

Week Eleven: Neurons multiply - Dec 7 - Dec 14

You are 11 weeks pregnant. (nine weeks after conception) The fetus CRL is about 1.5 inches (35mm) in size. The fingers and toes have completely separated. The taste buds are starting to develop. Baby has tooth buds, the beginning of the complete set of 20 milk teeth. Baby can swallow and stick out his or her tongue. Whole body except tongue is sensitive to touch. Cartilage now calcifying to become bone. If it is a boy, the testicles are starting to produce the testosterone hormone. The baby has an upper lip, toes and ears and twenty little teeth are now forming. The brain is growing rapidly and producing more than 250,000 nerve cells a minute. The heart is almost completely developed and very much resembles that of a newborn baby. An opening the atrium of the heart and the presence of a bypass valve divert much of the blood away from the lungs, as the child's blood is oxygenated through the placenta. The eyelids have fused shut and will not open again until around week 27. The wrists and ankles have formed and the fingers and toes are clearly visible. Genitals have begun to form, but it is too early to tell the sex of the fetus. By this week of the pregnancy the placenta has developed enough to support most of the critical job of producing hormones. By the 10th week of pregnancy, the crown to rump length of your growing baby is about 1.5 inches (35mm). The baby weighs close to 0.18 ounce (5g) and is the size of a small plum.