Week 22!!!

Your baby weighs close to a pound at this point!

Your baby can now hear your conversations more clearly than before!.When you talk, read, or sing, expect her to hear you. Studies have found that newborns will suck more vigorously when read to from a book they heard frequently in utero.

Eyelids and eyebrows are fully formed.

Fingernails have grown to the end of the fingers.

Be prepared for all those "Why" questions coming! Your baby's brain has entered a stage of rapid growth, especially in what's called the germinal matrix. This structure deep in the middle of the brain serves as a kind of factory for brain cells and disappears shortly before birth. But the brain's amazing expansion program continues until around the fifth birthday.

With some help from mom, baby's liver is starting to break down bilirubin, a substance produced by red blood cells.

If your baby is male his testes begin their descent to the scrotum.

Primitive sperm have formed and he is producing testosterone.

Length is 10.94 inches (27.8cm); weight is nearly 1 pound (430gm).

Week 21 appointment updates

Tess is weighing about 14 ounces, which the doctor says is on the light side of average (hoping she is a smaller baby like her father). Nate was 6.5 pounds when born and I was about 8.5 so maybe I'll get lucky and she'll have his smaller build and hit growth spurts later on LOL.

Doc says her heart is phenomenal and she's moving around like crazy in there!!! Heart beat was 143 during the ultrasound and then bumped up to 153 once we got down to the prenatal check up an hour later. She gets really active and excited from all the poking and prodding lol. She's quite playful and full of energy already. They say I'm right on track for an October 1st delivery date, so everything is matching up nicely.

They said she's nice and healthy and I'm doing very well also. I'm up a few pounds from 163 to 165 so I'm gaining weight at a very healthy rate. My vitamin/mineral levels in my blood are doing great as well. They still want to send me for my 3 hour screening for gestational diabetes except they might cut it down from 100 to 75 ml (i think it is) and monitor for 2 hours instead of 3. Apparently, the doctor said that this has much more solid facts proving it to be a better strategy.

They set me up for a follow up appointment in August (since I'm around a lot for second hand smoke and such from the coffee shop), just to make sure everything is progressing nicely. Which I'm perfectly ok with... that simply means more baby ultrasounds for us!!!

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!

 ^ her tiny little feet

 ^derpy 3D image

 ^and here's the money shot!!!

 ^a much better 3D image

 ^she had her foot above her head while she was on her back LOL

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you Tesslyn Raine Yeakel at 21 weeks 5 days ^_^

Week 21!!!

White blood cells are under production. Leukocytes (or white blood cells) form our body's defense system. They help fight infections and diseases.

Your little one's skin has changed from translucent to become more opaque.

Your infant's tongue is fully formed. If you were able to peek you might catch your son or daughter practicing giving you a raspberry!

If your baby is a girl, her womb and vagina are formed. Unlike males, females have a limited supply of eggs in their lifetime. At this point your daughter will have 6 million eggs. This amount decreases to approximately one million by birth.

Baby swallows more this week. After your baby takes in amniotic fluid, his body absorbs the water in the liquid and moves the rest into the large bowel. This is good practice for his digestive system!

Wake and sleep periods become more consistent. Some research suggests that baby sets her internal clock to match the outside world's even before birth! Your eating and sleeping habits as well levels of light and noise serve as her signals.

Length is now measured crown to heel.

Baby measures about 10.51 inches (26.7cm) and weighs nearly 12.7 ounces (360g).

A Bigger Bump ^_^

Here's the baby bump at approx 5 months ^_^

Week 20!!!!! Halfway There!!!!

You're half way there!

The rapid growth stage is about over. While things have slowed down, this next stage is vital to survival.

The baby's heart grows stronger. Find a quiet place, lay flat on your back. Locate your own heartbeat by finding your pulse. Next lay your hand on your belly. You may be able to distinguish the two heartbeats!

His legs are reaching their relative size. With the increase muscle develop occurring as well, you will start feeling much more than tiny flutter kicks soon!

Immunities are being transferred from you to your baby now. These immune cells will protect her from viruses you've already had for up to six months after birth!

The nerve cells for taste, smell, hearing, seeing, and touch are now developing in specialized areas of the brain. Production slows down as existing nerve cells grow larger and make more complex connections.

Your baby may startle in reaction to loud sounds. Amazingly, she can actually hear noises outside of the womb. Familiar voices, music, and sounds that baby becomes accustomed to during her development stages often are calming after birth.

If your baby is a girl, her uterus is starting to develop. She has approximately six million eggs in her ovaries. About one million will remain at birth.

Baby is about 6.46 inches (16.4cm) and weighs around 10.58 ounces (300g).

Names and Such

So, I've had a lot of people asking me if we have names picked out already. Or if it's been a sticking point like in a lot of relationships. Honestly, we've had names picked out since two days after the pregnancy test came up positive! The first two names I threw out there Nate absolutely loved! The only thing we agreed upon was that if we have a daughter, he wants to be able to call her Tessa. I agreed that's a cute nickname, but opted for something a little more professional sounding (in case she becomes a doctor or lawyer or such).

Everyone was also wondering if the baby would have my last name or Nate's last name.

So now here are the names that we have picked out:
Girl: Tesslyn Raine Yeakel
Boy: Jareth Xavier Yeakel

Week 19!!!

Your baby has the same awake and sleep patterns of a newborn. He has a favorite position for sleep and recognizable active and rest periods.

Throughout baby's body, nerves are being coated with a fatty substance called myelin, which insulates the nerves so that impulses can flow smoothly.

Scalp hair becomes apparent this week. It has sprouted and continues to grow.

The milk teeth buds have already developedand over the next few days the buds for the permanent teeth will begin to form behind the milk teeth.

If baby is female the uterus starts to develop. If you're having a girl, the vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes are in place.

If it's a boy, the genitals are distinct and recognizable.

Your baby is swallowing amniotic fluid and his or her kidneys are making urine.

Your little one's size is around 6.02 inches (15.3cm) and 8.47 ounces (240gm).