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

18 weeks - did you know?

• At 18 weeks Baby Boy is about 6 inches long and weighs about 7 ounces.
• Baby is busy flexing his arms and legs. There is still enough room for baby to do somersaults or sit cross legged.
• Baby boy can now hear. He will get used to familiar sounds, such as Mommy's heart beat, familiar voices and other daily routine sounds.  The baby can become startled if he hears a loud sound.

17 Weeks - did you know?

At 17 weeks Baby Nilsen...

• Is getting bigger, cuter and smarter every day
• Baby Boy is about 5.5 inches long and weighs about 4 ounces (approximately the size of a large onion)
• Baby's sense of hearing is developing since his ears have fully formed and reactive listening has begun.  Meanwhile, different pasts of the brain are developing to process his other senses as well (sight, smell, taste and touch)
• Baby Boy is more flexible now with ability to move his head, mouth, lips, arms, wrists, hands, legs, feet and toes
• Baby Boy's little fingers and toes are now topped with one-of-a-kind prints