14 Weeks

How Far Along: 14 weeks (182 more days to go!)

What "They" Say About Our Baby's Development: This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck its thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, its facial muscles are getting a workout as its tiny features form one expression after another. Its kidneys are producing urine, which it releases into the amniotic fluid around it — a process it'll keep up until birth. It can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch it sucking its thumb. In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, it measures 3 1/2 inches and weighs 1 1/2 ounces. Its body's growing faster than its head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, its arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (Its legs still have some lengthening to do.) Its starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over its body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and its spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel its 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.

Weekly Food Comparison: A lemon...may explain the lemon cravings and all the lemon candies I'm eating!

The Good: Officially in the second trimester! Nausea is still there but MUCH less. Have more energy during the day which is also good!

The Bad: Still have really dry skin, so baby oil, lotions, etc. are my new "normal".

The Weird: Got nauseous in the grocery store this week. Almost had to run to the bathroom three times. Also bought very unusual foods for me just based on what the packaging looked like and how it made me feel. I ended up coming home with "normal" groceries, accompanied with donuts (never buy!), sugary cereal, and Betty Crocker boxed potatoes in garlic and butter flavor. (Definitely weird for me since I never buy boxed potatoes!)

Currently Craving/Avoiding:

Avoiding: String cheese, sodas (too sweet to drink), random foods make me sick.

Craving: Protein, sour candies.

Doctor Updates: Nothing new this week. Have an appointment in two weeks.

The Weekly Belly Bump: Definitely seems a little bigger.

14 weeks...my belly button seems to be getting smaller!