25 weeks - did you know?

• Baby boy is starting to put on the baby fat, which will be one of the main ongoing changes in appearance in the upcoming weeks.
• Baby is approximately 1 3/4 pounds and 13.5 inches in lenght.  That is the approximate size of a 5 pound bag of flour or eggplant.
• This week baby will be scootching slowly out of the old breech position and start rotating (already) into a better position for delivery.
• Baby boy is now able to do more with his fingers and can now move his fingers to make a complete fist.  His movements become more dexterous, and he will be able to touch and hold his feet. He will also begin to prefer his left or right hand at this time.
• The tooth fairy is hovering over baby boy this week as his permanent "grown-up" teeth are developing in buds high inside his gums.
• Baby boy's nerves around the mouth and lip area are showing more sensitivity now, preparing baby for eating. His swallowing reflexes are developing too. 

24 weeks - did you know?

• Baby boy is continuing to gain weight and starting to fill out. He is about 1 1/2 pounds and about 13 inches long.
• His ears are done.
• His fingernails are done.
• Baby boy is about to kick up the dance party a notch because he can now hear and react to sounds from the outside world.  Studies show that babies find gently music and Mommy's voice most soothing.
• Baby boy's taste buds are still growing.
• His bones are continuing to ossify (harden).
• His brain is growing rapidly.
• Baby boy's lungs are becoming more developed and more complex.  The branches of the main lung are beginning to form as well as special cells that will produce surfactant.  Surfactant is necessary for the airs sacs to inflate easily. 

22 weeks - did you know?

• Baby Boy has pretty much taken on the form of a newborn baby, but is incredibly small.  He weighs approximately 1 lb and is probably almost a foot in length (head to toe).
• Much development will continue to occur over the next 18 weeks. The baby's skin appears wrinkly, but this is because he has not yet gained enough weight to fill the skin out. The baby chub is soon to come!
• Baby Boy's lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath his gum line.
• His eyes are completely formed, but the iris (the colored portion of the eye) still lacks pigment.
• His inner ear is developed and he has his own sense of balance. Balance also promotes physical dexterity, which has him actively feeling out his surroundings where skin, body parts and the resident umbilical cord are the big sensory experiences.
• Baby boy's senses are developing daily. His brain now has a full complement of neurons and the baby is learning about his body and surroundings through touch.  Touch is one of the first senses to mature and the baby may stroke his face or feel his arms and legs.

21 weeks - did you know?

• Baby Boy is very busy moving.
• Baby probably weighs around 12-15 ounces and is around 10 1/2 inches long from head to toe.
• Within the next 5 weeks, baby boy will have another rapid growth spurt and be more than a little lean mean growing maching.  The beginnings of what is commonly called "brown fat" is just starting to fill into help baby retain some body heat, which is crucial as he is not yet capable of regulating his own body temperature.
• His eyebrows and eyelids have finished forming this week.
• The addition of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) has been added to the baby's sleep schedule.  He sleeps approximately 12-14 hours a day.
• Taste buds are being formed on his tongue.

20 weeks - did you know?

Baby boy continues to grow...

• His bones are continuing to ossify and toughen.
• His finger and toe pads are finishing up the creation of its unique finger/toe prints.
• His teeth buds are formed and hidden beneath the gum line.
• Baby boy's lips are pink and more defined.
• His eyelashes and eyebrows are visible.
• At this point he realy looks like a miniature baby - but weighs a mere eighth of what his estimated birth weight will be.

19 weeks - did you know?

• Baby Boy is now about 7 1/2 inches long from crown to rump and weighs about 8 ounces.  Since the baby's legs are actually straight enough to be able to measure now, the baby is around 10 inches in total length.
• Hair is beginning to sprout on his scalp.
• Baby boy is going through a crucial time for sensory development: his brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch.  Because the nerves that connect the muscles to the brain have grown into place, baby's movements are consciously directed.
• Baby Boy's feet are approximately 1 inch long

19 Weeks

Today, we snuck out to a park in Bloomington and had another successful day of baby bump shooting.  The wind was blowing hard, but we still managed to get some adorable pictures of the soon-to-be Mommy, soon-to-be Daddy and the little man growing in Momma's belly.

Have I mentioned how much fun I am having doing these photos?

Click here to see the rest from today's session