Stork Story

A few people have asked how the belly bump is coming along, or how pregnant I look, so I thought I'd share a photo in celebration of pregnancy Week 16.  The short answer is, evidently, I don't look as pregnant to other people as I look to myself.  Thanks to the Scholar Style Guide archives, I can even show you a "before" and "current" photo for comparison.

     Fall 2010                                                                         May 3, 2011

When people say to me "I can't even tell you're pregnant!", my first thought is "What are you talking about?!  This is six extra inches of belly!", but I try to take it as a compliment instead.  I also try to store it away, mentally, for the time after I have the baby.  Apparently, I'll look "back to normal" to everyone else long before I look "back to normal" for myself.  Getting dressed at this stage is a little tricky; I'm too big for most of my old clothes, but the belly is a long way from filling out the Maternity by Krista Valentine Hoffmann line I currently have on loan.  Thankfully, I can still button my low-rise jeans, and with the weather warming up, I can transition into the summer jersey dresses which have a little more room in the middle. (My favorite H&M shift dresses certainly do NOT fit!)  I've also picked up a few transitional items from Liz Lange for Target's maternity line, which are really inexpensive but work well for my barely-pregnant body (like the dress above).

But enough about me... if you're curious what the baby's up to, here is what babycenter.com says about the little one at 16 weeks:
Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

In a few weeks, Billy and I get to go back for the comprehensive anatomy sonogram, which will give us our first good look at the baby since 12 weeks, tell us whether or not to keep calling her "she," and hopefully confirm that she is growing into a healthy, thriving baby.

And with this minor indulgence completed, I must get back to work.  One paper finished, two more to go!

(When I stumbled across Shel Silvertstein's "Stork Story" poem, I admit to being a little creeped out.  Medically, the first day of my pregnancy precedes conception, and it dates back to the day Dad passed away, which means that every time I make it to a new "week" I am reminded how far along the baby is and exactly how long it has been since we lost Dad.  So while I don't believe in any form of reincarnation, not even Shel Silverstein style, I hope the baby has some of Dad's characteristics.  If this baby comes out with the creased earlobe my dad and I shared, I will know!)