21 weeks (October 30-November 6)

How our baby's growing:

Our baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound (probably a little bigger for our little man) and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like he's practicing martial arts as his initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to his activity as you get to know him better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now.

We are still in the process of deciding upon a name. We know the middle name will be Richard (after my daddy), but we still haven't completely decided upon a first name that we love. It's harder than you think! We also started our baby registry last week at Babies R' Us. It was so fun to pick out stuff for our little man! :) I can't wait to start having baby showers!!

20 weeks (October 23-29)

How our baby's growing:
Our baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. (Baby Smith is weighing more than that probably since he was already about 12 ounces at the 19 week appointment!) He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

We are halfway there! :) Time is flying by!

19 weeks (October 16-23)

How our baby's growing:

Our baby's sensory development is exploding! His brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that he may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to him, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on his skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

We went to the doctor today and had an ultrasound to determine the gender and....it's a boy! :) He seems to be growing very well and measured at about 12 oz. (big boy...football player??) He had his hands near his face so we couldn't see that very well but everything else was very clear. Here are some pics of the ultrasounds taken with my camera. After the appointment, we went to Target to buy something blue and bought a cute blue newborn outfit! Now we have to try to decide on a name. So far we are having fun coming up with them! Stay tuned...

18 weeks (October 9-16)

How our baby's growing:
Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

We go back to the doctor next Tuesday to find out the gender! SOOO excited to find out....so stay tuned! :)

17 weeks (October 2-9)

Moving right along...almost halfway there! :)

How our baby's growing:
Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — his lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and he's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. He can move his joints, and his sweat glands are starting to develop.

In other news:
Mike was a groomsman in Nate and Leslie's wedding this weekend so that kept us pretty busy. We hung out with Nate's family (who are super nice!) on Friday night at their rented beach house on Folly. Then we went back to the beach house on Saturday to watch the Clemson game (which was not so good! oh well!). The rehearsal was at 3:00 and after that Mike and I hung out at the market downtown until dinner at Poogan's Porch. Dinner was delicious but VERY filling after 4 full courses! The beautiful wedding was on Sunday at St. Luke's Chapel in Charleston and the reception was at the Old Exchange Building. Everything was just perfect for Leslie and Nate and we wish them the best in their marriage! We were glad that we could be a part of your special day! :)