Week Fourteen

Baby

is the size of a large peach at 9-10 cm.
can now hear sounds coming from inside, yawn, blink, and rub his or her eyes.
is growing hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes.
is growing at super speed, having doubled in size since last week.
has fully developed genitals to determine if a boy or a girl (though we won’t find out for a few more weeks on the ultrasound).
can officially use his or her muscles to smile.

is feeling little bubble-like flutters that are so faint, she can’t tell if it’s baby (but likes to pretend so).
has regained lots of energy but has moments of still being out of breath after the most simple tasks (like walking across the playground).
cried in the 12 week ultrasound when she saw baby waving. So in love.
bought baby’s first pair of adorable shoes (couldn’t help herself) and probably way too many clothes, already.
told work about baby. Maternity leave ahead!

likes to touch mom’s belly and keeps watching to see if it’s grown.
has started talking to the belly, mostly in weird, goofy voices.
is taking charge of so much of the cooking and cleaning while he’s home to help mom out! He’s also tutoring high school kids in the evenings that he is not flying. Busy, busy! He’s the best!
was very excited because he flew with the same captain to Singapore who he had told about the baby the day we found out we were pregnant! Just by coincidence!

Mom and dad are busy busy planning their destination wedding! They have a location and wedding planner in mind, already. Location to be announced soon!
Mom and dad are also planning a final trip together in December before baby is born- they just can’t decide where! Do they want to do a babymoon some place warm, go home for Christmas, or somehow do both? Tough decision!
Mom is busy preparing back to school night for the parents at school and settling 16 kids into their new classroom. She already loves them so much that it’s hard to imagine the love that baby is going to bring to her life. Inconceivable, really.
Both mom and dad have been very busy with social events, dinners, and parties so naturally, more and more people are finding out about baby and they are soaking up every single second of celebration, together. It feels like one of the most special times they’ve ever shared together.
Mom and dad had their twelve week echo, getting to see baby for the second time. SO in love.

Becoming pregnant, immediately gives you entrance into a club. A club where people (lovely people, with the best of intentions) love to give you advice and wisdom. Not only do they know what gender your baby is, already but they can also predict your future. You won’t sleep, the birth will be awful, your partner and you will fight, you’ll never travel again, you’ll never have time for yourself, again…. if this whole process is as natural as the Dutch have led me to believe, all of these things are just a natural part of the process and mind-shift change- which means it just shouldn’t be that horrible. I’m fairly confident that they will naturally work themselves out, as well. So, the way I see it, we shouldn’t stress about the unknown, we should stay positive and make the best of every moment; do our best to see the moments that baby won’t sleep, as moments baby needs us; see a hard birth as a sign of strength and empowerment; build a better relationship, with an even stronger foundation with every hardship and challenge; make time for the things we enjoy but also won’t stop doing them because baby came- bring baby because now baby is apart of us. And traveling? Oh, baby is going to travel. Lesson learned: always appreciate everyone’s unique experience and advice but in the end, your pregnancy and way of parenting is and always will be unique to you.