Pregnancy Journal - 10 Weeks Pregnant

Though she'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, our baby has now completed the most critical portion of her development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in her body rapidly grow and mature.

She's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including her 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 my pregnancy.

If I could take a peek inside my womb, I'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: Our baby's limbs can bend now. Her hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over her heart, and her feet may be long enough to meet in front of her body. The outline of her spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from her spinal cord. Our baby's forehead temporarily bulges with her developing brain and sits very high on her head, which measures half the length of her body. From crown to rump, she's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, our baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

How am I feeling and how are things going so far?

I FINALLY have an appointment with my new doctors office for April 15th, the day before I turn 12 weeks pregnant.   It seems amazing that it has taken me this long to find a doctor who will care for me, but I did, I do, and I can't wait to move forward into a positive place in this pregnancy.  Of course my first appointment will be with the OB nurse, but probably within a week after that I will have my doctor appointment and ultrasound.  I am waiting on pins and needles to hear my baby's heart beat and to see it's little body on the ultrasound screen for the first time.  It will be will be so nice to put some of my fears to rest once I know the baby's heart is beating strong and healthy.  I DO feel confident that God is watching over the health and growth of our little angel, but I can't help but worry some (that is what I do) because by now in my previous pregnancies I had ultrasound pictures in hand and confirmation of a healthy viable pregnancy. 

We have not yet done too much on our list to get ready for baby (we have over 6 months left to get ready).  We did get the boys bunk beds this past weekend in preparation to move some of the furniture from the office (that will become a nursery) into their newly re-arranged room.  I can't help but visit the boys closet almost daily, to look at the baby girl clothes I have hanging there, clothes I have gathered for years in my hope chest on a prayer that one day I would have a baby girl.  We of COURSE will be joyful if we find out we have a baby boy on the way, but we would love to have a girl added to our family.

I am entering a phase of my pregnancy that I have not experienced before, extreme nausea, it's so bad I just WISH I could actually throw up and get it over with.  I am thankful that I get to keep taking my aciphex medication (for reflux) which is probably helping to keep the worst of morning sickness at bay.  Yesterday I was so sick at church that a friend of mine, who is also pregnant, offered me some of her nausea candy that helps fight morning sickness (I am going to have to buy me some of that stuff).  I also ended up having to leave the choir loft because I was so sick and over heated I thought I was going to pass out.  I did manage to make it through the rest of our wonderful Easter celebrations, but had to stop throughout the day to rest and put my feet up.  I obviously can not yet give statistics of my changes, because they haven't been officially measured yet, I do know my start weight, but don't know how far up or down it has gone.  I am just so happy to be on this journey toward being a mom again, what a blessed gift this is.